Life & Style | Health

Is this Dubai’s longest jogging track?

Residents excited as the Dh20 million Palm Jumeirah Park – the city’s latest fitness and leisure destination – nears completion

By Jay B. Hilotin,  Chief Reporter
Published: 00:00 July 12, 2012

Image Credit: photos-xpress/ AHMED RAMZAN
PARK ON THE PALM: The Palm Jumeirah Park — built beneath mono rail tracks — is set to be completed in a month’s time

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DUBAI The new Palm Jumeirah Park could emerge as a favourite destination for joggers and health buffs after a Dh20-million park opens there soon.

Or it can be just a new family-outing destination where kids can play, dads can chill, mums can shop and nannies can chat.

“

This will be a surefire hit winter-walk destination. I’ve seen it take shape from nothing. It’s quite a lot — what they have done

”

Dave, Shoreline Apartments resident

The final landscaping touches are being put in place at the Palm Jumeirah Park, which runs beneath the monorail line.

The 2.5-km long strip forms part of a “trunk” of the iconic reclamation project, with a jogging track that stretches for about 5km (Zabeel Park: 4.3km, Safa Park: 3.4 km).

Residents can’t seem to hide their excitement.

“This will be a surefire hit winter-walk destination,” said Dave, a Briton who lives in Shoreline, Apartments which borders the northern end of the park. “I’ve seen it take shape from nothing. It’s quite a lot — what they have done.”

Builders said the park will have four main bridges over water features and 18 smaller bridges over meandering wadi-like landscaping in the middle.

Already completed is a maroon-coloured rubberised jogging track, dotted with public exercise machines and play areas for children installed at several points along the parallel track.

There’s plenty of room for shops on the ground floor of the low-rise Golden Mile buildings on its southern plank. The construction, in its fourth month, has about 400 people working in two shifts to complete the park, said a site engineer.

“We’re doing double shifts — working until midnight — to complete this in about four weeks,” a site engineer told XPRESS, but asked not to be named.

A Nakheel source confirmed that construction was being ramped up for opening before the winter season.

“It’s designed for both residents and visitors. This will rival The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) and the Marina — but with much more generous greenery,” said the Nakheel staff.

How are people from outside going to get in and out of the park?

There are a number of options — the first is to use the monorail, though it is probably an expensive option. One station is smack in the middle of this park, while another is located on its western end. Walking from the main Jumeirah beach road on the Media City site is another way to get there. For those who drive, there will be two parking lots — also now in the final stages of completion — enough for 500 cars. “It is about 90 per cent complete and will be ready real soon,” said the site engineer.

The park’s unhurried vibe and greenery are sure to add to Dubai’s family-friendly destinations.

Even in summer, people can take a walk in mid-day under the long stretch of shade provided by drooping leaves of eight-metre high Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) trees on the Shoreline side.

The park is currently being fitted with hundreds of garden and underwater lights, according to a site engineer.

The landscaping includes thousands of Aloe Vera plants and about 350 date palm trees.

A Japanese housewife who lives on The Palm, said: “We can’t wait for it to open.”

Olena, a Russian Shoreline resident, said, “It will be a welcome addition to our life here.”

Park facts

Length: 2.5km

Cost: Dh20 million

Number of trees: Over 350

Location: Between Golden Mile and Shoreline, The Palm-Jumeirah

Parking capacity: 500 cars

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Added 10:47 July 12, 2012

I grew up playing in Deira park. Now that's gone. And so is Nasser square park. Who cares about Deira now anyways? Jumeirah's the 'happening' place now.

Vijin, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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