The Dubai Gulf Emirate, which is well-known for its large projects, has another attraction. A three-kilometer-long canal linking the bay to the Gulf is intended to boost Dubai tourism and business.
The canal is between 80 and 120 meters wide. Along the waterway, residential facilities, hotels, restaurants, and recreation facilities will be built, according to a report from the authorities responsible for the project.
Dubai tourism authorities expect the canal to be a huge attraction for tourists and expects 30 million extra visitors per year. According to media reports, a shopping center will also be part of the project.
“The canal is a unique tourist and business center,” said the head of the public agency Mattar al-Tajer. Three bridges lead across the canal. The project, which started in October 2013, cost around 2.7 million dirhams (about 660 million euros).
The waterway was officially opened on November 9 by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktum.
Dubai has evolved from a sleepy fishing village to an international trading center within half a century; mainly thanks to its huge oil deposits. The city already boasts the highest building in the world, the 828-meter-high Burj Khalifa. The Dubai Emirate has established itself as a popular tourist and shopping destination, given the unrest in many other popular Arab countries.