UAE-based developer Nakheel has awarded a construction contract worth Dh38 million ($10.3 million) for a new mosque and a second retail centre at its 560-hectare Al Furjan community in Dubai.

The 8,000-sq-ft mosque – the first in Al Furjan – will accommodate 500 worshippers and sit alongside a new, 90,000-sq-ft Nakheel Pavilion retail centre, with more than 35 shops, cafes’ restaurants and services including a nursery, gym and supermarket.

Leasing is already underway, a statement said.

Nakheel has appointed Dubai-based Al Sakher Contracting LLC to construct the project, which is scheduled to open in 2017.

The new complex, to be built on the western side of Al Furjan, is the second Nakheel Pavilion at the community. The first, under construction at Al Furjan South, spans more than 100,000 sq ft and has a swimming pool and sports courts as well as retail facilities. It is already fully leased, and is due to open in mid-2016.  Construction of a mosque for 700 worshippers at Al Furjan South will also begin soon.

Al Furjan, one of Nakheel’s most popular and fastest-growing communities, is already home to more than 5,000 people, with a projected population of over 65,000 when complete. Nakheel has completed more than 800 villas at Al Furjan, with another 400 under construction. Infrastructure work is also underway on nearly 900 plots purchased by investors wanting to be part of this vibrant, established neighbourhood.

Nakheel community retail centres – branded Nakheel Pavilions – are part of the company’s commitment to enhancing its existing developments with more local services and facilities. The Pavilions are also integral to the company’s fast-expanding portfolio of retail projects, which covers more than 13 million sq ft of leasable space. – TradeArabia News Service