Palm
Island Luxury Vacation Resort - United Arab Emirates
Dubai
launches giant palm tree resort island.
Dubai has unveiled plans for a palm tree-shaped
resort island on land reclaimed from the sea that will add 120 kilometres
of sandy beaches and be visible from the moon.
Palm
Island Luxury Vacation Resort Development
"Palm
Island" will include 2,000 villas, up to 40 luxury hotels,
shopping complexes, cinemas and the Middle East's first marine park,
said Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai Palm Developers. The
island will be built in the shape of 17 huge fronds surrounded by
12 kilometres (7.5 miles) of protective barrier reefs, extending
five kilometres (three miles) into the sea south of Dubai city.
Palm
Island Luxury Vacation Resort - United Arab Emirates
Live the 8th
Wonder Of The World
"The
project has taken four years of methodical planning and exhaustive
feasibility studies to ensure that the islands can be built without
disrupting the environment," Sulayem said.
They will be accessible by 300-metre (990-feet) bridges from the
mainland or boat to two marinas, while the main causeway will also
have a monorail system.
With
its oil resources running out, Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), has launched a multi-billion dollar tourism drive in an effort
to establish itself as the Gulf's leisure hub.
The
project will be built on 80 million cubic metres of land dredged
from the approach channel to the emirate's Jebel Ali port, an operation
that will deepen the channel to 17 metres.
Khalid bin Sulayem, head of Dubai's tourism
board, said the project would elevate Dubai
"from
regional players to leaders in tourism development who focus on
modernising and expanding tourism infrastructure to attract more
tourists."
Property on the islands, expected to take
up to four years to complete, will be for sale to foreigners as
well as Emiratis.
Sulayem
did not put on a figure on the project cost. A consultant with Palm
Developers told AFP at Dubai's Arabian Travel Market that the contract
for the project was expected to be awarded next week and construction
take up to five years.
The
local Abdullah al-Futtaim Group last month launched Dubai Festival
City, a project to develop a four-kilometre-long stretch of the emirate's
southern creekside at a cost of 1.6 billion dollars, and a 10-billion
dollar project to build a new city called Dubai Marina is already
well underway, it is to house 100,000 people around a huge water basin
within a decade.
The
Palm - Jebel Ali
With
Dubai rapidly establishing itself as one of the world's favorite
up market tourism destinations, it has taken on many ventures to
boost tourism and interest in the country to the extent of rewriting
the map.
Construction for the 2nd Palm Island is now being carried out off
the coast of Jebel Ali.
This
multi-billion dollar project which will be 50 percent larger than
The Palm, Jumeirah was announced during the Arabian Travel Market
trade fair held in Dubai in May 2003. The Palm, Jebel Ali will be
positioned as a ‘Destination’, a place of discovery, fun,
excitement, activity and entertainment - an enchanting place where
both adults and children will be able to experience the wonders of
islands living.
The island will hold many similarities to the first island. However,
it will also boast a considerable number of new elements added to
this island, including six marinas, a 'Sea Village' and Water Homes
built on stilts.
This Island is expected to provide even more of an escape atmosphere
for both residents and tourists alike. Boutique hotels, a sea village,
luxury shopping outlets and marinas will all add to the extraordinary
atmosphere, enticing both tourists and residents equally.
The first residential properties on The Palm, Jebel Ali is now
on sale along with nearly 12 km of Reef for development by hotels
following the rapid sell out of all villas on The Palm, Jumeirah,
in a short period. All home designs, elevations and plot sizes will
remain identical to those available on the Palm, Jumeirah.
Buyers will, therefore, be able to choose from the wide selection
of designs that have been created to cater to the varied and eclectic
tastes of the palm's discerning clients. The Palm, Jebel Ali, will
however, also house spectacular apartments located on the trunk
of the island.
The project will also aim to fill a need for expansion of beaches
in Dubai.
When completed the Palm Jebel Ali and the its sister, the Palm
Island off the Jumeirah Beach, will add 120 km of sandy beaches
to the Dubai coastline.
