Meraas plans heritage project featuring traditional design

Meraas, a Dubai-based holding company, has unveiled a tourism development project, betting it will benefit from the expansion of Dubai’s airports.

The development, showcased at the Cityscape Global real estate exhibition in Dubai on Tuesday, will focus on showcasing UAE heritage and will be replete with the country's traditional architecture. It is expected to be completed in 2017.

“Meraas is committed to playing a vital role in developing key Dubai touristic projects in line with Dubai’s tourism vision for 2020,” said Abdul Wahab Al Halabi, chief executive of Marsa Al Seef.

“Marsa Al Seef is set to enrich Dubai’s vibrant tourism industry by complementing and also rejuvenating the bustling trading locale along the Dubai Creek as hospitality, leisure and retail destination that will appeal to residents and tourists alike.”

The development will feature an open-air museum, an amphitheatre, as well as three hotels with a total of 550 rooms.

Dubai Airports reported a near 30 per cent jump in traffic in July. The current rate of growth suggests the airport will surpass last year's record number of visitors, with the current projection for 79 million passengers eclipsing last year's record 70.47 million.

In December, Dubai International Airport, the emirate's main airport, overtook Heathrow as the world's busiest in terms of international passenger traffic.

Meraas also has a theme park division, Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is building Legoland, a Hollywood amusement resort and the first Bollywood movie theme park in a development on the outskirts of Dubai.

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