June opening set for tallest Riyadh tower

The tallest 308-meter residential tower in the Kingdom, Burj Rafal, will open in June, Rafal Real Estate Development Company announced at a press conference at the Faisaliah Hotel yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, Majed Al-Hogail, chief executive officer of Rafal Real Estate Development Company, said the construction work started 18 months ago and will be completed in the next eight months.
He described the property as a unique landmark of 70 floors, with 440 residential apartments, constructed on an exclusive 20,000 sq. m plot.
Burj Rafal community is located at King Fahd Highway in Al-Sahafa district in the north of Riyadh. “It is situated in a very prominent and prestigious area in the capital, close to King Abdullah Financial City and is set to create a niche of its own world,” Al-Hogail said.
“The tower will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, fully integrated systems, as well as 360 degrees of natural light, and the best utilization of space as well as world-class construction standards, ” the CEO of Rafal said, adding that the apartments are now open for sale.
He also pointed out that Kempinski Hotel, which is one of the most renowned luxurious European hotels in the world, will be constructed within the tower’s community, extending an elegant lifestyle and serenity for families and guests the year round.
The press conference was attended by many distinguished figures including Abdullah Yabrouti, chief executive officer and managing director of Dubai Contracting Company (DCC); Ali Al-Guwaise, chief executive officer of Riyadh Capital; and Ulrich Eckhardt, president of Middle East Africa Kempinski Hotels.
Eckhardt said that this is the first property Kempinski is establishing in the Kingdom, and the hotel chain plans to supplement the Riyadh property with two more hotels, including one in Alkhobar by 2012 and another in Jeddah by 2015. He added that having such a distinct presence in the Kingdom is an important element in the company’s growth strategy.
“The Saudi market is key to us as a company, and we know that it requires a great depth of understanding,” Eckhardt said.
The hotel will feature 300 guest rooms and suites, two restaurants, three cafes, conference facilities, a ballroom with a capacity for 2,000 guests, two spas and wellness centers for men and women as well as exclusive retail outlets.