Dubai’s artificial islands.
Whatever you may think of them, from Palm Jumeirah to the site of
the world’s biggest observation wheel, they make quite a sight.
They’re just one way this city has taken construction to extremes in recent years
— building even more coastal real estate for luxury tourism.
And yet, despite looking amazing, building into the sea like this,
on such an enormous scale, has come at a price.
Since work first began on these man-made resorts over 20 years ago,
their impact on the aquatic environment across the Arabian Gulf has been called into question.
But now, Dubai could be about to make up for it with a marine regeneration
project that would be the largest of its kind.
Is this how a city obsessed with reclaiming land atones for the damage it’s done,
or is it another case of all talk and no action?
There aren’t many cities that have changed as much as Dubai has over the past few decades.
When you compare the skyline of today to the 1990s,
it’s like looking at two entirely different places.
It’s a similar story from above, especially along the coast.
Starting in 2000, Dubai has built several artificial islands — all of them huge
engineering projects — which are now filled with apartments, hotels, a waterpark — even a monorail.
This meant a lot of construction was done using land reclamation — a process that’s
become controversial due to the impact on marine environments in some parts of the world.
It was also a cause of the worst case of coral bleaching in the UAE’s history,
which affected 73% of the country’s reefs.
Dubai could be about to make amends, though, with
what’s been labelled the world’s largest ocean restoration project.
Described as a living lab for marine research, regeneration and ecotourism,
Dubai Reefs is also home to residential, hospitality, retail and educational facilities.
At the centre of it will be the marine institute,
with a focus on protecting the ocean and coast off Dubai in four stages.
Another huge part is the construction
of an enormous 3D-printed artificial reef covering 200 square kilometres.
Overall, the place will be home to over a billion corals and 100 million mangrove trees,
everything will be powered by renewables,
it’s got an underwater farm — you name it, it's all going on here.
And on top of that, the whole place will be floating.
Now, let’s come right out and say it — this isn’t definitely happening.
In fact, it was only recently announced by URB — a developer
based in Dubai — and it’s currently in the research and development stage.
It's also fair to say, judging by the renderings released so far, that it's very ambitious.
But when you look at what’s being proposed and compare it to other
projects that have either been done or are in the works, it all seems possible.
Not easy, but doable at least.
Take 3D printing of artificial reefs, for example.
Organisations around the world have been experimenting with this for years,
including Danish energy firm Ørsted.
In 2022, the company teamed up with WWF to install
12 3D-printed structures under the sea between Sweden and Denmark.
The hope is these will help restore fish populations and
improve marine biodiversity in the area.
On the energy side, floating solar farms can now be found all over the world,
so that’s not a big challenge.
Then there’s tidal power, where electricity is generated by underwater turbines.
Although there are fewer examples of this to point to, they do exist.
Like in the Shetland Islands off Scotland,
where a tidal array system has been powering the energy grid since 2016.
OK, but what about floating buildings? Well, there’s a way to do that too.
OCEANIX, which is constructing an entire floating city in South Korea,
is placing everything on platforms made from concrete caissons.
Because they’re hollow inside, they become buoyant in water,
so Dubai Reefs could do something similar.
If this does end up happening, the decision to float it may turn out to be a smart one.
According to one report, rising sea levels due to climate change could lead to almost
5,000 square kilometres — roughly 6% of the UAE’s total land area — being underwater by 2100.
In fact, some of the city's new islands do look particularly vulnerable to the
effects of climate change, and some might already be sinking.
There could be tough times ahead, then, and not just in Dubai.
New research claims 70% of recent land reclamation
projects have happened in places at risk of extreme sea level rise.
So, how likely are we to see this project completed by its target of 2040?
Well, Dubai is no stranger to crazy concepts that will
probably never make it from render to reality.
But it’s also known for pushing ahead with seemingly mad schemes that nowhere
else would dream of, and actually finishing them.
This could end up being exactly what the coastline needs — a new island
project that doesn’t exploit these beautiful waters, but gives something back instead.
You can learn more about this and other topics on our channel over on The World’s
Best Construction Podcast — available now wherever you get your podcasts.
And as always, if you enjoyed this video and want to learn more about
where construction is headed, make sure you’re subscribed to Tomorrow’s Build.