The Palm Tower

«Palm's trunk lacked a vertical anchor — a point visible from anywhere on the island.»

— NAKHEEL · MASTERPLAN STATEMENT

The original Palm Jumeirah masterplan, approved in 2001, did not include high-rise objects on the trunk. All residential structures were intended to be villa-scale, low-rise, so as not to obstruct sea views. By 2010, however, Nakheel revisited the concept: the trunk needed a commercial and social centre, and a viewing point was essential. The Palm Tower was designed alongside the adjacent Nakheel Mall as a single complex — the two objects intended to become Palm's new 'heart.'

The final project: a 52-storey tower with an asymmetric silhouette, the lower 18 floors for the St. Regis hotel and the upper section for residential apartments. The defining decision was the The View at The Palm observation deck on the 52nd floor plus the Aura infinity pool on the 50th. The pool was designed to feel as if 'floating above the island' — glass-edged, 360-degree panorama, no visible supports. Additional commercial spaces, including Sushisamba and a lobby bar, sit on the 51st floor.

A Palm Monorail station was designed beneath the tower — making The Palm Tower the only residential project on Palm with direct public transport to the mainland.

Construction was executed by Chinese contractor China State Construction Engineering Corp Middle East (CSCEC ME) — the largest contractor by volume in the UAE. In parallel, the adjacent Nakheel Mall was being finished (it opened in 2019). The most complex element was the Aura Sky Pool: a specialised cantilevered glass-edge support structure was developed with engineering input from a Singapore team (Permasteelisa Group). The pool was completed ahead of the building itself and opened to the public in February 2020, while residential floors were still being finished.