Palm Jumeirah

architecture · Dubai · artificial islands · engineering

Giant palm shape. Palm Jumeirah is designed to look like a palm tree from above, with a tall trunk and 16 fronds spreading out like leaves. The whole thing was built by humans by dredging sand and rocks from the Gulf to create these new islands.

Home to thousands. More than 25,000 people live on Palm Jumeirah in luxury homes, apartments, and resorts. The island has become one of Dubai's most famous landmarks and a popular place for wealthy people to build their dream houses.

Record breaker. Palm Jumeirah is one of the largest artificial islands ever created by humans. It's part of an even bigger project that includes other palm-shaped islands and is meant to add 320 miles of new coastline to Dubai.

Built from the sea. Workers used special dredging ships to pump sand and rock from the ocean floor and pump it onto the area where the island would be. Then they surrounded everything with walls called breakwaters to protect it from waves and currents.