Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah: an engineering marvel made from 1 billion m3 of sand

Our client
Nakheel, the property developer in Dubai, wanted to establish world-class tourism in the oil emirate. Part of a wider government plan, it envisioned Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island that would host businesses, hotels, villas and waterfront leisure on world-class beaches. 

The palm-shaped island's concept, scale, and design were far more ambitious than anything ever constructed. It consists of a 2 km long trunk with 17 fronds on which luxury housing and private beaches are being developed. It is surrounded by a 11 km circular breakwater.

The project had already been in the planning stages for two years before Van Oord began construction in August 2001. Construction of the 11 km breakwater had been contracted to another company and was behind schedule. The breakwater was needed to protect the sand from the strong currents and fierce Shamal winds of the Arabian Gulf.

Our work
Van Oord began below sea level by bringing sand above the surface. Because the water was shallow, Van Oord could rely only on smaller capacity trailer suction hopper dredgers and other lighter vessels. The work required extreme precision: the intricate design of the breakwater was key to the island's concept. Van Oord monitored its operations using GPS.

An incredible 1 billion m³ of sand was used. Van Oord built the breakwater and the fronds simultaneously, a complex operation because the fronds were subject to erosion while the breakwater was unfinished. The beaches on the fronds were constructed in such a way that they follow an exact, predetermined slope.

Our results
Van Oord finished four months ahead of schedule. In the final design, openings were added to the surrounding breakwater and channels were cut through the ‘trunk' of the Palm to allow the free flow of water. The Palm, a marvel of marine construction and engineering vision, has been dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. It is visible from outer space.

In recognition of its excellence, Van Oord has been awarded additional projects to upgrade the Palm. In 2004, two extra kilometres of beach were reclaimed and several fronds were enlarged to cope with high demand for holiday housing. Van Oord is currently widening the Palm's trunk.