Situated on the Dubai waterfront between Bluewaters Island and Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Harbour covers 1.85 million sq m and includes complex underground utilities, arterial roads, flyovers, bridges and a monorail. 

Built on reclaimed land, this approximately four-year construction effort also built a cruise terminal, a 1,000-plus berth marina, shopping mall, high-end residential units, hotel, shops and a waterfront promenade. Infrastructure was designed to accommodate future growth. The marina piers house an extensive network of trenches that allow for utility connections to future buildings on the piers and marina itself. 

Because of AECOM’s prior experience with cloud-based work, transitioning the project team to collaborate remotely during the pandemic resulted in no major glitches.

With six principal contractors working concurrently on the harbor and performing high-risk activities such as prolonged diving, working high above the ground and near busy roads, an integrated safety program reduced serious risk, including 2,624 successful safety interventions. Mock drills, including marine rescues, kept the project team ready for any eventuality.

Visualization tools and a unified BIM model helped with planning and delivery of the complex infrastructure.