More villa projects for Emiratis unveiled at Cityscape

More than 13,000 new villas for families are expected to come onto the market over four years.

Visitors to Cityscape, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, discuss a model of an Emirati housing project.

ABU DHABI // More than 13,000 new villas for Emirati families will come onto the market in the next four years, as the Government works to ease the growing demand for housing for nationals.

Seven new projects, which will see 7,500 new homes constructed across the emirate by 2015 at a cost of Dh13.5 billion, will be built with an emphasis on family, Emirati heritage and traditions and privacy. Most of the developments are expected to be completed within the next two years.

Spearheaded by the Urban Planning Council (UPC), the projects will emphasise community and connectivity. The villas will be constructed in the style of traditional Emirati neighbourhoods, called fareej, offering a mix of residences, community facilities, recreation and open spaces.

Fareej are built up in clusters that are designed as an interconnected network, with play areas, shaded walkways and amenities such as clinics, shops and schools.

The new projects were announced yesterday on the sidelines of CityScape, the capital's annual real estate conference.

"The Government of Abu Dhabi gives our locals great importance," said Falah al Ahbabi, the general manager of UPC.

"The key objective of these projects is to develop multiple housing options for future Emirati generations and preserve and promote the traditional Emirati identity and preferred style of living."

The municipality gives out free residential plots to Emiratis each year in a long-standing tradition that began under Sheikh Zayed. It was not clear yesterday if the homes, as well as the land, are provided free to Emiratis.

Four of the new projects will be built in Al Ain, two in Abu Dhabi and one in Al Gharbia.

The largest will be constructed south of the Al Ain city centre in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet. Located on a 4.4 million square-metre site, the community will offer 3,000 villas as well as shopping areas, mosques and schools. The project, to be developed by Tamouh Investments, is expected to be completed in the summer of 2014.

Abu Dhabi-based developer Sorouh Real Estate will develop two projects, constructing more than 1,400 new villas over two years.

The Al Ghareba villas in Al Ain will be built to Estidama - Pearl 2 sustainability requirements on 2.15 million square metres. The project will be completed in two phases at a cost of Dh1.8bn, and the first homes are expected to become available by the end of next year.

In Al Gharbia, the 448-villa Sila'a project will include a mosque, school and women's centre. Located on 1.3 million sq metres of coastline, the project should be finished by September next year.

In the capital, construction has already begun on the first phase of a Yas Island-based Emirati housing project. The 780,000 sq-metre site will be home to nearly 500 villas by the end of the year.

"The key thing for us is to be able to deliver the vision of UPC in providing housing specifically designed for Emiratis," said Alejando Fonseca, the general manager of Royal Development Company, the developer of the Yas Island project's first phase.

The 13,000 new homes include the expected completion of projects announced at last year's Cityscape, namely Watani in Khalifa City A, Al Falah and Ain Al Fayda.

In all UPC is currently working on 11 Emirati housing projects worth a combined total of nearly Dh22bn. More projects will soon be announced, Mr al Ahbabi said.