Construction of the Palm Jebel Ali megaproject is progressing well, video posted by the developer Nakheel has shown. The footage, posted to its social media on Monday, is an update on the fourth quarter of last year.
It shows major infrastructure work, installation of key services and beachfront villas rising from the fronds.
It also portrays an army of workers toiling across the man-made island, scores of cranes and many construction vehicles traversing the fronds and trunk.
“Infrastructure works are well under way, marking steady progress across the site,” Nakheel said. “We look forward to continuing to share updates as we progress.”
What is the project?
Work on Palm Jebel Ali started in 2002 but was paused in 2008 due to the financial crisis that swept the world. The project was relaunched in 2023.
The 13.4 square kilometre island is about twice as big as The Palm in Jumeirah and comprises 16 fronds, 91km of beachfront and will have 80 new hotels when complete.
It has been attracting strong interest as Dubai’s property boom continues, with 700 villas launched in 2023 all reportedly sold only a year later.
The opening of Palm Jebel Ali is expected to take place in phases. But it is not yet clear when the entire island will be set for completion.
Inspection reports posted to Dubai Land Department and first reported by the Arabian Gulf Business Insight website this week, found the most-advanced development was a set of 108 villas on Frond O, which was 21.9 per cent complete in October.
The reports showed these units were on track for completion by late 2027. However, building on some other fronds has yet to start.
What impact is expected?
Construction on parts of the project is expected to continue into the 2030s.
But already the island is attracting elite buyers. Dubai last year set a record for selling homes valued at $10 million-plus, as the world's wealthy continue to arrive in the UAE.
Knight Frank property agents said 143 homes of $10 million-plus had been sold in the fourth quarter, up 39 per cent on an annual basis, with The Palm (28) and Palm Jebel Ali (22) the top areas for purchase of luxury homes.
There is a “huge appetite among regional and global high-net-worth individuals to own a home in Dubai, attracted by the high quality of life, world-class amenities and infrastructure, enabled by the government’s ambitious investment programmes” pushing sales higher, said Faisal Durrani, partner and head of research, Mena at Knight Frank.
Nakheel, meanwhile, has been posting regular updates about construction on Palm Jebel Ali on its social media.
Last month, it posted footage of how the Palm Jebel Ali Friday Mosque will look when finished, along with an interview with Chris Cooper, partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the architectural firm behind its design. SOM was also responsible for the design of the Dubai Creek Harbour Metro station.
The design for the mosque, which is being built on the palm’s spine, aims to draw inspiration from fishing nets and Emirati tents, with a shaded textile canopy shaped by natural sea-breeze patterns.
The mega-project, meanwhile, again refocuses attention on the southern part of the emirate. Palm Jebel Ali is only 24 minutes from Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) and 24 minutes from Expo City Dubai.
Al Maktoum is set to be the heartbeat of the emirate's aviation when construction is complete, offering jobs and housing opportunities for a million people.
