Work has begun on a residential complex of 232 houses in Umm Al Qaiwain, UAE, under the  the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme.

Stretching over 830,449 sq m, the project will cost Dh324 million ($88.2 million), a Wam news agency report said.

Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and chairman of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, said the houses will be delivered by the final quarter of 2018.

The minister made the remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony of the project.

Designs of homes in the project were awarded two pearls under the Pearl Rating System, a green building rating system developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council as part of its sustainable development initiative, Estidama. This is the second time the programme has obtained this rating for implementing projects outside the emirate of Abu Dhabi.