Ibn Battuta Gate offers holistic living solution

Ibn Battuta Gate offers holistic living solution

Apartments, a five-star hotel, customised offices and a shopping mall, provide ideal work-life balance in the heart of new Dubai – it even has its own Metro station

Dubai-based property management company Asteco, today announced that the apartments at Ibn Battuta Gate are now available for lease, offering residents a perfect balance between comfort and convenience thanks to its proximity to new state-of-the-art offices, leisure amenities and five-star service.

Adjoining the recently-opened Ibn Battuta Gate hotel, which is managed by Swiss hotel operator Mövenpick, featuring the iconic 60-metre gateway arch, and a stone’s throw from the mall, the complex provides superior living with annual rents starting from just AED 70,000 in an environment that fosters a healthy work-life balance.

The apartment building which consists of 156 stylish one- and two-bedroom apartments, spread over ten floors, is just 400 metres from the new Ibn Battuta Metro station, which provides direct links to Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai International Financial Centre.

“The apartments offer luxury living at an affordable price. In addition, tenants also have the unique choice of using either the Mövenpick’s pool and health club or the state-of-the-art leisure facilities within the apartment building,” said Camilla Van Der Merwe, Head of Sales and Leasing at Asteco, which is managing the flagship mixed-use development on behalf of building owners Seven Tides.

Meanwhile, the office tower, located at the opposite end of the archway, spans 454,000 square feet across 11 floors and is perfectly positioned to attract businesses from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In addition, all Ibn Battuta tenants have access to dedicated secure covered car parking, located underneath the building.

“Living within walking distance of work is not often feasible, especially in a climate such as we have in the UAE, but Ibn Battuta Gate allows people to do just that. However, we are also seeing more and more people commuting between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and this development is perfectly placed to service both markets, as well as the more local commercial hubs of Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Media and Internet cities,” said Van Der Merwe.

Annual rents at the apartments include access to the five-star Mövenpick hotel’s swimming pool and gym, in addition to 24-hour security, internet connection, satellite television, utility bills and parking. Each apartment also features with built-in wardrobes, lavishly finished bathroom, and solid wood floors in the bedrooms and marble flooring in the main living area.

Another attraction, Ibn Battuta shopping mall spans 1.3 kilometres in length and features more than 250 retail outlets, a hypermarket and over a dozen food and beverage outlets, in addition to a 21-screen cinema.

Photo caption 1: Inside an Ibn Battuta Gate apartment.
Photo caption 2: The Ibn Battuta Gate complex.

About Asteco

Founded in Dubai in 1985, Asteco is a major regional real estate services firm and the one of the largest property services company in the United Arab Emirates. Asteco offers clients independent market analysis, design development consultancy and valuation services, sales and leasing services, as well as asset and property management services.

Ibn Battuta Gate ready for handover

17 January 2010

Ibn Battuta Gate ready for handover

Dubai’s latest mixed-use iconic gateway development of offices, apartments, a hotel and robotic car park now ready for handover to Seven Tides

Construction work is now complete on the latest striking addition to the Dubai city skyline featuring an archway larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The iconic arch at the Ibn Battuta Gateway development is the entrance to a unique combination of modern offices, luxury residential apartments for lease and a five-star hotel.

Tenants are already in place and operating from the 11 storey 400,000 square feet office complex at Ibn Battuta Gate, which aims to attract businesses with commercial interests in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Due to its single ownership structure the offices hold particular appeal to institutions and companies that require multiple units or several floors in a building with the potential for future expansion.

Complementing the office complex, is basement parking for over 350 cars as well as a multi-storey, robotic car park capable of handling 765 vehicles – the first of its kind in the Middle East – which has already begun operations. In addition, work is nearing completion on the 166 luxury residential apartments which are expected to be released for long term rental in February.

“Ibn Battuta Gate is a new portal to a maturing location that balances city and retreat, excitement and relaxation, business and pleasure,” said Brett Whalley, Head of Commercial Leasing at Asteco, one of the largest property services company in the United Arab Emirates, which is managing the flagship mixed-use development on behalf of Seven Tides.

“Ibn Battuta Gate is at the very heart of Dubai’s new residential and commercial corridor and is already a major feature on the city skyline. Now that the scaffolding has been removed and the preparations for the handover are in their final stages, the complex is attracting considerable interest from entrepreneurs both established and new to Dubai,” Whalley added.

The 396-room hotel will be handed over to owner Seven Tides at the end of January for the final fitting out with an anticipated opening by the Swiss hotel group Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts in May 2010.

Michael Scully, Managing Director Hospitality for Seven Tides said: “Ibn Battuta Gate is already a landmark with its striking architecture and will appeal to those who appreciate sophistication and five-star luxury, whether for business or leisure. Moreover our food and beverage outlets will be complemented by a light-hearted, casual atmosphere creating a lively, family-focused dining proposition.”

The Ibn Battuta complex is within 400 metres of a Metro station due to open sometime in February this year providing direct access to the commercial business heart of the Jebel Ali free zone as well as Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Internet and Media City, Dubai Financial Centre, Dubai World Trade Centre and central Dubai itself. The development is also adjacent to Ibn Battuta Mall with 300,000 square metres of retail space and entertainment attractions.

Dubai-based Seven Tides is an internationally oriented holding company established in 2004 with a portfolio of property in hospitality, commercial and residential sectors in London and Dubai.

For further information about Asteco, please visit www.astecoproperty.com

For more information about Seven Tides, please visit www.seventides.com

Photo caption:

Image 1:
Brett Whalley Head of Corporate Services at Asteco ‘hands over The Gate’ to Michael Scully Managing Director of Hospitality at Seven Tides.

Image 2+3:
Ibn Battuta Gate is at the very heart of Dubai’s new residential and commercial corridor and is already a major feature on the city skyline- Brett Whalley, Head of Corporate Services at Asteco.

About Asteco
Founded in Dubai in 1985, Asteco is a major regional real estate services firm and the one of the largest property services company in the United Arab Emirates. Asteco offers clients independent market analysis, design development consultancy and valuation services, sales and leasing services, as well as asset and property management services.

Robotic car park first for region

Robotic car park first for region

Hi-tech answer to growing parking problems, automated parking for 765 cars is key feature of new office complex - phase one Ibn Battuta Gate now complete

A multi-storey, automated car park – the first of its kind in the Middle East – opens today (12 August 2009). Capable of handling 765 vehicles, it is the first of several large-scale robotic car parks being built to address growing parking problems in the United Arab Emirates.

The car park is a key complementary feature of the commercial office complex (phase one) at the new Ibn Battuta Gate mixed-use property developed by Dubai-based Asteco Development Management appointed by owners Seven Tides. Located next to Ibn Battuta Mall on the Sheikh Zayed highway, the development has 40,000 square metres of office space and residential apartments managed by Asteco Property Management and a five-star hotel and spa to be managed by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Andrew Chambers, Managing Director, Asteco commented, “This robotic car park will be especially convenient for the office tenants, parking or retrieval can be completed in less than 160 seconds. It is safe and secure and obviously doesn’t expose expensive paint work to the abrasive elements during lengthy office hours.”

Asteco, the largest property and services company in the United Arab Emirates, are the sole leasing and property managers for the offices at Ibn Battuta Gate which aims to attract businesses with commercial interests in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The technology behind the automated parking system was developed by US-based Robotic Parking, a world leader in the field, and has been brought to the region by the MAG Group, a leading UAE company.

“In a world of increasing urbanization and traffic congestion, the future is robotic parking,” said Sami K. Issa, General Manager of Robotic Systems, the technology licensor. “As more and more vehicles in the UAE and the Middle East share a limited volume of available space, the need for a solution has become acute. In our view, it is not simply more space but more intelligent use of space which will solve the parking problems of today and tomorrow.
“With this technology, you don’t need to drive through the garage to find a parking space. You simply drive your car to an entry station and leave your car to be picked up by the computerised lifts that will safely place it inside the building on a shelving system. When you leave, you return to a central point and your car is swiftly retrieved for you."

Pre-opening performance tests of the system achieved more then 250 parking transactions per hour – faster than regular gated ramp-style car parks can handle.

Ahmet Oktay Cini, CEO of Asteco Development Management, also representing Seven Tides, described the system as “a key component of the development, a premium valet parking using state of the art technology.” He added: “It means your car is safe from break-ins and accidents, or the dents and scratches that are usually the risk of parking in large car parks. The robotic system also addresses the growing parking problem in Dubai by providing more than twice the number of parking spaces compared with a conventional car park.”

The Ibn Battuta Gate mixed use development has direct access to the Sheikh Zayed highway off interchange 6, connects with Jebel Ali Free Zone, the new Al Maktoum International Airport or further a field to Al Raha Beach and Abu Dhabi. Close by are Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and the rest of Dubai. The Office complex also has additional basement parking for over 350 cars.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Robot 1 & 2: An automated car park – the first and biggest of its kind in the Middle East – opened to the public today (Wednesday 12 August 2009) at IBN Battuta Gate, Dubai .

Robot 3: Left to right - Andrew Chambers, Managing Director of Asteco; Ahmet Oktay Cini, CEO of Asteco Development Management; and Sami K. Issa, General Manager of MAG Robotic Systems.