Top 7 Most Famous Artificial Islands in the World

1. Palm Jumeirah (Palm Islands) - Dubai

Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is the largest artificial island in the world, comprising 3 islands: Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira. It was constructed by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to boost tourism development for Dubai. Each residential area will resemble a palm tree surrounded by a crescent-shaped breakwater and will feature various entertainment and residential areas. These islands are located off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add 520km of beachfront to Dubai.

The first two islands will consist of approximately 100 million m³ of rock and sand. Palm Deira will include 1 million m³ of rock and sand. All materials are sourced domestically. Between the 3 islands will be over 100 luxurious hotels, villa communities, exclusive beachfront apartments, marinas, theme parks, shopping districts, sports, and fitness facilities. Construction of Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001. Soon after, the construction of Palm Jebel Ali was announced and seabed filling commenced. In 2004, the plan for Palm Deira was unveiled, with completion expected within 10 - 15 years.

Situated off the coast of Doha, Qatar approximately 350m from the shore of West Bay Lagoon, the artificial island of Pearl stands as Qatar's pioneering international real estate investment project. The Pearl is a highly luxurious residential area crafted and developed on a 4 square kilometer artificial island amidst a 32km stretch of pristine coastline. The entirety of Qatar's Pearl is comprised of high-end villas, dozens of high-rise apartments, and hundreds of residences. Here lie numerous upscale hotels, unique boutique stores, and extravagant, fine dining restaurants.

Upon completion, The Pearl will yield over 32 km of new coastline, earmarked for residential use with an anticipated 18,831 dwellings and 45,000 residents by 2018. Developed by the United Development Company and master planned by the architecture and design firm Callison, the island sits 350 meters off the coast of West Bay in Qatar. When the project was initially unveiled in 2004, the initial cost to construct the island was $2.5 billion. It is now believed that the project will have a value of $15 billion upon completion.

Kansai International Airport is an architectural masterpiece designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano and built on an artificial island amidst Osaka Bay. Spanning an area of 511 hectares, the island is located 5km offshore from mainland Osaka, taking on a rectangular shape resembling an aircraft carrier when viewed from above. Constructing the island and airport required a staggering 20 years and 1.5 trillion yen. The creation of the artificial island alone cost 550 million yen and took 6 years to complete. Subsequently, construction of Kansai Airport commenced. Italian architect Renzo Piano's design was chosen for its innovative use of stainless steel trusses and colorful glass, minimizing the need for concrete throughout the airport terminal.

Initially, the new airport was planned to be built near Kobe, but the Kobe authorities rejected the plan, prompting a relocation to the southern part of Osaka Bay. This location enabled the new airport to operate 24/7 unlike its predecessor within the city. Today, Kansai International Airport has evolved into a bustling international hub, with nearly 800 weekly flights to Asia and Australia, 59 flights to Europe, and 80 flights to North America.

No Man's Land Fort was constructed between 1867 and 1880, on an artificial island off the coast of England. This fortress was commissioned by British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston to defend against potential French naval invasions. Its construction cost around 620,000 USD, equivalent to 63 million USD today. In 1967, the fort concluded its military duties and was abandoned.

Today, the fort has been acquired by Amazing Venues and transformed into a luxurious hotel for the affluent. The hotel boasts 23 bedrooms, a rooftop hot tub, a bar, restaurant, spa, 2 helipads, and even a lighthouse. Situated approximately 2km from the Isle of Wight, guests can access it via helicopter or boat.

In 2012, the Spanish football club Real Madrid announced the development of a $1 billion resort project in the UAE. In order to secure a unique location for this resort, Real Madrid has constructed an artificial island to serve as the resort's setting.

The island will feature two hotels and numerous luxury villas, a seaside stadium with a capacity of 10,000 people, a marina, and a high-tech museum to showcase the club's achievements. Spanning over 430,000 square meters, this project was designed by Boils and constructed in collaboration with the UAE government. In 2013, the project was temporarily halted due to financial constraints but resumed and completed in 2015.

Peberholm is an artificial island of Denmark located in the Øresund strait, south of the island of Saltholm. The island stretches about 4 km in length and covers an area of 3 km2. Peberholm was constructed in 1995[1] as part of the overall construction of the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Specifically, Peberholm serves as the connection point between the Øresund Tunnel to the west and the high bridge to the east. The island was created from earth, sand, rocks... excavated during the construction of the tunnel and bridge, totaling 1.6 million tons of earth and rocks plus 6 million m3 of sand.

The name Peberholm (Pepper Island) was chosen in comparison to the neighboring island of Saltholm (Salt Island) by a reader in a naming contest held by the Danish newspaper Politiken. The island features a railway station with transversal track switching equipment to facilitate trains transitioning from one track to another. Train switching between Sweden and Denmark occurs at the border station on the western side of Peberholm. Swedish and Danish train signals are synchronized to ensure seamless train transitions without stops. Vegetation on the island is left to grow naturally without human intervention. In 2007, the Lund Botanical Society discovered 454 different plant species on the island.

The escalating threat of global warming poses a real danger to the Republic of Maldives, the tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean. This is what led to the creation of the artificial island of Hulhumale. Located not far from the capital city of Male, Hulhumale is a massive project initiated in 1997 with an estimated cost of hundreds of millions of USD, divided into 3 phases and slated for completion by 2020.

The Maldivian government aims for this artificial island to accommodate around 45,000 residents over the next 15 years. Currently, approximately 1,500 people reside in the first settlement area of this 188-hectare island. Hulhumale's area is equivalent to that of Male and will double once its second phase begins in the coming decade. With an elevation of 2 meters above sea level, the island will be home to approximately 50,000 people by 2020. Forty years after the entire project is completed, the island will have enough space for 153,000 people, more than half of the current population of Maldives.

However, transportation between Hulhumale and Male remains challenging, requiring ferries or boats for commuting. Despite the limited entertainment options, new residents express satisfaction in escaping the congested traffic and noisy urban life of Male.