Nakheel has marked significant progress in the development of Palm Jebel Ali in 2024, with the project progressing at pace to meet key 2025 milestones.
The development masterplan was approved by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in May 2023, who said at the time: “Palm Jebel Ali will further strengthen our urban infrastructure and consolidate the city’s emergence as one of the world’s leading metropolises. This new groundbreaking project reflects our strategic development plan centred on raising the quality of life and happiness of residents.”
The Palm Jebel Ali area received further recognition this year when His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, approved the master plan for the 6.6km development of Jebel Ali Beach. The project includes a five kilometre sandy beach, to be developed by Nakheel, as well as a 1.6km-long Mangrove Beach, to be developed by Dubai Municipality.
“At Nakheel we believe in developing dreams, inspired by the vision of our leaders and the hopes of our people. The rapid progress we are currently witnessing on ground at Palm Jebel Ali is testimony to the grand success of our key partnerships and our joint endeavours to ensure we deliver on our commitments,” said Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate.
After the masterplan was revealed, the first phase of villas and plots on Palm Jebel Ali launched in late 2023 sold out in record time, underscoring the immense appetite in the marketplace for waterfront properties. Several leading international and regional architectural firms have worked to create villas which celebrate the connectivity between the indoor and outdoor lifestyles that residents will enjoy on Palm Jebel Ali, said a statement.
In May of this year, the contact was awarded for the construction of a new road serving the central portion of Palm Jebel Ali and work has already progressed significantly. The contract was awarded to DBB Contracting. When completed, the new public access road will offer a landscaped and convenient path, spanning nearly 6km, leading directly onto Palm Jebel Ali.
In August 2024, Nakheel also awarded an US $220mn contract for marine works on Palm Jebel Ali to Jan De Nul Dredging, and work has already commenced on the dredging, land reclamation, beach profiling and sand placement, directly supporting the construction of villas across all fronds. The first eight fronds of the project are expected to be site-ready by the first quarter of 2025, allowing for the commencement of villa infrastructure and civil works, the statement outlined.
The pace of the development of Palm Jebel Ali has accelerated further during Q3 and Q4 of 2024, with significant contracts awarded to renowned regional and international construction specialists, Nakheel stated.
Three major contracts were awarded in October, for the construction of ultra-luxury villas on the first six fronds of Palm Jebel Ali, scheduled for completion by late 2026. The contracts, awarded to Ginco General Contracting, Shapoorji Pallonji Mideast and United Engineering Construction Company (UNEC), marked a milestone in the ongoing development of this landmark waterfront destination in Dubai. It includes the construction of 723 Beach Collection and Coral Collection villas with exclusive beach frontage across six fronds in addition to the comprehensive development of world-class infrastructure and vibrant public spaces within the respective fronds on Palm Jebel Ali, it added.
To ensure a steady supply of power to the development, Nakheel announced in October their partnership with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) for the development of two substations on Palm Jebel Ali, valued at $73.5mn. The construction of the two substations, set to feed the power requirements of a major portion of Palm Jebel Ali, is scheduled to be completed in line with the delivery of the villas.
Palm Jebel Ali’s seven islands span 13.4km, feature 16 fronds and over 90km of beachfront, beginning a new growth corridor in the Jebel Ali area, underlining the expansion of the emirate, in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the statement concluded.