Diamond Investments has completed the substructure of their Marina Diamond One building in the Dubai Marina and is on schedule for completion in December 2005. The 15 story building has a gymnasium, two swimming pools, sauna, and steam room.

Union Properties has announced its Motorcity business park development adjacent to the Dubai Autodrome which includes a residential element. To purchase options the developer asks interested parties to visit the Sheikh Rashid Hall at DWTC Convention Centre on February 23.

British architect Sir Michael Hopkins told Gulf News he was impressed with some of Dubai's recent architecture, particularly the Emirates Towers and exterior of the Burj Al Arab. Sir Michael has designed many villas in the Emirates Hills and the upcoming Gate Village for the Dubai International Financial Centre.

The Dubai Municipality is to enforce collection of its housing tax through water and electrcity bills, reported Gulf News. Previously the local tax of five per cent of the value of rental contracts was often not paid by tenants. But the new system makes it impossible not to pay, with utilities not connected unless the tax is paid.

Dubai developers have increased the height of new projects this year with 80-plus storeys now emerging on a regular basis. The Princess Tower and Ocean Heights in the Dubai Marina are both above 80 storeys, while Union Properties' tower in the Dubai International Financial Centre is also a super-tall skyscraper.

Developer Green Works is to invest USD653m to build the Eco-Tourism World in Dubailand with 16 different botanical gardens from across the world, an amphitheatre, hotel and spa, and an academy for 1,000 students. The Al Barari project will be the first eco-friendly sustainable mixed-use development of its kind in the Middle East.

Nakheel has held a field day to demonstrate its latest technology to reduce water usage in landscape management at the experiment site based at The Gardens Chiller Plant complex near the Hill Side Villas at The Gardens. Here the Nakheel team demonstrated the practical implementation of electro-osmosits irrigation assisted technology, along with the use of soil moisture retention technology.

Union Properties is set to unveil its 80-storey landmark building One Central Park tomorrow. Freehold opportunities at this tower located in the Dubai International Financial Centre will be on offer at the Sheikh Rashid Hall in the DWTC Convention Centre from 9am to 7pm.

A new interchange on the Sheikh Zayed highway out of Dubai allows direct access to the as yet unfinished Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall from Nakheel. The mall's construction has been much delayed and the road access is now completed ahead of the actual project.

The medium-rise Arabian Heights apartments complex and leisure faciltities at the Dubai Silicon Oasis is to be the inaugural project for Benaa Development. Project investment for the luxurious 440-apartment building is over USD82m. Completion is expected in March 2007.

HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, paid an official visit this morning to the offices of Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi's newly established property development and real estate company. He was briefed in detail on plans for redevelopment of the Abu Dhabi Central Market, and a USD15bn new city district at Al Raha Beach.

Emaar Properties has announced a new release of Palmera, the Spanish-styled cluster villas at the Arabian Ranches. The first phase of the single-family, double-storey, semi-attached villas in clusters of six were snapped up in just a few hours when the project was launched in December 2004. Registration for Palmera’s new releases will start on Tuesday February 15 at the Arabian Ranches Sales Centre.

Tabreed has won a contract to supply cool air to Abu Dhabi's new Six Towers development. Two of the towers are owned by Private Buildings Establishment and the others by International Capital Trading. Construction began in March 2004 and the first residents are expected in November this year.

Damac Properties has unveiled its latest skyscraper in Dubai, Ocean Heights, at the entrance to the Dubai Marina and overlooking The Palm Island. In keeping with the trend to build higher and higher in Dubai, Ocean Heights soars some 82-storeys.

The Armada Group has announced plans to build its USD7m headquarters building in the Dubai Internet City. The four storey building over 75,000 sqft will house administration, technical, engineering and marketing departments, said a statement.