Depa boosted by Dubai Opera House and Madinat Jumeirah wins

New contract wins include fit-outs for new Dubai Opera House and extension of Madinat Jumeirah

A model of the Dubai Opera House at the Emaar stand at Cityscape Global held at Dubai World Trade Centre. Pawan Singh / The National
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The Dubai-based fit-out contractor Depa signed new deals worth Dh719 million during the first half of this year – Dh444m of which were agreed to in the second quarter.

The company yesterday said that the new work included contracts to fit out public areas at the new Dubai Opera House by Emaar Properties in the Downtown Dubai district, and at the phase-three extension to Dubai Holding’s Madinat Jumeirah leisure and retail complex.

In the international market, the company’s Singapore-based business, Design Studio Group, landed deals to upgrade the 476-room Swissotel Merchant Court in Singapore and the 150-room W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, while Depa Interiors won its first ever contract in Bangladesh – a Dh81m order to refurbish the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka.

“The Opera House is an important project,” said the group chief executive Nadim Akhras.

“Once complete, it will complement Downtown Dubai’s offer. It’s important for Emaar and for Dubai in general,” he said.

He also said the return of the company’s co-founder and former chief executive, Mohannad Sweid, who rejoined the board as a non-executive director earlier this month, was welcomed.

Mr Akhras described Mr Sweid as “someone who knows the core business of Depa and the fit-out market in general very well”.

“He will definitely be a good asset,” Mr Akhras added.

mfahy@thenational.ae

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