Dubai: First of 20,000 reefs that can last over a century deployed off the city's coast

Dubai has started the deployment of the first batch of 1,000 purpose-built reef modules “aimed at safeguarding Dubai’s coastal habitats, boosting fish populations, and supporting the city’s marine ecosystem,” authorities announced on Saturday.

Speaking during the media briefing, Ahmed Mohammed Bin Thani, director-general of Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (Decca) said the artificial reefs will boost fish stocks and enhance food security in the UAE.

The purpose-built reefs are designed to resemble natural reef formations, providing habitats that attract and support a wide range of marine organisms, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other marine fauna by providing a substrate – a surface where organism can live, grow and obtain its nourishment. They will also serve as breeding habitats for fish and refuge from predators.

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The Dubai Reef project, which is touted as “the world's largest purpose-built reef development”, was launched in April by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

A total of 20,000 purpose-built reef modules are set to be deployed in the next three years in four clusters covering 600 square kilometres of Dubai’s coastal waters.

Designed to last 100 years

Authorities said majority of the marine modules are constructed from reused and sustainable concrete and steel; while the large modules for deeper depths are constructed solely from steel.

These modules – designed to last more than 100 years – vary in dimensions to create various habitats for different fish species. “The artificial marine habitat can range from 1.6 metres to 6.5 metres in height, and deployed in depths from 18 metres to more than 25 metres,” Ryan Paik, CEO of HaejooX (the official construction and fabrication contractor for Dubai Reef) told Khaleej Times.

HaejooX is a South Korean company and a pioneer in the purpose-built reef industry that has been involved with the Dubai Reef project since its initial proof of concept in 2021.

Paik said all the marine modules are fabricated in Dubai, on a site powered by biofuels, and “the materials used ensure durability, and also promote and support marine life.”

He added the Dubai Reef project will also create new business opportunities in marine tourism, including diving and other related sectors.

Paik said there are six module types and three have already been made, including Reef Shade, Arab Marine Pyramid, and Fish Cube. The other modules that are yet to be made are called X-Reef, Fish Cave, and Ocean Castle.

Here are their specifications:

Reef Shade

Material: sustainable concrete and steel

Weight: 2.4 tonnes

Deployment depth: 18 metres

Dimensions: 2.3m (l) x 2.3m (w) x 1.7m (h)

Characteristics: Designed to provide opportunities for coral establishment and increase demersal fish populations along UAE shores. It offers shelter and habitat for hammour, sheri, and kopua.

Arab Marine Pyramid

Material: sustainable concrete and steel

Weight: 1.5 tonnes

Deployment depth: 20 metres

Dimensions: 2.5mx 2.5m x 2m

Characteristics: Specifically engineered for the Arabian Gulf's underwater conditions and species. Strategically placed on soft sediment seabed to support marine life.

Fish Cube

Material: sustainable concrete and steel

Weight: 10 tonnes

Dimensions: 3m x 3m x 3.6

Deployment depth: 25m

Characteristics: Deployed in lower energy areas – under 20m of water depth – this reef creates an ideal substrate for coral and algae to establish themselves, offering vital food and shelter for a variety of fish species.

X-Reef

Material: sustainable concrete and steel