The Palm, Jumeirah wins ARDA'S global award for resort design

The 29 strong professional members of ARDA's carefully selected Awards Committee elected 'The Palm Jumeirah Master Plan', envisaged by Nakheel and conceptually designed by partners HHCP Design International, with first place in the heavily contested 'Site Design and Utilization' category.

Commenting on this outstanding honor Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel said "Nakheel is delighted that the outstanding iconic concept of The Palm, Jumeirah has been recognized by a global audience, and on such a prominent international platform. Never before has a project of this magnitude been imagined, let alone undertaken. To be presented with such a highly esteemed award affirms Nakheel's status as a global player and reflects our acute sense of vision. Such an international achievement, showcasing the quality of conceptual design used for The Palm, conveys to the international audience that Nakheel, as an evolving global brand, is moving in the right direction. This accomplishment highlights the immense visionary powers of the company, powers that enable us to not only imagine, but also deliver these mega project promises into a reality."

ARDA, the US based trade association has around 1000 members, ranging from privately held companies to major corporations, both nationally and on a global scale. Global brands such as The Hilton and The Marriott, amongst others, were competing in this years annual awards programme. With award finalists achieving Silver status, Nakheel shares the prestigious Gold Award with their partners HHCP Design International, who followed His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister's clear vision for The Palm, providing the conceptual design not only for The Palm's 'Master Plan', but also its villas and buildings, The Palm's Golden Mile and the Village Centre. However, like Nakheel, this is not the first time HHCP Design International has won an ARDA Award.

"In 2004 Nakheel received the Golden Award for the construction of our exquisite sales centre. However with more companies participating in these prestigious awards than ever before, we are delighted that The Palm, Jumeirah, in conjunction with HHCP Design International, triumphed over such rigorous competition, to obtain the Gold Award for 'Site Design and Utilization'. We have come a long way since the initial rigorous planning and design stages of the project. The Palm, Jumeirah is no longer merely a vision; it is now a reality. We have been working towards implementation of this ultimate conceptual design for the past two years and we are focusing our energies on delivering the ultimate promise, the eighth wonder of the world" commented Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel.

The first stages of development for The Palm, Jumeriah are now complete. Sand reclamation has reached 100% and construction of both the supporting infrastructure and the exclusive villas is well underway. Once the project is finished it is expected to be visible from the moon; it is already visible from space.

The Palm has helped to capture the world's attention and raised the profile of Dubai in the global arena. The visionary concept marked the beginning of Nakheel's extraordinary journey which has since seen the company add several mega projects to their stunning property portfolio. Amongst these include a number of developments that compare in magnitude with The Palm, Jumeriah, these include The Palm, Jebel Ali, The Palm, Deira, The World, The Jumeirah Islands, International City, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Nakheel Golf and the most recently launched, Dubai Waterfront Company. Further detail on Nakheel's iconic designs will be available at next week's Arabian Travel Market, as the company demonstrates its support of the exhibition with a stunning array of their full property portfolio to date.