Seven Tides to build and open resort on The World islands by Q4 2018

Seven Tides has revealed plans to construct and open a 100-villa resort on The World islands in Dubai by Q4 2018.

The UAE-based real estate developer, which focusses on luxury property and hospitality projects, told Construction Week that it had appointed a main contractor for the resort, and that construction is expected to commence in Q4 2017.

Seven Tides has purchased the 10 plots that comprise the southernmost portion of The World islands’ ‘South America’.

The firm plans to develop the 100-villa resort on its smallest island, which faces Dubai’s Jumeirah area.

Abdulla Bin Sulayem, chief executive officer of Seven Tides, told Construction Week: “We haven’t yet started [the main construction works]. We’re in the process of building mock-up units to calculate the exact costs.

“Our target is to commence main construction works in Q4 2017. If everything goes well, I think the resort should complete in Q2 2018. When you’re building lots of [similar structures,] everything is like Lego.

“Let’s say that by Q4 2018, it should be open to guests,” Bin Sulayem revealed. “This will be the first resort of its kind anywhere on The World. The design is beautiful, which is important because if we don’t have a ‘wow’ factor, there’s no point in doing it.”

READ: Fifty The World island owners 'looking to build'

The developer behind previous UAE projects, such as Dukes Dubai and Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, the firm’s ongoing portfolio includes a three-tower project in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT); Al Barsha’s Dubai Heights Academy, which is due to open on 10 September, 2017; and Seven Residences The Palm.

Commenting on Seven Tides’ future plans for The World, Bin Sulayem said: “The initial project will take up one of our 10 islands. We have a different concept for the next island, and we plan to [proceed] with the other islands depending on [market demand].”

To read Bin Sulayem’s interview in full, check out issue 667 of Construction Week, which will be published on 9 September, 2017.