Jebel Ali (Arabic: جبل علي) is a port town 35 kilometers (22 mi) south-west of Dubai. The Jebel Ali Port is located there. Al Maktoum International Airport has been constructed just outside the port area. Jebel Ali is connected to Dubai via the UAE Exchange (formerly Jebel Ali), Danube (formerly Jebel Ali Industrial) and Energy stations on the Dubai Metro.[citation needed] Among the infrastructure projects built to support the port and town is the world's largest desalination plant, the Jebel Ali Desalination Plant (Phase 2), providing an ample supply of freshwater.[citation needed]
History
Many Arab historians argue that it was named after Ali, who was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad while expanding the Islamic Caliphate had stood on one hill and looked towards the sea and perhaps known as well although no such recorded proof has been found. "Jebel" means mountain or hill in Arabic.[1]
In 1968, Overseas AST started construction of Dubai's first Communications Station in the Jebal Ali area, because of the raised ground.[1] It was commissioned in 1970, giving for the first time telecommunication links with the rest of the world. In the 1970s, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum planned to develop Jebel Ali into an industrial area with its own airport, port, and township.[2]
On 23 September 1983, Gulf Air Flight 771 crashed in Jebel Ali killing all 112 people on board. The cause of the crash was a terrorist bomb that had been planted onboard the aircraft by the Abu Nidal Organization.[3]
In 1985, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) was created: an industrial area surrounding the port. International companies that relocate there enjoy the special privileges of the free zone. These include exemption from corporate tax for 50 years, no personal income tax, no import or re-export duties, no restriction on currency, and easy labor supply and recruitment from authorized companies.[4][5][6][7][8]
Jebel Ali has become the port most frequently visited by ships of the United States Navy outside the United States. Due to the depth of the harbour and size of the port facilities, a Nimitz-classaircraft carrier and several ships of the accompanying strike group can be accommodated pierside. Due to the frequency of these port visits, semi-permanent shore-leave facilities (referred to by US Navy service personnel as "The Sandbox") have been erected adjacent to the carrier berth.[citation needed]
The original Jebel Ali Village (JAV) was constructed in 1977 to provide accommodation to construction contractors' staff involved with the development of Jebel Ali.[2] Jebel Ali Village was effectively a small British-style garden city.[14] It was a project of Sir William Halcrow and Partners and acted as a prototype for further semi-autonomous residential areas in Dubai such as Emirates Hills and The Gardens.[15] Construction for the redevelopment of Jebel Ali village began by 2008. More recently in 2021, it was announced that the previously isolated Jebel Ali Village was to be transformed to make way for luxury villas by Nakheel Properties.[16]
Palm Jebel Ali (نخلة جبل علي) is an artificial archipelago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which began construction in October 2002, was originally planned to be completed by mid-2008 and has been on hold since.[25] Creative Kingdom provided master planning services for the island and Leisure Quest International (USA) developed entertainment and attraction concepts. The project, which is 50 percent larger than Palm Jumeirah, is proposed to include six marinas, a water theme park, 'Sea Village', homes built on stilts above the water, and boardwalks that circle the "fronds" of the "palm" and spell out an Arabic poem by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.[26]
The breakwater was completed in December 2006, and infrastructure work began in April 2007.[27]] Major construction will not begin until most of the infrastructure work is complete.[28] Following the financial crisis of 2008 work was suspended and the developers, Nakheel, have confirmed no work would take place on the development in the near future.
Nakheel invited several architects to design one of the buildings for the Palm on a 300,000 m2 area. The winning design was a building by Royal Haskoning, who also worked on several other projects in Dubai.[29] The residential villas to be built and sold by the developer were designed by Serendipity By Design LLC,[30] a firm based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The villa types were to be categorised by size and style; 40 series[31] (the largest), garden villas[32] and signature villas.[33]
In the first signs of a slowing Dubai property market, the prices of properties being sold on Palm Jebel Ali were reported to have fallen by 40% in the two months to November 2008, with the fall being attributed to the Financial crisis of 2007–2010.[34]
In 2009, the Dubai Land Department investigated complaints into Nakheel stalling the Palm Jebel Ali project.[35] Nakheel offered investors alternative homes in other projects but these were inferior properties. In March 2011 Nakheel offered refunds to property investors. Palm Jebel Ali's developer planned to house more than 250,000 people on it.[36]
In the original schedule, by 2021, the first phase of four theme parks would have opened on the Crescent. These planned parks, which together will be called "World of Discovery," will be developed and operated by the Busch Entertainment Corporation. The parks include SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove. The World of Discovery will be located at the top of the Crescent, which will form into the shape of an orca (reminiscent of Shamu).[37][38] In 2013, State news agency WAM said a decree by ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum said a special legal committee would be established over the building bubble. This included using funds following liquidation of scores of cancelled building projects to repay investors who lost billions in the Emirates property market. It was suggested that this would settle disputes related to projects that had been officially cancelled by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).[39]
In November 2014, 74 owners on Palm Jebel Ali wrote to the Ruler of Dubai via the Ruler's Court regarding the stalled PJA project.[40] On 16 March 2015, Nakheel Chairman Mr Ali Lootah confirmed that Nakheel remains committed to the project long term but asked "what can I do" for original investors.[41]
In October 2018, Sanjay Manchanda, CEO of Nakheel, confirmed that there are no immediate plans to restart development of the project. [40] In July 2021, it was announced that Nakheel planned to restart the project by considering plans involving building villas on the island. [41] In April 2022, reports began to circulate that Nakheel had petitioned the Dubai courts and secured a hearing in the absence of investors (as no notice given) to secure a judgement to formally cancel the Palm Jebel Ali project, which was apparently granted on 19th May 2022. Consequently 724 previous villa contracts were made null and void as per the judgement, with the aim to return back only the original investment, without recognition of any secondary market transaction premium paid, or compensation as per the clause in the Nakheel property contract (Sales Purchase Agreement.[42] Furthermore, no account was made of any opportunity cost including potential return on investment including even compound interest.
In September 2022, Nakheel announced a rebranding exercise.[43]]Soon after, it revealed its plans to relaunch Palm Jebel Ali.[44] It has been reported in the Wall Street Journal that high vaccination rates and zero taxes is making Dubai a pandemic boomtown, with many wealthy Russians expected to move there, now access to Western property has become significantly more challenging with International bans and enhanced anti-money laundering laws.[45] Recently, it was revealed that Nakheel is nearing completion of $4.6 billion of debt restructuring to relaunch its landmark projects. “Nakheel is paying a lower spread and getting more money for new projects, including Palm Jebel Ali,” stated one banker on the deal.[46] Nakheel plans to build 1,700 villas and 6,000 apartments.
^1. Sarah Blackman. "Palm Jebel Ali enabling works to be awarded soon". Retrieved 18 April 2016.
^Jump up to:a b "The Palm Jebel Ali (Palm Islands, Dubai) - Property Development". The Emirates Network. 2007. Archived from the original on 2018-12-02. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
^"Worlds Of Discovery Planned For Nakheel's The Palm Jebel Ali In Dubai". Anheuser-Busch. 2008-02-28. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
^Jump up to:a b "Dubai's Palm and World Islands - progress update". AMEInfo. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
^"WAN:: Palm Jebel Ali by Royal Haskoning in Dubai, United Arab Emirates". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
^"Architectural firm in Dubai Dublin Manila". serendipity.
^"Palm Jebel Ali, 40 series villa's". serendipity.
