Van Oord, a leading international contractor specialising in dredging, marine engineering and offshore projects (oil, gas and wind) based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has been awarded the contract for Dubai Harbour marine works, a prestigious mega development in the UAE.

A unique new waterfront destination, Dubai Harbour will feature the largest marina in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. It will reinforce the emirate’s status as a global marine industry destination and a regional hub for yachting, boating and water sports.

To be developed by Meraas, the project is located on King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, in the area between Jumeirah Beach Residence and Palm Jumeirah, also known as Mina Al Seyahi.

The 20-million-sq-ft project features Dubai Lighthouse, a 135-m-high tower housing a luxury hotel and an observation deck. It will also boast a 150,000-sq-ft cruise liner terminal capable of handling 6,000 passengers, as well as entertainment and retail space, a yacht club, shopping mall, hotels and residences.

The project, which Van Oord carries out for Projects Link Contracting Company, is the next step in achieving ‘Dubai Tourism Vision 2020’, Dubai’s strategy to attract 20 million visitors per year by 2020.

"Our responsibilities will include dredging the 12-km navigation channel, reclaiming land and executing vibro compaction’, remarked Jan Willem Elleswijk, the area manager at Van Oord’s.

"We will be deploying a large trailing suction hopper dredger, and one of our high tech self-propelled cutter suction dredgers. We are looking forward to contributing to yet another Dubai landmark," noted Elleswijk.

"Van Oord will work on the same strategy to which it has contributed since 2001 by building amongst others Palm Jumeirah, The World  and many other artificial islands," he added.

The company aims to start the work in September and is set to complete it by mid-2019.-TradeArabia News Service