Page 56 - Magazine August 2021

Companies News Construction
Contractors News

Allied Contracting wins fast-track contract for Ellington Construction starts in Abu Dhabi on world`s

Properties’ Wilton Park Residences largest vertical farm for research

Construction is under way on a new vertical indoor include high-tech laboratories in horticultural and

farm in Abu Dhabi, which will be the largest in the new generation tech disciplines such as organoleptic
world for research, a step in the emirate’s mission to research, machine learning, robotics and automation.

“turn the desert green”, according to its backers. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, said:
The farm is being built by AeroFarms AgX, a wholly “This important milestone for AeroFarms AgX is

owned UAE-based subsidiary of the US-based another step in the realization of Abu Dhabi’s mission
AeroFarms, who said the facility is a catalyst towards to ‘turn the desert green’.
establishing Abu Dhabi as a global hub for agricultural “In line with this goal, ADIO is supporting innovative

technology (AgTech) innovation. technology that has the potential to impact farming
It is in partnership with Abu Dhabi Investment Office practices across the globe and improve the food

(ADIO), which is providing $150 million in incentives to production value chain worldwide.”
bring AgTech to the emirate, in a bid to develop next David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms,
generation agriculture in arid desert climates. said: “Our vision has always been to leverage our

The research conducted at the new facility, due to be expertise in plant biology and build on our successful
operational in the first quarter of 2022, is expected to history of collaborating with government, universities,

enable new business lines, technologies and growth industry and major international companies.
of the AeroFarms platform, while serving as a hub for “We are pleased to take this step forward and proud

regional expansion. to be a catalyst for helping to establish the emirate of
The 54,000 sq. ft. facility is expected to employ 60 Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AgTech innovation.”

horticulturalists, engineers and scientists, and will

Allied Contracting has been awarded a contract to “With our expertise in managing large-scale projects,
accelerate the delivery of the Wilton Park Residences we will ensure that we meet the approved delivery

project, which is being developed by Ellington schedule.”
Properties. Also commenting on the appointment, Ellington

Located in Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City Properties Managing Director and Co-Founder, Joseph
(MBR City) in Dubai, the Wilton Park Residences will Thomas, said they were “confident” in delivering the

be influenced by modern London architecture and first homes in Wilton Park Residences based on a
comprise a range of studios, one- and two-bedrooms. fast-tracked construction programme.

According to Allied Contracting, they will be “With clear timelines for the delivery of Wilton Park
responsible for setting a new project management Residences, we have been working with proven
plan for the residential project. contractors for the construction of the project. The

“Our focus is to accelerate the completion of the project third-party vendor we assigned initially faced several
by deploying the latest technology in construction and challenges and we made the decision to assign Allied

bringing higher levels of work efficiency on-site,” said Contracting and ensure the smooth transition of the
Allied Contracting CEO Abdulla Khalifa Beyat. project management process.”

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