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The demolition of the Dubai Pearl development, a project overlooking the Palm Jumeirah, sent tremors in neighbouring areas on Monday.
Residents on the Palm, as well as those in Dubai Media City, took to social media to report they felt the ground shake this morning.
“They are demolishing the Pearl. I was right next to it,” wrote Zuzane on a social media group for Palm Jumeirah residents.
Valued at $10 billion, the mega project, which was announced in 2002, was supposed to feature more than 1,000 apartments, 60 restaurants, a theatre and seven five-star hotels.
Reports about the deconstruction started circulating late last year, when some residents spotted demolition equipment at the project site.
The project has reportedly been delayed due to lack of investors. Al-Rasheed Building Demolition & General Contracting started demolition works at the site, Construction Week reported in November, citing that the Dubai government had put the project under a “notice of cancellation” status.
The site is being considered for a new development. Moon World Resorts’ co-founders Michael Henderson and Sandra Matthews are looking at the Dubai Pearl site as the ideal location to set up the planned $5 billion Moon Resort, according to Arabian Business.
(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
