Bluewaters Island

Bluewaters Island is an artificial island 400 metres (1,300 ft) off the Jumeirah Beach Residence coastline, near Dubai Marina, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Bluewaters Island
View of the beachfront
General information
StatusComplete[1]
LocationJumeirah Beach Residence coastline, near Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates25°4′47.471″N 55°7′19.257″E
Construction startedApril 2013[2]
Estimated completionQ1 2018[1]
CostAED 6 billion[2]

The project was approved by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and unveiled on February 13, 2013.[2][3] It is built on reclaimed land by Meraas Holding, with dredging work conducted by Van Oord,[4] the Dutch firm known for its work on Palm Jumeirah, at an estimated cost AED 6 billion (1.6 billion USD, including the Ain Dubai, formerly the Dubai Eye).[1] Construction was originally due to start in April 2013,[2] but actually began on May 20, 2013.[1] It opened in November 2018.[5]

The island includes entertainment, hospitality, residential, and retail zones, and is forecast to attract more than three million visitors annually.[2][3]

The island features two five-star hotels with direct beach access.[6] Bluewaters also has around 200 beverage and retail and food outlets in the ground level of residential buildings and entertainment section of the island.[7] The total number of residential buildings on the island is 10. Each of these is considered mid-rise and features 15 storeys or fewer.[8]

Ain Dubai
Main article: Ain Dubai

Bluewaters Island will feature the AED 1 billion ($274m[1]) Ain Dubai (formerly the Dubai Eye), a 274-metre (899 ft) tall giant Ferris wheel. When completed, it will be 85.4 m (280 ft) taller than the current world's tallest Ferris wheel, the 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller, which opened in Las Vegas in March 2014,[9] and 177.5 m (582 ft) taller than the 225.5 m (740 ft) New York Wheel planned for Staten Island.[10][11]

Design and construction are being undertaken by Hyundai Contracting and Starneth Engineering.[12] Construction started in May 2015.[13]

The wheel will be able to carry up to 1,400 passengers, in its 48 capsules, and provide views of Dubai Marina and landmarks such as Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah.[2] Its base will serve as an entertainment zone, and an 89-square-metre (960 sq ft) LED screen will be mounted on the wheel creating an electronic platform for broadcasting, advertisements, and other information.[2][14] The first passenger capsule was installed on August 21, 2020.[15]

References
  1. "Work begins on $1.6bn Bluewaters island in Dubai". ConstructionWeekOnline.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  2. "Dh6b tourism project in Dubai unveiled". Gulf News. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  3. "Dubai unveils Dh6b hot spot". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  4. "Van Oord wins dredging deal for Meraas island". Construction Week.
  5. "Dubai island Bluewaters is now open - and you can walk there from JBR". The National. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  6. "Bluewaters, an island here destination in Dubai, is now open". 7.
  7. Four things you should know about Bluewaters Island https://gulfnews.com/business/property/four-things-you-should-know-about-bluewaters-island-1.2009001
  8. "Bluewaters (Meraas)". Off-Plan Properties Dubai. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  9. Trejos, Nancy. "World's tallest Ferris wheel opens in Vegas". USA Today. Knight Ridder. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  10. "Dubai proposes Ferris wheel taller than planned Staten Island wheel; would be completed before NYC attraction". New York Daily News. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  11. "Dubai Eye: Construction Of World's Largest Ferris Wheel Set To Begin Later This Year". Travelers Today. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  12. Dubai eyes world's tallest observation wheel, CNN Travel.
  13. Davids, Gavin (June 1, 2015). "First leg of Dubai Eye big wheel lifted into place". constructionnews.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  14. Deulgaonkar, Parag (June 29, 2015). "Oasis in sky: World's largest ferris wheel taking shape in Dubai". Emirates 24/7. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  15. Devlin, Grant (August 24, 2020). "Ain Dubai gets first passenger pod". The National. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
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