The Palm Islands in Dubai are a set of three man-made islands - Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira. These islands were constructed by Nakheel Properties starting in June 2001. The islands are shaped like a date palm tree, which provides maximum beachfront.
The reason for building these islands was to diversify Dubai's economy and reduce its reliance on oil supplies. The sheik of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, commissioned the islands to increase tourism and generate revenue for the small desert state.
Construction of the Palm Jumeirah, the first and smallest of the three islands, involved using 94 million cubic meters of sand and 7 million tons of rock to build it from deep ocean waters. Around 40,000 South-Asian workers were employed for this project. While the island was completed on time, construction activities are still ongoing.
The Palm Jebel Ali, which began construction in 2002, is 50% bigger than Palm Jumeirah and is focused on entertainment. It will feature a water theme park, six marinas, boardwalks encircling the palm fronds, and other recreational facilities. Future plans include the construction of four theme parks on the island's crescent, forming the shape of a whale.
The Palm Deira, the largest of the three islands, started construction in 2007 and is expected to be eight times larger than Palm Jumeirah. It is estimated to be completed by 2015 and is projected to be larger than the entire city of Paris.
Currently, most of the islands are still vacant, but the sheik and Nakheel envision filling them with tourists and residents. Nakheel believes that the three islands will eventually accommodate over one million residents. The creation of the Palm Islands is considered an exceptional engineering achievement. When completed, it will stand as one of the most remarkable projects ever undertaken by mankind.