RAK Properties, one of the UAE’s leading property development and tourism infrastructure companies, is collaborating with leading international British architectural design firm RMJM to create a unique take on outdoor entertainment on Hayat Island at Mina Al Arab in Ras Al Khaimah that will be developed into a destination for both visiting and living. 

 

The project is expected to draw a large number of tourists to the northern UAE emirate through offering the ultimate weekend getaway, said a statement from RAK Properties.

 

Designed to cater for current trends and modern demands with entertainment, extraordinarily designed landscapes and bespoke retail and food and beverage outlets, this exciting new beachfront location will provide a four-dimensional experience that encourages people to spend time in the open air and sea, it added.

 

Managing director Mohammed Sultan Al Qadi said: "Ras Al Khaimah is the country’s fastest emerging tourism market, and this alongside the Intercontinental and Anantara launch will be an important addition to RAK’s offerings for international and domestic tourists and residents. We are very excited to announce this project. I can say that it will be full of surprises."

 

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has registered promising year on year increases and its latest report shows a 14 per cent increase in the number of international visitors to the emirate in the first half of 2018. 

 

The authority says that the emirate is likely to have received more than one million visitors by the end of 2018, with an aim of three million visitors annually by 2025.

 

On the RMJM selection, Al Qadi said the British firm was globally renowned for architecture, master planning and interior design "We are confident that RMJM will create a new signature hub for tourists in the emirate," he added.

 

Sotiris Tsoulos, the lead design director at RMJM, said: "We are very excited to be working with RAK Properties on this premium leisure and entertainment destination. This will be the first project of its kind in the region, and the aim is for visitors to feel as if it developed organically at the site."

 

"In line with RMJM’s design approach and principles, the public realm will enhance everyday life," stated Tsoulos.

 

Hayat Island, the site for this innovative public realm, will be a fully-integrated mixed-use development spread over 6 million sq ft. 

 

Hayat Island is one of the two islands that comprise Mina Al Arab, an established waterfront community in Ras Al Khaimah with homes set amidst lush landscaping and protected wetlands and pristine beaches.-TradeArabia News Service