Amman, Jordan, January 8, 2008: Emaar International Jordan, the wholly owned country-subsidiary of Emaar Properties, has appointed design consultants and pre-construction contractors for the Samarah Rift component of Samarah Dead Sea Resort.
The multiple-award winning US design consultant JZMK has been contracted for the concept, schematic representation and design development of Samarah Rift while F+A Architects, California, and Koray Insaat, Turkey, will provide pre-construction services.
JZMK has worked with Emaar on several international projects in the UAE, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, India and the US, and has proven its cutting edge capabilities in master-planning and design of single and multi-family houses. F+A Architects, a leading US architectural firm, specializing in retail, will undertake the design of Samarah Retail and other mixed-use components with a focus on delivering international design excellence. Koray, which recently completed Kings Academy, will complement the team on pricing, procurement and build-ability.
Samarah Rift is a one of the four components of the JD354 million (AED 1.84 billion, US$500 million) Samarah Dead Sea Resort owned by The Dead Sea Touristic and Real Estate Company, a venture of Emaar Properties PJSC and a group of regional and Jordanian investors.
The Samarah Rift comprises two distinct zones – the North Rift Area featuring the King Hussein Convention Centre, a business hotel, residential villas and the Emaar Sales Centre; and the South Rift Area with a mixed-use Retail Village and Rift apartments.
Mr Steve McCartt, General Manager, Emaar International Jordan, said: “We are bringing in truly world-class design and construction expertise to Samarah Dead Sea Resort. The project, in fact, becomes a true meeting ground for ideas from around the world as is proven by the collaboration of JZMK, F+A Architects and Koray.”
He added: “The various components of Samarah Rift are being thoroughly evaluated and appropriate design elements will be introduced to enhance the lifestyle experience for residents and maximise returns for commercial investors in the retail village, business centre and hospitality projects. The design influences range from Mediterranean to vernacular, which extends through the retail village architecture.”
JZMK has won a string of awards including the 2007 Elan Award, the 2007 Builder’s Choice Merit Award and the 2007 Gold Nugget Grand Award for Laing Luxury Homes in the US. F+A will concentrate on creating a cutting edge design that sets Samarah Rift apart from other developments, and Koray will provide advise on site use and man-material availability, and identify long lead items in addition to optimizing the construction schedule.
Samarah Dead Sea Resort is in line with the growth plan for Jordan as outlined by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, and features the Samarah Hillside with residences and a community centre; Samarah Beach with residences and a Spa and Wellness Village; and Samarah Rift. Emaar has also opened a fully-equipped Presentation Centre, the first of its kind in the Kingdom.
Emaar’s expansion into Jordan is in line with its Vision 2010 to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. The company today has a significant presence in 36 markets globally and has also expanded into education, healthcare, malls, financial services, and hospitality & leisure.
