January 2006

Burj el Arab—literally, “the tower of the Arabs”—was built on the first artificial island. Also known as Burj Dubai, this hotel has become the symbol of the city. Standing 321 metres tall, it seemingly rises out of the waters in the shape of a bow fixed to a mast. This first construction marked the start of the offshore tourism project centred around the three Palm Islands and The World, a chain of islands laid out in the shape of the world’s continents.

 

Other luxury hotels along the coastline include the sail-shaped Jumeira Beach Hotel, opposite the yacht marina; the artificial lagoon of the Mina As Salam Hotel is clearly visible to the right of the Burj el Arab tower. The Mall of the Emirates can be seen in construction above the interchange to the right of the stretch of water. The mall is the third largest shopping complex in the world, with its own 400-metre-long indoor ski run (the white boomerang-shaped line to the right of the complex).