Monorail work begins at The Palm Jumeirah

The ceremony, held at the site of Atlantis, The Palm, was attended by Shaikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel; Hajime Tsujimoto, Ambassador of Japan; and Shigeki Kuwahara, Executive Deputy President, Marubeni Corporation.

The Palm Monorail, which will take three years to complete, will serve as an efficient transit system between the Gateway Station at the trunk of The Palm Jumeirah and the Atlantis Station on the crescent, calling at two intermediate stations. The mechanical and electrical system, and monorail vehicles, will be engineered, manufactured and commissioned by the leading railway system manufacturer in Japan-Hitachi Ltd. Hitachi's expertise and experience includes the delivery of high speed train systems and monorail systems to many cities around the world including Taiwan, China, Malaysia, and Iran.

Hajime Tsujimoto, Ambassador of Japan, said: "It is indeed a great pleasure to witness the launch of the Palm Monorail project at The Palm Jumeirah. I am very proud to see that the highly regarded Marubeni Corporation has been chosen for the execution of this magnificent endeavour to match the standards of this world class project. I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Nakheel and the Marubeni Corporation for reaching the stage of this magnificent project. The Palm Jumeirah is truly a signature project representing the ingenuity of not only Dubai, but the whole world. The Monorail at The Palm Jumeirah will undoubtedly provide this island with an environmentally friendly, quiet, smooth and reliable transport system.

"This Japan-UAE venture is yet another milestone in the excellent relations between Japan and Dubai as well as Japan and the UAE. Once completed, this prestigious transport system will play an important role in linking The Palm Jumeirah with the city and beyond and attracting tourists to the UAE from the world over. I sincerely hope that the Monorail will contribute greatly to the further developments of the ever growing city of Dubai and of the UAE for many years to come."

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel, said: "I am very proud that we are here to lay the foundations for the Monorail at The Palm Jumeirah - the eighth wonder of the world. I am delighted to be here today with the Marubeni Corporation at the site of Atlantis, The Palm; when complete, this incredible water-themed resort, inspired by its sister hotel Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas will add approximately 1,500 rooms and 2km of beachfront to The Palm Jumeirah. The Monorail will play a vital role in connecting the fronds to the crescent, providing not only smooth transportation to Atlantis, but also act as a big attraction to The Palm."

The Marubeni Corporation will also work with a civil and building work partner to develop the Monorail - a joint venture between the Ohbayashi Corporation, and Oriental Construction. Ohbayashi, a renowned general construction company in Japan, has already started work in Dubai on the Dubai Metro Project, while Oriental Construction has extensive experience in the construction of monorail structures.