View of the Male Majlis, showing the interior design of the space with bespoke furniture and lighting, and antiques adorning the walls at the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa designed by RTAE, Dubai

Al Maha Resort Interiors

Al Maha Resort Interiors

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

LOCATION
Map of Umm Al Quwain

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Project Facts

Project Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
Client Emirates
Built-Up-Area N/a
Services Masterplanning, Architectural Concept, Preliminary and  Detail Design, Structural Engineering, Commercial Kitchen Design, Interior Design, Authority Approvals and Building Permits, Project Tendering, Administration and Award, Site Supervision.
Collaborating Architect Schuster Pechtold and Partners
Status Complete, Phase 1: 2000, Phase 2: 2004

Project Features

PHASE 1
Guest Accommodation comprising of 30 Deluxe Chalets with swimming pools, two-Family Chalets with proportionally larger swimming pools,  one Presidential Suite with full-length swimming pool.
Central Guest Building housing the Guest Reception, Front Office, Souvenir Shop with Store, Male & Female Majlis’, Library/ Boardroom, Tea Salon, Prayer Room, Main Dining Restaurant, Pre-Dinner Bar, Gym, Communal Swimming Pool, Outdoor  Pool Majlis, GM Office, Admin Offices, Commercial Kitchen, Staff Canteen, Cold and Dry Stores.
Staff Quarters for 100 staff
Stables/ Animal Enclosures for camels. falcons and horses.

PHASE 2
Guest Accommodation comprising 10 additional Deluxe Chalets with larger swimming pools, two additional Family Chalets with proportionally larger swimming pools, one additional Presidential Suite with full-length swimming pool
Day Spa with four singles treatment rooms, one couples treatment room, Rasul Therapy, Wet-Treatment Room, indoor Jacuzzi, Gym, Juice Bar, Mani-Pedi Salon, Spa-Shop, Sauna, Steam Room and Ice Pool.
Other Works include enlargement of the private pools of all existing chalets.

Internally, the Arabic theme predominates in the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa. The sense of timeless Arab heritage is heightened by the natural beige and brown tones used throughout the interiors. Deep coloured antique Caucasian rugs on the floors, lavish use of mahogany (from renewable sources), thick hand plastered walls and small frieze details inspired by various restored homes and old buildings in Dubai and Sharjah – all find a harmonious inclusion in the design, bringing regional architecture and history back into play.

Rustic contextual interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Central Building of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
View of the Female Majlis where the colours are textures of the interiors are soft and more feminine at the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa designed by RTAE, Dubai
Air-conditioning has been made unobtrusive with standard air-conditioning grills in the ceiling replaced by cool air that is ‘thrown’ from traditional niches in the walls. Used, as originally intended, for the display of simple artefacts, these niches also act as point of return for the cool air to completed the air-condition cycle.

Floors of a variety of Indian sandstone provide a cool walking ground and specially woven fabrics from the Indian subcontinent in muted colours are brought to life by odd gold hand embroidered silk cushion with gold tassels. Furniture is custom designed and handcrafted in the Sultanate of Oman whilst all timber utilised is from renewable sources. Fragments of motifs contextual to the region, and to the resort unify the Arabic theme in the resort. Similarly, artefacts and antiques faithful to the region together with specially commissioned paintings adorn the various rooms of the resort whilst raising awareness of local craftsmanship. Sound attenuation preserves the peace and tranquillity of the natural desert environment, so that guests are enveloped in a truly remote sanctuary which they can call their own.

Rustic contextual Bedouin-style luxury interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Emirates Suite of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
Rustic contextual interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Bedouin Suite Bathrooms of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
Rustic contextual interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Bedouin Suites of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
Rustic contextual interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Central Building of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
View of the Female Majlis where the colours are textures of the interiors are soft and more feminine at the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa designed by RTAE, Dubai
Rustic contextual interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Bedouin Suites of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
Rustic contextual interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Bedouin Suite Bathrooms of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai
Rustic contextual Bedouin-style luxury interiors with bespoke furniture and lighting in the Emirates Suite of the Al Maha Desert Resort designed by RTAE, Dubai

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WAEL SAMIH AL KAYYALLI

With over 40 years of experience in project and construction management across the region, Al-Kayyalli has worked in senior-management level roles with some of the biggest real-estate development companies across the Gulf region.

Specialised in working on complete project lifecycle, Al-Kayyalli’s has wide-reaching experience in all stages of project development and delivery ranging from initial preliminary and feasibility studies, financial and time planning, costing and procurement, value engineering, construction supervision and management to commissioning and testing before final handover.

Before joining Rashid Taqui Architects and Engineers, Al Kayyalli was the CEO of the Saudi Qitaf al Ardah Development Real Estate Co. (Al Nahda & Al Omar Group) where he re-structured the company to fully develop in-house turnkey developments through the establishment of an in-house project management and procurement office.

Prior to which, he was the Vice President Project Management and Engineering of Al-Oula International-Amar International Real Estate where Al Kayyalli successfully implemented major investment programs for the firm’s operations in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, as turnkey solutions tailored to the findings of market analysis studies.

Earlier, Al-Kayyali was the Director of Development & Project Management for Al-Nahdi Group (KSA) and KCMCC(Kuwait Commercial Market Company), and Director/ Construction Manager for a number of key contracting firms including Al-Jafr Trading and Contracting Co. (KSA), Ali & Fouad Al-Ghanim Co. (Kuwait), Al-Habtoor Engineering (UAE), Al-Muhairy Contracting Co. (UAE) and Al-Hani Construction & Trading Bureau (Kuwait).

RULA HANNOUN

Born and educated in the United Kingdom, Rula Hannoun completed her undergraduate in anthropology at the University of Manchester in 1979 prior to completing her postgraduate MBA (Finance) at the Manchester School of Business in 1981.

Hannoun’s professional career began at the First National Bank of Chicago, Corporate Finance division before moving to Project Finance, Oil and Gas. As the Deputy Head of the Oil and Gas division for EMEA at 26, Hannoun became the youngest Vice President in the history of the bank.

After marrying and relocating to Dubai, Hannoun left the banking sector in 1985 to raise her family. She resumed her professional career in the mid-90s as Advisor to the Economic Department of Dubai, spearheading the establishment of Dubai Internet City – the second and one of the most successful free zones in Dubai.

With an inherent passion of architecture and design and a key eye for business, in 1999 Hannoun established the firm Tala Furniture, dedicated to providing quality furniture to the booming hospitality sector across the Gulf and North Africa. Nearly two decades later the company is recognised as one of the leading suppliers of complete hotel interior products, operates 3 factories in CEBU, China and Indonesia and boasts over 120 professional staff focused on project management, technical services, manufacturing, sourcing and quality control.

A member of the Young President’s Organisation (YPO) and an active fundraiser, Hannoun has dedicated much of her personal life to raising awareness for children with special needs. She was instrumental in the establishment of Asseef School (Dubai Centre for Special Needs) in the late 80s, the first special needs school in Dubai to receive funding from the late HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and remains equally diligent in her quest today, to protect the rights of the children without a voice.

RASHID TAQUI

With near 30 years of experience in the design, management and delivery of complex architectural projects, Rashid Taqui’s portfolio spans multiple sectors in Australia, Greece, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UK, and the UAE.

Taqui has a Master’s in International Architecture Studies from the University of Huddersfield (UK), and two theses to his credit: The UAE – Searching for a Lost Identity, and The National Museum in Al Ain, UAE.

Starting his career in 1996 as a fresh graduate at German firm Schuster Pechtold’s Dubai office, he won instant appreciation and international applause for conceptualising and designing the multi-award-winning Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa – the first eco-resort in the Middle East attributed to having changed the discourse of architecture in the UAE. His involvement in other ‘firsts’ for the region include the establishing a voice for the architects and designers by the launching Dubai’s premier and the regions’ leading architectural journal, Architecture Plus, shaping the annual architectural networking event, Cityscape and founding the international awards for architecture and design in the UAE.

Taqui’s broad-ranging experience covers urban planning projects, resorts and hotels, palatial residences, shopping malls, airports, schools, banks, offices and varied public and cultural facilities, and undertaken while holding senior positions in the UAE offices of German multi-disciplinary firm Kling Consult, civil engineering firm Italconsult SPA, and architectural firm Incorporated Consultants (Conin).

Rashid Taqui Architects and Engineers, established in 2008, is his personal brand that specialises in contextually authentic, eco-aware architecture. He ardently advocates integrity and sustainability while targeting high yields for stakeholders through innovative design, investment opportunities, and value engineering.

Taqui often speaks at public events and writes regularly for local publications. His interests include fitness, films, food, and travel.

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