Dubai completes Dhs93m facelift of public beaches

Dubai Municipality (DM) has concluded the Dhs93m ‘makeover’ project focused on the sustainable rehabilitation of key public beaches in the emirate.

The public beaches ‘revamped’ include Al Mamzar Corniche, Jumeirah 1, Jumeirah 3 and Umm Suqeim 1.

The project undertook the maintenance of beaches, particularly sites affected by erosion operations, with coastal protection facilities set up to ensure the stability and sustainability of beaches. Levels of the beach were raised to avoid exposure to strong winds and the erosion they bring, according to a Dubai Media Office report.

Work was carried out to increase the width of some beach sites and increase the beach area to about 112,000 square metres, which contributes to increasing recreational areas on those beaches, and developing them in the future with more facilities, services and facilities that serve beachgoers and meet their needs.

According to the Dubai Media Office, the project comes within the efforts of Dubai Municipality and its endeavour to make Dubai the best city in the world to live and visit through sustainable planning and implementation of all recreational facilities in the emirate, the most prominent of which are public beaches, which are frequented by residents and visitors throughout the year.

Dawoud Al Hajri, DM director general, said it took measures to confront the challenges resulting from climate change and the rise in sea level, and to monitor changes in the shoreline, as a number of coastal protection facilities have been implemented, including bumpers, breakwaters and rock protection, and these have been replenished with beach sand and raised their levels to maintain the balance of the coastline and protect it from erosion and erosion caused by seasonal waves. He explained that the implementation of the project was restricted to a package of strict environmental measures that ensured no harm to the wildlife in those sites.

بلدية #دبي تعلن انتهاء مشروع لإعادة تأهيل وصيانة الشواطئ العامة في إمارة دبي، بتكلفةٍ إجمالية للمشروع قاربت 93 مليون درهم، وذلك في إطار العمل على توفير بنية تحتية مستدامة تخدم مجتمع الإمارة وتدعم اقتصادها وفقاً لأفضل المعايير العالمية.https://t.co/25Rg8zwzte pic.twitter.com/ZE6AOtQBuD

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 14, 2023

Highlights of the work carried out at the public beaches

Mamzar Corniche Beach: The scope of work at Al Mamzar Corniche Beach included backfilling and reclamation of land totalling ​​9,000 square metres.  A rocky belt was added to maintain the stability of the beach.

Jumeirah Beach 1: Work carried out at Jumeirah Beach 1 included the supply and feeding of the beach with an amount of 125,000 cubic metres of beach sand, with a total length of 1,000 linear metres, with the maintenance of the existing coastal fenders. Their lengths were increased by approximately 160 metres using metal piles and wooden piles to ensure the maintenance of the beach’s balance.

Jumeirah Beach 3: The scope of work at Jumeirah Beach 3 included supplying and feeding the beach with beach sand with a length of 750 longitudinal metres for Beach No 1, 690 longitudinal metres for Beach No 2, and 525 longitudinal metres for Beach No 3, in addition to the construction of a rock barrier with a length of 160 metres. Two rock belts were also constructed for Beach No 1 and Beach No 2 with total lengths of 535 linear metres and 400 linear metres respectively.

The amount of rock protection used amounted to 30,400 cubic metres while the beach was fed with a total of 580,000 cubic metres of sand.

Umm Suqeim Beach 1: The scope of work at Umm Suqeim Beach 1 included the construction of a new breakwater with a total length of 325 longitudinal metres, and a rocky belt for the beach measuring 520 longitudinal metres. Backfilling and reclamation of the new land for the beach was carried out over a total area of ​​30,000 square meters, which added an additional beach with a length of c. 500 metres.

Soil excavation and dredging works were carried out, and the stones of the rocky barrier of the fishermen port on the sea side were partially removed and modified to suit the land reclamation works of the new beach. The stones of the rocky barrier on the beach were completely removed in preparation for increasing the extension of the new beach. The quantities of rocks used for breakers and rock protection amounted to 172,025 cubic metres, and the amount of sand feeding the beach totalled 480,000 cubic metres.

Preventive and maintenance work to continue

Dubai Municipality said it will continue to carry out regular preventive and maintenance of its coastal facilities, including public beaches and amenities, as part of an annual plan – valued at over Dhs15m – to preserve and raise the sustainability of its coastal assets.

In other news, in May, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai approved the ‘Dubai Master Plan for Public Beaches’ that aims to increase the total length of public beaches in the emirate by 400 per cent.

This expansion in public infrastructure is part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and will feature the opening of new beaches as well as the development of existing ones. The total length of public beaches is set to grow to 105 km by the year 2040.

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