Facts About Palm Island, Dubai: Middle East's Famous Tourist Spot

Dubai's Palm Islands are regarded as the 'eighth wonder of the world'.

It is one of the largest manufactured islands globally and is derived from the artificially designed palm tree shape. Palm Island is visible to the naked eye from space.

These offshore islands result from the creation of reclaimed land and have become a popular holiday destination ever since. Palm Jumeirah is the smallest, and Palm Deira is the largest of all three islands.

An estimated 1,380 acres (558 hectares) of new land was created inside an area of 3.1 mi (5 km) in diameter. The process of land reclamation required dredging the sand from the floors of the Persian and Arabian Gulf. Palm Jumeirah extends around 3.1 mi (5 km) into the Arabian Gulf.

In Dubai, the artificial islands of the archipelago named Palm Jumeirah in the United Arab Emirates were created using land recovery, which extends into the Persian Gulf. As of early 2020, the reduction of human exertion during the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in wildlife, similar to dolphins, around Palm Jumeirah were observed.

The Palm Jumeirah Monorail is a 3.4 mi (5.4 km) long railway line connecting the Atlantis Hotel to the Gateway Towers at the bottom of the islet. The line started operating on April 30, 2009.

It's the first rail in the Middle East. The rail connects Palm Jumeirah Dubai to the landmass, with a planned farther extension to the Red Line of the Dubai Metro.

Construction of the Palm Jumeirah Dubai islet began in June 2001, and the inventors blazoned the handover of the first domestic units in 2006. By the end of 2009, 28 hospices were opened on the Crescent.

At this time, 75 of the parcels were ready to hand over, with 500 families formerly abiding on the islet.

All this makes the Palm Islands, especially Palm Jumeirah, an attractive destination for tourists, and major hotels have set up their base there to tap into that. Keep reading to know more about the place before you book your Dubai trip!

Tourist Attractions Of Palm Island, Dubai

Palm Island in Dubai has many tourist attractions, like the largest aquarium in UAE. All three islands are called the famous Palm Islands of Dubai, but Palm Jumeirah has the cheapest room rates, one of the key factors why it won the 2021 World Travel Awards in the World's Leading Tourism Development Project category.

The Palm Islands of Dubai are the most extraordinary artificial islands globally, and they are named after their artificially created palm tree shape. Dubai's Palm Islands are home to 5,000 waterfront apartments, 1,000 water homes, and 4,000 residential villas.

These Palm Islands also compose of 60 luxury hotels and several health spas, shopping malls, cinemas, marinas, restaurants, dive sites, and many sports facilities.

The Crescent includes significant hotels like the Atlantis Hotel, the Waldorf Astoria, and the Palm.

Engineering Facts About Palm Island

The island, which took about six years to build, can easily accommodate hundreds of soccer stadiums. It is claimed that the islands were primarily built from sand dredged from the Persian Gulf floor. An American architectural firm named Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock came up with a master plan.

A bridge that is 0.86 mi (1.4 km) long, 131.23 ft (40 m) wide, and 82.02 ft (25 m) deep under the sea level, connecting the mainland to the islands.

The spine is connected to the Crescent by a vehicular tunnel, and a transit monorail runs along 3 mi (4.8 km) to the Crescent from the mainland through the trunk and spine.

The Islands are situated on the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Palm Deira is the largest island, and Palm Jumeirah is the smallest of all three islands. Upon completion, the grouping of these artificial islands is intended to resemble a map of the world.

To supply the islands with their rightful palm trees, an estimated number of 12,000 trees were cultivated in a nursery. To protect that island from huge waves, it is surrounded by a crescent that acts as a breakwater. The breakwater comprises geotextile fiber, sand, and medium and small rocks, which help it stay stable and strong.

The Aqua Line comprises a 2.7 mi (4.4 km) bridge and a 5.9 mi (9.5 km) shield tunnel, the Tokyo Bay Tunnel to the Kisarazu landing from an artificial island. This tunnel is said to be the fourth-largest underwater tunnel globally.

Risks concerning Palm Island

A report by Mongabay on Dubai's artificial islands states that significant changes have been observed in the maritime environment of Dubai, which is leaving a visual scar in the area.

The normally crystalline waters of the Persian Gulf at Dubai have been heavily clouded with silts due to the dredging and redeposition of sand and other materials.

As recorded by the studies published in the Journal Water in 2022, the construction of this islet has affected adding water-answerable accouterments, changing the spectral profile of Water, and adding the temperature of the water face around the islet.

Construction activities are also deteriorating subterranean fields of seagrass, marine habitat, and oyster beds and burying coral reefs that endanger local marine species and other species dependent on food.

The Palm Island shave asphyxiated, and buried wildlife changed shore sediment transport and increased turbidity.

Is the island sinkable?

As per the reports in 2009 by the New York Times, NASA's ray altimeter satellites show that the Palm is sinking 0.20 in (5 mm) every year.

After launching the design, it was revealed that the inventor increased the number of domestic units on the islet (with a reduction in the physical space between individual parcels) from the firstly blazoned (comprising estates bought beforehand in anticipation of lesser separation between fields).

The New York Times reports mentioned that people who had bought houses in 2009 before they were erected feel that they are living on top of each other. This increase was misattributed to the inventor measuring the substantial cost of construction and taking the caregiving of fresh capital, although they had no way reflected intimately on the matter.

The breakwater was modified to have gaps on each side, allowing tidal movement to oxygenate the water. This strategy should have prevented it from getting stagnated, albeit less efficiently than would be the case if the cape didn't live.

The outer cape was designed as a nonstop hedge. By precluding natural tidal movement, the seawater within the Palm became stagnant.

FAQs

What is unique about Palm Island Dubai?
One of the most extraordinary things about Palm Island is that no amount of concrete or steel was used to construct these islands in Dubai. The construction of these islands required 4237 million cubic ft (120 million cubic m) of sand obtained from the seabeds for construction.

How many Palm Islands are in Dubai?
Dubai has three islands, namely, Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Jumeirah, and Palm Deira. All these islands are situated on the coast of Dubai.

How much does a home on Palm Island Dubai cost?
An average villa can cost $2,177,996, whereas a four-bedroom villa can range up to $3,130,870. But if you have to go for five-bedroom options, the average price can start from $4,219,868.

How much sand did Dubai use to build Palm Tree Island?
The construction of these islands required 4237 million cubic ft (120 million cubic m) of sand obtained from the seabeds for construction.

When did they build the second Palm Island in Dubai?
The construction of the second Palm Island, named Palm Jebel Ali, began in October 2002 but was initially planned to be finished by mid-2008 but has ever since been on hold.

What was the estimated cost of building Palm Island Dubai?
 $12 billion were required to build the Palm Islands of Dubai.

Why did the Dutch team propose for project Palm Island Dubai?
Dutch engineers proposed the project for Palm Island Dubai because they had first-hand experience in land reclamation, similar to the projects in the Netherlands.