The Dubai Palm Islands - Witness History As It's Made

Witness History As It's Made – The Dubai Palm Islands

Begun as a concept to expand the shorelines of Dubai, the Palm Islands have gone far beyond plans and expectations. Often loosely referred to as the eighth world wonder, the Dubai Palm Islands are three distinctively shaped man-made marvels, boasting high-end luxury living and commercial districts. Located along the Dubai coast in three separate locations, the islands are named Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira.

Each palm island stands true to its name, shaped like a date palm tree, which is a historically and culturally significant icon in the UAE. Complete with a trunk, crown and fronds, each island is different in size, but designed in similar style. Construction on Palm Jumeirah began in 2001, after an initiative by The Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HRH Sheikh Mohammed. By 2006, most of the residential communities in Palm Jumeirah were completed and handed over to buyers.

Development on Palm Jebel Ali began in 2002, just a few months after Palm Jumeirah was launched. The two islands were in the original development plans, while Palm Deira was added much later, in 2005, because of the high property demand on the original two islands.

All three islands are developed for specific purposes, with Palm Jumeirah as a residential community, Palm Jebel Ali as a lifestyle and tourist destination and Palm Deira as a residential and commercial mixed-use project. The three islands are to increase Dubai's shoreline by an extra 520 kilometres.

The Palm Jumeirah is already occupied by residents, while Palm Jebel Ali is nearing completion at the moment. Palm Deira, the largest and most recent development, is still carrying on dredging works on most parts, although several bridges to the main land and infrastructural foundations have been completed. Developed by government-supported Dubai-based premier real estate developer, Nakheel Properties, the Dubai Palm Islands will be home to luxury hotels, freehold residences and commercial complexes, shopping malls, theme parks, beaches, recreational facilities, resorts and much more.

Dubai Islands - Palm Jumeirah - The First Major Man-Made Island Development

Dubai Islands - Palm Jumeirah - The First Major Man-Made Island Development

Inaugurated in 2001, the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is the first massive man-made island development project undertaken anywhere in the world. Quickly gaining international attention for its myriad possibilities, the Dubai Palm Jumeirah was completed by the end of 2006 and most properties were handed over to the owners. Spanning 25 square kilometres, the structure of the island resembles the date palm tree,which is highly significant to the United Arab Emirates. The island consists of a trunk, crown and 17 fronds, adding 78 kilometres to the shoreline of Dubai.

The Palm Jumeirah is a destination built for family living, but without compromise on the facilities such as luxury leisure, entertainment, retail and resort venues. The island is home to some of the most luxurious hotels in the entire world, including the Trump International Hotel and Tower and Atlantis-The Palm. Central to the Palm's design, the trunk holds a two-kilometre stretch of bustling residential, tourism and retail areas.

The trunk is linked to mainland Jumeirah via a monorail system and the gateway bridge. The entire region houses a range of luxury living units, marinas, shops, restaurants and several five-star hotels. The 17 depicted fronds are home to a region housing beachfront residences. Accessible via the monorail and a sub-sea tunnel, this is the region with the most luxurious residential community on Palm Jumeirah. The popular Palm Jumeirah Villas and Garden Homes are located here.

The island's crescent acts as the breakwater and is a high-end tourism destination by its own. The recently launched Atlantis-The Palm is located on the crescent, as well as other luxurious hotel properties such as Kempinski Hotel Emerald Palace, Kingdom of Sheba, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa and Royal Amwaj.
The Dubai Palm Jumeirah is the smallest out of the three palm island under development at present. Over 4000 residents currently call the Palm Jumeirah their home and some properties are already on the resale market from those who bought villas and apartments as investments. Since the property is available on a freehold basis, the Palm Jumeirah is home to a large number of Western and European expatriates.