Consulate General News 2009
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Start of Construction on New Consulate Compound
May 27, 2009 – On May 27th, the U.S. Consulate General held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on its New Consulate Compound (NCC) in Dubai. The special guest at the ceremony was His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
The NCC will be built in Bur Dubai on a six-acre site adjacent to the Dubai Creek and the Consulates of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, land generously donated to the United States by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. When completed in 2011, the NCC will provide a new home and facilities for the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai, including several offices with regional responsibilities. It represents a significant commitment by the United States to a long-term presence in Dubai, and will allow the Consulate General to increase the efficiency and accessibility of its services to the public, including assisting American citizens and visa services. When complete, the compound will be the second purpose-built American diplomatic facility in the UAE; the first – the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi – opened in 2004. Construction costs for the project are estimated at $126 million.
Consul General Paul Sutphin, underlining the significance of the project, said: "In the past thirty years, our bilateral relationship has grown and expanded across many areas. We now have over 550 American companies and nearly 20,000 American citizens living and working in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The project is a statement of the strength of our bilateral relations and the leading role that Dubai and the UAE have in the political, economic and commercial life of the Gulf region. New, modern facilities will help us better serve our American citizens and engage energetically with international partners."
Ambassador Richard G. Olson, Jr, who previously served as Consul General in Dubai, called the project an important step in our bilateral relations. "Building a new Consulate General in the heart of Dubai is a clear statement of the importance that the United States places on its very close relationship with the UAE, and our intention to strengthen and expand that partnership in years to come."
The NCC also represents a commitment to preserving and protecting the environment. The complex will be built using the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) principles and will incorporate environment-friendly features in its water, environmental and lighting systems.
The construction project will be managed by the Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations; partners in design and construction include construction firm B.L. Harbert International LLC, of Birmingham, Alabama and architects Page Southerland Page, LLP, of Arlington, Virginia.