Business & Finance Club - UAE : Schön Properties, a leading regional property developer, announced that it has awarded Crystal Lagoons Corporation, the world-renowned developer of unlimited sized lagoons, the contract to build the main water features within its 'Dubai Lagoon' project. The developer further announced that a pilot lagoon is expected to be completed in time for the scheduled handover of Zone 1 by the end of 2010, thereby affording new tenants of the 442 units within the first zone to be delivered excellent lagoon views from their apartments. According to company officials, the pilot lagoon will be spread over a land area spanning approximately 5,191 sq. m, and will require close to 3.5 million gallons (US gallons) of water.

The contract specifies that Crystal Lagoon will be responsible for the construction, maintenance and technical controls of all the lagoons, which will feature intense turquoise blue water that resembles tropical seas. The lagoon system will also boast of permanent remote operation and control to ensure optimum quality and crystalline water at any moment. Through the contractor's revolutionary crystalline lagoon technology, the project's focal element is ensured to be environmentally-friendly and easy to maintain. The water features for the master community project will be developed in sync with the different zones, with the entire lagoon set to occupy a land area of 21,255 sq. m. In total, over 14 million gallons (US gallons) of water would be required to fill the lagoon, which will have a maximum depth of 2.5 metres.

"As the central feature of the 'Dubai Lagoon' development, these lagoons represent the tranquil vibe that we seek to offer tenants, in addition to a sense of community and friendliness, which these majestic yet calming attractions can inspire among residents," said Sonia H. Schön, Executive Director, Schön Properties. "In our focus to offer only the best to our customers, we are collaborating with Crystal Lagoons Corporation for the construction of this very important element of our project. In addition to their strong global repute, the company also enforces eco-friendly processes that complement our own environmental ideals."

Crystal Lagoons Corporation is a Chilean company and the patent owner worldwide of crystalline lagoon technology, a breakthrough process that involves extraction of water from the ocean to create a pool of crystal clear water, which is re-circulated and replaced as per predefined parameters. The pioneering technology does not only promote an ecological balance among all living organisms, but also utilises a low energy filtration system and a pulse-based disinfection method, which requires up to 100 times less chemical products and consumes lower energy compared to conventional pool systems. Responsible for the biggest pool in the world located in the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile, the company has been a part of major real estate projects in Australia, Brazil, China, Spain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Vietnam. The company is very strong in the Middle East and is currently eyeing future projects in Oman and Pakistan.

"We are very excited to be back in the UAE and work on this excellent project for the 'Dubai Lagoon' development. We will be extending all the benefits of our leading edge technology and intelligent planning to ensure that this project will be completed promptly and within a level of quality that exceeds all expectations," concluded Eduardo Klein, Business Director at Crystal Lagoons Corporation.