Man-made island developments such as Amwaj, Duratt Al-Bahrain and Palm Jumeirah are securing the Gulf’s reputation for ambitious schemes. But as Ron Gluckman discovers, reclaiming land isn’t a new trend – it’s just the technology that’s changed
The world’s great powers used to sail the seven seas, seeking new lands to settle. Nowadays, they stay close to shore and simply construct new coastline. A growing number of massive land reclamation projects are reshaping and, in one notable case, duplicating, the world.
All over the Gulf, island creation is booming. Bahrain has Amwaj and Durrat Al-Bahrain, multi-billion dollar projects that will create nearly 20 islands, seeded with luxury apartments, cinemas and theme parks. Qatar is building the Pearl, a US$2.5bn project to create an island of
nearly 1,000 acres – about the size of Gibraltar. Such schemes have propelled the region into the forefront of the dredging, landfill and real estate industries, attracting attention not only from major investors and builders, but also environmentalists and urban planners.
Chief among these mega-projects are a series of ambitious schemes to create scores of artificial islands off the coast of Dubai, which could add 1,000km to the emirate’s coastline. Real estate firm Nakheel, with holdings of US$80bn, has become a world leader in the creation of artificial islands. First on the map with Palm Jumeirah, whose fronds now host multi-million dollar homes, Nakheel recently completed the groundwork for the World, and is now constructing the Universe.
“We call this Baby Palm,” jokes Aaron Richardson, Nakheel’s media relations manager, as we zip by boat around the serene shoreline of the first Palm project. The size of 550 football pitches, it will eventually serve a population of 100,000 residents and resort guests. “It’s huge,” he says, “but there is so much more on the way.”
However outlandish they seem to some people, these projects have a global appeal and a strong historical basis. Ancient Mexico City was built largely on a filledin lake. In Peru, pre-Incan tribe the Uros still live as they have for centuries, on several dozen floating artificial islands on Lake Titicaca.
In modern times, major reclamation projects reshaped both Singapore and Hong Kong, while dredging continues to provide new land for growth in Macau. The former Portuguese colony is now 10 times its original size.
In the western hemisphere, such activities have also been commonplace. The Netherlands – literally “low-lying lands” – reclaimed 20 percent of its mass from the sea. The Dutch remain the global leader in land reclamation, whether at home, in Hong Kong or in the Gulf, thanks to unparalleled experience in pioneering ambitious schemes.
Even spacious America has used the technique. New York’s Ellis Island, famous as the first stop for newly arrived immigrants, is mostly man-made. San Francisco’s Treasure Island was created from scratch seven decades ago for the Golden Gate International Exposition. Next year, work starts on a project to turn the former naval base into a model green community.
Artificial islands provide vital space for urban growth and infrastructure, particularly for land-starved Asian cities. Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport is on an artificial island; likewise Osaka’s mammoth Kansai. Again, there is a historical precedent: Harbor Island, the largest artificial isle of the time, was completed a century ago to provide port facilities for Seattle.
Nor does the Gulf have the monopoly on contemporary island schemes. In the run-up to hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia has announced plans for Federation Island, a mini-archipelago to replicate the shape of Russia and provide upscale lodging for 30,000 people off the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. And Dutch politician Joop Atsma has floated a US$15bn plan to create a 50-km long, 100,000-hectare isle off Holland – in the shape of a giant tulip.
Island building has evolved considerably since the days of piling grass and dirt in water. But while the equipment has grown more complex and techniques more efficient, the process is largely the same.
Island creation follows three phases, according to Belgian firm Jan de Nul, which built Palm Jebel Ali and is also working on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island project (see feature page 40). Koen De Bisschop, the rock works area manager, details the phases: removal or consolidation of loose material from the seabed; creating the island with fill (sand, rock and/or gravel); then creating a sea wall to protect the new island.
The Gulf presents many unique challenges. Shallow waters make it impossible for big boats to navigate, restricting the use of bigger, heavier dredging equipment. However, favourable wind conditions and gentle seas provide benefits, too.
Sand is sucked up from the sea bed with giant hoses, then stored in the dredging ship. For the World, this involved 320 cubic metres of sand, along with 30 million tons of rock, reportedly sufficient material to build a wall, two metres wide and four high, all the way around the equator.
For the Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest man-made island when launched (only Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira are bigger), almost 100 million cubic metres of sand and seven million tons of crushed rock were used to create the 550-hectare isle. According to developers, the material could have been used to build a two-and-a-half-metre wall circling the globe three times.
One unique technique used in the Gulf is spraying sand atop new isles; called “rainbowing,” it expedites island formation. Global positioning technology makes possible exact placement of material, reducing environmental impact, and facilitating the intriguing island shapes.
Besides actual laboratory tests of wave impact on island models, 3D computer simulations help pinpoint tidal effect. Computers aid the design of the crucial sea wall, erected at completion to ensure new islands don’t wash away. And simulations maximise water circulation without damage to the islands.
Technology also plays a huge role in critical environmental studies. Outside agencies are often enlisted to monitor work and advise on environmental protection. And the results can be surprising.
“We’ve got birds, fish and grass where there was nothing before,” says Richardson. Touring the artificial World, we spy flocks of birds and see swarms of fish in stunning emerald water. Critics remain divided on the islands, but no one disputes the formation of thriving new reefs.
Ultimately, the biggest test of these projects is market demand. Thus far, there are plenty of buyers, and resale values of the first Gulf islands continue to soar. “It’s all about coastline,” Richardson says, noting that Palm sold out in 72 hours. Proof that there’s a lot of people who dream of living on a desert island, whether or not it’s man-made.
SHORE THINGS
Coastlines are expanding all over the Gulf
Amwaj Islands
Bahrain
Residents have already begun to move onto the US$1.5bn Amwaj Islands, off the northeast coast of Muharraq. It’s the first residential development in the Kingdom to offer freehold property to expats, and includes commercial, educational and medical facilities.
Duratt Al-Bahrain
Bahrain
Up to 2,000 luxury villas are set to be built on 15 islands – all 21 square kilometres of them – off Bahrain’s southern tip in this US$4bn project. The fish- and horseshoe-shaped islands will hold shops and restaurants, offices, hotels and spas,and a marina with 400 berths for boats of all sizes.
The Palms
Dubai, UAE
In an attempt to solve Dubai’s shortage of beachfront, work began on the fringed Palm Jumeirah in 2001. Since then, work on two other islands has begun – on the Jebel Ali and Deira coasts; the last of the “Palm trilogy” is envisioned as a city in itself, for one million people.
The Pearl
Qatar
The US$2.5bn, four million square metre Pearl will accommodate 40,000 residents along more than 40km of new coastline. The Pearl, which is just 20km from Doha international airport, is Qatar’s largest real estate development and the first to offer freehold property to expat investors.
The World
Dubai, UAE
Many of the World’s 300 islands have been snapped up by celebrities (singer Rod Stewart and footballer David Beckham are two of those reputed to own “countries”). In January, developers Nakheel announced plans for the Universe, with islands in the shape of the sun, moon, and the planets.
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