As a major metropolis, an important financial, commercial and tourist hub of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is constantly undergoing growth and transformation, bringing amazement to its visitors through groundbreaking achievements and fantastic strategies. In the list of prominent iconic attractions in the city, one of the prominent ones is the famous Palm Islands, which you can learn more about at MyDubai.Media.
The Palm Islands project has become the most ambitious construction venture in Dubai, inspiring admiration for its magnitude and uniqueness. The creation of Palm Islands cost Al Nakheel Properties seven billion dollars. The grandiosity of this enterprise is also evidenced by the fact that the Palm Islands are the second largest artificial structures in the history of the Earth, which can be seen from space.
The world in miniature The name of this archipelago was not given by chance: each island truly resembles palm trees of various sizes and shapes. Viewed from the sky, such beauty seems truly incredible. The shape of the artificial islands was not chosen arbitrarily, because the date palm is a sacred symbol of Islam, bearing not only fruit, but also the “second bread”.
The task of competing with nature had a strategic backing: the desire to increase the coastline by 520 kilometers and create beautiful beaches. The authorities sought not only to attract tourists to the country, but also to revitalize the construction market and attract foreign investment. Their efforts were successful, and three new palm trees appeared in the waters of the Persian Gulf: Jumeirah; Jebel Ali; and Deira.
These architectural marvels gave Dubai a unique charm and attracted global attention. A visit to the Palm Islands was an unforgettable experience for those who yearn to see the perfection of engineering art created by the human hand.
The construction of Jumeirah Island was shaped like a crescent and extended approximately 5 kilometers into the Persian Gulf. The other two islands faced a threat due to the 2008 financial crisis. Today, all three islands are fully developed and bring joy to all tourists and vacationers and Daily Apartment Rental in Dubai is not a problem.
Seven interesting facts about Dubai Palm Islands
The creation of this artificial island archipelago was motivated by the desire to expand Dubai’s tourism segment by creating a unique tourist destination. Each of the islands was envisioned to house world-class hotels, providing a high standard of services, amenities and extensive private beaches for vacationers and locals alike. Here are seven fascinating facts about these unusual islands:
- Each man-made archipelago measures approximately 5 by 5 kilometers and has a total area of about 800 soccer fields.
- Palm Jumeirah Island has an artificial reef that was partially formed by the sinking of two F-100 Super Saber fighter jets. Today it is a popular diving spot.
- More than 12,000 palm trees have been planted on Jumeirah Island, grown in a local nursery.
- A special car tunnel connects the “spine” of the island to the crescent, and a monorail stretches about 4.8 kilometers from the mainland.
- On the artificial islands with a total area of 5 square kilometers, 560 hectares of new land have been created.
- Millions of tons of blasted rock and sand extracted from the seabed were used to reclaim the land under the three islands, which was compacted tightly using vibro-compaction.
- The main purpose of creating the artificial islands is to boost tourism in Dubai, which is an important strategy for the future given the UAE’s limited oil reserves.
How the Palm Islands were built
In the process of building the Palm Islands in the United Arab Emirates, a unique construction method was chosen, different from the traditional methods used in large-scale construction. Instead of concrete slabs, millions of tons of rock mined from the Hajar Mountains became the foundation of the islands. In addition, to create the upper parts of the future artificial archipelago, hundreds of millions of cubic tons of sand were extracted from the bottom of the sea. According to experts, the volume of sand used in the creation of the islands is enough to build a wall 2 meters wide, which could go around the globe three times!
To protect against the ravages of water, Palm Jumeirah was surrounded by an 11-kilometer breakwater and shielded from the seasonal Shamal winds coming from the Persian Gulf from the direction of Iraq. A geotextile membrane covered with a layer of stones weighing up to a ton and two layers of stones weighing up to 6 tons each was used to prevent sand washing away. Additionally, 100 meter wide holes were created on both sides of the crescent to allow water circulation.
The shape of each island was precisely determined using high-tech GPS systems installed on special land machines. Vibratory compaction technology was also used in the layout of the area. The total construction cost of Palm Jumeirah was $12 billion dollars. Currently there are 1,500 beach villas on each of the 17 branches of the island and another 6,000 apartments on the “trunk”.
Creation of Deira Island
In 2004, construction began on Deira Island, which is located at depths ranging from 5 to 22 meters. This phase of the project was planned to be more majestic and long term compared to Jebel Ali and Jumeirah Islands. The fact that Deira Island is almost 9 kilometers wide and has a total area of 112 square kilometers is breathtaking. Its shape resembles a huge palm tree with a massive trunk and a crown consisting of 41 branches spaced 400 to 850 meters apart. The island is also surrounded by a crescent moon, which has earned recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest in the world with a length of 21 kilometers.
This project is truly impressive to the imagination as it aims to create a place for a whole million people to live. However, the construction work is progressing slowly due to the need for large financial investments.
Creation of Jebel Ali Island
A year after the start of the Jumeirah project, construction began on a second palm island, Jebel Ali. The works were completed by 2007, after which the island became a place of active development with hotels, villas, restaurants and other necessary infrastructure.
The developers decided that on the island will look great bungalows made in Polynesian style. In addition, it was decided to erect here 2 thousand villas and a complex of multi-storey buildings. While Palm Jumeirah is becoming a place for permanent or temporary residence for wealthy investors, Jebel Ali is planned to be used as a tourist destination, offering rental accommodation for travelers, which can be found in more detail at NYC.
The company is also planning to create a stunning attraction on the island, the Sea Village, which will give visitors the opportunity to experience the underwater world and enjoy shows featuring dolphins and orcas.
The creation of Jumeirah Island
The first phase of this ambitious project began with the delivery of the first cubic meters of sand in 2001, and five years later this island was successfully completed. A total of 7 million cubic meters of sand and 14 billion dollars were spent to form the island, which is located in the middle of the Persian Gulf and has an area of 25 square kilometers.
On Jumeirah today you can find a variety of infrastructure, including shopping centers, restaurants, stores and much more. The creators of this project have thought over every detail: the island is connected to the mainland by a bridge 300 meters long, and also has an underwater tunnel for easy movement. It is planned to use airships and a monorail to move around the island.
Additionally, the islands also provide opportunities for prime real estate and exclusive investments, as well as homes for local and foreign residents, apartments, yacht marinas, water parks, restaurants and a variety of sports and recreation centers that generate revenue for the government.
