·
Patented technology to
create crystal-clear man-made lagoons proves to be a sustained driver for successful
real estate developments in the challenging economic climate;
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innovative technology uses
up to 30 times less water than a golf course and just half of the water
required to irrigate a park of the same size;
·
today, 15 active projects
are adding value to local communities and the tourism economy in the UAE, Oman,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India;
Crystal Lagoons,
the multinational innovation
company and developer of patented technology that makes giant crystalline lagoons a reality, has tallied up its current activity in the Middle
East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) projects, revealing a presence in real
estate developments worth a staggering US$20 billion.
“We have
developed our patented technology and proven business model to
provide the world’s top amenity and in the process add significant value to any
real estate project in the world. Our sustainable technology and green
credentials, makes pristine water lagoons possible at a very low cost, our
ultrasonic filtration system means we use up to 50 times less energy than
conventional filtration systems ensuring we have the lowest levels of energy
and water consumption when compared to any other amenity,” said Carlos Salas,
Middle East Regional Director, Crystal Lagoons.
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“These USPs have been
instrumental in allowing us to take our technology all over the world. What’s
more, we are able to deliver a viable, affordable long-term solution to our
partners in the Middle East, North Africa and India despite climate and
geographical challenges, particularly when you consider we use brackish water
from underground aquifers, water that has no other use,” added Salas.
Three high profile
GCC projects are currently under development, including the 160-hectare Mayasem
mixed-use development, located north of Jeddah, which will feature a new 7.5-hectare
lagoon as its leisure centrepiece.
In Dubai, the
Mohammed Bin Rashid City District One mixed-use development, a joint venture
between Meydan Group and Sobha Developers Ltd., situated close to the Meydan
Racecourse, will feature a 40-hectare lagoon with a further eight hectares to
be added to the existing 1.43-hectare pilot lagoon this year. The completion
date is 2020.
And, in Oman, the Alargan Towell Investment Company is developing the 50-hectare
Barka Resort integrated tourism complex project. Located 50 kilometers west of
central Muscat, the four-hectare lagoon will form the centrepiece of the
project and will be surrounded by three hotels, serviced apartments, a
mixed-use souk, commercial areas and a collection of villas, townhouses and
apartments. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed by
2017.
North Africa has also
been a prime location for lagoon development in recent years and, despite the
current economic and security challenges facing the region, remains a key
destination for Crystal Lagoons. The unique technology used by Crystal Lagoons underscores
the company’s ability to construct and develop mass bodies of water anywhere in
the world, and therefore bringing waterfront living to the middle of the desert.
“Egypt’s expanding
north coast is proving particularly attractive to investors for whom the
ability to engage in water-based leisure pursuits is a prerequisite for any
second home purchase. We are working with Maxim Real Estate on what will be our
biggest project in the region to date, with the US$1.8 billion, 10
million-square-metre Bo Islands development set to offer lagoons covering a
total of 32 hectares within the mixed-use community,” said Salas.
An impressive
17.5 kilometres of powder-white sand beachfront complemented by an impressive
32 hectares of pristine water lagoons, which will be home to a host of unique
water-based activities, will be included in phase one. The initial phase, which
is equal to 10% of the total area, will cost an estimated US$455 million and is
expected to be completed in Q1 2018.
Other
companies utilising Crystal Lagoons’ technology to create traditional beachside
living include Hassan Allam properties, one of Egypt’s
leading luxury residential developers, with the construction of the US$200
million Swanlake North Coast project, and the Porto
Group-developed Porto Lagoons, a new phase that is part of the US$345 million,
150-hectare mixed-use Porto Golf Marina community.
Demand to
create an idyllic oasis setting in the desert has been highlighted with three
Red Sea projects including its latest announcement, the two-hectare El
Gouna community development as well as the world’s current
largest crystalline lagoon at the US$500 million Citystars Sharm El Sheikh
development and a second Sharm project, the 2.7-hectare
Radamis Lagoon, which will be at the heart of a 2,500-room, three-hotel
mixed-use development.
Further underscoring
Crystal Lagoons popularity in the region is the US$250 million development in
the country’s Sokhna mountain range. The development will bring six stunning lagoons spanning a total area of
four hectares plus three kilometres of
sandy beaches.
“We also entered the emerging
India market in 2015 with the announcement of a 6.5-hectare
lagoon for the US$2 billion D S Kulkarni Developers’ Dream City project in
Pune, Maharashtra state, with Dubai-based Samir Dauod as the principal
architect. Not only will this lagoon become a hub for water-based leisure
activities, but it will also provide a means of transport with a water taxi
service,” said Salas.
Additionally, Crystal Lagoons' has developed
a new technology to deal with humanity's biggest problem, potable fresh water
shortage that affects over a billion people worldwide, with desalination that
uses no energy. With this purpose, the multinational company plans to set up
pilot plants in several locations around the world. The project's experimental
design ratified the viability and enormous potential for this innovation that
uses warm water that industrial facilities and power plants throw to the sea.
The company
holds two Guinness World Records with successful locations at San Alfonso del
Mar, Chile and Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, which is currently the world’s largest
lagoon at 12.2 hectares. The company is also in the process of developing new
desalinisation technology which will further add to Crystal Lagoons’
sustainable credentials.
