Deira Island

Deira Island, part of the Dubai Islands project, is a cluster of artificial islands located off the coast of the Deira district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Originally known as Palm Deira, the project began in the mid-2000s as an ambitious property development by Nakheel Properties, initially planned to feature thousands of villas and luxury residences. However, the financial crisis in 2008 led to the scaling down and renaming of the project to Deira Islands in 2013.

The development aimed to create a new shopping, retail, and residential waterfront featuring the Deira Night Souk, Deira Mall, and the Deira Island Towers and Boulevard. It added approximately 40 kilometers of coastline and 21 kilometers of beachfront to Dubai.

The islands are designed to blend luxury and tradition, integrating traditional Emirati architectural elements such as wind towers and arches, and celebrating the heritage of the nearby historic Deira district, which is known for its long-standing commercial significance, traditional souks like the Gold Souk and Spice Souk, and history as a pearl diving hub.

The Deira Islands project aligns with Dubai’s broader vision of enhancing tourism, leisure, and cultural offerings, including plans for the world's largest night market and extensive retail spaces.

In 2022, Nakheel rebranded the project as Dubai Islands and envisioned it as a more extensive waterfront city with seven islands connected by bridges and expected to house over 80 hotels, luxury resorts, and create tens of thousands of jobs.

Several resorts, such as the Hotel RIU Dubai and Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai, have already opened on the islands. The completed infrastructure, including bridges linking the islands to the mainland, enables easy access, making Deira Island a notable destination for tourism, entertainment, and upscale residential living while preserving and honoring the cultural heritage of the historic Deira area in the evolving urban landscape of Dubai.