Dubai Waterfront Wonder

Creating a city within a city is something only Dubai can accomplish, which has been amply proved more than once. With its multiple dimensions, the Waterfront is well on its way to live up to that billing.

With a master plan designed twice the size of Hong Kong, the target is to create a truly "international" city for an estimated population of of 1.5. million.

With cache offer by world renowned architects, planners, engineers and consultants, Nakheel is working to meet the Waterfront objectives very thoughtfully.

There have been many challenges involved in transforming the 1.4 billion square feet of empty desert into a fully functional city. But the result will be well worth the wait by the looks of the master plan that showcases a project focused on leisure, culture and activity for people from all walks of life.

Located near the new Dubai World Central International Airport, and with direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road, Jebel Ali Freezone and Abu Dhabi, the city will be fully accessible on a local and international scale.

The hub of the development will be along the shoreline, stretching in-land to offer a range of residences, commercial districts and industrial areas, with a number of major tourist attractions and leisure amenities. Extending from the coastline into the Arabian Gulf will be a series of connected islands featuring villas and high-end accommodation.

It will consist of 10 key areas including Madinat Al Arab [1], which is expected to become the new downtown and central business district of Dubai. [3] Madinat Al Arab has been developed by an international consortium of architects, planners and urban developers. Madinat Al Arab will feature resorts, retail, commercial spaces, public spaces, a broad mix of residencies and an integrated transport system including light rail and a road network.

Major civil works and infrastructure has commenced on the first phase of Madinat Al Arab. Construction of the 8.0 kilometer Palm Cove Canal, which runs parallel to the coastline, began in February 2007 and is more than 65 per cent complete.

The first phase of Madinat Al Arab (30%) was unveiled to a private property and investment institutions from the United Arab Emirates and Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in July 2005. Within five days, it had been completely sold out, for over 13 billion AED.