MAG PDD & MAG 218 (Arabic Feature)

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Go to MAG 218 Community homepage, Dubai Marina Communities or DM Blog.

The MAG(nolia) 218

How does one go about branding the MAG 218? The task is especially challenging as the tower stands among a group of similarly named towers--the MAG 214, 218, 224... with more to come.

MAG itself are the initials of the parent company founder, Moafaq Al Gaddah. The significance of the numbers are not clear, although I have heard that the 214 moniker relates to the number of wives and children the founder has.

In any event, the question remains of how to brand the MAG 218. MAG provides a starting point with a number of interesting possiblities found in the English dictionary:

• Magadha – An ancient kingdom of northeast India.
  
• Magdalena – a river rising in the Andes; or a woman’s name in Spanish.
  
• Maghreb – A region of northwest Africa.
  
• magic - (the most common word in the list, however, its literation is that of a j as opposed to a hard g).
  
• magma – molten rock.
  
• magnaminous – courageously noble in mind and heart.
  
• magnate – a powerful influential person.
  
• magnetic – having attractive properties.
  
• magnificent – splendid in appearance; wonderful.

The list goes on. But my favorite is magnolia, described in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia thusly (reading in one's best Southern accent):

The Magnolia is the official state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. Mississippi's state nickname is the "Magnolia State", because of the abundance of magnolias in the state. The magnolia is also the official state tree of Mississippi.

For those not well-versed in the history of the old South, Louisiana and Mississippi are two states of the former American Confederacy which housed its wealthy landowners in stately mansions surrounded by large live oak and magnolia trees.

That being so, the first choice of any Southern gentleman or lady, with which to brand the letters MAG, would quite naturally be the beautiful and stately Magnolia flower.

The magnolia's natural setting is beside any 19th century stately mansion in the southern United States.


The flower possesses a simple elegance, with its broad petals and creamy white texture. It is, however, not delicate but defined by its hardy and sturdy character. This simplicity yet firmness echoes the style of the MAG 218 tower, a structure possessing an elegant, yet minimalist form while being designed with stability and functionality in mind.

Occasionally one must bloviate to get a point across as I'm afraid I have done. Nevertheless, the magnolia offers a beautiful and elegant image by which to brand the MAG 218 tower.


The magnolia in its natural state.
Source of images: one, two & three and four.

Go to MAG 218 Community homepage, Dubai Marina Communities or DM Blog.

MAG 218 and Its Partners

The MAG 218 project consultant Dar al-Handasah is one of the lead consultants in the Jebel Ali airport project, Dubai World Central, partnered with France’s Aeroports de Paris. This suggests that Dar al-Handasah is a consultant of the highest caliber and it adds further credibility to the level of expertise that has gone into the design of the 218 tower.

One must expect further partnerships as MAG 218 developer, MAG PDD, will soon need to commission mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works and the main building contract. As discussed in a recent DM Blog (Dubai Marina) post, Construction Crunch, it may be necessary for developers like MAG PDD to partner with builders from further a field than has been common until now. Not only contractors but the supply chain for materials, equipment and labor that builders rely on is already stretched to its limits. This is the backdrop against which the MAG 218 tower is set to begin full-scale construction.

The fact is that the availability of local and regional contractors is becoming so tight that even if developers are willing to offer terms that are more favorable to the contractor than itself, there still may be no one to step forward with a bid. One way around such a predicament is for the developer to seek partnerships with builders from as far away as East Asia, Europe or North America. Not only could they benefit from the expertise such distant firms may have to offer, but they might also be able to tap into these agents’ supply lines, thus circumventing the bottlenecks which are sure to plague the regional market.

Of course, measures such as these entail greater expense, but may be unavoidable if the developer is to meet not only completion targets but quality targets as well. What losses there are in the developer’s profit margin might be more than made up for in a boost to its reputation as a builder who delivers as promised.

Go to MAG 218 Community homepage, Dubai Marina Communities or DM Blog.