Aldar Properties, the largest developer in the capital, yesterday signed a deal with three contracting companies to build 5,000 villas for Emiratis in Abu Dhabi, officials said.

The contractors are Al Jaber Building, El Seif Engineering and Pembinaan. Construction on the Al Falah project will be finished by the third quarter of 2012.

The Dh9.4 billion (US$2.55bn) project will consist of five 'villages', each with its own town centre, schools and mosques, Aldar said.

The National, arabianbusiness.com