Prince and Princess of Belgium pay special visit to The Palm, Jebel Ali

The Royal couple took the chance to see for themselves the second of the two islands - The Palm, Jebel Ali that is receiving worldwide recognition due to its unique and iconic nature.

Accompanied by members of Dubai's Belgian community and a number of VIP's, the couple took a leisurely tour around the development by boat, before attending a reception held in their honour on the trunk of the island.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel said, "We are absolutely delighted to have the Prince and Princess visit the island. Their interest has not only been sparked by the massive international interest in the project but also by the involvement of the Belgian company Jan de Nul. This company is undertaking a large percentage of the rock and dredging works for this island".

Commenting on the progress of the second Palm development Sulayem said, "Construction is progressing rapidly. The trunk is now connected to the mainland and the entire island is now 26 percent reclaimed from the sea".

Jan de Nul will be putting in place much of the 150 million cubic metres of rock and sand that will make up the island development that spans 7 km in length and 7.5 km in width just off shore from Jebel Ali.

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. 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 marinas.

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 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.