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From
iconic landmarks that will go down in history for their
unprecedented magnitude and grandeur to dream-like
residencies that redefine community living, Nakheel, the
UAE’s premier property developer boasts developments
that are united by a commitment to quality, innovation
and practicality.
As the Middle East region’s greatest success story in
terms of the growth of its tourism market, Dubai has
seen visitors to the emirate double in the last five
years with more than five million arriving in 2004. A
key factor instrumental in this excellent growth has
been Nakheel’s spectacular and
iconic real estate developments – which not only stand
up as luxury property developments, but are tourist
attractions in their own right. The extensive global
coverage these developments have gained has been greatly
influential in promoting Dubai on a world stage.
With Dubai dubbed as the fastest growing city in the
world, Nakheel has been a key player in realising the
vision of the city for the 21st century:
creating a world-class destination for business and
tourism.
According to Manal
Shaheen, General Manager, VIP Sales, Nakheel, “It is
precisely these factors that have been recognised by
travel professionals at the World Travel Awards when
they adjudged Nakheel as the World’s Leading Tourism
Development Company late last year.”
Established more than a decade ago, the World Travel
Awards are now recognised as the global travel
industry’s Oscars. Voted for by travel industry
professionals worldwide, the 2005 awards saw more than
175,000 people from 200 countries registering to cast
their votes. The criterion was to choose ‘the travel
professionals’ choice’ and it was thus that Nakheel beat
off stiff competition from other nominees to gain the
title of the World’s Leading Tourism Property
Development Company.
"To be recognised by industry professionals as the
world’s leading tourism property developer illustrates
the positive impact Nakheel’s iconic developments have
made on a global stage,” says Shaheen. “Considering the
sheer size of the event and the calibre of the other
award winners places greater significance on winning
this award.”
The award came in a year that witnessed some major
announcements and launches by Nakheel. Some of the
highlights that were the focus in 2005 included the
launch of Dubai Waterfront and the sale of AED 13
billion worth of land of the first phase, Madinat al
Arab, within five days; the hugely successful opening of
Ibn Battuta Mall; and the announcement of its exclusive
partnership with The Trump Organization to develop 17
Trump brands in the Middle East – starting with The Palm
Trump International Hotel and Tower on The Palm,
Jumeirah.
Ever since its formation in 2003 - two years after the
first Palm project was launched - Nakheel’s goal has
been to
redefine the concept of property development across all
sectors – residential, tourist, commercial and retail –
by fashioning unique and genuine solutions, created
after extensive research and planning, explains Shaheen.
“Its portfolio currently extends to 14 projects, each of
which offer a unique new concept of leisure, living and
tourism and are an expansion of Dubai’s drive to enhance
its position as a premier international tourist
destination.”
What differentiates Nakheel from other developers
worldwide is the scale, ambition and innovative nature
of its projects, she says. “Land reclamation is not a
new concept, it has formed the essence of the Dutch life
since ancient times. The engineering techniques used to
create the islands have been used before particularly in
The Netherlands and Florida. However, this is the first
time such an imaginative development has been
undertaken. Therefore, what catapults Nakheel’s projects
into the limelight have been the act of creating complex
shapes such as The Palm and The World that are both bold
and ambitious, and the first of its kind projects
anywhere in the world.”
Nakheel’s unparalleled vision first came to light with
its signature development, The Palm, that involves the
creation of the world’s largest three man-made islands
known as The Palm, Jumeirah, The Palm, Jebel Ali, and
the new addition, The Palm, Deira. Each of these
features a variety of stunning villas, townhouses,
luxury hotels and leisure facilities.
Al Habtoor Group recognized the power of this vision
early on and as a result became one of the first
purchasers of a plot on the new Palm Jumeira site. They
will build a magnificent and striking hotel complex to
rival the worlds finest, matching their own vision of
the future to the technical imagination of Nakheel.The
first residents will move into The Palm Jumeirah at the
end of this year, she reveals. “A highlight of this
development will be the 500,000 square metre Atlantis
waterpark themed hotel, as well as The Palm Trump
International Hotel and Tower – the first project as
part of an exclusive partnership between Nakheel and The
Trump Organization.”
“The Palm is an extraordinary project of grand
proportions,” she says. “Located just off the coast of
Dubai, the three palm tree shaped islands will increase
Dubai’s shoreline by a staggering 520 kms and create a
large number of residential, leisure and entertainment
opportunities, all within a unique and inspired
setting.”
Nakheel is defined by its waterfront developments, says
Shaheen. “Along with the flourishing development of
Dubai’s burgeoning tourist industry originated the idea
of The Palm, an excellent example of the successful
strategy of the visionary rulers of the emirate to
encourage foreign tourists to visit Dubai. One of the
best features of Dubai is its magnificent beachfront,
but until the development of The Palm, the coast was
limited to less than 70 kms long. But the introduction
of these waterfront developments that increased the
shoreline considerably, opened up new opportunities to
attract not only tourists but also potential investors
from across the globe.”
“While the scale of its vision has been unprecedented,
the very fact that one of the world’s top-notch
investors – the Trump Organization – has invested in The
Palm is evidence enough that Nakheel has not
overestimated itself,” she asserts.
While it was undoubtedly The Palm that placed Dubai
firmly on the world map, Nakheel’s bold and ambitious
decision to literally put the world map on Dubai
resulted in the incredible and most innovative
development, The World. This project consists of a
series of 300 man-made islands, positioned strategically
to form an incredible and visually stunning development:
the shape of the world map on the sea.
Innovation is intrinsic to any Nakheel project, says
Manal Shaheen. “Jumeirah Islands is another example –
who else would imagine pumping three million cubic
metres of seawater from the sea with underground pipes
to create the world's largest inland man-made island
development?”, she asks.
In August 2005, Jumeirah Islands’ first residents moved
into the world’s first man-made inland island community.
Nearby is the Jumeirah Lake Towers that consists of 79
uniquely designed towers grouped together into 26
clusters. This next generation of property development
emotes a community atmosphere through a sparkling lake
with a feature island for special events, manicured
gardens, restaurants, cafes, and, as a tribute to the
region, a gold and diamond centre.
Launched late last year at Cityscape 2005 is the
prestigious
Jumeirah Golf Estates where the greatest names in golf
join forces to create a landmark development destined to
be the world’s most prestigious residential communities.
Inspired by the elements of Fire, Earth, Water and Wind,
Jumeirah Golf Estates draws on the remarkable talents of
some of the game’s most famous names – among them, Greg
Norman, the legendary ‘Great White Shark’, and the 2004
world number one, Vijay Singh. It will have
four environmentally themed 18-hole courses - Earth,
Fire, Water, and Wind – that mirror
the elements of nature and integrate with distinct gated
communities, featuring a variety of investment
opportunities, world class amenities and premier
services.
Greg Norman will personally be involved in the creation
of two Eco-Signature courses at the Estates, which will
focus on eco-friendly principles and practices and
feature flora and fauna that are indigenous to the
region.
Jumeirah Golf Estates will also feature the world-class
golf academy known as The Academy: a 9-hole, par-3
course aimed at families and the beginner, featuring
driving ranges and associated practice facilities.
Completing the Jumeirah portfolio of brands, Jumeirah
Village, inspired by a rural setting, consists of more
than 7,000 villas and townhouses, and is designed in a
classic Arabic Mediterranean architectural style.
The International City development featuring 10
internationally themed residential districts will
accommodate 70 to 80,000 residents, as well as serve as
a world-class hub for international investors, traders
and retailers. The recently opened Dragon Mart at the
International City offers the largest selection of
Chinese products and services outside China. The 12
million square feet Dubai Design Centre, also a part of
this project, will be an exclusive development for
traders and retailers offering a complete range of home
furnishing and construction solutions.
Inspired by the success of The Gardens, a family
orientated residential community completed in 2003, the
Discovery Gardens is a 2.4 million square metre
development of six themed communities inspired by garden
living. The Lost City, on the other hand, will represent
a similarly attractive residential district with
architecture inspired by ancient civilizations. “Only
the concept for this project has been launched. The
finer details of the master planning of The Lost City
are being currently worked upon by our team,” says
Shaheen.
However, the
major highlight of 2005’s product offering from Nakheel
is the Dubai Waterfront, largest waterfront development
in the world. “What followed two years of work sessions
and feasibility studies by world-renowned architects,
planners, engineers and consultants have led to this
unprecedented offering on an unimaginable scale,” she
says. “When complete, the Dubai Waterfront will be
bigger than Manhattan and the city of Beirut. As it
offers investors over 250 master-planned communities, it
will also be a city in itself providing homes for more
than 500,000 residents.”
Offering a balanced mix of residential, retail,
commercial and industrial offerings in addition to
common areas that will be reserved for educational,
cultural, health and recreational purposes, the Dubai
Waterfront is being built on the last remaining coastal
waterfront of the Emirate.
Strategically positioned between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it
will be very close to the upcoming Jebel Ali
international airport and will also be in close
proximity to the Jebel Ali free zone and port. Six
hundred kilometres of roads will be created for this
project - further than the distance of Dubai to Bahrain
(481km). Dubai Waterfront forms the first phase of a
larger effort, the Arabian Canal, a 75 km development
envisioned by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Ruler of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister. It will serve
as the primary entrance to the Arabian Canal, which
ultimately will provide long-term waterfront investment
opportunities.
Given its enormous scale, Dubai Waterfront is comprised
of 10 diverse mixed-use zones. These range from high
and low-rise residential, multi-use commercial zones,
luxury resort plots, expansive retail and amenity areas.
Madinat Al Arab will be the heart and soul of Dubai
Waterfront, a world-class destination for residents,
visitors and businesses in the world’s
fastest growing city.
Madinat Al Arab is the first phase and focal point of
Dubai Waterfront, occupying the majority of sea facing
land and is designed to be the downtown and central
business district. When the first phase (30 per cent) of
the project was unveiled to a select invited group of
private property and investment institutions from the
UAE and GCC in July 2005, it was completely sold out
within five days for over Dh13 billion, demonstrating
its appeal as one of the most exciting real estate
developments in the world.
Madinat Al Arab will be anchored by Al Burj, the world’s
tallest building that’s currently soaring ahead at the
rate of one floor per week. Together they form the
symbol of Dubai’s meteoric rise, and the grand intent of
this truly unprecedented master plan. | 
