
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government. It is one of three islands called The Palm Islands which will increase Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 km. The Palm Jumeirah is the smallest and the original of three Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) under development by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Description
The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre-long breakwater. The island is 5 kilometres by 5 kilometres and its total area is larger than 800 football pitches[1]. The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel[1]. Over the next few years, as the tourism phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah is touted as soon to be one of the world’s premier resorts. The Palm Island is the self-declared 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. The island will double the length of the Dubai coastline[citation needed].
According to the developer's publicity material[2], the Jumeirah Palm island will feature themed boutique hotels, three types of villas (Signature Villas, Garden Homes and Canal Cove Town Homes), shoreline apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cafés and a variety of retail outlets. Over 30 beachfront hotels will be opened by the end of 2009[1], including:
Oceana Resort & Spa on 1 May 2007The Trump International Hotel & Tower
Atlantis, The Palm
The Taj Exotica Hotel & Resort
Grandeur Residences
Tiara Residence
Oceana Resort & Spa
The Fairmont Palm Residence
The Fairmont Palm Hotel & Resort
The Dubai Estates Hotel & Park
Hotel Missoni Dubai
Radisson SAS Hotel Dubai, The Palm Jumeirah
Kempinski Emerald Palace
Kempinski Emerald Palace Residences
Palm Jumeirah MonorailTwo Sabre F100 fighter jets have been stripped and sunk near The Palm Jumeirah to create an artificial reef, intended to encourage marine life[3].
A 5.4 km (3.35 mile) monorail is being built on the island which will be able to transport 2,000-3,000 people on and off the island every hour. It is expected to open in late 2008.[1][4]
On 18 June 2007, the Cunard Line announced that it had sold its former flagship, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, to Istithmar for use as a floating hotel at The Palm Jumeirah beginning in 2009.[5]
Construction
Construction began on the Palm Jumeirah island in June 2001 and the developers announced handover of the first residential units in 2006[1]. The island has been created using 94 million cubic metres of sand and 7 million tons of rock. The Palm Jumeirah was created by pouring sand fill onto the 10.5 metre-deep seabed using dredgers. Above sea level, 3 metres of the reclamation were achieved by a dredging technique known as "rainbowing," in which the sand fill was sprayed over the surface of the rising island. Calcareous sand was used for the reclamation. The island includes a curved breakwater using natural rock, intended to encourage the creation of a natural reef and provide habitats for sea life. The land form was reclaimed by the Dutch company Van Oord, who are world experts in land reclamation. Total cost reached US$12.3 billion and maintaining the island is a costly expenditure[citation needed]. Approximately 40,000 workers, mostly from South Asia, have been involved in the construction of the island[citation needed].
In early October 2007, the Palm Jumeirah had already become the world's largest man-made island.[4] Also at this time, 75% of the properties were ready to hand over, with 500 families already residing on the island.[4] By the end of 2009, 28 hotels will be open on the Crescent.[4]
No comments:
Post a Comment