Crystal Lagoons’ impression of the world’s largest manmade lagoon in Dubai. Courtesy Crystal Lagoons
Crystal Lagoons’ impression of the world’s largest manmade lagoon in Dubai. Courtesy Crystal Lagoons
Crystal Lagoons’ impression of the world’s largest manmade lagoon in Dubai. Courtesy Crystal Lagoons
Crystal Lagoons’ impression of the world’s largest manmade lagoon in Dubai. Courtesy Crystal Lagoons

Egypt’s ‘new capital’ Azha to offer luxury waterside living


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  • Arabic

If you crave an Egyptian seaside retreat but do not have direct access to the ocean, Crystal Lagoons, an international water innovation company based in Chile, can bring the idyllic beach lifestyle to you.

For its latest Egypt project two linked lagoons will cover a total area in excess 16 hectares, spanning 6.4 hectares and 10.2 hectares, with completion expected at the end of 2018, Crystal Lagoons said.

“The lagoons will play a vital role in the appeal of Azha, a high-end waterfront luxury residential development that is being described as ‘the new capital of Egypt’, on the increasingly popular western Red Sea coast,” said the firm, which is also behind what would be the world’s largest manmade lagoon, in Dubai at Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One.

The 1.6 million square metre Egyptian development will feature a five-star line-up of luxurious amenities including village residences, hotels and serviced apartments, a golf course and clubhouse, shops, community centres, a beach club, sports facilities and parks is expected to be fully operational by 2020. The lagoons, which will be the centre piece of the project, will provide ample space for a range of watersports including swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and windsurfing.

“We are delighted to be working with Madaar Development to bring the idyllic lifestyle of the beach to Azha,” said Carlos Salas, the regional director Middle East for Crystal Lagoons.

The announcement marks Crystal Lagoons’ 11th project in Egypt, which is emerging as a key market for the world-leading leisure amenity.

The company currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest lagoon, in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, at 12.2 hectares.

“We’ve witnessed incredible growth in Egypt in the last two years and the country is now our fifth largest market with several projects in the pipeline to increase our presence further. We are not only adding to the aesthetic appeal of a destination, but providing practical recreational and leisure facilities, such as paddle boarding, sailing and kayaking, at low construction and maintenance costs that adds real value to the resort,” added Mr Salas.

The large lagoons use 30 times less water than a similar sized golf course and half of the water required to irrigate a park of equivalent size. Designed to be self-cleaning, they use up to 100 times less chemicals than traditional systems and only 2 per cent of the energy required by conventional filtering technologies, making them incredibly sustainable, the firm said. Furthermore, the company has recently unveiled a new film-based evaporation technology, which lowers water-waste rates by up to 70 per cent, it said.

“We have developed our patented technology and a proven business model to add significant value to a development at a very low cost, and provide substantial ROI for the developer,” said Mr Salas. “Globally we are providing a viable, affordable long-term solution, despite climate and geographical challenges. The proposition is particularly apt considering we can use any kind of water including brackish from underground aquifers, eliminating the need to consume valuable fresh water resources, something particularly pertinent to our partners in the Middle East.”

Crystal Lagoons currently has over 600 projects, in various stages of development and negotiation, in 60 countries worldwide.

chnelson@thenational.ae

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

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