Palm Islands as Eighth Wonder of the World Essay

Palm Islands as Eighth Wonder of the World - Essay Example The author of the paper is  really interested in Palm Jumeirah, the self-proclaimed ‘Eighth Wonder of the World'. Jumeirah Palm Island Jumeirah Palm Island is located in the coastal area located in Dubai, specifically, on the Jumeirah coastal area. The main residence of the area comprise of United Arab Emirates (UAE) people and the South Asians. Though it is the smallest, Jumeirah Palm Island is the original among the three palm islands. What makes the place lovable and a place to miss are its shapes and surrounding marine environment. Like the other two palm islands, Jumeirah Palm Island is shaped like a palm tree with a crescent top, giving it a complicated structure. In the actual description, the island consists of a trunk and a crown with 16 fronts. Breakwater is provided by an 11-kilometer crescent island which surrounds the trunk and the crown. The crescent is build of natural rock meant to provide habitats for marine life and encourage the development of a natural ree f. The island is 5 Km by 5 Km with a total area greater than that of 800 football pitches combined. There is a 300-meter (980  ft) bridge that connects the crown to the mainland while the connection between the crescent and the top of the palm has been achieved through the construction of a subsea tunnel. The length of Dubai coastline doubled due to the construction of this island. In conjunction to with Palm Deira and Palm Jebel Ali, Jumeirah has extended into the Persian Gulf hence increasing the shoreline of Dubai by a total distance of 520 kilometers (Al Darmaki Ibrahim 124). Jumeirah is of great social, cultural and economic significance. The island is meant to feature themed hotels, apartment buildings, marinas, beaches, restaurants, various retail outlets and three types of villas namely Canal Cove Town Homes, Signature Villas, and Garden Homes. Some of the hotels are already operational and others are yet to be opened. By early October 2007, the island was already the worl d's largest artificial island, with 75% of its properties ready for hand over and 500 families already living in it. By the end of 2009, a total of 28 hotels had been opened on the Crescent (CIA 125). Since its construction, the place has been growing to be a very active tourism attraction site and a busy commercial center. The construction of the Palm Jumeirah, Palm Deira, and the Palm Jebel Ali are actually part of the government’s plan to attract tourists and foreign money into its tax-free economy. This means that the residents and government of Dubai and UAE, in general, are already seeing some benefits of the island. According to Chris O'Donnell, Nakheel’s chief executive Jumeirah has already created a national asset with a value of as much as $23 billion (CIA 135). The complexities associated with the place are financial wise. The total cost for constructing the island was US$12.3 billion and maintaining it is a costly expenditure as well. However, the economic gains from the place are enough to maintain it, as indicated by the aforementioned financial worth of the island. The fact that the island is located offshore means that no one was displaced during its construction. However, there arose conflicts in regard to the construction of the island and the survival of marine life.