Dubai Festival City (DFC), the waterfront 'city-within-a-city' being built on the banks of Dubai Creek, could be among one of the first 'Airport Cities' to be developed in the Middle East. "DFC can lay claim to being an airport city because of its proximity to Dubai International, just two kilometers away," said Judy Neil, DFC's general manager, Marketing, when addressing the recent Airport Cities conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Neil told delegates that Dubai Festival City, which spans 1,600 acres of Creek front real estate, hoped to exploit its closeness to Dubai International and thus its unique location. "We are looking to become a gateway to the airport - a staging post perhaps, harnessing a mixture of residential, commercial, cultural, educational, entertainment, sports and social opportunities in a signature 'city-within-a-city'," explained Neil.
"The orientation of the leading international airport in the Middle East to Dubai Festival City is all-important. This mixed-use real estate development is within two kilometers of Dubai International Airport, but it runs parallel to the flight path.”
"This close proximity makes Dubai Festival City a convenient location for visitors to the emirate, but it has to offer the right mix of elements to make the most of its location, and entice visitors to make it their first port of call in Dubai. To benefit from its proximity to the airport, Dubai Festival City will have to create points of difference for it to succeed."
Neil outlined how Dubai Festival City will rely on a mix of its own residents, other residents within Dubai, and visitors from other emirates and overseas to generate income for its restaurants, hotels, sporting facilities, retail outlets and entertainment centers. The challenge, she said, is to ensure Dubai Festival City is chosen over other emerging locations in the emirate.
"In essence we are taking the best of what the world has to offer and combining it in one central destination, just two kilometers from the airport," explained Neil. "All-in-all we are creating a dynamic, vibrant community set in the heart of Dubai offering everything one could imagine in one place on a magnificent waterfront setting. But still, that's not enough.”
Dubai Festival City is being developed on 1,600 acres on the banks of Dubai's historic Creek. Comprising 15 distinct development zones, Dubai Festival City is a property development by the Al-Futtaim Group and is the Middle East's largest mixed-use real estate project.
The privately-funded property will comprise a unique mix of entertainment, dining, shopping, edutainment, sport and leisure facilities, automotive dealerships, hotels, a marina, residential and office components.
For sporting enthusiasts, an 18-hole championship golf course, designed by world-renowned golf course designer Robert Trent Jones II LLC, and other world-class sporting facilities are also being incorporated into the overall development. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
