What a busy month it has been for the construction industry! As anticipated from the million-dollar agreements, government agendas, and sustainability goals set this year, it comes as no surprise that January welcomed its fair share of new project launches.
From EV battery recycling facilities and carbon-neutral buildings to Aston Martin-designed interiors and the first hotel in NEOM’s Oxagon, there is a clear variety of projects to crowd 2023’s pipeline.
Some of the companies that stood out with their projects this month include DAMAC Properties, BEEAH Recycling, Danube Properties, Modon Properties, Aldar Properties, and Diamond Developers.
Detailing each project’s unique features, Construction Week Middle East has narrowed down the top 15 launches in the month of January.
Please note that this list is not a ranking.
The Middle East’s top project launches in January 2023 were:
1. Modon Properties: Bab Al Nojoum – Bateen Liwa Resort
Type: Eco-tourism campsite destination
To offer an “immersive desert experience”
Modon Properties, a UAE-based master developer of sustainable communities, has opened its new Abu Dhabi desert resort, Bab Al Nojoum – Bateen Liwa Resort, located in the heart of Liwa, its eco-tourism campsite destination.
The Abu Dhabi Modon development has been designed for families and individuals looking to reconnect with the natural landscape.
The new Bab Al Nojoum – Bateen Liwa Resort in the Al Dhafra region offers an immersive desert experience and features one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas.
2. Danube Properties: Viewz
Type: High-rise twin towers
$381 million in value
Danube Properties has unveiled its largest real estate project, Viewz, a set of twin high-rise towers that once complete will deliver apartments and Sky Villas, with a development value exceeding $381 million.
Launched in partnership with Jumeirah Lakes Towers’ (JLT) master developer, DMCC, the project will redefine luxury living through Aston Martin furnished interior common areas and amenities.
Customers will also be able to choose Aston Martin furnished interiors for their homes. This is the first luxury residential project by Danube Properties, marking the developer’s move into the high-end real estate development market.
3. BEEAH Recycling: The UAE’s first EV battery recycling facility
Type: Recycling facility
The project will make EVs more affordable and sustainable in the long run
BEEAH Recycling has signed an agreement with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI) and the American University of Sharjah (AUS) to collaborate on establishing the nation’s first recycling plant for end-of-life batteries from electric vehicles.
The EV battery recycling facility will be added to BEEAH Recycling’s integrated waste management complex, which currently has ten specialised waste processing and material recovery facilities that have contributed to a 76% waste diversion rate in Sharjah, the highest in the Middle East.
The addition of an EV battery recycling facility will help further increase landfill waste diversion in the future as more batteries from EVs approach end-of-life.
4. Aldar Properties and Diamond Developer: The Sustainable City – Yas Island
Type: Sustainability-centric community
To be handed over by Q4 2025
Aldar Properties, in partnership with Diamond Developers, has launched The Sustainable City – Yas Island, a sustainability-centric community offering a new way of life for Abu Dhabi residents.
The family-friendly development, which builds on the strengths of The Sustainable City – Dubai, is a walkable community in the surrounds of open green spaces, leisurely walkways, and community farming plots.
The project is underpinned by a central green spine that runs the length of the community, featuring parks, lakes, and biodomes where vegetables will be grown and distributed throughout the community.
5. Emaar Development: The Viewing Point
Type: Viewing deck
70-metre structure
Emaar Development has unveiled ‘The Viewing Point’, a stunning new location to take in some of the city’s most spectacular sights from the Dubai Creek Harbour.
The eye-catching, 70-metre structure spans out over Dubai Creek, with a 26m cantilever projecting out over the water giving unobstructed views across the Creek towards Downtown Dubai and back inland between the Address Grand twin towers.
The new focal point is one of the key elements of the Dubai Creek Harbour masterplan, and has been designed to seamlessly blend in with its surroundings.
6. Led Development: The Souk
Type: Mastercommunity
Six villages across the Jubail Island
Lead Development has announced the launch of The Souk – Jubail Island’s modern and vibrant destination, which is the main link connecting the six villages across the island, providing residents with a central hub that combines wellbeing, connectivity, leisure, retail and commercial services.
The Souk’s prime location provides increased connectivity to other destinations on the island, such as Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Beach Club, and the Marina.
The development contains an integrated set of service and entertainment facilities with designs that blur the boundaries between architecture and nature.
7. YOTEL: The first hotel in Oxagon, NEOM
Type: Hotel
300 keys
YOTEL, a global hospitality brand, has announced its first hotel signing in Saudi Arabia. Scheduled to open in 2025, the YOTEL property will also be the first hotel to open in Oxagon, which will be the home of advanced and clean industries in NEOM.
Upon check-in, guests will be immersed in the bustling energy of the innovation eco-system within the district. Featuring 300 rooms, the hotel will showcase YOTEL’s latest features including the brand’s signature robotic concierge, motorised SmartBeds™, and fully integrated technologies which YOTEL is known for.
The partnership marks the latest hotel agreement with NEOM’s Hotel Development, the division responsible for building a future-centric hospitality ecosystem in the Northwest corner of Saudi Arabia.
8. Emirates Villages: Qidfa Development
Type: The first project of the Emirates Village initiative
Represents a significant model for sustainable socio-economic development
HH Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has launched the ‘Qidfa Development’ in Fujairah, the first project of the ‘Emirates Villages’, an initiative aimed at creating a sustainable development model.
The Qidfa Region Development Project aims to attract 100,000 tourists annually by increasing the region’s tourism potential and promoting its distinguished capabilities via media outlets.
The plan also includes the launch of 50 development projects for the region’s youth, in addition to training 200 young men and women in all areas, in collaboration with strategic partners.
9. DAMAC Properties: DAMAC Hills 2 – Camelia Cluster
Type: Residential community
A collection of 3-storey townhouses positioned at the centre of Damac Hills 2
DAMAC Properties has launched a brand-new cluster at its thriving DAMAC Hills 2 community in Dubailand. The Camelia cluster is a collection of 3-storey townhouses positioned right in the centre of the master development, next to the community’s most exciting amenities.
Launched in 2014, DAMAC Hills 2 now is home to more than 24,000 residents. The 5.1 million m2 community is the developer’s second master development, which came after the success of its first community — DAMAC Hills.
10. SABIC: SABIC Jubail headquarters
Type: Commercial building
66,000m2 total land area
SABIC has inaugurated its iconic building in the Saudi industrial city of Jubail, keeping pace with mega development projects contributing to strengthening the kingdom’s global position as a major player in the fields of investment, economy, and business.
Built on a total land area of 66,000m2, the building has a built-up area of 254,000m2, accommodating more than 3,600 employees.
It was built using SABIC steel, and 77% of the building’s purchases for mechanical, electrical and finishing work were made locally.
The design of the building is inspired by SABIC’s core values: inspire, engage, create and deliver and derived from the pattern of a crystal, expressing the nature of SABIC’s work where various elements harmonize in one fabric.
11. DMCC and Ellington Properties: Upper House
Type: Residential development
$327 million project
Ellington Properties and Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) have partnered to develop Upper House, a new residential development located in Dubai’s premier mixed-used community, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT).
Launched today, the $327 million project is Ellington Properties’ first residential development in JLT. Embodying a holistic design philosophy, the project is due for completion by the beginning of 2026.
Brewer Smith Brewer Group (BSBG), an award-winning international design and executive architect in Dubai, London, and Riyadh, has designed the project with Ellington Properties’ signature, high-quality amenities.
12. DAMAC Properties: DAMAC Bay by Cavalli
Type: Luxury residential development
42-story, three-tower property
DAMAC Properties has officially announced the launch of DAMAC Bay by Cavalli. With an aesthetic designed by the iconic Cavalli brand, the 42-story, three-tower property seeks to welcome residents to the wonders of luxurious seaside living.
Located in Dubai Harbour, DAMAC Bay maintains a design scheme inspired by the wonders of maritime life throughout, with an interior that includes seashells, pearls and zebrafish patterns and a sleek exterior that pays homage to serene ocean waves.
13. RAK Properties: Julphar Residences
Type: Residential building
Consists 266 apartments
RAK Properties, Ras Al Khaimah’s largest publicly listed property developer, has announced the launch of its latest residential project, Julphar Residence in Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. The 23-floor building brings read-to-live-in homes to the city.
Julphar Residence consists of 266 apartments, including attractive studios, one and two-bedroom units, and a limited number of three-bedroom apartments.
Every apartment features plenty of natural sunlight, a private balcony, and high-quality finish. Residents will also be able to enjoy two swimming pools, a gym, and an indoor and outdoor children’s play area.
14. Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN): Entertainment project in Tabuk
Type: Entertainment destination
$267 million
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) has announced the beginning of construction of its entertainment destination in Tabuk at the Municipal Investment Forum (Furas), organised by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA).
With a development value of more than $267 million, SEVEN’s entertainment destination in Tabuk will transform the entertainment landscape in the region with a wide range of attractions and experiences.
Designed by world-renowned architects, Gensler, SEVEN’s entertainment destination in Tabuk is set on over 72,500m2 of built-up area and on a land area of 40,000m2.
15. Magnom Properties and Forbes: Forbes International Tower
Type: Environmentally responsive tower
Envisioned by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Solidifying a commitment to long-term sustainability, Magnom Properties and Forbes joined hands at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, to announce their plans to build an innovative, environmentally responsive tower set in the heart of the rising New Administrative Capital in Cairo, Egypt.
Envisioned by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG Architecture), the planned ‘Forbes International Tower’ marks the start of a new era of building design as Magnom Properties, a subsidiary of Rawabi Holding, pushes the boundaries of modern construction to pursue a zero-carbon strategy in collaboration with Forbes.
