Tameer - one of the largest Dubai private developers - is known for its extraordinary concepts of organizing modern urban space. The company took part more than once and became a diploma winner of the leading international forums and exhibitions in the field of real estate in France, Ireland, Germany, and Russia. What is happening in the company today, and what are the immediate prospects for its development? Is always what the developer offers is in demand by the buyer? These and other questions of ours are answered by Ali Al Hudayri, CEO of Tameer.
- Mr. Ali, this year Tameer is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Please tell us about the achievements and the most interesting projects of the company?
- Our company was created 15 years ago in Saudi Arabia and all these years has been engaged in diverse activities - investment, trade, construction. Two years ago we entered the UAE real estate market, and today we realize how timely and correct this decision was. Tameer Real Estate has a reputation as a serious and professional company, both among our partners and contractors, as well as among our investors and clients.
The most amazing, in my opinion, is the AlSalam City project, located in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain, which we are working on today. The concept of AlSalam City, I will say without exaggeration, is unique in its kind, and it has a lot of obvious advantages. Firstly, the strategic location on Emirates Road, in the immediate vicinity of the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah, will allow all residents of the "town" to easily reach any emirate in a short time. Secondly, we do not set ourselves the task of building another sleeping area with entertainment and shopping complexes. The slogan of our company is "We are building cities!". And AlSalam City will be a colorful illustration for this slogan.
AlSalam City is, according to the designers, a truly new modern city, with a full-fledged infrastructure: schools, clinics, sports facilities, cinemas, shops and other objects necessary for everyday life, and in appearance - a luxurious resort area with parks, squares, fountains , cozy cafes and restaurants, walking alleys and, even, riding paths. But most importantly, our concept will enable people to live where they work or, if you want, to work where you live. In addition to the wonderful (and by Russian standards, the so-called elite housing - approx. Ed.), We offer businessmen a sufficient number of offices for companies of different levels. Thus, having organized his business in AlSalam City, anyone can live here on the next street. Given the situation on the roads of modern megacities, including Dubai, getting from one part of the city to another becomes the number one problem (due to the huge number of cars and many hours of traffic jams). Business people with a “permanent residence” in AlSalam City will not have to spend their precious time on this. An incomparably greater benefit will bring them a walk from home to office along the green alleys of the park.
Another distinguishing feature of our "new city". It will create all conditions for families with children. In addition to traditional swimming pools, sports and playgrounds, kindergartens and creativity centers, the entire AlSalam City will be equipped with a system of webcams and CCTV, which will allow parents to constantly be aware of where their child is, what they do and how they feel. Taking into account the excessive employment of modern fathers and mothers, as well as the hyperactivity of their offspring, this innovation will greatly facilitate the lives of families. 24-hour security will allow all AlSalam City residents to feel safe and sleep at night.
- The project, however, is impressive, but a lot of ultramodern residential and commercial facilities are being built in Dubai and neighboring emirates by other major developers, and the concept of "smart homes", in general, is not new. What position, in your opinion, does Tameer take among other industry giants?
- Tameer is a large, but still a private company. We are following in the footsteps of large state and semi-state developers, whom you call the "industry giants" and which, I believe, include Emaar, Nakheel and Dubai Properties. I believe that these companies are role models. We follow in their footsteps, we learn skills from them, we take into account their mistakes and mistakes (without which no pioneer can do without). It is important for us, like many other developers in the UAE and the countries of the Middle East, that our meritorious work be appreciated by investors and buyers. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to consider Emaar or Nakheel as competitors. These companies did what no one did before them - they began a construction boom in the UAE, and now in the Persian Gulf region as a whole, which cannot be reversed. Their unprecedented experience has been taken by us.
Tameer today operates in various emirates of the UAE - Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al-Quwain, and also builds residential and commercial real estate in Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia. We do not want to stop there. All our projects, without exception, are unique, whether it be a multifunctional skyscraper with apartments and offices or entire conceptual “towns” like AlSalam City. Even the idea of building "smart homes" in them is not at all the main one. Our company pays the main attention to the quality of construction, finishing work and the materials used, in terms of their environmental friendliness and safety for the environment and the health of residents. This is so important in modern urban planning.
I think that in some five to seven years, the situation on the real estate market in the UAE will change towards the merger and consolidation of real estate developers. And it may very well be that in the Emirates there will remain only a dozen large professional developers working so high quality and fast that it will be impossible to compete with them. For a small business, this situation may be unpleasant, but for investors it is a big plus.
- Speaking about the quality of work, you probably mean your partners - general contractors, suppliers of materials?
- Of course, we are very careful in choosing partners. Without naming specific companies, I want to note that we work with the best designers from different countries, including the USA and Singapore, suppliers from Italy, Spain, other countries of Europe and Asia. It is important for us that everything that we promised the buyer is available: floors and windows of the quality that the customer needs, plumbing and ceramic tiles of proper standards and so on. Dubai is good because building and decoration materials, even the most exotic (rare wood or special decor elements), are always available. I do not think that UAE developers will ever suffer from a shortage of building materials.
- Are there many buyers from Russia and the CIS countries among your company’s customers?
- Enough. And I would like to emphasize that it is pleasant to work with "Russian" customers. They respect themselves and others. They do not underestimate, but do not overestimate the bar of their requirements. They always know exactly what they need and what they are willing to pay money for. I think that many Russian-speaking families will live in our new projects.
- Returning to the flagship project of Tameer - Al-Salam City, I would like to ask the last question. If the concept of a new city is so unique, does this mean that in the near future on the map of the UAE, along with the usual names of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Horfakkan, the names of new cities built by Tameer will appear?
“It could very well be.” In any case, Tameer is committed to achieving better results. If our "towns" will appeal to both their inhabitants and the leadership of the Emirates, we will be only too happy to develop our concepts further. The Tameer Board of Directors believes that the UAE and neighboring countries have enormous prospects, so the company will strengthen its position in the region. The future is ours.
Interviewed Lyubov Voronova
