Dubai based developer, Nakheel has inked a deal worth Dh1.5 bn for the construction of its Al Khail Avenue retail, dining and entertainment hub alongside plans to incorporate its hospitality porttfolio into the mix by adding a 252-room hotel to the complex.

The contract was awarded to UAE-based Dhabi Contracting, with construction set to begin in early October.

Nakheel’s retail project portfolio is set to become the biggest in the UAE, with over 15 million square feet of rental space in operation or under development. The developer’s hospitality portfolio is also growing rapidly, with nine hotels across Dubai either open, under construction or in design stage.

Directly connected to Al Khail Avenue and its 350 shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets, the 18-storey hotel will feature an all-day restaurant, coffee shop, lounge, outdoor terrace, pool deck gymnasium and car park. The hotel and leisure club is set to enhance the growing JVT community, where residents will be offered club membership at preferential rates. JVT contains more than 13,000 villas, townhouses and apartments spread across 242 hectares, with two schools and a range of third party residential developments currently under construction.