Dubai: Emaar Properties yesterday unveiled a tourism project, the Dh18.4 billion Samarah Dead Sea Golf & Beach Resort, to King Abdullah Bin Hussain of Jordan, according to an e-mailed statement.

The mixed-use development will be built by The Dead Sea Touristic and Real Estate Investment Company, a venture formed by Emaar and several regional investors.

Thanking King Abdullah II and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Mohammad Al Abbar, chairman of Emaar, said in a statement: "Shaikh Mohammad has moulded Dubai into a regional hub through his focus on a diversified economy led by high-growth sectors such as information technology, industries, finance, real estate and construction.

"Emaar epitomises the growth momentum of Dubai, and it is our privilege to be in Jordan, a key emerging market that is powered by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development."

The resort is located on the coast of the Dead Sea and is the pioneering mixed-use, master-planned project in Jordan.

"The project will lead to faster economic growth by generating employment opportunities for Jordanians, creating several ancillary industries and lending support to the tourism sector," said Al Abbar.

Samarah Dead Sea Golf & Beach Resort features several hundred luxury apartments and villas, advanced commercial facilities, a full-fledged golf course and club house, retail outlets and several entertainment.