Reclamation full speed ahead on The Palm, Jebel Ali

In total the island development, off the coast of Jebel Ali in Dubai, is 25 percent reclaimed with a forecast completion towards the end of 2005.

"The majority of reclamation work to-date has involved putting the footprint in place under the water. This is then gradually built upwards and in turn it becomes visible above the water", said Wahid Attalla, Director of Operations for Nakheel. "A team more than 300 workers, 14 barges, 11 tug boats, 4 dredgers and 10 other vessels are working around the clock to ensure the strict deadline for construction of the island is maintained".

In total 30,000 million cubic metres of sand and 2,000 million cubic metres of rock have been put in place on the island which will be 50 percent larger than the first palm.

Once completed, the trunk of The Palm, Jebel Ali will measure 2.4 kilometres in length and 450 metres in width and feature a 'Sea Village' theme. World-class attractions like aquariums, dolphins and a killer whale stadium are set to entice both residents and tourists alike. Eight luxury hotels will provide unsurpassed ocean views and proximity to the leisure activities of the 'Sea Village' that also features cinemas, amphitheatres and event plazas.

Located approximately 22 kilometres and 17 minutes by boat from The Palm, Jumeirah, this second island will boast several differences, including most notably the water homes built on stilts, a longer crescent, a sea village and six marinas.

Once the island has been fully reclaimed, the infrastructure, including roads, bridges etc. will be put in place and finally the construction of residential, tourism and commercial buildings will occur.

The majority of residential properties on The Palm, Jebel Ali, were released for sale last year and are now nearing sellout. In total, there will be approximately 2000 Signature Villas, Garden Homes and Town Homes, together with several luxury apartment buildings and 1060 Water Homes on The Palm, Jebel Ali at a cost ranging from 1,870,000 to 5,115,000 dirhams each. The apartments are yet to be released for sale.