Ssangyong E&C completes construction of Dubai's Atlantis The Royal

Ssangyong Engineering & Construction announced on Tuesday the successful completion of "Atlantis The Royal," an ultra-luxury hotel in Dubai, the UAE, eight years after winning the order. The hotel, considered a world-class luxury hotel, began construction in Jul. 2016 after the South Korean contractor received an order from Investment Corporation of Dubai, the largest shareholder at the time, in Dec. 2015.

The construction was delayed several times due to design changes and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was finally completed in 6 years and 8 months. The hotel is located on the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah and consists of three 44-story hotels with 791 guestrooms and three 39-story high-end residences with 231 units.

The total construction cost was $1,254 million (1.55 trillion won), and it boasts 94 swimming pools, including ultra-luxurious pools. The layout of the building is curved in an "S" shape, and it features an atypical exterior that looks like a stack of Lego blocks. High-difficulty construction was predicted from the design stage due to the unusual building shape.

During the pandemic, coordinating opinions was not easy as 54 consultants from 14 countries participated in creating this new landmark in Dubai. Even the executives of BESIX from Belgium, which was in charge of construction jointly with Ssangyong E&C, complained that the site was more difficult than when they built the 163-story Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

"With the completion of Atlantis The Royal, we have raised the standard for luxury hotels across the world and once again proved our status as the world's No. 1 company in overseas high-end construction performance," said an official of Ssangyong E&C. "We plan to actively pursue premium construction orders in Dubai and the Middle East in the future."

Write to Jong-Pil Park at jp@hankyung.com