The opening of a new 53-floor skyscraper in Dubai has been heralded as a strong indication that the emirate remains a key international business hub, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
ICD Brookfield Place, which offers 139,000 square metres of office and retail space, opened in September in the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Construction on the 282-metre tower, which cost about $1 billion, began in 2015.
"It sends a clear signal that Dubai, and the DIFC area in particular, remains a strong regional and global financial hub," said Saeed Al Abbar, managing director at specialist engineering consultancy AESG, which worked on the project.
It is a signal that business is still prosperous in this region despite the challenges created by the pandemic
“It is also a signal that business is still prosperous in this region despite the challenges created by the pandemic.”
The building has 92,000 square metres of office space, about 15,000 square metres of retail space and 13,000 square metres of green space.
Rob Devereux, chief executive of ICD Brookfield and Brookfield Properties Middle East, said the property was a vote of confidence for the megaprojects Dubai was renowned for.
“We are confident that as the anxiety surrounding the pandemic subsides, vibrant physical workplaces will remain in demand and key to corporate culture,” he said.
“High-quality office buildings with the best amenities, green space, technology and sustainability credentials will be well-equipped to provide an environment that harnesses the power of in-person connections, along with added support for employees’ health and safety.”
Like any project in 2020, completion of the building was not spared challenges created by the pandemic. However, Mr Devereux said construction was carried out with minimal disruption.
"Naturally, we saw a slowdown during the outset of the pandemic, but we have opened the doors to our tenants and since then we have seen strong interest from prospective tenants," he said.
Sustainability is an important tenet of the philosophy behind the project, Mr Devereux said.
“Designed to be energy efficient and minimise its ecological footprint, ICD Brookfield Place has reduced its energy consumptions by 28 per cent above industry standards,” he said.
“During construction over 87 per cent of waste was recycled to reduce waste to landfill and over 30 per cent of construction materials were from recycled sources, like steel and concrete, to save natural resources, and sourced locally to reduce environmental impacts from travel.”
The building is the tallest in the Middle East to receive the prestigious LEED Platinum status, the highest award handed out by the US Green Building Council for green building design, construction operations and performance.
Mr Devereux said the building has ample green space to boost the well-being of tenants and visitors.
That space includes the summer garden, a 31-metre high atrium space with trees and plants.
A study this year from Masdar, in partnership with The National and the World Future Energy Summit, said UAE residents found that their personal happiness was improved when they were close to green space.
Mr Devereux said the building was designed with a view to improving mental health.
“Ninety-five per cent of our building has panoramic views to the outdoors for optimal sunlight,” he said.
“Light impacts physical and mental health in a multitude of ways, from warding off seasonal depression to improving sleep.
“Natural light is a fundamental factor in a workplace conducive to wellness.”
There are already eight companies that have taken up office space at the property, including Ernst and Young, with more expected later in the year and early next year.
Another big-name tenant that will soon call Brookfield Place home is The Arts Club of London, one of the world's most famous and luxurious private members' clubs.
Mr Devereux said a high-end supermarket would also be part of the offerings at the building next year.
The Middle East's striking skyline:
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The%20Iron%20Claw
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sean%20Durkin%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zac%20Efron%2C%20Jeremy%20Allen%20White%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20Maura%20Tierney%2C%20Holt%20McCallany%2C%20Lily%20James%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
more from Janine di Giovanni
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
