Dubai Holding, a key investment holding company, has announced plans to develop the largest public park in the emirate over a sprawling 1.43-million-sq-m area at Dubailand in partnership with the Dubai Municipality.

The park will be a new destination providing green space for exploration and recreation all year round and boast of several key features including 30 km of pedestrian pathways; 20 kmof  jogging track; 14-km cycle tracks and 7-km nature trails. It will also include 55 playgrounds for children, 45 sports grounds, five venues for major events and retail space for shops, restaurants and coffee shops.

It will act as a new destination for residents and tourists and provide a vibrant, natural environment, encouraging individuals to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

The park, being developed under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will host innovative and smart solutions in line with the UAE’s National Happiness and Positivity Programme.

With this move, Dubai Holding and Dubai Municipality aim to elevate the city’s fitness levels, expand the emirate’s green spaces as well as consolidate Dubai’s position as one of the happiest cities around the world, remarked Hussain Lootah, the director general of Dubai Municipality after signing the deal with Ahmad Bin Byat, the vice chairman and managing director, Dubai Holding.

The project will meet the highest levels of sustainability while raising environmental awareness among its visitors, he stated.

Lootah pointed out that the Dubai Municipality was committed to establishing additional public parks throughout the emirate in the future, and will continue promoting active lifestyles and environmental stewardship.

"In addition to enhancing the natural landscape and attracting tourists, every major city, including New York, London and Singapore, has an iconic park that reflects its cultural and social identity," observed Lootah.

"The provision of green, open spaces play a pivotal role in elevating the quality of life among residents, creating a desire to explore new pursuits and enjoy favourite pastimes. In addition, such parks act as important links between different parts of the wider city, positioning them as popular destinations drawing people together," he noted.

"The development of this park, in partnership with Dubai Municipality, aims to show off Dubai’s remarkable landscape and position it among the most prominent global cities," he added.

Targeting the highest international standards, Dubai Municipality seeks to achieve a density for the city as a whole of 12.5 sqm per person. When completed, this park will increase public space in Dubai by 17 per cent.

The large amount of natural landscape and trees is expected to improve the air quality of surrounding area, facilitate the preservation of existing biodiversity and an opportunity to enhance the urban ecology, said Lootah.

In addition to being a sports and entertainment destination, the public park will host innovation and smart-solutions, including sustainable on-site power generation, waste recycling and natural shading.

The park will also have smart cards for ticketing, purchasing and Wi-fi connectivity throughout.

The construction of the first phase of the park, covering 318,000 sqm, is scheduled to commence later this year, and will offer a 4km jogging track, 7km of pedestrian pathways and a 2km cycling track.

The public garden will also include 10 sports grounds and one major events space. The park will also help preserve the environment through reducing water consumption by 5 litres per sq m and will be home to up to 15,000 trees of native and adopted species.

According to Lootah, the MoU outlines the specific role of each party in order to enhance the effectiveness of the partnership.

"Dubai Municipality will provide technical support to establish the project, in addition to implementing infrastructure work relating to irrigation connections and planting green areas," he stated.

"Dubai Holding will develop and operate the park and other facilities such as the playground and food and beverages (F&B) area, as well as provide administrative support associated with the park’s operations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service