Ajman rising

Ajman has unveiled a series of developments set to propel the emirate to international recognition. Tamara Walid reports on the emirate's ambitious plans for a US$60bn supercity by the shore.

As the UAE emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah hit the headlines with one mega-project after another, Ajman appears determined not to be left behind.

Investment in Ajman's real estate sector has now surpassed the US$109bn mark, and the emirate has recently announced a number of waterfront developments, high-end commercial projects and budget residential units.

"Ajman is trying to position itself in a way similar to Dubai, but with its own twist and on a smaller scale. At the same time Ajman aims to benefit from the growth Dubai and Abu Dhabi are bringing to the UAE economy, the proximity to Dubai and Sharjah and its own property price or rent advantage," Roy Cherry, assistant vice president of research at Shuaa Capital's Real Estate and Construction department, tells Arabian Business.

The emirate's most high-profile investment yet is the development of a US$60bn supercity that will stretch along the emirate's ample coastline. A mixed-height, mixed-use coastline city, ‘Al Zorah' will host environmentally-friendly residences, offices, retail, schools, hospitals and leisure facilities including marinas and a number of five-star resort hotels. It will stretch over 12 sq km with a built-up area of 22 million sq m, and will have a total of 16 km of beaches and waterside walks.

"Already a sought-after destination for high-value investors, who are drawn by its business-friendly regulations and relatively open marketplace, Ajman is entering a new chapter in its development," said HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Al Zorah Development Company, announcing the project. He added that Al Zorah would become an international destination by the time of its completion in 2015.

The Al Zorah development will be located on the northern coast of the sheikhdom and is estimated to be able to provide housing and working spaces for a population of 200,000, with residents making up about 85%.

The end result will be a community comprising residences, offices, retail, schools, clinics and leisure facilities including five marinas and a number of five-star hotels and resorts.

On its coast will be a crescent-shaped bay, and residences will be located in waterfront villages served by neighbourhood amenities, while the project focuses on maximising the use of public squares and pedestrian areas to create a walking city, with restaurants, retail and open spaces as a central part of the living community.

It is Ajman's largest real estate project to date and will be developed by the Al Zorah Development Company, a 50-50 joint venture between the government of Ajman and Solidere International Limited.

As the global arm of Solidere, Solidere International already has significant experience in urban regeneration - Solidere is credited with the reconstruction of Beirut City Centre, one of the most challenging and successful urban renewal projects in recent history.

"Energy conservation and sustainability is certainly vital to the Al Zorah project," Imad Dana, CEO of Al Zorah Development Company (AZDC), tells Arabian Business.

"This land is alive with nature: there are 30 species of mangroves, over 20 species of birds and countless coastal fish," he continues. To preserve the mangrove, he adds, the company will create a buffer zone around it where no development will occur. "On one side you will have water in the shape of a creek, and on the other end of the mangrove we will build an 18-hole golf course."

Spending on real estate projects and infrastructure development is on the rise in Ajman, and the Al Zorah project is part of the vision of HH Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, to transform the emirate into a world class residential, tourism and investment destination.

"Ajman is not just catering to investors and rich people, but to everyday life," says Khurram Burney, marketing manager at BL Properties, a Pakistan-based developer that is currently building two residential towers in the emirate.

Ajman still has a long way to go in terms of improving its infrastructure, but change is on the way. In 2007, the emirate allocated US$136m for infrastructure, including roads and intersections, bridges, maintenance and renovation. In 2008, Ajman has already announced US$375m worth of infrastructure projects.

To ensure that people are able to reach the new city, the Ajman government has also unveiled plans for an international airport, to be built in the emirate's Al-Manama district. The airport will stretch over 60 million sq ft of land and will handle at least one million passengers per year and a minimum of 400,000 tonnes of cargo.

In order to oversee the rapid development in the emirate, Ajman's Municipality and Planning Department (AMPD) has also established the Directorate of Infrastructure Development to oversee infrastructure projects.

The directorate has been set up to implement coordination follow-up and planning of infrastructure projects such as sewerage services and improvement of the drainage system. It features three sections - public services, roads and sewerage services - and each will be increasingly busy over the coming months and years.