Luxury Hotelier - April 2008 - (Page 20)

20| Personalities Nakheel’s United States portfolio includes the Mandarin Oriental Hotel New York. “A key part of our strategy has been to attract world-class entertainment brands to the emirate. Joining a list of successful partnerships with major brands such as Trump, Cirque du Soleil and Atlantis, this partnership is a further example of Dubai’s growth as a city of global prominence,” Mr. O’Donnell said when the deal was announced. “We are extremely honored that The Palm Jebel Ali will become home to the first Worlds of Discovery theme parks outside of the U.S.” Reclamation of the final and largest of the three islands, Palm Deira, has begun. Covering more than 40 square miles, it will be the most residential of the islands. Designed as a master-planned residential community with more than 8,000 villas, it will be ready to welcome owners by 2013. Where in the world? A 300-island development shaped to form a map of the globe, Dubai’s The World universally is considered the most ambitious reclamation project on the planet. When finished, The World will add more than 620 miles of beaches to Dubai’s coastline. The World’s 300 islands were built from 320 million cubic meters of sand dredged from the Gulf, and breakwater barriers are built from 34 million tons of large rocks found in local quarries. No artificial or chemical materials were used throughout the entire process. It is only reachable by boat or helicopter, and two mainland marinas will link to four island transportation hubs that will in turn service the islands. The average island size is about 300,000 square feet, and the average distance between islands is roughly 330 feet—with an average depth of surrounding waters coming in 50 feet. Island sales are on an invitation-only basis and prices are in the millions. More than 50 percent of the islands have been sold. In 2010, the first phase of The World will be complete, with 40 luxury resorts anticipated to open at that time. Last month Nakheel revealed the master plan for Waterfront City that’s planned for a residential population of 92,000 and a work force of approximately 310,000. Covering more than 800 acres, it will be a collection of neighborhoods surrounding a central island. The island will become the defining element of the Waterfront design. To ensure maximum shading and climate control in the city, the higher building masses are concentrated on the south side, making efficient use of wind flows for cooling. To guarantee further protection from the sun, each city block will be lined with arcades and trees. All of the surrounding areas as well as the Central Island will be connected by a comprehensive public transport system, including Dubai’s new metro train system. It also will have a direct link to the Al Maktoum International Airport, currently under construction and set to become Dubai’s main airport hub. Set along the western shores of Dubai, the entire Waterfront development will transform 1.4 billion square feet of empty desert and sea twice the size of Hong Kong island into an international community for an estimated population of 1.5 million people. Of great significance regarding this waterfront development is that the northeast border of oil-wealthy Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE and the largest of the seven emirates, is located there—so the development will benefit from two important critical mass locations. Each of the five districts making up Waterfront City will have their own individual character and will have a density similar to that of Manhattan, replete with a central park, a large mosque area and landmark attractions. With a portfolio of global proportions, Nakheel is at the forefront of hotel development and stands to keep Dubai on the front page. — InfoConcierge FOR MORE INFORMATION: Nakheel: www.nakheel.com Blue Communities: www.bluecommunities.org The World: www.theworld.ae Kerzner International: www.kerzner.com » Luxury Hotelier | April 2008 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.nakheel.com http://www.bluecommunities.org http://www.theworld.ae http://www.kerzner.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

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Luxury Hotelier - April 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Inform Network Personalities Insight Properties Inspire Deliver Innovate Development Indulge Advertisers Index Editorial Index Source Listing Dossier

Luxury Hotelier - April 2008

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