Five surprising facts you didn’t know about Palm Jumeirah

1. It’s made from seven million of tons of rock and sand

Seven million tons of rock blasted from the Hajar Mountains were required to create The Palm. 120 million cubic metres of rock and sand were dredged from the bottom of the sea for the island to come to life. The most outlandish aspect of all this? We could use all the rock and sand of the Palm Jumeirah to form a 2m-wide wall that would circle the globe three times!

2. An 11km breakwater protects the island

Palm Jumeirah couldn’t be an island without all the necessary mechanics. There is an 11km crescent-shaped breakwater to protect the island from natural phenomena. As the first section of The Palm to be built, the breakwater protects the inner island from strong sea currents and the seasonal ‘shamal’ winds that blow across the Gulf from Iraq. In addition, a geotextile membrane, which stops the sand from washing away, was topped by a layer of one-ton rocks, followed by two more layers of rocks weighing up to six tons each.

The crescent was competed with a 100m wide opening on each side to allow water to circulate and prevent it from becoming stagnant. Insider tip: For the perfect sunsets, stroll on the 6m- wide boardwalk stretching the length of the crescent.

3. Engineers used satellites to plot the shape

Besides being the largest man-made island on the planet, Palm Jumeirah is perfectly palm-shaped. A fleet of sand dredgers created the trunk and 17 inner fronds, while the crescent was already in place. High levels of precision were required as sand was sprayed with pinpoint accuracy, guided by a hi-tech GPS.

The Palm Jumeirah is as big as 600 football pitches and four times as big as London’s Hyde Park.

4. A temporary dam was built

The numbers in Palm Jumeirah are striking and the construction of the site proves it. A 6-lane sea tunnel – built using 200,000 cubic metres of reinforced concrete, 30,000 tons of reinforcing steel, and 110,000 tons of rock – connects the trunk to the crescent, 25m below sea level. More than 5.5 million cubic metres of seawater was pumped out in just 45 days, with around 2,000 fish caught and relocated to prevent them from getting trapped inside the drained space. Meanwhile, the dykes were later used as temporary roads for construction vehicles.

5. A six-year-long project

Worthing $12 billion, the project began in 2001 and six years later, the island’s first residents moved in. Across the 17 fronds, you can find 1,500 beachfront mansions, with a further 6,000 apartments on the trunk. Major hotels on the crescent include Atlantis The Palm and the Waldorf Astoria, while the 5*-star hotel St. Regis Dubai part of The Palm Tower by Nakheel is 80% complete. Investors and end-users will highly benefit by the luxuries and amenities of The Palm Tower Residences.

Listed now via Copperstones, this exclusive selection of 432 furnished luxury apartments with breathtaking views will be the centrepiece of the Palm Jumeirah. For enquiries about the Palm Tower Residences, contact us on +44 203 888 5555 and 08 445 555 555.