Dubai launched a Silicon Park city project on Sunday. The project, costing AED1.1 billion, will be completed by last quarter of 2017.

“The work has started and the project will be completed by Q4 of 2017,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) after the launching.

The project, to be built in Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) and spanning an area of 150,000 square meters, comprises 97,000 square meter office space, 25,000 square meter commercial space, 20,000 square meter residential area, and a 115-room business hotel in addition to value-added facilities that suit contemporary living such as restaurants, cafes, health and fitness centers, as well as running tracks and cycling trails, prayer rooms, a shopping center and underground parking for more than 2,500 cars.

“We are confident that this project will succeed in offering a modern lifestyle for residents, workers and visitors. The project’s standards are aligned to the Dubai Government’s strategic directions on smart cities that focus on six pillars — life, society, mobility, economy, governance and environment,” Sheikh Ahmed added.

The project will be built with ‘green’ building material and control mechanisms as well as solar panels and double-glazed windows to reduce heat absorption. Silicon Park is characterized by its buildings topped with green roofs, which will include plants and trees that require minimal irrigation and utilize the direct sunlight on the buildings.

The project will optimize renewable energy resources and apply measures to achieve efficiency in energy consumption. Additionally, it will also feature smart lighting systems with motion sensor systems that respond to traffic and individuals.

The smart street light poles will be equipped with digital signboards that can be remotely controlled through an application. The project will implement advanced technologies to support controlling water consumption through recycling for re-use in irrigation to minimize the ecological impact on the carbon footprint.

As a smart community, Silicon Park will feature intelligent solutions from charging-docks for smart devices on the street to smart pop-up furniture and digital play tables, as well as optimally-designed bus shelters, piazzas shading, and other public amenities. The residential units will be equipped with sophisticated remote-controlled systems that can regulate lighting, air conditioning, windows, curtains and electrical charging stations.

The Silicon Park complex will have only electricity-powered vehicles.

“We are currently working on the implementation of free Wi-Fi within DSO, an initiative we launched in December last year. The first phase of the project was completed recently and we aim to offer wireless internet access throughout DSO by the second quarter of 2014,” said Mohammed Alzarooni, vice chairman and CEO of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority.

“Achieving free Wi-Fi access around-the-clock over the entire expanse of DSO, which extends over 7.2 km area, will mark a significant achievement for us. More importantly, the facility will help support the smart applications we hope to implement for tenants within the park.”