Activity is picking up in hotspots across the region.

Clam-Shaped Supertall as Centerpiece of Dubai Project

Burj Jumeriah, a 550-m-tall oval tower that brings to mind the razor-clam-shaped Pertamina Energy Tower in Jakarta (ELEVATOR WORLD, October 2015), is planned as the centerpiece of a larger development called Downtown Jumeirah in Dubai, ARCHITECT reported. U.A.E.-based Dubai Holding unveiled the master plan, which was inaugurated on January 31 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the U.A.E. and ruler of Dubai. Close to Burj Al Arab in Al Sufouh, Burj Jumeirah is planned to have multiple observation decks and digital displays on its façade. An architecture firm had not been finalized when the project was announced in February, but Dubai Holding planned to start construction “immediately,” with phase one scheduled for delivery in 2023.

Development With Thousands of Homes to Be Nairobi’s Tallest

Erdemann Properties, which has built thousands of homes in Kenya since the early 2000s, plans to build a development that will add 2,720 additional homes in high rises that will be the tallest in Nairobi and beyond, Construction Kenya reported. The River Estate on Jodongo Road will consist of eight 34-story towers containing 340 homes each, with prices starting at the equivalent of US$60,000 for a one-bedroom unit. Erdemann has also pledged to build a bridge across the Nairobi River to ease residents’ movement into and out of the 2.3-ha development. The project is scheduled for completion by 2022.

Another Contender for Africa’s Tallest

Foundations were poured in January for another contender for Africa’s tallest building: the 390-m-tall Iconic Tower, a “Dubai- style” skyscraper in Egypt’s new administrative capital outside Cairo, The National reported. The tower will be among up to 20 being built by Egyptian companies with China State Construction Engineering Corp. on 700 km2 of desert where the Middle East’s biggest cathedral, the Cathedral of the Nativity, and mega mosque, the al-Fattah al-Aleem Mosque, were inaugurated in January. Housing government buildings, foreign embassies and companies, the development is expected to ease traffic in Cairo. Whether Iconic Tower will take the tallest building title is unclear, as other projects such as the Zaha Hadid-designed Nile Tower (EW, November 2018) in Cairo are in the works.

KONE to Outfit New Office Park Tower Rising in Warsaw

KONE has been selected to provide the vertical- transportation package for the Generation Park Y 140-m-tall, 38-story office tower rising at the Rondo Daszynskiego roundabout in Warsaw. The package consists of two Monospace® 700, two MiniSpaceTM high-rise and 12 MiniSpace double-deck elevators, and three TravelMasterTM M110 escalators. KONE’s destination-dispatch and E-LinkTM remote-monitoring systems will also be included. Being developed and constructed by Skanska, Generation Park Y also has two midrise buildings and is aiming for the highest environmental and accessibility standards. The main tower is expected to be used by approximately 5,000 people.

Twitter Launches #ElevatorTweets Marketing Initiative in Dubai

Twitter launched a marketing campaign, #ElevatorTweets, that will allow companies to put tweets on screens in elevators in their buildings, Gulf News Tech reported. Twitter Head of Business Marketing, Middle East and North Africa Carla Al Maalouli said the company is working with advertisers and media agencies to promote the campaign. In February, Twitter had teamed up with media agency Publicis Media to demonstrate the technology at the GBS Building in Dubai Media City. Additional demonstrations were planned in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. A blend of custom hardware and software brings “a canvas of related tweets to life, in real time, inside an elevator.” For example, an employee of an automotive company in Saudi Arabia could learn about local market conditions and competitors during an elevator ride. Tweets are reviewed and approved by a team of moderators before going live.

Tallest Tower in Saudi Arabian City Opens

AKH Tower, designed by U.A.E.-based Dewan Architects + Engineers as the new headquarters for Al Abdul Karim Holding (AKH), recently opened as the tallest skyscraper in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, at 37 stories, ConstructionWeekOnline reported. Shapoorji Pallonji Midwest was the general contractor on the 64,000-m2 building, which features a slanting façade and angles that allow for “distinctive and dynamic office space on every floor.” AKH is a wholesale distributor for brands including Panasonic, and the tower has available space that caters to an array of spatial requirements. Additional features include an energy-management system, access control and emergency backup power.

High-Rise Building Construction Greenlit in Islamabad

The Pakistani government in February approved construction of high-rise buildings in the federal capital of Islamabad, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reported, citing The News. The decision was driven by a growing population, the need to preserve green space and to accommodate foreign investment. Aviation and municipal authorities were asked to provide detailed reports to the government to identify where tall buildings could be built, specify maximum heights and set up an automated system to facilitate design and other approvals.