Al Hanoo Holdings said work on the first phase of the waterfront development of the Al Nujoom Islands project in Sharjah,which began two years ago is nearing completion.

Al Hanoo Holdings, one of the largest real estate developers in the Middle East, said it had to use more than 2.3 million tonnes of rock to line the banks of the water canals. It said 95 per cent of the digging for the project's water canals is complete.

Al Hanoo Chairman, Sheikh Abdullah bin Fahid Al Shakrah, said: "The lining of the canal banks is a complicated process, as these canals are the main base for the project's waterfront infrastructures, especially those related to marinas, tide breakers and some of the island connectors."

"The rock used in the paving process undergoes rigid testing in several stages. The first stage entails looking for clearly apparent defects.

"Samples are then taken to a laboratory where the density, absorbency, rigidity, and capacity of the rock to withstand the elements are measured.

"Finally, rock types are selected for the appropriate locations on the different island key points, in a way that guarantees symmetry and perfection. We’ve made excellent progress in this process, which is now very nearly complete.”

Al Hanoo Holdings has made several development procedures on the master plan of the water canals.

These canals allow water to circulate in a record period, above the standard international average. The company has also managed to extend the 3 km long waterfront into a 35 km stretch.

The Al Nujoom Islands project is being developed in three stages. The first stage, which consists of five sections, is equivalent to 20 per cent of the total project area of 60 million square feet. All development works are expected to complete by the end of the third stage in 2010. - TradeArabia News Service