Big event takes place in Dubai; major projects for Kuwait, Cyprus and Dubai.

thyssenkrupp Elevator VR Showroom Rolled Out

thyssenkrupp Elevator launched a virtual-reality (VR) showroom at the Dubai Air Show earlier this year that allows people to experience technology like the TWIN and MULTI elevator systems interactively through the use of VR headsets that provide a virtual “ride” in the elevator and a 360˚, up-close look at the way the systems work. Moreover, the company states, various options such as cabin design can be applied instantly. The concept attracted much attention at the airshow, and VR showrooms are now in place in the U.A.E., Jordan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan. thyssenkrupp said locations would be coming soon to countries throughout Europe, as well as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt. The concept includes seven different theme rooms that take visitors “straight to the heart of technologies like TWIN and MULTI.” Thyssenkrupp Elevator CEO Andreas Schierenbeck observed:

“Our VT concept allows for really unusual and rare insights into out-of-reach areas. Just like MULTI is driven by a technical revolution, our way to communicate with customers and the interested public is driven by the multiple, almost limitless possibilities that VR offers.”

Plans Revealed for Kuwait’s Huge Silk City Project

Plans for Silk City, a massive, KWD26.1-billion (US$86-billion) development in Kuwait centered around a 1-km-tall tower, have been revealed, ConstructionWeekOnline.com reported in July. The project, part of the Kuwait National Development Plan 2035, will cover 250 km2 in northern Kuwait’s Subiya area. Silk City will provide housing for up to 700,000 people and will feature four quarters, or “villages,” that will have hotels, sports and medical facilities, a nature reserve, port and airport facilities, and an Olympic-class stadium. It will be connected to Kuwait City via Jaber Causeway, a bridge currently under construction that, when complete, will be the world’s fourth-longest bridge.

The main attraction will be the Mubarak Al-Kabir tower, a 1-km-tall, 234-story building that will house 7,000 people. It will consist of seven “vertical villages,” each with hotels, residences, offices and entertainment facilities. The project is expected to be completed over a 25-year period and is designed to boost tourism and investment in the country.