Business & Money | Monday 4 May, 2015 1:05 am |

‘Vista Lux’ Includes a Luxury Shopping Arcade, Hydroponic Café and the Region’s First Rainforest;


Luxury real estate developer DAMAC Properties is to unveil details of its ‘jewel in the crown’ lifestyle and retail strip running through the centre of its luxury living community, AKOYA Oxygen at this week’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) exhibition in Dubai.

Named ‘Vista Lux’ the 1 million sq ft central entertainment and retail district includes a waterway and more than 1.5km of walkways, creating a key central entertainment and retail district in the heart of the project. The area will provide luxury retail, restaurants and entertainment to support the AKOYA Oxygen residents and will attract visitors from all over with many firsts for the region including a self-contained experiential Rainforest, a Hydroponic café & restaurant where visitors can select their own produce.

“Vista Lux is one of many elements which make AKOYA Oxygen stand out from the rest and provides an intrinsic added value to residents,” said Ziad El Chaar, Managing Director, DAMAC Properties. “The area has been specifically designed to give AKOYA Oxygen home owners a high-end, classy and stylish entertainment and retail hub with wide open walkways with coffee shops, markets, high-end retail and many lifestyle experiences to bring the community to life and be the central hub where residents & tourists alike meet and enjoy the lush environment.”

Stretching over an expansive 55 million square feet, AKOYA Oxygen is set to become one of the major focal points of the Dubailand area in Dubai with unique attractions and entertainment, creating a new lifestyle hub in the city.

In tune with the lush green environment of AKOYA Oxygen the project will also become the focal point for cultural events, performances and art displays, including an open-air designer fashion market, the ‘V’ Restaurant with a menu selected from the freshest organic ingredients sourced at the AKOYA Oxygen farmers market, and an outdoor area called ‘The Green’, showcasing cultural performances, poetry readings and mini-theatre productions.

A Library and Coffee House will also be housed close to a dedicated area for art installations set on a street which includes mobile, gourmet ‘street food’ providing hearty dishes from around the world.

“Vista Lux will house more than 2,000 hotel apartments and residences allowing visitors to the Dubai Rainforest, or those looking to challenge themselves at the Tiger Woods-designed Trump World Golf Club, Dubai to have an all-encompassing, holistic experience during their visit to AKOYA Oxygen,” added El Chaar.



The Dubai Rainforest is one of the most eagerly anticipated entertainment offerings on the strip. The enclosed dome will recreate the natural environment experienced in the heart of the deepest rainforests. The tall, dense jungle environment will be fully recreated with many plants species integrated into the iconic dome structure.

Visitors will be taken on a journey through the jungle, climbing into the canopy, while those with a thrill for heights will be able to fly through the treetops on a zip wire offering stunning bird’s eye views of the environment. Those with a more serene temperament will be able to laze back within the peaceful surrounds of the Rainforest spa, offering hydrothermal treatments among the rock pools and steam baths.

The new images and designs will be on show throughout the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) from 4-7 May 2015 on stand HC6350 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. ATM is a major travel & tourism event within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism.

Work is already well underway at AKOYA Oxygen, with the initial roads and infrastructure close to completion. Aecom has been appointed as Lead Consultant for the design and infrastructure of the first 1,000 villas, while contracts have also been issued for further villas clusters to Ghantoot Gulf Contracting and Lootah Building & Construction LLC.

As of March 31st 2015, DAMAC Properties has delivered almost 14,000 homes and has a development portfolio of over 37,000 units at various stages of progress and planning.

Further information is available at www.damacproperties.com

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Notes to editor: DAMAC Properties has been at the forefront of the Middle East’s luxury real estate market since 2002 – bringing luxury living experiences to residents from all over the world. Making its mark at the highest end of stylish living, DAMAC Properties has cemented its place as the leading luxury developer in the region, offering iconic design and the upmost quality. The company’s footprint now extends across the Middle East with projects in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon.

As of March 31st 2015, DAMAC Properties has delivered almost 14,000 homes and has a development portfolio of over 37,000 units at various stages of progress and planning.

The company is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). The company also issued a US$650 million five year Sukuk on NASDAQ Dubai in April of 2014, which was more than four times oversubscribed and was placed with institutional investors across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
As a leading player in the market, DAMAC Properties has joined forces with some of the most recognisable fashion and lifestyle brands in the world to bring new and exciting living concepts to the market.
Projects include a Tigers Woods designed golf course which will be managed by The Trump Organisation, luxury apartments with interiors by Italian fashion-house Versace, luxury apartments and villas with interiors by FENDI and uniquely conceptualised Paramount Hotels and Resorts to bring serviced living at it most opulent.



The company is also developing two of the most anticipated luxury master communities in Dubai – AKOYA by DAMAC and AKOYA Oxygen. With a combined square footage of almost 100 million sq ft, the two distinct projects bring luxury villas within lush green surrounds to the doorstep of those looking to escape the city lights in a private, serene environment.

Running through the heart of each project will be an 18-hole Championship Golf Course – The Trump International Golf Club, Dubai designed by Gil Hanse at AKOYA by DAMAC and The Trump World Golf Club, Dubai, designed by Tiger Woods. Both courses will be managed by the Trump Organisation, offering the highest levels of white glove service.

Each project will house the highest luxury villas and apartments currently available on the market, with branded living concepts available within AKOYA by DAMAC from Paramount Hotels & Resorts and FENDI. The Trump Estates mansions also offer a truly indulgent lifestyle, with panoramic views across the course.

As a global leader in branded real estate, the company is also developing a US$1.35 billion hotel and luxury serviced residences in the Burj area of Dubai, called DAMAC Towers by Paramount, which will comprise the first Paramount hotel and serviced residences in the region.

DAMAC Properties’ hospitality portfolio will extend to reach around 13,000 units of hotel rooms, serviced hotel apartments and serviced villas. The company’s pipeline of hospitality projects are operated under the DAMAC Maison Hotels & Resorts and NAIA Hotels & Resorts brands.

With vision and momentum, DAMAC Properties is building the next generation of Middle East luxury living.

Further information is available at www.damacproperties.com or join DAMAC Properties on Facebook, Twitter (@DAMACOfficial) and YouTube.