Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

Hongkong Land and luxury retail tenants to invest more than US$1 billion (HK$7.8 billion) in LANDMARK, Hong Kong

Published

on

LANDMARK

Hongkong Land’s strategic investment of US$400 million (HK$3.1 billion) in LANDMARK reinforces Central, Hong Kong as a world-class destination for luxury retail, lifestyle and business
Hongkong Land estimates an additional US$600 million (HK$4.7 billion) capital investment from retail tenants across the LANDMARK retail portfolio
Cartier, CHANEL, Dior, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Saint Laurent, Sotheby’s, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels have committed to create world-class destinations

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 June 2024 – Hongkong Land today announced “Tomorrow’s CENTRAL”, its upcoming plan to invest over US$400 million (HK$3.1 billion) to expand and upgrade its LANDMARK retail portfolio over a three-year period, with phase one commencing in the third quarter of 2024. Additional capital investments of an estimated US$600 million (HK$4.7 billion) will be made by Hongkong Land’s retail tenants across the LANDMARK portfolio in the design and creation of new offerings. As part of the transformation project, 10 world-class, multi-storey Maison destinations will be created, establishing a unique luxury retail proposition, both in Hong Kong and globally.

John Witt, Group Managing Director of Jardine Matheson, welcomes Hongkong Land’s transformative project, which will cement Central’s status as a world-class retail, dining and business hub. The project aligns with Jardines’ long held drive to grow our businesses alongside our communities, with the vision to capture long-term opportunity.

Hongkong Land is making this strategic investment to meet its luxury tenants’ demand for significant additional retail space and enhanced brand representation in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. The Maison destinations will be some of the largest anywhere in the world, providing exceptional services and amenities to LANDMARK’s deep pool of loyal and discerning clients. The Group’s investment and the substantial investment from its strategic retail tenants underscores LANDMARK’s, Central’s and Hong Kong’s continuing status as one of the world’s leading luxury destinations.

Alexander Li, Chief Retail Officer, Commercial Property, Hong Kong & Macau, Hongkong Land; Michael Smith, Chief Executive, Hongkong Land; The Hon Michael WONG Wai-lun, GBS, JP, Deputy Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; John Witt, Group Managing Director, Jardine Matheson; and Alvin Kong, Executive Director, Hongkong Land (from left to right) attend the announcement event of Hongkong Land’s strategic investment in LANDMARK and the Central Portfolio. This move aims to reinforce the Group’s leadership in luxury retail, support the global expansion of its esteemed global brand partners and capitalise on the growing demand for luxury goods.

The milestone project will expand Hongkong Land’s regional market share and leadership in the luxury goods segment. It will also heighten the attractiveness of its Central Portfolio ecosystem to tenants and clients through enhanced lifestyle, dining and retail concepts, connectivity, circulation and convenience. LANDMARK will remain open and activated throughout the transformation period while the project is completed in phases.

Mr Michael Smith, Chief Executive of Hongkong Land, said: “The considerable investments Hongkong Land and its strategic partners are making are not only a powerful endorsement of Central’s enduring role as the city’s iconic business and lifestyle hub but also demonstrate our shared, unwavering confidence in Hong Kong’s future as a global financial centre.”

“Our transformation of LANDMARK will reinforce the Central Portfolio’s position as one of the world’s most desirable locations to live and work,” he added.

Hongkong Land’s capital expenditure will be funded over three years and will be underpinned by the Group’s strong financial position. As at 31st March 2024, gearing was 16% and committed liquidity (cash and unused borrowing facilities) was US$3.1 billion (HK$24.2 billion). While there will be a temporary and moderate reduction of rental income during the upgrade period, the Group expects this investment to deliver stronger growth in tenant sales and retail income thereafter.

“Tomorrow’s CENTRAL”, Hongkong Land’s three-year strategic plan to transform LANDMARK is set to create 10 world-class, multi-storey Maison destinations that will offer exceptional experiences and reinforce Central as a global destination for luxury retail, lifestyle and business.

Expanded global Maison spaces and diversified retail

Three unique Maison destinations of between two and eight storeys will be created in each of LANDMARK ATRIUM, LANDMARK ALEXANDRA, and LANDMARK PRINCE’S, while one will be developed in LANDMARK CHATER, doubling the retail areas of the 10 luxury brands to over 220,000 sq. ft. (21,000 sq. m.).

The enlarged spaces will enable brands to showcase the widest assortment of products and create highly personalised services for their Very Important Customers (‘VIC’) including haute couture, private dining concepts, outdoor terraces and double-heighted VIC salons. The eye-catching, extensive upgrades of building facades will transform Central’s cityscape.

On completion, LANDMARK will house some of the best expressions of these 10 brands anywhere in the world, within less than half a square kilometre. Hongkong Land is also partnering with international auction house Sotheby’s to turn art appreciation into true immersion as Sotheby’s 24,000 sq. ft. (2,230 sq. m.) state-of-the-art exhibition space opens in LANDMARK CHATER from July 2024.

To accommodate the growth of retail areas, the Group is converting the lowest two levels of office space in Prince’s Building and Gloucester Tower as well as relocating the bar and lobby of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. All affected office tenants are expected to be relocated within the Central Portfolio. This allows the Group to implement the full potential of this project while bringing exciting new concepts to our office community.

Upholding its holistic vision and the uniqueness of Central, LANDMARK will have a diversified retail offering of over 200 tenants, which includes upcoming and legacy brands that have been long-term partners of Hongkong Land, some of whom are exclusive to LANDMARK in Hong Kong.

“This collaboration with strategic tenants will shape the future of Central for many years to come,” said Mr Alvin Kong, Executive Director, Hongkong Land.

“Our investment will elevate and enrich our Central Portfolio ecosystem and provide our community of international and local business leaders and discerning shoppers with an unrivalled luxury retail and dining offer,” he added.

Exceptional experiences and enriched ecosystem

LANDMARK’s retail podiums will be reconfigured to meet customers’ demand for high-quality, diverse lifestyle options and to elevate experiences through improved circulation and connectivity.

After the completion of the transformation project, the Central Portfolio will have a total of approximately 260,000 sq. ft. (24,000 sq. m.) of F&B space and over 30 new and refreshed F&B concepts including two new restaurants overlooking Statue Square at LANDMARK PRINCE’S, two new concepts in The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and new al fresco offerings at LANDMARK ATRIUM. In total, LANDMARK will house more than 100 F&B offerings, including its existing 15 Michelin Stars and 1 Michelin Green Star.

The project will further integrate the Group’s assets with the Central Portfolio ecosystem through additional pedestrian access at the basement floor of LANDMARK ATRIUM, which will provide multi-level connectivity, and an elevated office lobby experience for Edinburgh Tower and Gloucester Tower on the third floor.

Model for CENTRAL Series

LANDMARK is the home of Hongkong Land’s CENTRAL Series and underpins its expertise and reputation in delivering exceptional luxury and lifestyle experiences that are recognised across the world.

In the next four years, the Group will launch four new properties under the CENTRAL Series, adding net retail lettable area of approximately 3,703,000 sq. ft. (344,000 sq. m.) The Shanghai West Bund Financial Hub project will join LANDMARK as part of the Group’s GLOBAL CENTRAL developments, which are characterised by prestigious locations in internationally recognised lifestyle destinations that will serve as global best-in-class retail developments.

Sustainability leadership

The Group has set specific sustainability ambitions for the transformation project with extensive use of green building materials, including employing 100% low-carbon concrete, 100% green rebar and 100% sustainable timber. Additionally, 80% of construction plants and equipment used in the project will be electric to reduce carbon emissions.

Upon completion, LANDMARK aims to secure several of the highest environmental, health and safety and wellbeing certifications including BEAM Plus Interiors, LEED Commercial Interiors and WELL, making it one of the greenest property upgrades in Hong Kong.

Business

First WATT Renewable Limited and MTN Nigeria Launch Renewable Energy Infrastructure Programme for Critical Operations and Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Sites

Published

on

WATT Renewable Limited

The programme is expected to support the avoidance of an estimated 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO ₂e) over five years, subject to operational performance and final emissions calculations

LAGOS, Nigeria, June 15, 2026/APO Group/ –First WATT Renewable Limited (www.WATTRenewables.com) and MTN Nigeria have announced a strategic renewable energy infrastructure partnership designed to reduce diesel dependence, improve operational resilience at MTN’s critical facilities and supply renewable energy systems to power electric vehicle charging infrastructure across selected MTN locations in Nigeria.

 

The programme comprises two major project components. The first is an Energy- as- a- Service deployment that will provide approximately 34 MWp of solar photovoltaic as a generation capacity and 40 MWh of battery energy storage across selected MTN facilities nationwide. These sites include data centres, switch facilities, cable landing stations, customer service centres and other network critical locations.

The second is the supply of renewable energy infrastructure to power 60 kW EV charging stations across eight MTN facilities located at Ikoyi, Matori, Ojota, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Kano and Ibadan

Together, both components are designed to reduce dependence on diesel-based systems, lower operating emissions, support operational uptime, strengthen business continuity, and increase the contribution of renewable energy across MTN’s operational sites, including selected EV charging locations.

As digital demand continues to grow, reliable energy infrastructure remains critical to the performance of telecommunications networks and the wider digital economy. This partnership will support MTN Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen the resilience of critical operations while increasing the use of renewable energy across selected facilities.

This programme helps address one of the key requirements for wider EV adoption: reliable and cleaner energy supply

Based on current project assumptions, the programme is expected to support the avoidance of an estimated 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO ₂e) over five years, subject to operational performance and final emissions calculations.

Commenting on the partnership, Oluwole Eweje, Chief Executive Officer of WATT Renewable Corporation, said:

“This partnership is a defining milestone for First WATT and an important step in strengthening the energy infrastructure that supports Nigeria’s digital economy. By deploying solar photovoltaic generation and battery energy storage across selected MTN facilities, we are helping to improve energy reliability at critical locations where uptime is essential.

“The EV charging component also demonstrates how renewable energy infrastructure can support Nigeria’s transition to lower-carbon mobility. By providing renewable power systems for EV charging sites, this programme helps address one of the key requirements for wider EV adoption: reliable and cleaner energy supply.”

Speaking on the initiative, Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, said:

“As Nigeria’s energy and mobility landscape evolves, renewable energy will play an important role in building cleaner and more reliable infrastructure. This partnership supports our efforts to reduce diesel dependence, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the resilience of the systems that power connectivity.

“It is also aligned with Project Zero, under our Doing for Planet sustainability pillar, through which we are focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and increasing the use of renewable energy across our operations.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WATT Renewable Corporation.

 

Continue Reading

Business

RusselSmith Formally Transitions to Arridex

Published

on

Nigeria

The change reflects the significant expansion of the organisation’s capabilities and the breadth of industries it now serves

LAGOS, Nigeria, June 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Arridex (www.Arridex.com), formerly RusselSmith, recently announced its formal change of name, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. The change reflects the significant expansion of the organisation’s capabilities and the breadth of industries it now serves, which extend well beyond the oil and gas services with which it began operations in the early 2000s.

 

Founded as an asset integrity company serving Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the organisation has grown into a multi-sector industrial technology group operating across oil and gas, maritime, aerospace, defence, construction, and manufacturing. Its subsidiaries cover engineering and construction delivery, autonomous systems development, and advanced technology products, in addition to its industrial additive manufacturing and asset integrity operations.

Arridex is the name of the company built over two decades and raised intentionally to enable industrial resilience in Africa

The organisation holds Pioneer Status in additive manufacturing, granted by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and is the first company qualified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for additive manufacturing deployment in the oil and gas sector. Both represent formal recognition of Arridex’s capabilities and its role in building indigenous industrial capacity at scale. With more than twenty years of continuous delivery, Arridex holds certification to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, underpinning an integrated management system that governs its operations across all sectors, and has recorded zero lost time incidents across over seven million man hours of operations.

The name change coincides with a significant operational milestone. The Arridex Omnifactory, West Africa’s first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility, has been commissioned in Lagos. The Omnifactory integrates multiple additive manufacturing technologies including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Cold Spray, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) under one roof, enabling on-demand production of industrial components, spares, and improved part designs for critical industries. The Omnifactory’s large-format additive manufacturing capabilities also enable the production of large-scale structures, including full-size marine components. Its commissioning is the clearest measure of the distance that Arridex has travelled from its origins.

Africa’s critical industries have for decades depended on components and specialist expertise imported from outside the continent, with supply chains that routinely extend across multiple jurisdictions and lead times that affect operational continuity for asset owners when dealing with legacy parts. The Omnifactory manufactures industrial components and parts on demand in Lagos, helping to build operational resilience in critical industries.

Kayode Adeleke, Group Chief Executive Officer of Arridex, said: “The name RusselSmith defined what we were at the start. Arridex defines what we have built. The dependency of African industry on fragile supply chains is a structural problem that this continent has accepted for too long. The Omnifactory is a concrete answer to the challenge of manufacturing sovereignty. Arridex is the name of the company built over two decades and raised intentionally to enable industrial resilience in Africa.”

Arridex is a Designated Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and serves clients across Nigeria and the wider African region. The organisation has a joint venture partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for military-grade additive manufacturing, is a member of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and is also a member of the Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN). With the Omnifactory commissioning in June 2026, Arridex enters its next phase of operations under a name that reflects the full scope of what it has built.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Arridex.

Continue Reading

Events

New Quality, Shared Future – Beijing CBD Extends a Global Invitation for Cooperation

Published

on

Beijing

If there are only three days to understand China’s economic development, Beijing CBD is a good place to start.
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 June 2026 – In mid-June this year, 2026 Beijing CBD Forum Annual Conference will be held as scheduled. Nearly ten thousand participants from five continents will gather here, with international speakers accounting for more than 50% of the lineup. Yet the Forum is but a window; the true landscape worth the world’s attention lies just outside – the central business district itself.

“International Density” on Seven Square Kilometers

In the core area of Beijing CBD – a mere seven square kilometers – nearly 16,000 foreign-funded institutions and 125 regional headquarters of multinational corporations (MNCs) are located. This represents half of all MNC headquarters resources in Beijing.

This is no coincidence. The district is one of China’s most internationally oriented, service-rich, and mature international business zones. From law firms and consultancies to financial institutions, the world’s top professional services firms have formed a complete ecosystem here.

What makes the area even more valuable for overseas companies and organizations is that policies here are not just written on paper – they are embedded in actual processes.

From pilot schemes on cross-border data flows, to facilitated access for foreign financial institutions, to one‑stop service desks for international talent – Beijing CBD has long served as a pilot zone for institutional opening‑up. Foreign enterprises find that issues they encounter here tend to be addressed and resolved more quickly.

During this year’s Beijing CBD Forum annual conference, the Ambassadors’ Roundtable Dialogue will establish a regular communication mechanism, and the “International Delegations’ China Tour” will allow overseas business representatives and zone managers to conduct in‑depth site visits and exchange experiences. What is even more noteworthy, however, is that such exchanges are not confined to the Forum – they continue year-round here.

Beijing CBD: A Sincere and Pragmatic Invitation

Artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green technologies – these areas, known as “new quality productive forces,” are not empty buzzwords here. The Forum includes dedicated sessions on technological innovation, financial opening‑up, law-business integration, cultural industries, and international consumption. Yet what truly deserves the attention of potential international partners is the industrial foundation behind these topics.

Beijing CBD is home to the densest concentration of foreign financial institutions and cross‑border capital in China. A large number of tech companies are engaged in cross‑sector collaboration with traditional industries here. High‑end professional services – international law, arbitration, compliance – are highly concentrated, providing support for both inbound and outbound business activities. Moreover, as the starting area of the city’s international demonstration zone for law-business integration, the district continues to focus on strengthening the rule of law in commercial affairs, improving its legal services framework, enhancing the resolution of international commercial disputes, and fostering a stable, transparent, predictable, and internationally competitive business environment. In the future, Beijing CBD will build a one‑stop legal and commercial service platform that integrates legal, auditing, intellectual property and other professional resources to precisely serve companies going global and managing cross‑border operations.

Here, you will find that its vitality derives mainly from genuine business judgments about market opportunities. For enterprises, the cooperation logic here is predictable, commercial, and sustainable.

Beijing CBD is not merely a striking poster – it is a real‑world district where hundreds of thousands of business people move every day, thousands of foreign‑funded institutions operate, and countless cross‑border transactions take place.

If you are looking for a stable gateway to the Chinese market, or a high-level hub to connect global resources with local applications, it deserves your consideration.

The Forum’s 2026 annual conference lasts only three days. But Beijing CBD is open all year round.

 

 

Continue Reading

Trending