Abu Dhabi, UAE — UAE developer Mered has appointed Dutco Construction as main contractor for the first phase of Riviera Residences on Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island, the developer said this week.
Dutco will carry out the main construction, interior fit-out and landscaping of the phase, which has 456 apartments, 11 villas and a penthouse. It is to finish the work within 33 months, TradeArabia reported on Zawya. Main works are expected to start in the coming days, subject to approvals and construction permits, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2029.
The award moves Riviera Residences, a sold-out off-plan project, from foundations into full construction. Buyers took all the pre-launch units in the fourth quarter of 2025, and they now depend on the contractor to deliver on time. For Indian buyers of Gulf off-plan homes, the question is familiar from home, where a record number of flats are due for completion this year.
Michael Belton, chief executive of Mered, said “the quality of the team delivering a project is fundamental to achieving the standard we set at Mered.”
Riviera Residences Contract Names Dutco After Sera Report
The appointment follows an earlier report on the same contract. MEED reported on 1 July that Mered had appointed Turkish contractor Sera Group as main contractor for Riviera Residences. This week’s statement names Dutco and does not mention Sera, and Mered gave no reason for the change. Mered and Sera are working together on the Iconic Tower in Dubai Internet City, according to MEED.
Local firm NSCC International has completed the enabling works at Riviera Residences, the developer said. Dar Al-Handasah is the project consultant, and Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron designed the buildings.
Dutco says it has worked in UAE construction for about five decades. Its projects include Bluewaters, City Walk and Marsa Al Seef in Dubai, as well as work at Jebel Ali Port.
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Al Reem And Al Maryah Sales Reach AED 10.5 Billion
Al Reem Island and neighbouring Al Maryah Island recorded AED 10.5 billion of residential sales in the first half of 2026, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre said in its midyear report. Residential sales across the emirate nearly tripled to AED 70.4 billion, and off-plan homes made up 89% of the value and 82% of the deals, TradeArabia reported.
Mered launched the second phase of Riviera Residences on 5 November, with 389 apartments, 14 villas and a penthouse. Construction on that phase is set to start by the end of 2026, with completion targeted for the second quarter of 2030, Gulf Today reported. Mered has not published prices for either phase.
India’s 5.4 Lakh-Home Delivery Year Shows The Schedule Risk
About 5.4 lakh homes are scheduled for completion in India’s seven largest cities in 2026, the most this decade if projects stay on time, according to property consultancy Anarock. Mumbai Metropolitan Region accounts for 2,07,300 of them and Pune for 1,00,300, Construction World reported in June.
Schedules in India have slipped before. In 2020, only 2.14 lakh of the 4.66 lakh homes due were delivered, Anarock said. It warned this year that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could put delivery timelines under pressure.
Both markets protect buyers’ money in a similar way. Abu Dhabi law requires off-plan payments to go into a project escrow account, law firm King & Spalding notes. India’s RERA requires developers to keep 70% of buyers’ payments in a separate account.
Indian buyers of Riviera Residences pay their instalments in dirhams. The dirham has gained about 4.8% against the rupee this year, from 24.49 rupees on 1 January to about 25.67, by Invest Dubai Today’s calculation. Transfers fall under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, capped at USD 250,000 per person a year, and remittances above Rs 10 lakh attract 20% tax collected at source.
Permits, Costs And A Tight 2029 Deadline
The main risk is timing. A 33-month build starting this month would end around August 2029, by Invest Dubai Today’s calculation, which leaves little room within the third-quarter target. The start also depends on approvals that were still pending when Mered made its announcement.
Costs are rising across the region. Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar said this week that material costs were up about 5% as the Iran war disrupted shipping.
The next markers are the start of main works on site and the contractor award for the second phase. The centre’s full-year data will show whether Al Reem, home to Riviera Residences, keeps its share of Abu Dhabi’s off-plan sales.
For investors, the contract gives the first phase of Riviera Residences a builder with a long UAE record. The switch from the contractor reported in July has not been explained. End-users waiting for homes have a 2029 target that leaves little slack. For Indian buyers, the rupee cost of each instalment has risen this year, and India’s own delivery record shows how often completion dates move.
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