The main construction is being undertaken by the Al Habtoor Leighton Group , which was awarded the construction work at the end of 2008.

Abdul Majeed Ismail Al Fahim, Chairman of Pearl Dubai FZ LLC, said: “The commencement of main construction work on the project strongly illustrates our commitment to ensure a timely transformation of this high-end landmark destination, which will set new industry benchmarks in the region.”

The Dubai Pearl site will witness around 200 workers at the start of construction, and the number is expected to reach 8,000 when work gets into full swing.

Santhosh Joseph, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pearl Dubai FZ LLC said: “We believe we have selected the right partners to create this iconic development and shape it into a world-class destination.”

David Savage, Managing Director of the Al Habtoor Leighton Group, commented saying, “We have been involved with Dubai Pearl from the beginning of its construction, and will continue to ensure that excellence in quality and safety goes hand-in-hand with the use of the best technology on the project.”

State of the art construction technologies and building techniques will be used on the project. High strength concrete, steel trusses and hollow core slabs will be used in the composite construction process of the iconic towers. Heavy lifting techniques using jacking systems will be utilised for uplifting of the ‘Sky palaces’ on top of the four towers.

To comply with the LEED Gold certification processes, Pearl Dubai FZ LLC is facilitating recycling of materials from the previously demolished structures, and is currently working towards meeting all pre-certification requirements. Crucial provisions are additionally being incorporated into the project design to optimize power and cooling requirements as part of the company’s priority towards endorsing global green building standards.

Located in the heart of TECOM, which houses Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Knowledge Village, Dubai Pearl will boast easy access from arterial highways -Sheikh Zayed road and Al Sufouh road – and the elevated ring road. Overlooking the Palm Jumeirah Island development, the landmark destination will also offer spectacular views of the World Islands, the Burj Al Arab and the Arabian Gulf waters.

The world-class, pedestrian-friendly development, will comprise stunning elements including a broad spectrum of commercial, retail, residential, hospitality and leisure components. Dubai Pearl will also boast a 2,000-seat performing arts theatre aimed at meeting the needs of the emirate’s growing cultural calendar and complementing the project’s diverse entertainment offerings.

Featuring an active business district with a quality urban lifestyle, Dubai Pearl will host some of the world’s top brands, and will include landscaped gardens, luxury branded apartments and condominiums.

Al Fahim also revealed that the main towers of the US $2.4 billion (AED8.85 billion) mixed-use development would be constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Gold standard – the second highest rung on the Leed ladder, which rates the environmental friendliness of buildings.

“The main towers will definitely be to gold certification,” Al Fahim said. “That is our target, and (the towers will) cover the majority of the entire development.”

The main contractor, Al Habtoor Leighton Group, has engineers working on-site while enabling work, being carried out by the Al Habtoor STFA Soil Group, is nearing completion.

The Dubai Pearl will be located at the centre of “New Dubai” overlooking the Palm Jumeirah.

The news comes as a welcome relief for a construction industry struggling with news of a list of projects on hold that totals $75 billion, according to HSBC Global Research.

Research firm Proleads has stated that up to 53% of projects across the UAE are currently on hold.

This will be the second time that construction of the Dubai Pearl has begun. The original 53-storey structure had reached the 14th floor, when developer Pearl Dubai embarked on a drastic redesign, and razed the under-construction project to the ground.

“We went for a change of design,” Al Fahim said. “The new design is more sustainable, the traffic impact on it is much better, and value-creation for the major building is much friendlier.”

Al Fahim added there was a clear positive aspect to the construction slowdown, as the lack of work had freed up more contractors and more interest had been shown in the Dubai Pearl.

He said: “At one point, you were at the contractor’s mercy, you really had to listen to them. But now you can put them to the challenge.

“More than one interested party is going to show up, so you will get a lot of good attention. This is not like before.”