$1bn Reem Mall project approved by Abu Dhabi UPC

Developers for Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi today announced that the $1 billion project has been granted detailed planning approval by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC).

The UPC’s granting of detailed planning approval comes only six months after the mall’s concept plans were approved.

Shane Eldstrom, Chief Operating Officer for Reem Mall, said: “We have made incredible progress over the past 18 months, and the detailed planning approval marks the final go-ahead required from the UPC.

"None of this progress would have been possible without the tremendous support we have received from the Government of Abu Dhabi, and many other partner organizations in the UAE capital and beyond.

“The UPC has been working closely with us throughout the planning process, to ensure that the project responds to the needs of local communities, that it is safe, and that it meets the highest standards of energy and environmental design.  We are proud to have worked so closely and harmoniously with the UPC since the very early days of the project.”

The UPC and the Reem Mall development team met regularly over the course of 2015 to incorporate design enhancements put forward by the UPC’s Urban Development and Estidama Sector. The UPC also had to ensure the project fit within other relevant master plans, including the Al Reem Island Integrated Concept Master Plan, which was approved in April 2015, and the mixed-use Najmat Abu Dhabi community on the south of the island in which the mall is situated.

Mohamed Al Khadar, Executive Director of Urban Development and Estidama Sector, UPC, said: “For the ongoing development of Abu Dhabi, and for a project of this magnitude, it was essential that the UPC and the Reem Mall developers collaborate closely to ensure that every recommended enhancement put forward during the UPC’s planning review process was successfully adopted, while still meeting the target deadline for detailed approval and breaking ground.

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