They may be worlds and centuries apart but they will have one thing in common – communities that live and breathe the game of golf. Dubai Golf City, a spectacular new residential golf development, was unveiled yesterday at St Andrews, known throughout the world as the ‘home of golf’.
Speaking from the balcony of the Old Course Hotel overlooking the famous 17th hole at St Andrews, the man behind this ambitious project, the largest golf course development under construction on the planet, Abdulla Saeed Al Thani said, “We have chosen this moment to announce Dubai Golf City to the world, as St Andrews has been our inspiration throughout. St Andrews is the original ‘golf town’ with great golf courses, wonderful architecture and the honourable game at the very heart of the community. We want to recreate this sentiment at Dubai Golf City but with a 21st century feel, in keeping with the progressive new world rapidly being developed in the United Arab Emirates.”
Mr Al Thani is chairman of BENAA, the real estate arm of Thani Investments, a well established firm in the Middle-East focusing on oil and gas, real estate, mining and commercial ventures.
Dubai Golf City will be a landmark golf destination which could potentially change the face of Dubai forever. The five 18-hole signature championship golf course development worth an estimated billion pounds will become, in the words of Abdulla Al Thani, “the foremost reason for golfers, tourists, homebuyers and investors to come to Dubai.”
Dubai Golf City will offer something very different to the golfer. As Mr Al Thani explains, “Around the world multiple golf courses in one development have always reflected the same style of play and landscape. For the first time five golf courses will offer unique golfing experiences all on one site.”
The development will include the Oasis course (waterways), the Wadi (mountainous), the Desert course, the Parkland Course (lush green) and a yet-to-be-disclosed fifth course, which will be a unique golf course – the ‘first of its kind’ in the world. Big names from the world of golf are being lined up to assist in the designs and will be revealed in the coming weeks and months.
BENAA’s aim is for Dubai Golf City to achieve an unprecedented status not just in the golfing world but also among the various leisure, hospitality and, holiday segments. The development will comprise an ‘iconic’ 6-star resort hotel and spa as well as 700 luxury villas and mansions, 2,750 townhouses and village chalets with the promise of stunning golf-course and water views for the residential community as well as a multitude of amenities, waterfront promenades, restaurants and plazas.
Dubai Golf City is expected to be completed by 2009 and will undoubtedly contribute significantly to realising Dubai’s vision of becoming the ultimate destination for leisure and business and the UAE’s ‘golf capital’.
Global Edition
