Posted on 08/09/2006 9:25:59 AM PDT by bobsunshine
Those looking for tranquil, unspoilt beaches, rustic charm and authentic maritime culture will probably choose to look elsewhere. But for the world's permatanned classes with bling to display and money to burn this extraordinary construction project in the Persian Gulf is an irresistible draw.
Begun in 2001, the Palm Islands are a 12-square-mile group off the shores of Dubai. With 14,000 labourers toiling day and night, the first of three unfeasibly large, palm
shaped artificial islands, Palm Jumeirah, is nearing completion, and about to receive its first residents.
When the luxury homes on the Palm's 17 giant 'fronds' were first put on sale in 2004, the buyers - of what will become a cross between Las Vegas and Wilmslow-on-sea - included the Beckhams, who put a deposit down on a £1.2million designer pad with two swimming pools, Michael Owen, Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey, and Gary Neville.
Prices start at £100,000 for a one-bedroom flat with a shared pool and go up to £3.8million for one of the 90,000 sq ft plots on the end of each frond - but this price doesn't include the villa. Michael Jackson is rumoured to have a financial stake in the project.
The islands almost defy description. They are huge artificial peninsulas, made from some 90 million cubic metres of sand dredged from the bottom of the Gulf.
The outer edge of this first Palm is a gigantic, 7mile-long breakwater built of 7 million cubic metres of rock brought from 17 different quarries in the United Arab Emirates. It will be able to withstand 12ft-high waves.
When the Palm Islands were first mooted, a decade ago, Dutch engineers were called in to ensure that the new land would be safe from winter storms and day-to-day marine erosion.
However, the developers, Al Nakheel Properties, rushed ahead - only later realising that the original design did not allow enough water to flow through the development.
Lack of water flow would be sure to cause stagnation and environmental damage. So the Dutch were recalled, and two extra channels, clearly visible in these pictures, were cut into the outer barrier. If this hadn't been done, the artificial lagoon created by the reef would soon have become a fetid haven for algae and mosquitoes. Once finished, the Palm Jumeirah, which extends four miles into the Gulf, will accommodate some 60,000 residents in 2,500 exclusive beachside villas, 2,500 apartments in 20 high-rise blocks and 50 luxury hotels.
At least 50,000 workers will staff the hotels, two marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports centres, health spas and cinemas. Bridges more than 300 yards long will transport visitors from the mainland to the Palm Jumeirah, and a canal will carry water taxis
along the 1.2 mile-long 'trunk' of the island, while an electric monorail will whisk visitors and residents overhead.
More than 12,000 palm trees are being grown on the mainland for the island's gardens.
The Palm Jumeirah will be followed by two more palm tree-shaped islands that will require a further 1.3 billion cubic metres of sand and stone.
The developers are also building The World Archipelago, a cluster of 264 islands that form a world map. Rod Stewart is rumoured to have bought the island shaped like Britain. The total cost of constructing the islands is some $14 billion.
Photos didn't work. Anyone let me know what I did wrong?
-Eric
An incredible project that is difficult to maintain. The islands deteriorate every year and huge amounts of sand needs to be continually replaced. And if the whacky theories of raising sea levels come about, they are SOL.
"The Wise Man Built His House upon the Rock"
The pertinent line is: The foolish man built his house upon the sand....
Building multi-million dollar homes on dredged sand.
Hope he's not in charge of the daycare.
I've been to Dubai several times. It's one of the most internationally-oriented cities in the Middle East, and one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Why? A commitment to free trade. Dubai has figured out that their oil wells aren't going to produce indefinitely, so the city has invested heavily in building the infrastructure necessary to become a world-class center of international commerce. Strategically located near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, their two main ports process much of the container traffic for the Arabian peninsula.
Keep your eye on Dubai. If neighboring states follow their example (and many are headed in that direction), the Middle East may soon be leaping forward from the Seventh Century to the Twenty First (see Japan and South Korea for recent examples of such rapid development).
We can only hope...
Sure gonna be a helluva traffic jam when the tsunami comes and everyone's trying to get off that man-made deathtrap.
The old maxim is "Buy real estate. They aren't making any more of it."
Except in Dubai ...
Over by DuBois, 'n'at.
Michael Jackson DoBoys
"The pertinent line is: The foolish man built his house upon the sand...."
Great point.
That LITERALLY applies here.
While it is beautiful and amazing, it is NOT long lasting. It will eventually be claimed by the sea in one way or another.
I think the last tsunami in that region was the one Moses used to cover his escape.
A tsunami (or any other geological catastrophe) is highly unlikely in the Persian Gulf. The water is only about 100' deep on average and this shallow water stabilizes the climate and temperature.
The Persian Gulf is more like a big, shallow lake in this sense. I've looked out over the Gulf from my ship many, many times. Some mornings it looks as smooth as glass.
You really had to search to find that type of photo of Dubai.
Those wearing "National Dress" are a small minority in Dubai and they wear it proudly not as most here assume, as a sign of oppression.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.