Palm Jumeirah, Dubai's world-renowned artificial islands, celebrates its 20th anniversary

From a height of over 50 stories, Ali Mansour gazes down at the islands he helped create nearly two decades ago. 'It was a monumental challenge,' he recalls. 'A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'

These islands form Dubai's iconic Palm Jumeirah – a palm-shaped, man-made archipelago featuring luxurious resorts, pristine beaches, and a population nearing 80,000.

'It was a first of its kind,' recalls Mansour, 'an unparalleled project of such magnitude.'

A civil engineer by profession, Mansour moved from Canada to Dubai in 1998 to join a consultancy firm. He observed from afar as the Palm project commenced in 2001. 'I became fascinated when the first satellite images emerged in 2002, showing a small patch of land rising from the sea,' he says. 'That’s when I knew I had to be part of the team working on this groundbreaking project.'

A year later, Mansour became part of Nakheel, the developer behind the Palm. He currently serves as an advisor and director of projects at Nakheel Marine Engineering.

Constructing the island

No steel or concrete were used in the island’s foundation; only sand and rock were utilized. Despite Dubai’s proximity to vast deserts, the team couldn’t use desert sand. 'Desert sand turns to liquid when submerged in water,' Mansour clarifies.

Approximately 120 million cubic meters of sand had to be dredged from the depths of the Persian Gulf, 10 nautical miles away from the islands. Over 7 million tons of rocks were extracted from the Hajar mountains in the UAE’s northern region.

These rocks form the crescent-shaped, 11-kilometer-long breakwater that shields the island from powerful waves and strong winds. According to Nakheel, the amount of rock and sand used for the island's construction could create a two-meter-high wall that would wrap around the Earth three times.

Spanning 560 hectares (1,380 acres), the island is so vast that Mansour and his team relied on satellite-guided technology to help shape the frond-like structure of the island.

A skilled diver as well, Mansour personally inspected the breakwater alongside five of his colleagues. 'We dived together in parallel at different depths,' he recalls. The inspection took 10 weeks to complete.

'Even though we had access to the latest software,' he explains, 'I’m an old-school guy… visual inspections are still crucial to me.'

Reaching new heights

For the first two decades of the Palm’s existence, the only way for visitors to take in the full scale of the massive structure was by taking a helicopter tour or skydiving from a plane.

Now, visitors can enjoy sweeping views of the Palm from Nakheel's new 360-degree observation deck, located 52 stories high, called The View at the Palm, which opened in April.

'We've continuously added new attractions and experiences to the Palm, transforming it from a residential area into a top-tier tourist destination,' says Gail Sangster, assets director for Nakheel.

Part of the upcoming Palm Tower, which is set to open later this year, The View at the Palm is the island's latest attraction, joining landmarks like the Atlantis resort and Palm West Beach. Last year, Palm Jumeirah also earned a Guinness World Record for hosting the world’s largest fountain. 'The future of the Palm is boundless,' Sangster concludes.

Even Mansour, who has explored nearly every corner of the island, still feels a thrill when he sees the Palm from above.

'The panoramic 360-degree view, with all the landmarks on the mainland and the island laid out in its entirety, is truly breathtaking,' he remarks.