(21 April 2010)
Al Qudra Real Estate (AQRE) has been awarded the project development contract for the first phase of its Ain Al Fayda (AAF) master-community project; a government villa program intended to fill the ever-expanding local Emirati housing needs in Al Ain.
“Preservation of environmental, social, cultural and heritage tenets is the central theme of Plan Al Ain 2030, which is the driving force for the development of traditional Emirati housing in Al Ain. The National Housing project announced today for Al Ain will not only address the ongoing demand for quality housing infrastructure for Emiratis, but will also sustain the traditional identity of an Emirati community”, said H.E Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC).
Valued at approximately 4 billion dirhams, the first phase consists of 2,000-units spanning across 3.75 million square meters, and will be developed based on a construction program scheduled over a period of four years, in alignment with the ‘Plan Al Ain 2030’.
“We put a lot of passion and innovative, sustainable-living ideas into the Ain Al Fayda housing project, so we are very proud that the government of Abu Dhabi picked our development proposal to be part of their National Housing Program and Plan Al Ain 2030,” said Mahmood Ebraheem Al Mahmood, CEO of Al Qudra Holding
Slated to become a comprehensive, mixed-use, master-planned community consisting of approximately 5000 villas that will cater to an estimated 60,000-plus population base, AAF is strategically located at the foothills of the famous Jebel Hafeet which is host to tourism hot spots such as the natural springs of the Green Mubazzarah and Ain Al Fayda Park.
“Al Ain is the traditional destination for relaxation, healing and recreation in the Emirates and is considered central to the cultural heritage of the UAE. Our development design focuses on complementing traditional Emirati living with the area’s natural beauty whilst preserving it,” continued Al Mahmood.
The AAF project received the UPC’s ‘Estidama Excellence Award’ for participating in the 2009 Pilot Projects Pearls Rating System. Estidama, which means ‘sustainability’ in Arabic, was established as a specialised government body at the UPC with a specific mandate to ensure the proper development and implementation of more sustainable development in Abu Dhabi.
“We have been contributing to the development of Abu Dhabi for over 5 years, so we are very pleased that the government views us as a trusted partner with which they can carry out their sustainable initiatives for the long-term benefit of local communities and the environment,” concluded Al Mahmood.