Articles to Use Submit your Articles and Press Releases

Simon Arrol, the waterfront development guru, was contacted to understand the impact, if any, that the worldwide recession has had on Dubai. In Dubai, Simon was one of the Directors of Development & operations for the IGYD- Island Global Yachting Dubai, before which he was the Managing Director of Camper & Nicholsons Marinas. Arrol has experience of working in more than 25 countries all around the globe on many complex marina projects and developments.

The best recognized marina in Dubai is definitely referred to as ‘Dubai Marina’ and it includes a man-made sea lagoon a couple of kilometres long; excavated in the dry and edged with precast concrete quay walls.

Like many such projects, Dubai Marina is principally a property development with the water and yachts creating the point of interest, the ambiance, and the added value.

The first part of the project was built circa 2004 and was designed by HOK, the famend architectural agency headquartered in Canada, however the master developer subsequently offered plots and allowed individual developers to ‘do their own thing’.

Many people feel that the Dubai Marina project has not turned out to be as well planned as possible and they have criticized the master developer and his quest for profit for this issue.

The pontoon berthing is spread alongside the length of the lagoon so in fact there are a number of marinas, albeit they are all managed from a central workplace positioned in an impressive ‘yacht club’ building.

The extreme end of the project site is the location for a small boatyard.

When the entire development is complete it would accommodate more than one hundred twenty thousand people in residential towers and villas.

Festival Marina which is a part of the Dubai Festival Longview, a multi-billion dollar multi function development on the banks of Dubai Creek is another example of the marina design provided by Simon Arrol.

The marina includes a round basin of 240m diameter which is surrounded by hotels and the retail centre.

To address the security issues of yachtsmen, all the pontoon berthing were positioned at the center of the basin and the restricting the access to a single secure gangway.

By positioning the berthing in the center the general public who are visting the waterfront are able to get panoramic view of the boats parked at the marina.

In order to create the interest and buzz that’s observed at conventional harbours in Europe and North America, the marina walls is used for the berthing of visiting yachts.

Simon Arrol has experience within the marina and waterfront property development, harbour construction, and vessel operations. He focuses on marina development, and was the ceo of Camper & Nicholsons Marinas Limited. His waterfront development credentials stem from work in many nations, not simply as a marketing consultant but additionally as a marina administrator and patron.