Dubai: Gigantomania in Action

There’s a lot of hype surrounding “Palm Jumeirah” – the first of a number of planned artificial islands is currently ready for occupancy. Until the end of the year, the owners of around 3,999 flats and luxurious villas (the most noble and expensive of which costs around four million USD) will be able to move in. The man-made island is 25 square kilometres large and has the form of a palm tree. Construction took five years and the media has covered the project throughout the entire phase. “The World”, the next project consisting of a number of islands, is already underway. Once finished, it will resemble a top view of a map of the world. Due to the unheard speed of construction on these mammoth projects, questions regarding ecological matters are rather subordinate, if they’re even answered at all. Experts are, for example, sceptical about the tremendous amount of sand that has to be moved and shifted for the construction of each project. (eap)