Chengdu's New Century Global Centre is latest symbol of China's economic might and massive ambition. New Century Global Centre, located in Chengdu (population 14 million), capital of Sichuan province in southwestern China, is nearly completed. At 500 meters long, 400 meters wide and 100 meters high, Chinese officials are calling the 1.7 million square meter mega structure the largest freestanding building in the world, capable of housing 20 Sydney Opera houses and almost three times the size of the Pentagon in Washington. The Global Centre will house offices, conference rooms, a university complex, two commercial centers, two five star hotels, an IMAX cinema, a "Mediterranean village", a skating rink and a pirate ship, among other attractions. About 400 thousand square meters will be devoted to shopping, most of the outlets high-end luxury brands. Despite Chengdu being around a thousand kilometers from the sea the complex has a marine theme, with fountains, a huge water park and an artificial beach, accented by the undulating roof, meant to resemble a wave. This is an ocean city built by man. There will be 1000 rooms (in the hotel) and all will have seaside views. The thick smog that normally blankets Chengdu risks making it a sunless sea, but visitors will not need to worry about that, as designers borrowed a Japanese technique. There will be an artificial sun that will shine 24 hours a day and allow for a comfortable temperature. The system uses specialized lighting technology that heats as well as illuminates. A giant screen 150 meters long and 40 meters high will form the horizon and offer sunrises and sunsets, accompanied by nautical breezes. The centerpiece will be a 5 thousand square meters artificial beach, to include a rafting course and a "seafront" promenade, complete with parasols and seafood outlets that can accommodate 6 thousand people. Ground was broken for the New Century Global Centre in 2010 and (the building) is estimated to open to the public this April. In recent years China has witnessed lots of phenomenal constructions. The world's longest high-speed rail line (2.298-kilometer-long), which spans over half of China, began operating at the end of last year. In April, 2012 the world's highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge has been completed in China, which linked together two tunnels 1176 meters apart, and 355 meters above Hunan's Dehang Canyon. Again in 2012 Chinese mass media reports, that Changsha, China's Hunan province will be home to world's tallest building, which will be built in just 7 months. 220-store building will be 838 meters high.

On January 30 during the "2nd Annual Emerging Airports Conference and Exhibition" held in Dubai the results of votes for over 20 nominations were announced. As reported the "Zvartnots International Airport's" official website, the nominations were different: "Best Emerging Airport of the World", "Best Emerging Airport of Middle East", Best Emerging Airport Europe", etc. According to the results for the nomination "Best Emerging Airport of Russia, CIS & Baltic States" Yerevan "Zvartnots International Airport" is the best in CIS. The new terminal of "Zvartnots" airport put into operation on September 16, in the framework of events dated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia's independence. Zvartnots International Airport also was nominated by the company Arabian Reach, Dubai for "EMAA" (Emerging Markets Airports Award). Besides "Zvartnots" four airports of CIS countries, namely: "Domodedovo" and "Sheremetevo" airports of Moscow, "Pulkovo" airport of St. Petersburg, "Manas" airport of Bishkek were nominated, as well. Voting lasted for more than a month. During the award ceremony the award was received by the General Manager of "Armenia International Airports" CJSC Marcelo Wende.

Russian Forbes edition has issued the list of 30 Kings of the Russian Real Estate with three Armenians being included among them. The owner of "Tashir holding" Samvel Karapetyan is ranked the third with his annual revenues received from renting making US$ 720 million. At the end of last year company announced that the total 2012 income of Tashir Group will amount US$ 2.9 billion. Samvel Karapetyan has real estate in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Reutov, Yaroslavl, Belgorod, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Yalta, Vologda, Tula, Tver, Smolensk, Yerevan, etc. In October 2012 mass media reported that Samvel Karapetyan's Tashir Group may invest US$ 50 million in the construction of shopping malls and exhibition centers in Sochi sea passenger port . The biggest real estate is RIO trade center having 300 thousand square meters territory and Yerevan Plaza with 80 thousand square meters territory both in Moscow. According to Forbes, Samvel Karapetyan earned his first sum in early 90s in Armenia and then moved to Kaluga where he dealt with wholesale and textile production. Currently Tashir is a multi-profile company. Another ethnic Armenian Danil Khachaturov is ranked 25th. He is the owner of Legion Development company. His annual revenue from renting makes US$ 80 million. He elaborates his activity in Moscow. Legion I and Legion III are his largest multi-functional complexes having 130 thousand square meters territory. First he was dealing with the sale and purchase of shares, worked in Slavoil company, participated in the privatization process of Rosgosstrakh becoming the company's director in 2004. He is the co-owner of Rosgosstrakh bank. Gagik Adibekyan, also an Armenian, has been ranked the 26th with his annual revenue from renting making US$ 70 million. He is based in Moscow. Romanov Dvor with 43,500 square meters territory and Vremena Goda with 64 thousnad square meters territory business centers are his biggest real estate property. He is said to be the most mysterious figure in the Moscow market. He is known to have reconstructed Romanov Dvor business center situated in downtown Moscow in 1997, but he activity before it is unknown. He is the owner of RD Group which acquired the 40% of Vremena Goda trade center and according to media outlets, is negotiating over acquiring the rest 60%. The Forbes rating list is topped by Kiyevskaya ploshad (Kiev Square) company the owners of which are Azerbaijanis Zarah Iliyev and God Nisanov. Their annual revenue from renting makes US$1.1 billion. The second is IKEA Mos company the owner of which is ethnic Sweden Ingvar Kamprad and his family.

Conservation work at the crumbling ancient Roman city of Pompeii began. The whole project budget estimated US$ 142 million and the EU is contributing US$ 56 million to the project which should be completed by 2015. The new preservation campaign follows a series of structural collapses at the popular tourist site near Naples -- including at the House of Gladiators, a building used for training the arena warriors, which collapsed into a heap of rubble in 2010. The collapses have been blamed on years of mismanagement and underfunding. Buried by falling ash when nearby Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, buildings, streets and even curled-up corpses were found preserved when Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748. Today, the site draws 2.3 million visitors a year. Now work is beginning on two buildings, known as the Criptoportico and the Casa dei Dioscuri. The fresh funding will be used to help protect the site from heavy rains that have contributed to the collapses, and to restore frescoes and increase security. The new funds also will be put toward strengthening crumbling Roman villas, restoring damaged frescoes and improving video surveillance across the 44-hectare site.

A mosque set to be built in the western province of Bursa will use solar and wind power to produce electricity. Nilufer Trade Center Mosque, which is set to be completed in 2015, may be the first mosque in Turkey that produces and uses renewable energy. Celik Erengezgin, the architect of the mosque project, believes that the project will be an example for other mosques. Solar panels will be placed on top of the mosque. A wind turbine will be installed on the minaret. Also snow and rain water will be collected for the worshippers' water needs. The mosque will produce its own energy and sell what it does not use. The mosque will produce 120 kilowatt of electricity but consumes only 50 kilowatt. The remaining amount can be sold to the state. Erengezgin said Turkey's Religious Affairs Department had responded positively to his project. He also wanted to produce electricity from the pressure exerted on the floor by the worshippers during prayers. This is not part of the current project but he hopes to implement it also. "We will tell the worshippers, you can charge your cell phones here, because you have produced this energy, while praying on the floor of the mosque".