URB unveils ‘dubai reefs’, a marine restoration + ecotourism lab

introducing the world’s largest ocean restoration project

Considered the world’s largest ocean restoration project, ‘Dubai Reefs’ is a new mega-scale project to be completed in the Emirati city by Net-Zero developer URB. This sustainable floating community for marine research, regeneration, and ecotourism will generate more than 30,000 jobs in a green economy; it includes residential, hospitality, retail, educational, and research facilities.

‘The marine institute will be the heart of the project, working towards greater protection of Dubai’s marine and coastal environment. It aims to accelerate the city’s marine science and conservation capacity while building the most diverse artificial reef, covering 200 square kilometers. It also aims to create a home to more than 1 billion corals & 100 million mangrove trees,‘ writes URB.

all images courtesy URB

‘dubai reefs’ by URB to become an eco-destination

Beyond research and conservation, ‘Dubai Reefs’ will offer unique experiences in marine ecotourism with various floating eco-lodges, all of which are powered by 100% renewable energy from multiple types of solar power and hydropower. These include wave farms that will produce additional clean energy for Dubai’s growing population. URB (see more here) further introduces Regenerative Ocean Farming, another key feature of the project that takes shape as a climate-friendly food production technique.

‘Dubai Reefs’ by URB

CEO of URB, Baharash Bagherian, highlights the significance of the project for Dubai as well as coastal cities at risk of sea level rise. ‘The health of our cities is intrinsically tied to the health of our oceans. The ocean is the source of life controlling everything. Given that everything on our planet is connected, a healthy ocean is a healthy city. Our ocean will be entirely different by the end of the century if we don’t take action today. We need an entrepreneurial spirit in the planning of coastal cities & the types of infrastructure as well as developments that are linked to the ocean. As an innovative coastal city, Dubai is best positioned to lead such a transformation. Beyond creating a unique resilient destination for ecotourism & marine research, Dubai Reefs aims to become a blueprint for ocean living, whilst mitigating the impacts of climate change.’

Ultimately, through its scale and transformative programs, ‘Dubai Reefs’ aims to transform the city into an eco-destination, where the ocean and the urban landscape thrive in balance.

a floating community for marine restoration and ecotourism