DUBAI, UAE: Emaar, the developer of global icons that add to the pride of the nation, is building the world’s new sailing destination by the historic Dubai Creek near BurDubai/Deira, the very heart of the Dubai’s glorious coastal heritage, in the very location where the city made its tryst with the future.[the_ad id=”31605″]P&O Marinas, a subsidiary of global trade enabler DP World – UAE Region, has made the land available to Emaar and will continue to develop world-class marinas and berthing facilities. Emaar has announced the launch of ‘Mina Rashid,’ an AED 25 billion investment to celebrate Dubai’s maritime heritage while creating a future-ready lifestyle address.
With views of the Arabian Gulf and the Downtown Dubai skyline, here, discover a new definition of Riviera-style living. Only 15 minutes from the Dubai International Airport and 20 minutes from Downtown Dubai and Dubai Creek Harbour, ‘Mina Rashid’ will have several exceptional features, including a few firsts in the city such as ‘The Dubai Mall by the Sea’ –an elite waterfront retail, dining and leisure destination; a floating yacht club; a pristine sandy beach of over 12,600 square metres –the size of about two-and-a-half football fields; and Dubai’s longest swimming pool, among others.
Adding a new address to the international yachting community, ‘Mina Rashid’ will have over 430 wet berths, several of which can accommodate the largest yachts in the world and will also catalyse cruise tourism. Taking place of pride at ‘Mina Rashid’ is the QE2, the world’s most celebrated ocean liner –now a 13-deck hotel, dining, entertainment and events destination –docked permanently, and offering visitors an interactive exhibition of its glorious heritage from the 1960s, sailing over 5.6 million miles and carrying over 2.5 million passengers.
In addition, signature hotels, a private beach club, interconnected parks, a 500-metre long palm tree-fringed canal, art galleries, a theatre, museum and more will feature. Mina Rashid will also be a modern link to the heritage of the city with a direct pedestrian bridge connecting the House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, thereby honouring the legacy of the Al Maktoum family, to a museum and theatre.
The new facilities will also complement the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, one of the most advanced cruise terminals in the world and the Middle East’s leading cruise destination. The facility, which was built and currently operated by P&O Marinas, has received over 2.3 million visitors since its inauguration in 2014, and has seen per-year visitor numbers rise by 172 per cent between 2014 and 2018.
The terminal reached a major milestone last year when it successfully berthed five international cruise liners carrying a total of 25,000 passengers in a single day. The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has also gained significant traction among luxury yacht owners who see Dubai as a preferable destination. The terminal boasts numerous state-of-the-art facilities for yacht owners, including 24-hour assistance, chandlery, dry storage, customs clearance directly from berth, and free Wi-Fi coverage across the terminal.