Dubai Marina

Free Dubai Property listings

2008-01-27T16:00:00.000+04:00

DreamingDubai.com now has a new property listing feature running in beta. Give it a go and sell, rent or find your new Dubai home in minutes using your cell-phone.

Creating your own property advertisement is easy provided you follow the 3-step instructions below:

Use your mobile phone to create a normal SMS text message.

Start your text message with the letter S, R or W followed by a space and the rest of your message.
Send your message to: +31646575458 (normal rate)
To make sure your free SMS ad will appear in the correct section, your message should start with: S for Sales, R for Rentals or W for Wanted. Your own telephone number is automatically added to your advertisement.
For example:
S Dubai Marina, Le Reve, 5 bed, palm views apartment on higher floor. Selling price AED 14455732

More information on: Dreaming Dubai SMS property listings

Visit DreamingDubai.com

2006-03-26T20:07:00.000+04:00

There is this saying that every good thing will eventually come to an end but there is also another saying that states that every end is the start of a new beginning.

In case of this weblog there could be nothing more true than the two sayings above. It has been a lot of fun running this weblog for the past year or so but found that when popularity went up, the time required to answer all your Dubai related questions went up too. I realized that either I had to devote more time to this log or professionalize on the current situation.

I decided to spend my time on the latter and created a new site that gives you in-depth information on the city of Dubai, freehold law, buying process, up-to-date, developer direct property listings and an ever growing library of Dubai pictures.

So stay in touch, visit dreamingdubai.com and register with us today.

Dubai Marina Diamond 1: Almost there!

2006-01-25T20:05:00.000+04:00

AltinD posted another picture of the Marina Diamond One nearing completion. You can see the outside of the building is being cleaned-up right now and the final details on the cladding are brought in place.

The developer urges everyone to inspect their properties. Please... Take a lot of pictures and post your findings on the wiki available in the residents lounge

In and around Marina Diamond 1

2006-01-16T00:43:00.000+04:00

Some more pictures of the Dubai Marina Diamond One, taken on December 31st 2005.

This picture shows the entrance and the wall surrounding MD1.

This is the view on the Jumeirah Lake Towers project across the street.

The Marina Diamond One car-park. All apartments come with one parking.

Nice to know that you will never have parking problems when you get home.

The Marina Diamond 1 pool.

There are actually two pools.

The one pictured is the larger pool and it is connected to a smaller pool for the younger ones.

Looks nice!

Most Studio apartments come fully furnished and I think this tacky light fixture is part of it.

On the other hand, it is good enough to get started and the light fixtures will be replaced at a later stage anyway.

The kitchen is where most of us are least impressed.

Is it the fire extinguisher, the kitchen cabinets or the tiling?

I do not know for sure but something just does not look right here.

On the other hand, it will look a lot better once the kitchen appliances are installed.

Another MD1 kitchen shot that shows the cabinets in combination with the stone kitchen work-top.

View from the tinted blue windows to the Marina Diamonds under construction next door.

View from the bathroom.

For more update pictures check out the previous Marina Diamond One update at: Dubai Marina: Construction Update: Marina Diamond 1

Construction Update: Marina Diamond 1

2006-01-08T19:59:00.000+04:00

Altin D. took some new pictures and posted the Marina Diamond One updates on the SkyscraperCity.com website.

The building is not white as seen on the picture but rather a sort of silver. Combined with the blue glass this actually looks very nice!

Work on the facade is still being finished right now but according to Diamond Investments the rest of the building and the apartments themselves are finished.

Previous Marina Diamond I picture updates that show Marina Diamond One's proximity to the Dubai Marina shoreline can be found here.!

Dubai Marina from Sheikh Zayed Road

2006-01-05T01:35:00.000+04:00

View from Sheikh Zayed Road facing the Dubai Marina phase 1 towers.

Marina Diamond 2 is the tower that just started rising (5th floor) behind the white car on the left.

The oval high-rise next to MD2 is called 'The Dreams'

The round tower is quite spectacular, has only 4 bedroom and duplex apartments and is called 'Horizon Tower'.

Jumeirah Beach Residence

2005-12-31T14:46:00.000+04:00

People kept asking me for Jumeirah Beach Residence. updates so here are some more construction images I found on Skyscrapercity.com.

This picture was taken in June 2004. (Notice the lady sitting near the pool as posing for an advertisement!)

The same picture, taken in October 2005 (only 14 months later!)

The difference between the two images clearly show how massive this development is.

Jumeirah Beach Residence. as seen from the sea in November 2005.

The only way to take a complete overview picture is from the sea... There is no other way to capture all the tower developments in a single picture.

All Quiet At Marina Walk

2005-12-30T15:17:00.000+04:00

Bruce from the MAG218 and Dubai Marina blogs about the Marina Walk:

All Quiet At Marina Walk.

Marina Walk is the mall at the base of the DM Phase 1 towers. Its shops and restaurants are camouflaged behind mirrored windows. Fronting the marina are the tables, chairs and umbrella shades that spill out from the restaurants. more...

Construction Update: Marina Diamond 2

2005-12-30T02:08:00.000+04:00

Imre reminded me to have a look at the Diamond Investments site to check out construction progress.

Work on Marina Diamond II is progressing rapidly.

The basement parking, ground floor until the fifth Floor have been completed, block works on first floor have been started.

It looks like the residents of Marina Diamond II will be able to celebrate new year 2007 around their swimming pool!

This image clearly shows the work on the fifth floor. Marina Diamond 2 is rising!

Construction Update: Marina Diamond 1

2005-12-30T01:40:00.000+04:00

Imre reminded me to have a look at the Diamond Investments site to check out construction progress.

Work on Marina Diamond I is progressing and in the final stages.

On the right we see an evening shot of the Dubai Marina Diamond I as seen from marina side.

This is the Marina Diamond I as seen from Sheikh Zayed Road.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is the first Marina Diamond 1 picture with a palmtree!

Marina Diamond 1 hallway.

Personally I think the finishes are not that bad really!

Construction Update: Marina Diamond 1 and 2

2005-12-04T23:29:00.000+04:00

Dubai Lover supplied us with some Marina Diamond updates a couple of days ago that show rapid progress on the construction of Marina Diamond 2 and the cladding works on Marina Diamond 1.

The picture on the right shows that the Marina Diamond buildings will have a nice aluminum finish on the outside to protect it against the elements.

A close-up of the cladding of the Marina Diamond 1 that shows the pealing people where worried about in a previous Marina Diamond 1 update is just the protective coating on the aluminum panels.

Marina Diamond II construction update. As you can see the tower has started to rise and the first two floors are already there.

Marina Diamond 3 and 4 construction contract

2005-12-04T23:04:00.000+04:00

Diamond Investments has awarded Belhasa Engineering and Contracting the contract for construction work on Marina Diamond Three and Marina Diamond Four. The appointment came as Diamond Investments Marina Diamond One is nearing completion and it supports the company’s plans to be a leading developer at one of the world’s largest waterfront development.

With stunning views of Dubai Marina, Marina Diamond Three and Marina Diamond Four offer investors a choice of studio, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom apartments with the option of fully furnished apartments. Residents will also benefit from luxurious amenities in both buildings, including swimming pools, a world-class gym, children’s playground, high-speed Internet connection and access to digital/satellite TV.

Following the contract signing Faris Saeed, General Manager for Diamond Investments commented,

We are delighted to have appointed Belhasa Engineering and Contracting to carry out the construction work for our next two buildings. Our decision reflects our commitment to working with premium contractors so that we deliver quality products, at affordable prices, on time. Belhasa Engineering and Contracting has a wealth of towers experience and I believe they will meet to our high standards, providing our clients with the dream homes they require.

With shoring, piling and excavation phases complete in Marina Diamond Three and nearly completed in Marina Diamond Four, the newly appointed contractor will begin work immediately on Marina Diamond Three and Marina Diamond Four respectively. Homeowners can expect to move into their completed homes Marina Diamond Three in December 2006 while Marina Diamond Four will be ready for occupancy in March 2007.

Construction Update: Marina Diamonds

2005-11-19T14:55:00.000+04:00

Dubai Lover supplied us with some Dubai Marina Diamond updates yesterday. If not mentioned otherwise, Dubai Lover took the photographs for this update.

On the right we see the Marina Diamond 1. Like most pictures on this page, this one was taken on the 18th of November 2005.

Marina Diamond 1 , early November 2005.

This picture is taken from another angle as the picture above as you can't see the low-rise structure next to the MD1. Personally I think the combination of blue glass and white facade make this building rather good looking!

Photographer: Unknown.

We have seen the Marina Diamond 1 rise quite fast and it really looks like Marina Diamond 2 construction is picking up speed right now as the work on the superstructure has started.

Although a couple of months later than originally mentioned to investors it looks like MD2 is ready to welcome it's residents at the end of 2006.

The Dubai Marina Diamond III plot. It looks like the piling works have just been finished here and work can start on the deep foundations.

The Dubai Marina Diamond IV plot. The piling works are about to start here.

Marina Diamond 5 plot as of 18th of November 2005.

Marina Diamond 6 plot as of 18th of November 2005. Notice the Jumeirah Beach Residence on the other side of the Dubai Marina are rising fast!

Diamonds rising at Dubai Marina

2005-11-19T14:27:00.000+04:00

AMEinfo reports: Marina Diamond Two, the second building in of six buildings in the Marina Diamond family, is making excellent progress in the first stages of construction.

Since Diamond Investments, the second largest property developer at Dubai Marina, awarded Sun Engineering and Contracting Co. the contract to construct its second building in the Marina, they have been working at a rapid pace on the concrete work for this 15 storey residential structure, scheduled to be complete by end of Summer 2006.

Marina Diamond Two is now well underway and as with Marina Diamond One, construction is on schedule. The foundations and raft are 100% complete and work has already begun on the two basement levels for undercover parking. The lower basement slab and the upper basement columns are already complete. Followed closely by the concrete work for the upper basement slab, which is scheduled to be in place by mid November 2005.

After successful completion of the basement levels, work on the superstructure will continue with construction on the ground floor all the way up to the 15th floor. Once block-work and plastering are complete, the painting and ceramics stages can begin, with the final stage being the interior work. Residents will then be handed the keys to move into their dream homes in September 2006.

Faris Saeed, General Manager for Diamond Investments, said:

This is an extremely exciting time for us. The completion of Marina Diamond One is just around the corner and Marina Diamond Two is making great progress. Shoring, piling and excavation are complete for Marina Diamond Three and work on the foundation can begin. Marina Diamond Four is also well underway, shoring and excavation are finished and piling will commence shortly. It is a wonderful feeling to see it all come together so quickly.

Diamond Investments has established an exceptional reputation for tailoring quality products at affordable prices to meet their customers' needs. Marina Diamond Two is no exception, offering a selection of apartments ranging from studio, to one or two bedrooms to meet their customer's demands.

We always aim to deliver our projects on schedule and have stuck to construction plans for all six of our buildings in development at this time. The progress made on Marina Diamond's One and Two proves just how dedicated we are to completing our buildings in good time, concluded Saeed.

Nakheel: Jumeirah Islands Villas

2005-11-10T02:35:00.000+04:00

I hope the article below does not become a trend as I found it rather disturbing. All credits go to 7days for reporting this. Click the article link for the original location but since I am not sure how long it remains online I made a mirror here.

Residents of Nakheels Jumeirah Islands development allege poor quality finishing and the use of cheap materials at the multi-million dirham luxury villa development. 7days Matthew Brown reports.

When my wife first walked into the kitchen of our Jumeirah Islands home she burst into tears. It is terrible, she said. It broke my heart, because I had promised her a dream home.

Mr A is a resident at Jumeirah Islands, the upscale and exclusive development from Nakheel, the government-owned company behind The Palms and The World, that stretches over 300 hectares of land between junctions five and six of Sheikh Zayed Road.

And he thinks his villa is anything but a dream home. He is one of 70 or so people to have taken possession of a JI villa, which will eventually house more than 700 families, each of whom paid between dhs1.9 million and dhs2.4 million for their properties in the primary market, or up to double that in the secondary market.

But some of those families are refusing to move in until Nakheel attends to major quality control problems that have affected the development.

Many of those who have already moved in are in dispute with Nakheel over major snagging issues, and have formed a residents committee to take its complaints to Nakheel, which has thus far failed to address the majority of issues, according to documents obtained by 7DAYS and the testimonies of several residents.

Mr A his list of complaints are typical of Jumeirah Islands residents: My house has been flooded three times. I had no phone, fax or TV for three weeks after I moved in.

Today the telephones only work a fraction of the time, and the Internet, provided by Tecom at twice the price of Etisalat, regularly fails. To pay the bill I have to go to Internet City with cash.

Workmen come onto our property uninvited all the time. The whole Jumeirah Islands site stinks, because workers were not provided with toilets for three years. There are rodents everywhere.

The plans I signed off on do not match the final villa I received. French windows and terraces have been cancelled and a bath has been replaced with a shower in one bathroom.

In the letters we were sent explaining why there were such considerable delays, we were told it was because the quality would be improved. In fact, the finishes are worse than was originally specified.

7DAYS visited Mr A his villa and witnessed poor finishing, and the use of cheap materials. The front door of the villa was a poor fit to the frame; the plaster in many of the walls was blown, and cracks were on most of the walls, causing plaster to fall out in some cases.

There were holes in the marble floor, scratched and stained marble in the downstairs bathroom, and the false ceilings in the bathroom jumped when the door was opened.

7DAYS saw more problems than we have space to fit into this article, and similar issues in three other villas. If you bought a car and the leather was ripped and the bodywork was scratched, you would not accept it, said Mr A.

Mr S moved into his place in August of this year, and is also very unhappy: We were promised a prestigious development, but so far the development has been below the standards of normal residential complexes carried out in Dubai.

It seems that Nakheel has done some value engineering to the finishes and the quality of the materials has been downgraded from what I was originally promised, he continued.

The finishes need a lot of repairs to be done. Nakheel can and should do better.

We want them to pay more attention to the snags in the finishes, paint on the aluminium in the bathroom, tiles badly fitted and unpolished in the bathroom, poor internal plasterwork and paint finish throughout, as it was done by unskilled labour.

Jumeirah Islands is being delivered 18 months late, and a number of letters were sent out to future residents, explaining why. We are delighted to advise that the wondrous Jumeirah Islands project has so appealed to buyers...that it is completely sold out, said one letter dated June 2004.

Seeking excellence in all that we do, Nakheel sought ways and means of further enhancing the quality of layout of, and the finishes and materials used in, your home in Jumeirah Islands. You will soon receive details of all the improvements that have been agreed - all at no cost to you.

On page two of the letter it read: all of the above improvements and services have resulted in a delay in the completion of the project, which is now scheduled for May 2005. We assure you that this delivery date will be met.

The first villas were not delivered until August 2005. One of the key complaints by residents has been the poor communication from Nakheel.

Trying to get answers out of Nakheel, SERCO (hand-over managers), Clifton Coony (project managers), or Semcomb (contractor) has been very difficult, says Mr S. We do not know who to talk to about snags occurring in different parts of the house.

The complaints about dealing with Nakheel is reiterated by a major institutional buyer of property in the UAE. Nakheel sales people calibre is not high, he told 7DAYS.

They are not able to sensibly talk about numbers at any competent level. Trying to assess what you were buying is difficult to say the least, regardless of who you are talking to.

Nakheel constantly makes commitments that are not kept. Nakheel does not communicate any problems. Their standard response when you go to their office is that they are working on it.

In an attempt to make meaningful contact with Nakheel a committee has been elected by JI residents to act as an intermediary. When approached by 7DAYS, the committee said that they were not ready to talk to the press.

The residents that 7DAYS did talk to, however, found it difficult to contain their disappointment. If it was completed as per the original concept plan, JI will be one of the best developments in the UAE, said Mr S.

Nakheel declined to comment despite repeated requests from 7DAYS to respond to residents claims.

Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubayy

2005-11-05T15:52:00.000+04:00

Sheikh Zayed Road is a main road in Dubai which starts a few kilometers west of Deira and goes west for several kilometers, passing among others Jumeirah Beach and Dubai Marina. The Sheikh Zayed Road is the skyscraper road of Dubai where on both sides, skyscrapers and super-scrapers can be found. Many more will be built in the next couple of years, dramatically changing the skyline of Dubai, forever.

Pictured on the right is a picture of the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. This picture was taken in 1990 and shows how much plots where still available at the time.

Same picture, taken in 2005 on an early morning. Notice that a lot of towers are still under construction! For a complete overview of all towers planned and under construction on this road, follow the article link above for an up-to-date road map provided by skyscrapercity.com

Dubai Marina picture update

2005-09-23T02:45:00.000+04:00

Tourist shot in Dubai Marina. Pictured here are the Jumeirah Beach Residences and in the foreground our raving reporter, Imre, who made all of the September 2005 update pics.

Another picture of the Jumeirah Beach Residences, I think this one was taken near the Emaar phase one towers.

Construction Update: Marina Diamond 1

2005-09-22T17:22:00.000+04:00

Construction update pictures of the Marina Diamond I tower in the Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As you can see in the picture on the right, the MD1 tower topped out a while ago and the black coating is to waterproof the building.

A view from the road-side. The vertical lines are the rails to wich the facade will be fixed.

Another view from the road.

Nice!

Here you can see how the windows and facade is fixed to building.

Another picture showing how the balcony looks with windows in place.

As you can see here, they are finishing the inside whilst the windows are not even in place!
Something like this would be impossible in Europe because of the wet climate. With 305 days per year of sunshine, builders in Dubai obviously do not need to worry about this.

The MD1 tower with it's companion tower next to it. It is still unclear to me what will be housed in this low-rise MD1-block but I think it might be commercial space for shops / offices..

All photographs by Imre.

Construction Update: Marina Diamond 2

2005-09-22T16:50:00.000+04:00

Construction update pictures of the Marina Diamond II tower in the Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. You can still see the Stromek board. Stromek is the company that did the piling works for the MD2 tower..

The project sign. As we have reported in an earlier post, this tower is built by Sun.

View of the future 'entrance' side of the Marina Diamond II. Behind the Ayoubco boarding is the MD2 building site.

Marina Diamond 2 building site. As you can see, construction is rather behind schedule but has started at last.

The tower in the background with the DAMAC sign on it is part of 'The Waves' project by Damac.

More pictures of the basement area.

Another picture of the Waves, the project is just across the street from MD2. The Marina itself is right behind this tower.

All photographs by Imre.

Construction Update: The Lighthouse

2005-09-22T14:48:00.000+04:00

Construction pictures of the Lighthouse tower in the Dubai Marina. The lighthouse is located close to the Marina Diamond 2 tower in Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

I think this is the parking they are working on. Anyway, it is good to see they finally started building.

All photographs by Imre.

Construction Update: Goldcrest Views

2005-09-22T01:22:00.000+04:00

Construction of the Goldcrest views tower in the Jumeirah lakes area, across the street from the Dubai Marina.

Closer view of the construction works on the Goldcrest Views tower.

Goldcrest Views building site with in the background the Dubai Marina.

Another view from the Jumeirah Lake area with in the background the Dubai Marina.

The Jumeirah Lake towers as seen from the Dubai Marina. As you can see, there is no lake yet but construction has started at a lot of sites already.

Jumeirah Lake as seen from Dubai Marina.

All photographs by Imre.

Marina Diamond HQ

2005-09-22T01:06:00.000+04:00

This is the Diamond Investments office. The place where the Marina Diamonds are born. ;-) In the distance you can see the model for Marina Diamond 2 and the model in front is Marina Diamond 1.

On the right you can see a close-up of the Marina Diamond 1 building by Diamond Investments. I really wonder what the roof garden is on top of the lower block.

Both photographs are taken by Imre.

New Appt: Marina Diamond 5

2005-08-11T16:20:00.000+04:00

Another Dubai property! Introducing Marina Diamond 5. This tower is a little closer to the phase one of the Dubai Marina and has an extra pool compared to the Marina Diamond 2 building.

The appartment itself is a 1 bedroom appartment on the 19th floor and comes complete with balcony, partial marina view from the balcony, use of the facilities downstairs (pool, sauna, steam, gym, etc.) and there is a reserved parking space in the basement of the tower.

New Tower: Marina Diamond 5

2005-08-11T16:01:00.000+04:00

address: Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
storeys: 20
start construction: 2005
expected completion: 2007

A new member to the Marina Diamond Family is Marina Diamond 5, a 20-storey residential property occupying Plot 2V in district 2 in Dubai Marina. The building offers dazzling views of the Marina and its surrounding from its one and two bedroom units, which are equipped with high-quality kitchen appliances. (note: No more studio appartments in this Marina Diamond tower.)

Residents of Marina Diamond 5 will be joining the Marina Diamond Family as they collect their keys and move into their new homes at the end of June 2007.

Main facilities are very similar to our Marina Diamond 2 property: An attractive lobby (whatever that means), state-of-the-art gymnasium, two swimming pools, playground for children, sauna and steam rooms, lush green landscape that gracefully blends with the surroundings, parking with reserved spaces for all residents, high speed internet connection, bicycle path and walkway connected to the rest of the Marina, concierge on duty 24 hours a day, access to digital / satellite TV, advanced safety systems, fire fighting equipment and general alarm system and two separate fire escapes.

Stromeck, Marina Diamond contracts

2005-08-09T16:46:00.000+04:00

AMEinfo reports:
Diamond Investments has awarded Stromeck with the contract for the deep foundations, piling and shoring phases for the remaining four of the six buildings in its Marina Diamond series. Stromek has already completed works on the first two buildings. The work will begin on Marina Diamond Three and Four in June and July, and five and six in August and September.

Faris Saeed, General Manager for Diamond Investments commented, “Stromeck has proved reliable in terms of realistic deliverables meeting time, quality and budget. In response, we would like to build upon this partnership to strengthen what has the potential to be a great business relationship. With over 60 property developers currently active in the Dubai Marina, Diamond Investments is the second largest real estate company in the development, in terms of the number of projects we currently have under construction. As we continue to grow with such alacrity, relationships such as this will become increasingly important to us in the future.“

With the six Marina Diamond projects currently under various stages of planning or construction, Diamond Investments is creating 1300 new units in the Dubai Marina.