Schon Properties is a UAE based division of the Schon Group which encompasses a range of business interests and holdings. Schon Properties entered the UAE real estate market in 1996. At the start the company specialized in leasing and building management but with the property boom and the Freehold Law[1] being developed the company decided to venture into real estate development in the region.
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Chairman Tahir H. Schon and Co-chairman Nasir H. Schon, also the founders of the Schon Group, manage Schon Properties in addition to other Schon enterprises.
Dubai Lagoon
Schon Properties’ flagship project was Dubai Lagoon which also won last year’s CNBC Arabian Property Award for Best Mixed Use Development.[2] Dubai Lagoon is a residential complex located in Dubai Investment Park. The development covers 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land with 49 residential buildings comprising over 4,000 apartments with on-site amenities. The project was launched in 2003 but has yet to see any confirmed completion date for any of its buildings, of which some have been postponed indefinitely.
Schon Business Park
Launched in 2007,[3] this office development is located in the heart of Dubai Investment Park featuring industrial, business, residential and recreational areas within the complex. Schön Business Park houses 410 offices with a capacity for 4,000 employees. Schon Business Park won last year’s CNBC Arabian Property Award for the Best Office Development.[4]
Schon Residences
A residential development by Schon Properties, Schon Residences sold out at pre-launch. The project is located on Sheikh Zayed Road near Jebel Ali Palm, the Jebel Ali Free Zone and the upcoming Maktoum International Airport. The development features furnished apartments with multiple amenities.
The Signet
The Signet is one of the first residential buildings endorsed with a Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority License for home office usage. Launched in mid-2008,[5] the project was conceptualized to allow home owners to live and work from their apartment saving them from long and expensive daily commutes.
Libertas
Libertas is a commercial/office tower in the Trellis District of Downtown Jebel Ali. Launched towards the end of 2008, the development is close to the Metro with easy access to many facilities.
In November 2008, Schon Properties promised to incorporate LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) standards, a green building rating system developed by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), in all their future projects. In this regard, Schon Properties tapped LEED experts Whitbybird to ensure their compliance with LEED standards.[6]
In the Dubai Lagoon project Schön Properties incorporated Fernando Fischmann’s Crystal Lagoons technology which keeps large quantities of water from turning green with algae.[7]
In May 2008, Schön Properties participated in Cityscape Abu Dhabi exhibition where the developer underscored its growing prominence in the UAE property sector by showcasing their properties and investment opportunities.[8]
Schon Properties were a major partner of Emarat in Dubai Summer Surprises 2007 Festival. The event featured Emirate’s promotional campaign themed 'Win a Dream Home in Dubai Lagoon'.
In June 2008, Pakistan Business Council organized a forum in Dubai highlighting the call to utilize untapped potential of the Islamic world. Tahir H. Schon, chairman Schon Properties who also happens to be the Vice President Pakistan Business Council, was a part of the organizing committee and welcomed the gathering. The forum was PBC’s goodwill gesture aimed at strengthening commercial ties between members of the Pakistani Business Community and SAARC Chamber of Commerce.
In December 2008, Schon Properties hosted an informative industry event titled ‘Dubai Property Market, Past Present Future’. Government representatives from Dubai Land Department (DLD), Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and other dignitaries and professionals attended the event. The event was much applauded by Dubai’s real estate community as it bolstered industry confidence and came at a time when market mood was quite uncertain.[9]
Schon Properties were declared the winners of two CNBC Arabian Property Awards 2009. Dubai Lagoon won the Best Mixed Use Development while Schon Business Park won the Best Office Development Award.[10]