| XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX |
| XXXXXXXXX |
| XXXXXX |
| XXX |
| XXX |
| Ski Dubai www.skidxb.com |
| XXX |
| XXX |
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| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
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The Palms Islands have been claimed by
the Sheikhs of Dubai as “the eighth
wonder of the world”, and seen from the
satellite in the space, the rock and sand
formation in the shape of the tree looks
exactly like that. These islands, also called
as The Palms and The Palm Dubai are the
three largest man made islands across the
world and are built on the Dubai coast, in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The
concept of these islands was announced
in the year 2002, in the month of May
and these three resort islands are
expected to be a boon for the tourism
industry of Dubai and place Dubai at the
top most position as a superior tourist
destination.
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial
archipelago created using land
reclamation by Nakheel, a company
owned by the Dubai government in
United Arab Emirates. It is one of three
islands called the Palm Islands which
extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing
Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520
kilometres (320 mi). The Palm Jumeirah
is the smallest and the original of three
Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel
Ali and Palm Deira) under development
by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah
coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a
palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown
with 16 fronds, and a surrounding
crescent island that forms an 11
kilometres (6.8 mi) long breakwater. The
island is 5 by 5 kilometres (3.1 by 3.1 mi)
and its total area is larger than 800
football pitches. The crown is connected
to the mainland by a 300-metre (980 ft)
bridge and the crescent is connected to
the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel.
Over the next few years, as the tourism
phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah is
touted as soon to be one of the world’s
premier resorts. The Palm Island is the
self-declared 'Eighth Wonder of the
World'. The island doubled the length of
the Dubai coastline.
The Palm Jebel Ali is planned to be more
than twice the size of Palm Jumeirah. The
Palm Jebel Ali is sized in between the size
the Sheikhs of Dubai as “the eighth
wonder of the world”, and seen from the
satellite in the space, the rock and sand
formation in the shape of the tree looks
exactly like that. These islands, also called
as The Palms and The Palm Dubai are the
three largest man made islands across the
world and are built on the Dubai coast, in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The
concept of these islands was announced
in the year 2002, in the month of May
and these three resort islands are
expected to be a boon for the tourism
industry of Dubai and place Dubai at the
top most position as a superior tourist
destination.
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial
archipelago created using land
reclamation by Nakheel, a company
owned by the Dubai government in
United Arab Emirates. It is one of three
islands called the Palm Islands which
extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing
Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520
kilometres (320 mi). The Palm Jumeirah
is the smallest and the original of three
Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel
Ali and Palm Deira) under development
by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah
coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a
palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown
with 16 fronds, and a surrounding
crescent island that forms an 11
kilometres (6.8 mi) long breakwater. The
island is 5 by 5 kilometres (3.1 by 3.1 mi)
and its total area is larger than 800
football pitches. The crown is connected
to the mainland by a 300-metre (980 ft)
bridge and the crescent is connected to
the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel.
Over the next few years, as the tourism
phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah is
touted as soon to be one of the world’s
premier resorts. The Palm Island is the
self-declared 'Eighth Wonder of the
World'. The island doubled the length of
the Dubai coastline.
The Palm Jebel Ali is planned to be more
than twice the size of Palm Jumeirah. The
Palm Jebel Ali is sized in between the size
| ********** |
| ********** |
| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #293 Results |
| Answers to Quiz #293 February 20, 2011 |
| Answers: 1. Palm Jumeirah, located in Dubai, is the largest man made island. 2. A resort area, extending Dubai's beach front with hotels, villas, apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, etc. 3. Mostly completed but due to unexpected costs and the global financial situation some unpopular changes have been made. Also, there have been some concerns that the island may be slowly sinking. |
| 1. Where is this located? 2. What is its purpose? 3. What is its status? |
| ********** |
| ********** |
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Edward Vielmetti Nicole Blank Stan Read Jan Strickland Debbie Johnson Jim Kiser Barbara Battles Joshua Kreitzer Gary Sterne W. David Samuelson Maureen O'Connor Wayne Douglas Sharon Cleveland Richard Wakeham Bill Hurley Bill Burrows Audrey Nicholson Brian Kemp Peter Norton Margaret Paxton Rebecca Bare Sharon Taber Dennis Brann Evan Hindman JoLynn Pfeiffer Elaine C. Hebert Marilyn Hamill Nelsen Spickard Chris Tennant Alex Sissoev Daniel E. Jolley Betty Chambers Roberta Martin Herschel Brown Carl Blessing Gina Hudson Mary Fraser Donna Jolley Harold Atchison Arthur Hartwell Robert W. Steinmann, Jr. Richard Hurley Jim Bullock Debbie Sterbinsky Mike Dalton Milene Rawlinson |
| Comments from Our Readers |
These islands look gorgeous and idyllic - despite being manmade! I cannot help but
envy those who can travel here; I have a friend hoping to travel to Dubai this year for
her architectural school and no doubt she'll get to see these.
I so wanted the islands to appear naturally this way but I knew it was too good to be
true - still, another good quiz since I had never heard of the Palms Islands before. My
husband would call them 'manufactured entertainment' but I'll take them myself, they
are still pretty Nicole Blank
*****
I recognized this right away, but started googling "Saudi Arabia" cuz I don't pay
attention to detail! Debbie Johnson
*****
This extravagance hopefully will fail as the world's wealth is put to more useful
purposes than pandering to the greedy and avaricious! With the current push in Arab
Nations following the recent events in Tunisia and Egypt I hold a hope that there will be
a less autocratic government in Dubai and the other United Arab Emirates.
Richard Wakeham
*****
knew what this was right away because I had seen part of the construction of the island
a couple of years ago on (I think) The Discovery Channel. Even thought the TV show
only was about the dredging and what had to be considered to keep it from washing
away, they had plans and models of what it was expected to look like.
Bill Burrows
*****
t seems rather difficult to find recent information on the Palm Islands project. Even the Wikipedia
pages that list updates today still have information that doesn't go past 2007 or 2008, and the
promoter's web site is dated 2007. I would say the status is:
shaky. Peter Norton
*****
It is not really physically sinking (the 5mm. per year drop that was detected is
impossible to have been detected), however, it may be sinking investment-wise. Sorta
like buying swampland in FL...hey, wait; that's where I live!
Dennis Brann
*****
Last week's quiz was too hard... didn't figure it out. At least I recognized this one!
Interesting place. Evan Hindman
*****
This looked like something Dubai would do, so I just googled Marina in Dubai and found
it. Marilyn Hamill
N.B. I just googled "weird islands" and came up with the idea. - Q. Gen.
*****
I saw this archipelago on a National Geographic special, "Impossible Islands".
Nelsen Spickard
N.B. Yes I get your drift. Those developers are probably having the sinking feeling
their project will never be completed. - Q. Gen.
*****
The reason I knew this right away is because these islands were featured in the Dubai
Open tennis championship commercials on the Tennis Channel. Naturally, they caught
my attention Alex Sissoev
*****
Cool pic! Thanks for finding this one. Was not familiar with it. Roberta Martin
*****
I haven't been able to book any rooms yet, but I'll have to start saving up to even afford
one meal. Gina Hudson
*****
Breakwater designed to protect island. Lack of tidal action created a stagnant pond.
Breakwater openings allow tidal action to oxigenate the pond. The ocean is a tough
adversary. The tidal action will also work on the sand fill. By 2030 it may be a tourist
attraction but, like the leaning tower of piza, not for the reason the builder intended.
Arthur Hartwell
envy those who can travel here; I have a friend hoping to travel to Dubai this year for
her architectural school and no doubt she'll get to see these.
I so wanted the islands to appear naturally this way but I knew it was too good to be
true - still, another good quiz since I had never heard of the Palms Islands before. My
husband would call them 'manufactured entertainment' but I'll take them myself, they
are still pretty Nicole Blank
*****
I recognized this right away, but started googling "Saudi Arabia" cuz I don't pay
attention to detail! Debbie Johnson
*****
This extravagance hopefully will fail as the world's wealth is put to more useful
purposes than pandering to the greedy and avaricious! With the current push in Arab
Nations following the recent events in Tunisia and Egypt I hold a hope that there will be
a less autocratic government in Dubai and the other United Arab Emirates.
Richard Wakeham
*****
knew what this was right away because I had seen part of the construction of the island
a couple of years ago on (I think) The Discovery Channel. Even thought the TV show
only was about the dredging and what had to be considered to keep it from washing
away, they had plans and models of what it was expected to look like.
Bill Burrows
*****
t seems rather difficult to find recent information on the Palm Islands project. Even the Wikipedia
pages that list updates today still have information that doesn't go past 2007 or 2008, and the
promoter's web site is dated 2007. I would say the status is:
shaky. Peter Norton
*****
It is not really physically sinking (the 5mm. per year drop that was detected is
impossible to have been detected), however, it may be sinking investment-wise. Sorta
like buying swampland in FL...hey, wait; that's where I live!
Dennis Brann
*****
Last week's quiz was too hard... didn't figure it out. At least I recognized this one!
Interesting place. Evan Hindman
*****
This looked like something Dubai would do, so I just googled Marina in Dubai and found
it. Marilyn Hamill
N.B. I just googled "weird islands" and came up with the idea. - Q. Gen.
*****
I saw this archipelago on a National Geographic special, "Impossible Islands".
Nelsen Spickard
N.B. Yes I get your drift. Those developers are probably having the sinking feeling
their project will never be completed. - Q. Gen.
*****
The reason I knew this right away is because these islands were featured in the Dubai
Open tennis championship commercials on the Tennis Channel. Naturally, they caught
my attention Alex Sissoev
*****
Cool pic! Thanks for finding this one. Was not familiar with it. Roberta Martin
*****
I haven't been able to book any rooms yet, but I'll have to start saving up to even afford
one meal. Gina Hudson
*****
Breakwater designed to protect island. Lack of tidal action created a stagnant pond.
Breakwater openings allow tidal action to oxigenate the pond. The ocean is a tough
adversary. The tidal action will also work on the sand fill. By 2030 it may be a tourist
attraction but, like the leaning tower of piza, not for the reason the builder intended.
Arthur Hartwell
| The Palm Islands: Palm Jumierah, Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Diera |
| How Harold Solved the Puzzle |
| I already knew this from my work a few seasons back. I used the opportunity to test some similar-image search engines using the URL from this site http://www.forensicgenealogy.info/images/island_5.jpg. Most SI engines are text-based; after the search for your keywords, a result is chosen and the SI search begins. Of these engines, Google stands out. I typed 'Island shaped' into Google Images and auto-complete brought up 'like a palm tree"; as the third hit. Clicking "similar" on one of the resulting images brought good hits. The major players of the image-upload SI engines are Tineye, BYO Image Search Lab (run by Tineye's parent company, Idee), and Gazopa. The two Idee sites struck out. Gazopa brought back usable Jumeirah images, although the engine could have done much better: the parent webpages for the images were a bit flaky. A fun exercise. Harold Atchison |
| A Few More Interesting Solutions |
| This was actually another easy one, although when I first saw it I didn't know how to figure it out. Then I just looked a little harder and trusted in Google. I put in "island frond encircle" or something like that, working from the picture, and I got it almost immediately. Herschel Brown ***** I actually only Googled once with the term "circular island", clicked on Images, and there a pic was of one of the islands on the first page of images. I got really lucky with that one since some of my Google searches send me off on wild goose chases for hours. I was a little sad though that a map quiz was solved so quickly! Nicole Blank |
| ********** |
| I didn’t have any trouble with this one because I knew it was Dubai immediately. I had seen this, I guess, when they were built. As extravagant as that country has been with their “indoor” ski slopes, etc. it’s no wonder they are getting a little strapped for cash. I though oil money lasted forever! Betty Chambers ***** N.B. Betty is referring to the indoor ski slope located in the Mall of the Emirates, located in Dubai. It is one of the largest shopping malls in the world, and includes 60-meter high indoor mountain with 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty, including a 400-meter-long run, the world's first indoor black run, and a 90- meter-long quarter pipe |
| for snowboarders. A quad lift and a tow lift carry skiers and snowboarders up the mountain. Adjoining the slopes is a 3,000-square-meter Snow Park play area comprising sled and toboggan runs, an icy body slide, climbing towers, a snowball shooting gallery, an ice cave and a 3D theater. Other attractions include a mirror maze and a snowman-making area. Winter clothing, ski and snowboard equipment are included in the price of admission. To book tickets click here. |
I used Microsoft's Bing Maps to get these views. It looks to me that they have made
an expensive slum on the fronds! I can see why some buyers have concerns about the
units being crammed together. Doesn't look like Paradise to me. Bill Burrows
an expensive slum on the fronds! I can see why some buyers have concerns about the
units being crammed together. Doesn't look like Paradise to me. Bill Burrows
| Bedrooms - 4 Saleable area 416.03m /4,478.14ft Terraces & balconies 53.98m /581.04ft Enclosed garage & service spaces 60.68m / 653.15ft Total area 530.69m / 5,712.33ft Swimming pool 3m x 6m Finishes - Traditional / Modern |
| ATRIUM ENTRY MEDITERRANEAN 4 BEDROOMS |
| LOCATION |
| FEATURES Finest Marble with borders of inset mosaics and mahogany skirting's Mahogany framed doors with solid timber panels, fitted with carved panels and etched glass Recessed down lights on dimmers, wall sconces in stairs and cloakrooms, additional fixings and power provided for chandeliers Roca & Grohe bathroom fittings used in all bathrooms Poggenpohl cabinets with dark Chesnut paneled doors Miele kitchen fittings High quality decorative wall lights and mirrors |
| Locations Available on Palm Jemeirah www.palmjumeirah.ae/property-info.php?developmentId=5&styleId=51 |
| Villa Tip Palm F |
| Plot Area: 160,871 sq ft Usage: Residential Plot Coverage: 40% Maximum Building Height: G+1 (8.5 meters subject to design approval) |
(10.6 billion cubic feet) of sand. Since the island is so large, it is being developed in
several phases. The first one is the creation of Deira Island. This portion of the Palm
will sit alongside the Deira Corniche between the entrance to Dubai Creek and Al
Hamriya Port. Promotional materials state that Deira Island will act as "the gateway to
The Palm Deira" and help to revitalize the aging area of Deira. By early April 2008, 80%
of Deira Island Front's reclamation was complete.
A new redesign was quietly introduced in November 2008, further reducing the size of
the project. Since 2008 project is on-hold.
realtyworld.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/the-palms-islands/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Islands
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jumeirah
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jebel_Ali
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Deira
several phases. The first one is the creation of Deira Island. This portion of the Palm
will sit alongside the Deira Corniche between the entrance to Dubai Creek and Al
Hamriya Port. Promotional materials state that Deira Island will act as "the gateway to
The Palm Deira" and help to revitalize the aging area of Deira. By early April 2008, 80%
of Deira Island Front's reclamation was complete.
A new redesign was quietly introduced in November 2008, further reducing the size of
the project. Since 2008 project is on-hold.
realtyworld.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/the-palms-islands/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Islands
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jumeirah
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jebel_Ali
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Deira
| ******* |
| Villa Tip Palm P |
| ********** |
| Plot Area: 102,412 sq ft Usage: Residential Plot Coverage: 40% Maximum Building Height: G+1 (8.5 meters subject to design approval) |
| ******* |
| Frond J |
| Area Range: (14,624 – 15,993) sq ft Price Starting from: 7,859,500 AED 2,139,862 USD Usage: Residential Plot Coverage: 40% Maximum Building Height: G+2 (12 m) Limited number of prime Frond plots |
| ******* |
| Fronds K and I |
| Area Range: (15,607 – 18,861) sq ft Price Starting from: 7,859,500 AED 2,139,862 USD Usage: Residential Plot Coverage: 40% Maximum Building Height: G+2 (12 m) Limited number of prime Frond plots |
| ********** |
| ********** |
of the other two islands. It is situated on the Jebel Ali
coastal area of the Dubai emirate. This man-made
palm-shaped island contains a crown with 17 fronds,
a truck, and an encompassing crescent island forming
a water-breaker.
The Palm Jebel Ali are artificial archipelago, and
began construction in October 2002 and was
expected to be completed in mid 2008, but because of
the downturn in the Dubai economy, progress has
been slowed. The Palm Jebel Ali is expected to
accommodate 1.7 million people by 2020. Once it has
been completed, it will be encircled by Dubai
Waterfront. The project, which is 50 percent larger
than the Palm Jumeirah, will include six marinas, a
water theme park, 'Sea Village', homes built on stilts
above the water, and boardwalks that circle the
"fronds" of the "palm" and spell out an Arabic poem
by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum:
coastal area of the Dubai emirate. This man-made
palm-shaped island contains a crown with 17 fronds,
a truck, and an encompassing crescent island forming
a water-breaker.
The Palm Jebel Ali are artificial archipelago, and
began construction in October 2002 and was
expected to be completed in mid 2008, but because of
the downturn in the Dubai economy, progress has
been slowed. The Palm Jebel Ali is expected to
accommodate 1.7 million people by 2020. Once it has
been completed, it will be encircled by Dubai
Waterfront. The project, which is 50 percent larger
than the Palm Jumeirah, will include six marinas, a
water theme park, 'Sea Village', homes built on stilts
above the water, and boardwalks that circle the
"fronds" of the "palm" and spell out an Arabic poem
by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum:
| Palm Jumeirah |
| ********** |
| ********** |
| Palm Jebel Ali |
| Palm Jebel Ali mid-2005 |
| Take wisdom from the wise It takes a man of vision to write on water Not everyone who rides a horse is a jockey Great men rise to greater challenges |
| Palm Diera |
The Palm Deira was announced for
development in October 2004. No
timetable for completion has been
announced. The first announced design
was 8 times larger than the Palm
Jumeirah, and 5 times larger than the Palm
Jebel Ali, and was intended to house one
million people. Originally, the design called
for a 14 km (8.7 mile) by 8.5 km (5.3
mile) island with 41 fronds. Due to a
substantial change in depth in the Persian
Gulf the farther out the island goes, the
island was redesigned in May 2007. The
project then became a 12.5 km (7.76 mile)
by 7.5 km (4.66 mile) island with 18 larger
fronds. It will be located alongside Deira.
By early October 2007, 20% of the
island's reclamation was complete, with a
total of 200 million cubic metres (7 billion
cubic feet) of sand already used. Then in
early April 2008, Nakheel announced that
more than a quarter of the total area of the
Palm Deira had been reclaimed. This
amounted to 300 million cubic metres
development in October 2004. No
timetable for completion has been
announced. The first announced design
was 8 times larger than the Palm
Jumeirah, and 5 times larger than the Palm
Jebel Ali, and was intended to house one
million people. Originally, the design called
for a 14 km (8.7 mile) by 8.5 km (5.3
mile) island with 41 fronds. Due to a
substantial change in depth in the Persian
Gulf the farther out the island goes, the
island was redesigned in May 2007. The
project then became a 12.5 km (7.76 mile)
by 7.5 km (4.66 mile) island with 18 larger
fronds. It will be located alongside Deira.
By early October 2007, 20% of the
island's reclamation was complete, with a
total of 200 million cubic metres (7 billion
cubic feet) of sand already used. Then in
early April 2008, Nakheel announced that
more than a quarter of the total area of the
Palm Deira had been reclaimed. This
amounted to 300 million cubic metres
(Top) Artist's rendition of Palm Diera
before redesign; (Bottom) Palm Diera
as of 1 May 2007
before redesign; (Bottom) Palm Diera
as of 1 May 2007
The Palm Islands (Atlantis) are an artificial archipelago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
on which major commercial and residential infrastructures will be constructed. They
are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab
Emirates, who hired Belgian and Dutch dredging and marine contractor Jan De Nul and
Van Oord, some of the world's specialists in land reclamation. The islands are the Palm
Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.
Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, and will
have a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers. The Palm Islands
are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add
520 kilometres of beaches to the city of Dubai.
on which major commercial and residential infrastructures will be constructed. They
are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab
Emirates, who hired Belgian and Dutch dredging and marine contractor Jan De Nul and
Van Oord, some of the world's specialists in land reclamation. The islands are the Palm
Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.
Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, and will
have a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers. The Palm Islands
are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add
520 kilometres of beaches to the city of Dubai.
| Palm Jebel Ali |
| Controversy en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jumeirah |
| ********** |
The complexities of the construction have been blamed, in part, for the extended delays
to the completion of the project, the date of which has been pushed back multiple times
and is now nearly two years late. Further controversy was engendered when it was
revealed that after launching the project, Nakheel increased the number of residential
units on the island (with a concomitant reduction in the amount of physical space
between individual properties) from the originally-announced 4500 (comprising 2000
villas and 2500 apartments) to an estimated 8000 without recompense to those
investors who had purchased early in the expectation of greater separation between
properties.[9] This increase was attributed to Nakheel miscalculating the actual cost of
construction and requiring the raising of additional capital, although Nakheel has never
commented publicly on the matter.
Doubts have also been expressed about the quality of the construction and finishing of
the properties on the island and the real ability of the infrastructure on both the Palm
and the mainland to cope with the stresses of the sheer number of people leaving from
and returning to the development every day once complete.
Furthermore, there are numerous concerns about the environmental impact of the Palm.
As originally constructed, the breakwater was a continuous barrier, but it was realized
that by preventing natural tidal movement, the seawater within the Palm was becoming
stagnant. The problem was corrected by adding an additional gap in the barrier.[10] As
explained in the National Geographic Channel's documentary Impossible Islands, part of
its MegaStructures series, the breakwater was subsequently modified to create gaps on
either side, allowing tidal movement to oxygenate the water within and prevent it
stagnating, albeit less efficiently than would be the case if the breakwater did not exist.
This same episode addressed the issue of marine life as well, but stated that the
breakwater has actually encouraged marine life and that new marine species are moving
into the area.
In a 2009 article describing the collapsing Dubai economy, The New York Times
reported that the Palm was sinking and this has been confirmed now by geological
surveys, at the moment it is 5 millimetres (0.20 in) per year but this could increase
rapidly. Furthermore there are many reported cases where people had bought houses
before they were built and are furious about the space available now and the way they
seem to be living on top of each other.
Nakheel refuted the claims by the New York Times who had quoted one small ground
survey firm that the island was sinking. They defended the single claim by saying that
there had been no reports of any structural problems on any of the buildings on the
island which would be expected if there were any subsidence. Nakheel also outlined
that claims suggesting Palm Jumeirah has sunk by 5mm, as detected by remote sensing
(satellite) techniques, are not possible given that NASA’s laser altimeter satellites have
an accuracy of only + or – 50 millimetres (2.0 in).
to the completion of the project, the date of which has been pushed back multiple times
and is now nearly two years late. Further controversy was engendered when it was
revealed that after launching the project, Nakheel increased the number of residential
units on the island (with a concomitant reduction in the amount of physical space
between individual properties) from the originally-announced 4500 (comprising 2000
villas and 2500 apartments) to an estimated 8000 without recompense to those
investors who had purchased early in the expectation of greater separation between
properties.[9] This increase was attributed to Nakheel miscalculating the actual cost of
construction and requiring the raising of additional capital, although Nakheel has never
commented publicly on the matter.
Doubts have also been expressed about the quality of the construction and finishing of
the properties on the island and the real ability of the infrastructure on both the Palm
and the mainland to cope with the stresses of the sheer number of people leaving from
and returning to the development every day once complete.
Furthermore, there are numerous concerns about the environmental impact of the Palm.
As originally constructed, the breakwater was a continuous barrier, but it was realized
that by preventing natural tidal movement, the seawater within the Palm was becoming
stagnant. The problem was corrected by adding an additional gap in the barrier.[10] As
explained in the National Geographic Channel's documentary Impossible Islands, part of
its MegaStructures series, the breakwater was subsequently modified to create gaps on
either side, allowing tidal movement to oxygenate the water within and prevent it
stagnating, albeit less efficiently than would be the case if the breakwater did not exist.
This same episode addressed the issue of marine life as well, but stated that the
breakwater has actually encouraged marine life and that new marine species are moving
into the area.
In a 2009 article describing the collapsing Dubai economy, The New York Times
reported that the Palm was sinking and this has been confirmed now by geological
surveys, at the moment it is 5 millimetres (0.20 in) per year but this could increase
rapidly. Furthermore there are many reported cases where people had bought houses
before they were built and are furious about the space available now and the way they
seem to be living on top of each other.
Nakheel refuted the claims by the New York Times who had quoted one small ground
survey firm that the island was sinking. They defended the single claim by saying that
there had been no reports of any structural problems on any of the buildings on the
island which would be expected if there were any subsidence. Nakheel also outlined
that claims suggesting Palm Jumeirah has sunk by 5mm, as detected by remote sensing
(satellite) techniques, are not possible given that NASA’s laser altimeter satellites have
an accuracy of only + or – 50 millimetres (2.0 in).