| Dubai has rapidly risen through the ranks to become | | | | well as the groynes, sand is being deposited by |
| one of the world's top tourist destinations thanks to a | | | | engineers as quickly as it is being washed away by |
| number of diverse factors, not least of which includes | | | | the seas with over 500,000 cubic metres poured on |
| a recent and sustained period of heavy investment in | | | | existing beaches by the coastal management |
| the construction of residential, holiday and commercial | | | | department. |
| properties in the Emirate. | | | | The Dubai coastal zone stretches from the Abu Dhabi |
| As well as the intensive building programme, Dubai has | | | | border in the south to the Emirate of Sharjah in the |
| also invested heavily in ensuring that the infrastructure | | | | north, passing through the City of Dubai, and it is this |
| is in place to match their lofty construction ambitions. | | | | entire stretch of approximately 70 kilometres that is |
| The government's strategic approach ensures that | | | | under observation by the engineers. But, as they point |
| they never take their eye off the ball and pay attention | | | | out the erosion is nothing new, it has always affected |
| to every detail; nothing is overlooked and that includes | | | | the Dubai coast. However, due to the massive |
| the beaches. | | | | programme of construction that has seen many new |
| Dubai's beaches and parks offer a diverse range of | | | | properties being built close to the sea, it is now |
| recreational and leisure activities, and prove a big draw | | | | becoming a threat to those hotels, houses and holiday |
| for the millions of tourists that visit every year. | | | | homes. |
| However, coastal erosion is a real problem in Dubai as | | | | Indeed, another concern of the engineers is that the |
| the sea is eating away almost 50 metres of beach | | | | building of the mega projects off the coast of Dubai, |
| every two years, according to figures collected by | | | | such as The World, are actually increasing the effect |
| engineers at the Coastal Management Section of | | | | of the onshore erosion. They are calling for any |
| Dubai Municipality. This has prompted the development | | | | development, whether it is a one-off new luxury beach |
| of a new mission to protect the Persian Gulf shore | | | | hotel in Dubai or a mega project built off-shore to be |
| and the subsequent buildings behind it by the specialist | | | | assessed for its likely impact on the region's beaches. |
| government department. | | | | As they point out, the beaches are one of the major |
| Five-tonne bags of sand have been strategically | | | | reasons why millions of tourists are flocking to the |
| positioned 100 metres from the shore in a protective | | | | region in the first place, so they should ensure that |
| arc known as a groyne to prevent the destruction of | | | | further development does not affect them too |
| the Umm Suqeim beach, which has many houses | | | | adversely. |
| behind it under real threat from the coastal erosion. As | | | | |