Activity in Dubai and Riyadh

KONE Providing Elevators for Dubai Hotel Apartments

KONE has been selected to provide elevators for the 76-story, 323-m-tall WOW hotel apartment tower in Dubai’s Business Bay. KONE will be equipping the development with 16 MiniSpace®, seven MonoSpace®, two loading-bay and three disabled-access platform elevators. Designed by Aedas Architects Ltd. and developed by WOW Investments Ltd., the tower is scheduled for completion in 2020. Pierre Liautaud, executive vice president for KONE South Europe, Middle East and Africa, said:

“The supply of hotel rooms and hotel apartments in Dubai is expected to reach 134,000 by the end of 2018. We’re excited to be part of the city’s growing hospitality sector, and look forward to providing a premium travel experience with our equipment to the people visiting and working at the development.”

Construction Begins on Riyadh Bank Tower

Construction has begun on a new, high-rise headquarters building for the Saudi British Bank (SABB) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, architects CallisonRTKL announced in December 2017. The 46,544-m2 building will have a 135-m-tall office tower with an integrated podium. The floor space will include 7,013 m2 of banking services, restaurant areas and training facilities for employees. Architectural features have been incorporated to allow the building to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification and to mitigate the harsh, hot climate. The design will allow plenty of daylight into the building while blocking direct sunlight. Other environmentally friendly attributes include reduced water usage and waste diversion. About 2,800 SABB employees will work at the new headquarters, which is expected to open in early 2020.

33-, 26-Story Towers on Private Island in Dubai

Emaar Development plans to bring “Miami Beach-style” living to Dubai in the form of the 10-million-sq.-ft. Emaar Beachfront, 33- and 26-story apartment towers on a private, gated island off the coast, Arabian Business reported. Residents will have access to a 1.5-km beach, beachside play areas, swimming pools, gyms and podium parking. Describing Emaar Beachfront as one of a kind, Emaar Properties Managing Director Ahmad Al Matrooshi said the project offers people the “opportunity to experience a new lifestyle.” Sales launched in January.