The Palm Jumeirah
Probably the most iconic image of Dubai, the Palm Jumeirah didn’t even exist 22 years ago. Started in 2001 and completed in 2006-2009 (depending on one’s definition of “complete”), it now boasts some of the most expensive real estate in Dubai, which is saying a lot! One villa on Frond G sold for $82M last July, setting a record. Over 60,000 people currently live on the Palm Jumeirah, whose name loosely translates to “beautiful palm” in Arabic. It also boasts over 32 hotels, including the famed Atlantis (yes, the same company as the one in the Bahamas. Also, almost identical architecture with Arabesque arches added for good measure).
“The Palm,”as we call it, is one of the largest land reclamation projects in history, comprised of enough sand and rock that could circle the earth 3 times over at a height of 2 meters! The Boothbay code enforcement officer would definitely not approve! The Palm was built at a cost of $12B using GPS satellites to exact its shape It occupies 2.21 square miles and protrudes 3.1 miles into the Persian Gulf. We live in the Dubai Marina, which sits near its base, and can see parts of it from our balcony. There are also 2 other palms in development, as well as a project currently on hold, which recreates the continents of the earth in the form of islands
Our apartment is in one of those towers off in the distance
ANDRE.How lucky you are Greg, no longer working, having great plane trips, going to excellent restaurants: what a good life. If I was younger I would envy you; now at my age I am happy for you.André
ReplyDeleteYes, we are living quite the life and are incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Never imagined we’d be living here. We are now planning travel that we thought we wouldn’t be able to do until later in life.
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