Dubai – Mubasher: Emaar Development on Thursday announced the launch of a Riviera-style coastal destination, Mina Rashid, in the heart of Dubai.

The new destination has been established in collaboration with P&O Marinas, a subsidiary of global trade enabler DP World - UAE Region, with AED 25 billion in investments, the local property development unit of Emaar Properties said in a statement.

Mina Rashid is only 15 minutes from the Dubai International Airport and 20 minutes from Downtown Dubai and Dubai Creek Harbour with views of the Arabian Gulf and the Downtown Dubai skyline, Emaar highlighted.

The Riviera-style investment will feature ‘The Dubai Mall by the Sea’, along with “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,” the statement said.

Moreover, the project will have over 430 wet berths, of which many can accommodate the largest yachts in the world and will also accelerate cruise tourism, Emaar added.

Amenities in Mina Rashid will include vibrant promenades and a Venetian piazza with retail and F&B overlooking the sea, as well as signature hotels, a private beach club, interconnected parks, a 500-metre long palm tree-fringed canal, art galleries, a theatre, museum, the Dubai-based real estate company said.

Emaar noted that the Mina Rashid will act as a modern link to Dubai’s heritage with a direct pedestrian bridge connecting the House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum to a museum and theatre in honour of the legacy of the Al Maktoum family.

“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 leading property developer said.

The facility, which was built and currently operated by P&O Marinas, was visited by over 2.3 million since its inauguration in 2014, the number of visitors increasing by 172% a year between 2014 and 2018.

Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties and Emaar Development, commented: “For over two decades, we have worked tirelessly to contribute to the growth and evolution of Dubai as a global city that befits the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.”

“Now, with Mina Rashid, we are creating a future-ready city that honours the legacy of the Al Maktoum family and salutes the farsighted vision of Dubai’s rulers who have consistently built – not for now and then, but for the future and beyond,” Alabbar added.

“The evolution of the city today as a knowledge-based economy, offering significant opportunities across all business sectors, drives demand for world-class developments that will further enhance economic growth,” he pointed out.

Emaar currently offers investors the first opportunity to become part of ‘Mina Rashid’ with the launch of Sirdhana, a limited collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom waterfront apartments and townhouses.

Sirdhana, named in honour of the British Royal Mail Ship, is the first commercial vehicle to dock at Mina Rashid, the statement added.

Located by the main entrance of the promenade and close to the canal pool, Sirdhana will feature contemporary apartments with glittering glass facades, floor-to-ceiling windows, and generous balconies with prime views of the waterfront and Downtown Dubai.

Furthermore, its facilities include a recreation room, community podium with a gym, children’s play area, recreational courts, and more, Emaar added.