The Palm Deira will showcase unparalleled engineering, says Nakheel

The Palm Deira is the third of the entirely man-made, palm tree shaped islands in Dubai, and is marked by its extraordinary size and innovation, among other distinctions.

Sultan Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of Nakheel confirmed that The Palm Deira would be built in the same three-step process that marked their earlier projects at Jumeirah and Jebel Ali: reclamation, infrastructure construction and building construction. "As for the actual reclamation one billion cubic metres of dredged sand and rock will be put in place for the breakwater protection and reclaimed land of The Palm, Deira.

The Palm, Deira will be built in waters that are 6 meters deep reaching to 22 metres below sea level. "The island will be reclaimed from various strategic points in the sea bed. A team of experts from all over the world are currently involved in identifying soil content and testing its suitability and compatibility. As for the actual reclamation process, an estimated one billion cubic metres of sand and rock sourced from - and around - the UAE will be used to create the land mass of The Palm Deira," he stated. These resources will be transported to the construction site on industrial barges, and solely by water routes, to minimise disruptions on land transport and traffic.

In the second stage of building the island, the infrastructure construction will include the creation of Local Bridges and Flyovers and the implementation of Waste Water Collection, Storm Water Drainage, Sanitary Sewage, Irrigation and Fire fighting systems. This phase will also see the installation of several utility systems and residential facilities that include Domestic Water Supply Network, Piped Gas, Telecommunications and Road Works.

Sulayem emphasised that marine biologists were among the many specialist consultants involved in the development of the island. "As we have already witnessed in Jebel Ali and Jumeirah that the construction of breakwaters have created a new marine habitat which attracts several species of fish and birds, including hitherto unseen schools of tropical fish. In Deira too, we expect that the reclamation of the island will enhance the marine environment vastly, due to its enormous size. With these three palms and The World, Dubai will witness a significant increase in the marine life and its variety," he said.

Describing the awe-inspiring size of the island - equivalent to that of Greater London and larger than both cities, Paris and Manhattan - he explained that just the 41 Fronds would house as many as 8,000 exclusive residential villas, with development plans for the crescent, trunk, spine and breakwaters yet to be announced. The Fronds themselves will vary in length, creating more land area for villa owners for extra comfort, ranging from 840 to 3,346 metres, with a distance of between 150 to 400 metres of sea between each frond.

The Crescent of the island, which will run for 21 kms., will be the largest in the world, and serve as a protective breakwater to the island. The Crescent will be split into 12 districts and 6 water inlets for efficient water circulation throughout the inside of the island especially the fronds and easy access by water ways. Each of the 12 districts will also feature jutting out land called 'fingers' to create more beach front for purchasers. The Fingers which are 250 mtrs. in length, will be situated on the inside of the crescent at 350 mtrs. from the Fronds. What will be offered on these fingers will be announced later on.

"The Palm, Deira is not just another island - it is unique in innumerable untold ways. It is an unparalleled feat of engineering expertise, and on completion, will be one of the most coveted real estate locations of the world," Sulayem added.