The right mix

Mixed-use projects are being developed across the Middle East with great vigour. Some developers are emphasising the accommodation, some the business space and others the retail units, but many are using leisure facilities to promote their projects.

Hardly a week goes by without the announcement of another multi-billion dollar mixed-use development to be built in the Middle East.

These projects vary in scale, focus and location, but they all have one thing in common - the ambition to create a package that brings together multiple components to sell units or experiences to the paying public.

These components include housing, hotels and office or leisure facilities with some projects combining all four.

However, leisure facilities are being used as the unique selling point for a number of mixed-use developments - the honey pot that developers hope will draw potential buyers into their housing units and tourists into their hotels, as well as those just visiting the leisure attraction.

And with vast sums of money behind the developers, the only thing holding them back in terms of what they are offering as the leisure component of the mixed-use facility are their imaginations.

Considering there are a large number of creative people working on the projects, a number of imaginative ideas are already being developed. In Abu Dhabi, the Desert Islands mixed-use project is focusing on its green credentials and the central leisure theme is a nature reserve where people can go on safari.

PDSI group has just announced it will form part of a consortium to develop three major projects in Ras Al Khaimah.

The first of these is a mixed-use development that will boast an artificial ski-slope on Jais Mountain as well as a golf course, three five-star hotels and 700 villas.

The Tarin Hills development in Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq is spread across 51,820km² and will offer residential, retail, commercial, hospitality, entertainment, health and sports components.

"The hills of Tarin will be transformed into a golf course residential community with villas surrounding and intertwined among the 18-hole course," explains Peter Riddoch, CEO of DAMAC Properties.

"This community will be augmented with a golf club and health centre, which will be a focal point destination for recreation and leisure. In addition, the community will encompass a water and theme park, arts centres, retail complexes, besides schools and business parks," he says.

Although the Tarin Hills development is in its formative stages, the fact that Iraq is looking to rebuild through mixed-use projects shows how important they are considered to be as a monetary generator and, once again, the leisure aspect is being used as the key selling point for the project.

Countless other mixed-use developments are being planned and executed and it can only be seen as testament to the power of leisure facilities as a sales tool when they are used as the unique selling point for projects in which such vast sums of money and time are being invested.

Case study: Mina Al Arab

The leisure component within mixed-use resorts is paramount to success, according to director of marketing for RAK properties, Rashed Sultan Al Khatri.

"Leisure facilities and components are very important in any major mixed-use development like Mina Al Arab. With 4500 units ranging from villas to apartments, we expect to have a big population living in the project and it is very important to make sure that we provide them with the leisure facilities that they will need," he explains.

However, leisure facilities are not just about entertaining existing clientele, says Al Khatri, they also, "play a big role in giving a competitive edge when it comes to the sales and marketing of the project".

There are three major leisure attractions within Mina Al Arab. The first is the Mina Al Arab Environmental Preserve, a 4,572,000km² ecological reserve which is home to migrating birds and marine life that will be open for controlled public viewing along with its own specialised environmental information centre.

There is also Oasis Walk, which is a three kilometre stretch of green walkways with water fountains and WOW RAK, the theme-park component.

"WOW RAK is the only theme park in the project and it will be run by Polo RAK group, which is the local arm for the India-based theme park operator [Apollo amusement parks]," says Al Khatri.

WOW RAK is going to be a multipart entertainment venue aimed at attracting locals and international tourists.

The first component is Ice Land Water Park, which will have the world's largest man-made waterfall as an entrance, standing 35 metres tall, 160 metres wide and pumping 100,000 litres of water per minute over the falls.

For those with a sense of adventure, the water fall will feature a diving pool. The water park will be spread over 30 acres featuring a snow theme with water slides emerging from snow-capped rocky mountains and mountain streams.

With five towers and 27 water slides, the park aims to cater to all age groups and visitor profiles and besides standard water park attractions such as the wave pool and action river, Ice Land will feature a coral reef and an aqua soccer pool.

The water park boasts that it will hold the world's largest rain dance pool and interactive play area. Covering 6000m², it will blast pulsating music while showering people.

Construction work on the project has commenced and the Ice Land Water Park is expected to be ready by June 2009 with the capacity to cater to 15,000 guests a day.

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