Arada has revealed the final masterplan of the Central Hub, a 17.7ha leisure and entertainment project, located within the boundaries of the Aljada megaproject. The Central Hub is billed as a ‘bold new leisure and entertainment destination for the UAE’. Spread over 1.9m sqft, the car-free zone will feature green space and water features, and is designed to be walkable, even during the summer months. According to Arada, there will be a total of 732,000sqft of green space in the Central Hub, including a large landscaped community park that covers a quarter of the complex. Local Building Contracting Company has been named as the contractor for Phase 1 of Central Hub. Work on Phase 1 of Central Hub, which includes Arada’s sales centre, an outdoor cinema space, a food truck village, and a skate park, is due to complete at the end of Q1, 2019. The Contracting Company has mobilized on site for Phase 1 of Central Hub, which spans 3ha. Tenders for Phase 2 will be issued Q3, 2019 and tendering for Phase 3 will begin in Q1, 2020. Phases 2 and 3 will respectively complete in 2020 and 2022, and will include a 6,038m2 water-based play area, an extreme sports centre, an ‘edutainment’ complex, an 11-screen cinema, and a “giant adventure” golf course. The car-free Central Hub is the “focal point” of Aljada, and is the size of 25 football fields, making it “slightly larger than London’s Green Park”. It will feature 6.8ha of green space, in addition to a large, landscaped community park covering a quarter of the complex. A car-free zone, the Central Hub will include a public square in its centre for large community gatherings, such as New Year’s Eve and National Day celebrations, which will include a showpiece water feature as well as dining outlets and cafes built around a stunning waterfront setting. In addition, a circular walkway will allow residents and visitors to Aljada to explore the complex. Alongside the many entertainment, leisure and sporting attractions, the Central Hub will also include sizeable retail and food and beverage (F&B) components, bringing many exciting new concepts and brands to the destination.