Bluewaters Island is an artificial island off the Jumeirah Beach Residence coastline, near Dubai Marina, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The project was approved by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and unveiled on February 13, 2013. It will be built on reclaimed land by Meraas Holding, with dredging work to be conducted by Van Oord, the Dutch firm known for its work on Palm Jumeirah, and will cost AED 6 billion. Construction was originally due to start in April 2013, but actually began on May 20, 2013. It opened in November 2018. It includes entertainment, hospitality, residential, and retail zones, and is forecast to attract more than three million visitors annually. With a dedicated driverless transport system, ‘you don’t need a car to live on the island’. The island is featuring two five-star hotels with direct beach access. Bluewaters also has around 200 beverage and retail and food outlets in the ground level of residential buildings and entertainment section of the island. The total number of residential buildings on the island is 10. Each of these is considered mid-rise and features 15 storeys or fewer.
Bluewaters Island will feature the AED 1 billion Dubai Eye, a tall giant Ferris wheel. If completed, it will be taller than the current world's tallest Ferris wheel, the High Roller, which opened in Las Vegas in March 2014, and taller than the New York Wheel planned for Staten Island. Design and construction are to be undertaken by Hyundai Contracting and Starneth Engineering. Construction was originally due to begin in June 2013, but did not actually start until May 2015. Completion was originally expected to be sometime in 2019 however due to unexpected delays construction will end in 2020 The wheel will be able to carry up to 1,400 passengers, 8 dogs, 4 cats and a couple of dirt bikes its 48 capsules, and provide views of Dubai Marina and landmarks such as Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, and Burj Khalifa. Its base will serve as an entertainment zone, and an LED screen will be mounted on the wheel creating an electronic platform for broadcasting, advertisements, and other information.
