One of Dubai’s major landmarks that represents modernity, glitz and luxury like few other constructions in the world. The bird’s-eye view of the three islands, which take the form of a palm tree, topped by a crescent, is recognised worldwide. The islands are mainly intended for relaxation and leisure with theme hotels, beautiful villas, marinas, restaurants, cafés… for many, this is considered heaven on earth.
The smallest island, Palm Jumeirah, is full of luxury hotels and an outstanding attraction for tourists visiting Dubai. It was once referred to as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, and it undoubtedly is for those who enjoy the good life and can afford it. This is a city of immense luxury built in the middle of the sea. The trunk is the island’s main avenue and comes with its own monorail connecting mainland Dubai to the island and the palm’s fronds.
The island, made from natural materials, mainly mountain rock and sand, was opened in 2006 after five years of hard work and immense pressure from the prince to keep to the deadline which he warned was “unmoveable”. The project ran into some complications when the engineers realised that the sand from the Dubai desert couldn’t be used and they had to dredge sand from the Persian Gulf seabed.
The second of them is Palm Jebel Ali which covers an area of 8.4 square kilometres is shaped around a line of poetry of 84 letters built on the foundation of 1060 houses. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 branches and a crescent-shaped island surrounding Palm Jebel Ali that acts as a large breakwater.
The process is so ambitious that even the all-powerful city of Dubai has had to put it on hold. Theoretically, the plan is to have four theme parks, which together will be called “World of Discovery”, opened on the island, along with a residential area for up to 250,000 people by 2021.
Palm Deira is the largest of the three islands, but work has been postponed despite construction having been started. The project was renamed Deira Islands, which will be series of four smaller man-made islands along the Dubai coastline, and eventually accommodate houses, hotels, apartments and restaurants.
If you’re travelling to Dubai, you can’t miss out on the vision of Palm Jumeirah and its sisters. A unique corner of the world, offering some truly unforgettable landscapes.
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