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