Dubai Wholesale City, a member of the Tecom Group, said excavation works have started at the 550 million-sq-ft development coming up near the Al Maktoum Airport and Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, UAE.

The company has appointed Port Saeed Transport & Building Contracting Company to execute site works which will include levelling, grading and excavating, spanning over 135 million sq ft, which will move substantial volumes of sand and soil across the premises; enough to fill 10,000 Olympic pools.

The scope of work includes construction of a 15-km-long dual carriageway that connects two major highways in the UAE - Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road – which complements a number of projects undertaken by the Roads and Transport Authority, to create a wider roadmap to the Expo 2020 site.

The new road will also link the main components of Dubai Wholesale City that serve various sectors such as food, building materials, electronics, machinery, equipment and others, said senior company officials at a ceremony to mark the launch of the project.

It was attended by Abdulla Belhoul, the chief executive of Dubai Wholesale City, as well as representatives from Tecom Group and senior officials from Port Saeed Transport & Building Contracting Company.

Belhoul said the commencement of construction on this mega project marks a new chapter in transforming its vision into reality.

"Our goal is to shape an economic entity that sets exemplary standards of excellence for this thriving sector. Once complete, Dubai Wholesale City will leverage the emirate’s strategic geographical position to emerge as a key player in global wholesale trade," he noted.

The largest integrated trading hub will also accelerate the pace of the infrastructural work by executing the development operations alongside the grading.

This comes in response to the great demand the city received from investors after recently accepting applications from companies and traders interested in booking space.

The largest integrated trading hub in the region, Dubai Wholesale City is set to attract Dh30 billion ($8.12 billion) in investments over the coming years.

The project, which includes Dubai Industrial Park, a dedicated industrial hub, will offer state-of-the-art facilities to meet the dynamic needs of the region’s thriving trade, manufacturing and logistics sector, said Belhoul.

The city will provide companies and investors commercial and industrial land, markets, warehouses, showrooms and shops under one roof, as well as transport and storage services, in line with the highest international standards, as well as support services such as shipping, insurance, customs and other services to ensure high ease of operational efficiency and speed in doing business, he noted.

The infrastructural work is expected to be completed within the first year, said Mohamed Obaid Al Shaali, the general manager of Port Saeed Transport & Building Contracting Company.

"We have brought on-board the extensive experience of our team to ensure this mega project is completed and delivered in a time-bound and efficient manner on par with best international standards," he added.

The development, which will be a major hub for international wholesale trade, will also support vital sectors such as logistics, financial services, aviation, hospitality and business tourism.-TradeArabia News Service