From its towering skyscrapers to its infamously expansive shopping malls—which house everything from indoor ski mountains to aquariums—Dubai seems to have truly internalized the notion "the bigger the better." It should come as little surprise, then, that the end of last year saw the unveiling of a more ambitious, more expensive take on the age-old European thoroughfare, the canal. Officially opened this past November, but with many of its features still in the works, the Dubai Water Canal is the Emirati city's answer to on-the-water leisure, amped up for maximum luxury in the true fashion of the city.
The 1.8-mile-long, 20-foot-deep canal connects Dubai's Business Bay with the Arabian Gulf and was originally conceived by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed; his son and successor, the current Sheikh Mohammed, oversaw the completion of the project, which cost AED 2.7 billion (around $735 million). Stretching along some of city's most sought-after real estate, the canal will provide more than 262,000 square feet of private marina space for members of Dubai's elite who wish to expand their holdings from luxury apartments to yachts.
For those locals and tourists not shelling out for a private slip, the waterfront also includes a promenade dotted with the expected benches and potted plants, as well as high-tech additions like LED lighting and phone-charging stations. While pedestrians may stroll across any of the five bridges that cross the water, one, in particular, stands out. The bridge at Sheikh Zayed Road has a waterfall, which runs regularly during the evening and dramatically parts its waters for boats passing beneath it.
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Upon completion, the project will also encompass a beach park in the Jumeirah area surrounded by numerous residential developments, a running track, and much greenery, a true luxury in the desert city. High-end tour boats are available for charter, though don't expect a gondola-like experience: Dubai's are sleek motorboats with mahogany-and-leather interiors that are, of course, air-conditioned.
