Flower-shaped eco-city to rise in Dubai desert

Artist’s sketch of Desert Rose City. SCREENGRAB from The National/ Dubai Municipality

Dubai will start building this year another world-class architectural landmark called Desert Rose City, a flower-shaped eco-city envisioned to be self-sustaining, local media reports said. The blueprint for the sustainable satellite city was earlier announced in 2014.

Hussein Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, said the project exemplifies the vision of the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

Desert Rose City will have its own police station, mosques and other key establishments, as well as green spaces and technologies for preserving natural resources, according to reports by Gulf News and The National.

Dawood Al Hajiri, executive director of the municipality’s planning department, told the local media that the city would be “completely sustainable” (carbon emissions and pollution from vehicles would be trimmed down) and would generate 200 megawatts of electricity using photovoltaic roofs on each home.

During the project’s first phase, 160,000 inhabitants are expected to occupy 14,000 hectares of land allocated for housing, where 20,000 plots would be dedicated for lavish “dream homes” of Emiratis. Some 10,000 other plots would be allocated for less expensive houses for expatriates and foreigners. Altogether these will constitute 75 percent of the land area of Desert Rose City, local media reported. Hefty solar panels will decorate the sustainable city as well.

The project is slated to be completed before Dubai hosts World Expo 2020, Gulf News reported.  Gianna Francesca Catolico

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