Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is the largest manmade archipelago

When poet John Donne (1572-1631) said “No Man is an Island”, the sentiment was echoed by many around the world who believed that man is a social animal. Then, why indeed did this fascination develop towards building one? Meaning artificial or man-made islands.

An island is a piece of land surrounded by water. Water is an elixir to all living beings. When we look at the horizon, we see endless water merging with the sky. Is it any wonder why we are drawn to living in the middle of a water body? While nature was kind enough to form lovely islands in the middle of sea, ocean and fresh water bodies; dwelling on a remote natural island has its own challenges. To make it livable, an island has to be set up with infrastructure that helps with connectivity, safety, supplies and basic living conditions. Over time, individuals who are wealthy and also public figures have discovered a dire need for privacy for themselves and their loved ones. Those with the means and sources to do so, have developed beautiful islands to cater to the needs of the wanderlust celebrities and such, with amenities and conveniences that can put well developed residential areas to shame.

Governments of island countries attract investments and tourism for sustaining their economy. It is also much needed to produce job opportunities for the local population and have trade relations. Agriculture and natural resources alone cannot support better living conditions, education, healthcare and other basic facilities for the people. Tourism is seasonal and cannot pay for everything, all season. In spite of these challenges, island tourism is vastly embraced by people around the world for sandy beaches, blue skies and turquoise waters. Those who can afford to rent, share or buy cottages on popular destinations, will do so. There are high end villas and resorts in the remotest corners of the world amidst oceans that is privately owned by famous actors, sportspersons, politicians, business people and also decorated stalwarts of their own fields. These high networth individuals also own private islands. It is often not easy to maintain or access these private islands due to labor problems, weather conditions, electricity issues to name a few.

These modern day issues were hardly a barrier for the ancient Egyptian civilization and the likes, to form artificial islands. Historically, man-made islands were formed to protect the people from the attack of the enemies but the newer ones are made on urban harbors from the perspective of having differential real estate and attract tourist investments. Major cities in the world are crowded with tall skyscrapers, commercial buildings and tiny apartments with no breathing space and high property costs. On a sunny day, there is no retreat for the uber professional in the concrete jungle.

That’s when big land developers came up with stunning designs and structure of manmade island. These islands are formed by land reclamation and solid structural engineering. Huge land areas are dredged and relocated. Based on land size location, impact of artificial islands on nature will vary. New land area may also attract marine life for the possible addition to their existing habitat. Although the Dutch get to claim the largest area for manmade island Flevopolder in Flevoland, Netherlands, the popularity for such manmade land is claimed by UAE’s Palm Jumeirah in the current times (Jumeirah means beautiful and is also the coastal area of Dubai). It is part of the Palm Islands.

The Palm Islands consisting of Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira is an artificial group of islands extending into the Persian Gulf and increasing Dubai's shoreline by a total of 320 miles. Shaped like a Palm tree, this fascinating island project was developed by Nakheel, the local real estate conglomerate, providing unique real estate for the McMansions along the fronds of the Palm tree shape. Some million tons of mountain rock stacked around the island was designed to protect the island from waves and storms. Middle East's first monorail runs the entire stretch of the island and a 6 lane undersea tunnel connects the island to the beaches all around. Palm Jumeirah has a number of hotels, resorts and villas. The island also has a well-developed retail and dining options. The Aquaventure Waterpark also provides the much needed entertainment for children as well as adults who enjoy water sports.

Several builders offer contemporary, luxury homes, Villas and Townhouses across the Palm Jumeirah, to buy or rent through real estate agents. You can own a piece of this special island by investing in a villa or townhouse that suits you and your family. You can find a property with a gorgeous skyline view or beach front. You can find a Versace designed gallery view and many other types of signature villa. Whatever you are looking for, it’s here on this Palm Island, the beautiful Jumeirah.