The UAE-based ship building and repair company Seagate Shipyard unveiled the first floating house, which will be part of its Dh870 million Sea Palace Floating Resort project.
The project also includes a floating luxury hotel and 12 mobile boat villas that will be stationed near Dubai Marina.
The first mobile boat villa, an eco-friendly house known as Neptune, was unveiled at the Al Hamra Port in Ras Al Khaimah on Monday.
“The project will include a luxurious hotel of 156 suites and rooms, encircled by 12 residential floating boats,” Muhammad Elbahrawy, chief executive of Seagate Shipyard, said.
Seagate Shipyard is among a handful of developers in the UAE that are building floating residences or hotels.
The Kleindienst Group is building floating "seahorse" villas at its $5 billion Heart of Europe project in Dubai. The first phase of the project is on course to be open to the public in time for Expo 2020, the developer said earlier this month.
Construction on the overall Sea Palace Floating Resort project, which is inspired by the design of a glass boat, will be completed in the first quarter of 2023, a statement said. Remaining units in the project will be launched soon, it added.
The first floating villa in the project was sold in October last year to Dubai-based businessman Balvinder Sahani for Dh20m, the company said.
Each boat villa will contain two storeys and have an area of about 10,333 square feet. They will have four ensuite bedrooms, indoor and outdoor living areas, a roof with an infinity swimming pool and a ground floor made of glass allowing for views of the water. There will also be a kitchen, living room and two separate rooms for staff, the statement said.
The furniture for the floating villas has been designed by luxury car company Aston Martin, the company said in November last year.
The luxury boat villa will be powered by solar energy and will use technology for wastewater treatment and air filtration. It will also feature a muted engine room and wave-resistant hydraulic engines, which will allow residents to move the villa to other locations, the company said.
Each unit conforms to international safety standards and is equipped with a self-sterilising system, as well as a smart home system, it added.
The floating Sea Palace hotel will be managed by an international hotel chain and investors will be able to buy units in the property, according to the company's website.
Dubai was picked as the location for its resort as it is a “significant tourism and investment destination” and offers flexible economic policies and robust infrastructure, Mr Elbahrawy said.
