Sino Great Wall Engineering to build Dusit Thani beach property in Balapitiya

Sino Great Wall International Engineering Vice President Hans Ruxue and Indola Group Director Ajit Wijesinghe exchanging the construction contract agreement. Also present (from left) are: Sino Great Wall International Engineering Sri Lanka Branch General Manager Billy Tang and Indola Group Director Paul Dwyer 
Pic by Kushan Pathiraja

By Zahara Zuhair
The construction contract of Dusit Thani Sri Lanka’s beachfront project in Balapitiya was awarded to China’s Sino Great Wall International Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd, as the officials of the two companies entered into an agreement at Dusit Thani’s Colombo sales office this week. 
“The reason why we chose Sino is they have a lot of experience in five-star. We needed an international company specialised in good quality finishes,” Indola Group Director Ajit Wijesinghe said.
The US $ 200 million project in Sri Lanka’s southern coast was launched last November as a joint venture between Thailand-based multinational hospitality company Dusit Thani and Sri Lanka’s Indola Group. 
The project includes four towers and a promenade. It is the only five-star luxury development on a Sri Lankan beach so far available to investors.
Mirror Business learns that the first phase of the project will kick start this month and will be completed in 700 days. The second and third stages are expected to commence in six months down the line and the whole project is scheduled to be completed within 36 to 48 months.  
Sino Great Wall Engineering Sri Lanka Branch General Manager Billy Tang told Mirror Business that this is the first individual project and the fourth project his company has undertaken in Sri Lanka.
Sino Great Wall Engineering has already completed a few projects in Sri Lanka such as RIU hotel Ahungalla, which is a 501-room hotel, landscaping of the Shangri-La Hambantota and the first phase of Shangri-La Colombo (windows and the doors).
“We are looking for more opportunities here. We are a listed company in China. We came here four years ago. Sri Lanka’s economy is growing, so this is the best choice,” he said.
Sino Great Wall International Engineering Vice President Hans Ruxue said this project is a real boost to their reputation as a quality builder in South Asia.
Sino Great Wall International Engineering is a listed company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and has many years of experience in construction, particularly in the overseas market.
Well known projects by the company include The Four Seasons Hangzhou China, Sheraton Thousand Island Lake China, New Port Project in Qatar, Beauty Crown Hotel Sanya, Sheraton Cross Gate Zhuhai, Marriot Hotel China and over 100 five-star hotels around the world.   
It was noted that the Tower B of the project is already sold out and Tower A is now being marketed and sold to interested investors.
Wijesinghe said that one third of the tower was sold to locals, one third to overseas Sri Lankans   and the rest to foreign investors.