Exclusive: The Burj Al Arab is getting an amazing new extension
It’s all kicking off at the Burj Al Arab! We’re not shy in saying that it’s one of our favourite hotels here in Dubai, so we’re super excited to announce that it’s now getting a major extension in the form of the new ‘North Deck’ area. The crazy bit is that the so called North Deck is being built in Finland and then shipped over…that’s over 8,000 nautical miles!
The North Deck is due to open to guests in the second quarter of 2016 and will be a 10,000m/sq private luxury deck that will fan 100 metres out into the Arabian Gulf. It will accommodate 32 cabanas, 400 sun loungers, one fresh water pool measuring 612m/sq and one salt water pool measuring 828m/sq, one restaurant and a bar.
The deck has been developed by marine construction experts ADMARES at a shipyard in Finland that specialisies in the construction of cruise ships and yachts, he off-site process has meant minimal disruption to guests.
Made from steel and weighing around 5,000 tonnes, the North Deck left Finland on 9th January 2016 and is currently being transported to Dubai by sea. On arrival at the hotel in mid-February, the six sections will be lifted by crane and lowered onto a grid of 90 steel piles, each 914mm in diameter, stretching from the hotel out into the Arabian Gulf.
The construction and steel pile installation process will cause minimal impact to the marine environment. In fact it has been designed to provide shade for local fish and to attract undersea ecosystems that are known to cluster around steel piles.
Robert Swade, Jumeirah Group Chief Operating Officer said: “Dubai is renowned for providing exceptional experiences. This is the first time a structure of this nature and size has been built in one country and then transported to another country to be assembled and operated. We are really pushing the boundaries of innovation and demonstrating how committed we are to positioning Dubai as the most exciting destination in the world and Burj Al Arab Jumeirah as the finest provider of luxury experiences.”
We say: Wow…we can’t see it all up and running!
