UAE-TOURISM: Abu Dhabi reclaims sea for mega project

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Att.Editors: The following item is by the United Arab Emirates news agency (WAM)

ABU DHABI, May 22 2003 (IPS) - The emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is invading its own sea to expand westwards in a multi-billion dollar project involving extension of the breakwater and the construction of a Disneyland-style fun city, a wildlife reserve and a palm-dotted resort village for local and foreign tourists, according to a report in the ‘Gulf News’.

Bulldozers and trucks are racing against time to bury the azure Gulf water behind the massive Marina Mall complex that kicked off the mega project four years ago to usher in a new era for the emirate’s untapped tourism sector.

Visitors to the mall and the breakwater that faces the neat city facade across the calm waters can see clouds of dust most of the day as bulldozers dig into the ground. Large trucks shuttle along the uneven, narrow earth road laden with rocks and earth to transform the salty sea into inhabited land.

More than six square kilometers into the sea has been buried while vast, long earth roads have been constructed for the passage of bulldozers, trucks and workers. "It took us around four years to complete the Marina Mall project and more than this is needed for the resort project," said an engineer.

"There are several projects in this area including expansion of the mall and the breakwater, construction of a hotel, restaurants, recreation centers and apartments and villas."

Crossing from the Marina Mall to the other side of the road, a circular complex is taking shape just next to the world’s tallest flagpole that towers over the five-kilometer breakwater and faces Abu Dhabi’s luxurious seaside Corniche.

The project involves a new Heritage Village ordered by UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and is next to the growing Marine Sport Club and the popular ship restaurants, set up several years ago from traditional dhows donated by the President.

The National Investment Corporation is executing the expansion and development of the mall while a long road will be constructed across the sea to join it with the other side of the city, where the Conference Palace Hotel, one of the biggest hotels in the region, is being built. Work on that hotel, which will cost more than $200 million, has been underway for more than a year and it is just three kilometers from the planned resort.

As the bulldozers and trucks keep pushing their way through the water, they are now on the verge of connecting the breakwater with the nearby man-made Lulu island, where the fun city and the animal sanctuary will be set up. It already has been constructed and dotted with thousands of palm saplings and other plants.

"The Lulu project includes man-made lakes and ponds, parks, recreational and entertainment facilities, and areas reflecting the traditional lifestyle of the country," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Information and Culture.

"This mega project has been designed to make the island a natural wildlife sanctuary where animals, including deer and oryx, live peacefully and breed without disturbance," he said in reply to a question by a visitor to the UAE Interact website.

On the opposite side of the breakwater on the Corniche, bulldozers have almost finished burying a water stretch of more than four kilometers long and 500 meters wide as part of a major expansion and development of the once small, dirty beach. Apart from road expansions, the project involves building of parks, fun centers, restaurants, flyovers and underpasses, a heritage village and a museum.

"The project includes expansion of the Corniche road from Al Khaleej Al Arabi crossroad straight to the Mina Zayed instead of its present end. Recreation grounds along the road will be double its present size upon completion of the project," Sheikh Abdullah said.

"Apart from linking the Corniche road directly to the Mina Zayed which would ease the usual traffic congestion on the Corniche road, there will be a tunnel for traffic from Al Salam road going left to the Corniche road instead of the present traffic lights which control traffic going toward the Corniche road.

"Another tunnel is being considered on the Corniche to Mina Zayed road to avoid disruption of a free flow of traffic."

Engineers said work involving burying water along the Corniche has been mostly completed and the second phase of the project covering construction has been launched. Dredging was carried out by the National Marine Dredging Company as a subcontract offered by BM for Engineering and Construction, which won the main contract.

BM, a joint UAE-Turkish venture, was awarded the 180-million-dirham ($49 million) Corniche contract by the Abu Dhabi Municipality and it involves dredging, reclamation and construction of roads to be completed by mid 2003.

The next contract for the third stage of the project covering building of parks, mosques, shopping malls, and other recreations facilities will be awarded in 2003.