The Palm Jumeirah

The Palm Jumeirah is an archipelago of artificial islands on the Persian Gulf in Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is part of a larger series of developments called the Palm Islands, including Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira, which, if completed, will together increase Dubai's shoreline by a total of . It has an estimated population of at least 10,000 as of 2017.

The islands were created using land reclamation. The construction was done as a joint venture by two Dutch specialist companies, Van Oord and Boskalis. The same companies also created The World. The recently opened destinations The Pointe, Club Vista Mare and Nakheel Mall are the latest additions to Palm Jumeirah.

Transportation

The Palm Jumeirah Monorail, monorail connecting the Atlantis Hotel to the Gateway Towers at the foot of the island. The monorail connects The Palm Jumeirah Dubai to the mainland, with a planned further extension to the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. The line began operating on 30 April 2009. It is the first monorail in the Middle East.

Wildlife

In the summer seasons, jellyfish frequent the beaches surrounding the Palm. In early 2020, due to the reduction of human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in wildlife, such as dolphins, around The Palm Jumeirah was observed.

Construction

Construction of The Palm Jumeirah Dubai island began in June 2001 and the developers announced handover of the first residential units in 2006.

At this time, 75% of the properties were ready to hand over, with 500 families already residing on the island. By the end of 2009, 28 hotels were opened on the Crescent.

The complexities of the construction were blamed, in part, for the extended delays to the completion of the project, the date of which was pushed back multiple times and was nearly two years late.

In 2009, ''The New York Times'' reported that NASA's laser altimeter satellites had measured the Palm as sinking at the rate of per year. In response the developer, Nakheel Properties said they had received no reports of structural problems of a type that would be expected if there were any subsidence, and pointed out that the laser satellites had a measurement resolution of only .

Housing density

After launching the project, it was revealed that the developer increased the number of residential units on the island (with a concomitant reduction in the amount of physical space between individual properties) from the originally announced 4,500 (comprising 2,000 villas purchased early in the expectation of greater separation between properties). This increase was attributed to the developer miscalculating the actual cost of construction and requiring the raising of additional capital, although they had never commented publicly on the matter. The New York Times reported in 2009 that many people had bought houses before they were built and are furious about the space available now and the way they seem to be living on top of each other.Laid-Off Foreigners Flee as Dubai Spirals Down
''New York Times'', 11 February 2009

Water quality

The outer breakwater was designed as a continuous barrier, but by preventing natural tidal movement, the seawater within the Palm became stagnant. The breakwater was subsequently modified to create gaps on either side, allowing tidal movement to oxygenate the water within and prevent it from stagnating, albeit less efficiently than would be the case if the breakwater did not exist.

Hotels and resorts

The Palm Jumeirah Dubai has a number of hotels, resorts, and hotel residences:

* Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort
* Atlantis, The Palm
* The Fairmont Palm Hotel & Resort
* St. Regis Dubai - The Palm
*Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai
* Kempinski Hotel & Residences
* Rixos The Palm Dubai
* Sofitel Dubai, The Palm Resort & Spa
* The Langham, Palm Jumeirah
* Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
* One & Only The Palm
* Taj Exotica Resort & Spa
* The Residences, Palm Jumeirah
* The Retreat Palm Dubai
* Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah
* Kingdom Of Sheba, Palm Jumeirah
* The 8
* The Palm Resort & Spa
* FIVE Palm Jumeirah Dubai
* W Hotel
* Dukes Dubai
* ROYAL CENTRAL THE PALM
* C CENTRAL RESORT THE PALM
Retail and Dining Destinations:

* Nakheel Mall
* The Pointe
* Palm Views West and East
* The Boardwalk
* Al Ittihad Park
* Club Vista Mare
* Golden Mile Galleria

Environmental effects

According to a study published in the journal Water in 2022, the construction of this island has had an effect on increasing water-soluble materials, changing the spectral profile of water and also increasing the temperature of the water surface around the island.

See also

* Palm Islands
* The World (archipelago)
* The Universe (Dubai)
* Tourism in Dubai
* Palm Grandeur
* Jumeirah Islands
* The Taj Exotica Hotel & Resort
* Longshore drift

References

External links

The Palm Islands official website
from Archive.org (2012)

{{Developments in Dubai

Artificial islands of Dubai
Populated coastal places in the United Arab Emirates
Peninsulas of the United Arab Emirates
Nakheel Properties

2001 establishments in the United Arab Emirates