Nakheel launches Azure on Palm Jumeirah

Nakheel, Dubai-based master developer, on Monday launched Azure Residences on the Palm Jumeirah after having sold out all units in the Club Vista Mare project on the launch date earlier this month. The new project, located on the eastern shoreline at the base of the Palm’s trunk, will have 170 apartments spread over a 10-storey building. There will be 140 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom units which will have an equipped kitchen and private terrace. Prices start at Dh2.3 million for the one-bed option and from Dh4.2 million for the two-bed. One-bed apartments are sized 105 square metres and 130 square metres, respectively. The two beds come in two sizes — 197 square metres and 222 square metres. The unit area includes terrace space. The two-bedroom apartments have a maid’s room. Azure Residences will have its own sea facing infinity pool, a rooftop gym, 266 car parking spaces and mooring facilities for water taxis. It will have nine restaurants, including the Breakwater signature restaurant with 360-degree water and city views. Construction is expected to begin mid-2013 and completed within two years. Azure Residences has been designed to maximise energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness, with individual air-conditioning systems that residents pay for directly as part of their utility bills, meaning lower monthly running costs. Emirates 24|7 reported earlier that the 33 studio apartments in the Club Vista Mare, a beachfront residential and recreation project on the Palm Jumeirah, were sold out on the launch day itself with investors paying Dh23,000 per square metre. Ali Rashid Lootah, Chairman, Nakheel, told this website: “We have sold all the 33 units that we had launched on Sunday as there is demand for properties on the Palm. Besides, these units were quite reasonably priced.” Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2013, with anticipated completion by early 2015. Nakheel will also commence construction on Dh2.5 billion Nakheel Mall on Palm Jumeirah this year and is expected to open it in 2016. The mall will have a gross floor area of 424,000 square metres, including five retail levels and three basement parking levels with 4,000 parking bays. – Emirates 24|7 Spaces of Light photography competition in Abu Dhabi Religion, art and leisure will all join together in the third edition of the ‘Spaces of Light’ competition for photography to capture the beauty and learn about the unique and diverse architectures at the Sheikh Zayad Grand Mosque and the Emirates Palace in the capital. Spaces of light photography competition was launched in October 2010 to celebrate the aesthetic panorama and visual culture of the mosque. Under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the competition will accept applications starting from March 3 until May 17 to encourage photographers and to highlight the mosques as a humanitarian and cultural space in the country. Organised by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC), the competition will be in two main categories: a public one focused on the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and a private one focused on the Emirates Palace. “Total prize value for this year is Dh250,000 spread over the two categories. The first place winners will receive Dh40,000 and a specialist Leica camera. The second place winners will receive Dh30,000 and the third place winner Dh20,000. The attractive prizes are given to encourage and attract the largest number of photographers to focus on the architectural aesthetics of both Emirates Palace and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque,” said Abdul Aziz Al Maamari, acting director of cultural communication and events at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. “The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre continually aims to collaborate with cultural centres and tourism establishments. The third edition of Spaces of Light photography competition will showcase the aesthetics of the architectural themes found in the mosques, the most prominent and widely visited destinations in the capital, the country and the region,” said Yousuf Al Obaidli, Director of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. Monthly educational photography workshops will be conducted during the competition period for all participants to develop the photography activity within the UAE. The competition, which has received about 4,000 participating photos from around 50 countries from all over the world, will honour six winners from within and outside the UAE; three in each category. “Different angles and attractions of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque have not yet been captured out of almost 9,000 photos in the two previous editions. Thus, I encourage all professional and amateur photographers to register through the contest website www.szgmc.gov.ae, where all procedures can be found,” Al Obaidli added. From Gulf News