Developer Damac Reveals Plans to Create A Rainforest In Dubai

The rainforest, to be created within a dome, will be located in Damac’s Akoya Oxygen project

Property developer Damac has revealed plans to create a new tropical rainforest in Dubai, within its upcoming master development, Akoya Oxygen.

The Dubai Rainforest will be located adjacent to the Trump World Golf Clubhouse, part of an open-air walkway of high-end retail and entertainment offerings.

It will recreate the natural jungle environment experienced in the deepest rainforests, with many plants species integrated into a dome structure, a statement said.

Visitors will be taken on a journey through the jungle, starting out on the ground level, before climbing into the canopy, learning about the flora and fauna throughout the habitat.

They will also be able to fly through the treetops on a zip wire, or can opt to scale a natural-looking rockface climbing wall set within the jungle.

A spa within the Rainforest will offer hydrothermal treatments, while couples will also have the option to get married within the area.

Damac Properties will “ensure the integrity of the project” through collaborations with leading Amazonian rainforest experts, the statement added.

“The Dubai Rainforest will be a tropical wonderland, which tourists, residents and school groups can immerse themselves in and inspire a new generation,” said Ziad El Chaar, Damac’s managing director.

“It will fit perfectly into the ethos of Akoya Oxygen – the greenest community in Dubai – and provide a new space for education and cultural events which will raise awareness of this exciting ecosystem.”

Akoya Oxygen, spread across 55 million sq ft within Dubailand, is set around an 18-hole championship-standard golf course, which is under design by Tiger Woods and will be managed by the Trump Organisation.

The second phase of the project, featuring villas and townhouses, is currently available for investment.

The retail and entertainment centre will feature the golf course clubhouse, the Dubai Rainforest and a selection of retail and restaurant outlets.

“Dubai is known around the world for attracting the biggest and best and the Dubai Rainforest joins that list of unique attractions which will support the growth of the city,” El-Chaar said.

The project will be completed ahead of the Dubai World Expo 2020, Damac confirmed.

Dubai, which is aiming to lure 20 million visitors per year by 2020, is expanding its entertainment offerings and is currently developing the world’s biggest mall, and the world’s largest indoor theme park, among other attractions.

Last week, Dubai’s Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum also launched the Zabeel Park 1 project, which will feature a year-round snow fountain and a tower shaped like the number 1.

The project is being undertaken by the Wasl Asset Management Group, which is also building the Al Wasl Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, an integrated vertical city that will feature the world’s tallest ceramic façade, vertical gardens and a light museum.