The Palm Jumeirah is not sinking into the sea, contrary to speculation in recent days, a Nakheel executive says.
"The proof is in the pudding," said Shaun Lenehan, the head of Nakheel's environment department. "The Palm is intact. If there were subsidence, you would see cracks in the buildings, windows popping out. We have no evidence of that happening."
But the US$12 billion (Dh44.07) island has settled slightly since it was created, in line with all artificially created land masses, Mr Lenehan and other engineers said.
He was responding to claims from a landscape surveyor speaking at a conference in Qatar, who was quoted as saying that the Palm Jumeirah was sinking by an average of 5mm a year and might flood in the future if ocean levels rose. The engineer cited satellite images of the island taken periodically over the past few years.
Fugro NPA, the satellite mapping company where the surveyor works, yesterday said its findings were taken out of context and that the island was going through a natural process.
"Settlement is a normal occurrence following construction," the company said. "No conclusion can be drawn about the long term.
"The point displacements measured at Palm Island in the first few years following construction [less than 1cm per year] are well within the expected natural settlement range for such a large structure and such settlement would be factored into the engineering design of the island."
Mr Lenehan, of Nakheel, said the actual settlement on Palm Jumeirah would be a maximum of 25mm over the course of 100 years.
The key to preventing an island from sinking further into the sea is in the geo-engineering used to build it, he said. After laying down layers of rocks and sand, construction companies use a process called "vibrocompacting", where a device vibrates the sand until it settles into a more solid state.
"If you take a bucket of tennis balls and shake it, it lowers the level of the top and it becomes more stable," Mr Lenehan said. "As you do this with the island, the ground gets harder and tougher - the ground on Palm Jumeirah is stronger than mainland Dubai."
Nakheel officials also said the Palm Jumeirah was not at risk of flooding as the world's water levels rise because of climate change, saying that its engineers had factored in a possible sea level rise of 50cm in line with worst-case scenarios.
"We have also factored in king tides, storm surges and high seas, giving us a minimum height of 4m above chart datum," a spokeswoman said. Chart datum refers to the top water level at high tide.
@Email:bhope@thenational.ae
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90+3')
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
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Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
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Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
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Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
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Company name: Mozn
Started: 2017
Founders: Mohammed Alhussein, Khaled Al Ghoneim, Abdullah Alsaeed and Malik Alyousef
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Industry: FinTech
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Raed Ventures, Shorooq Partners, VentureSouq, Sukna Ventures and others
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Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
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yallacompare profile
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
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One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
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