Nakheel Awards Marine Works Contract to Upgrade 3km of Dubai Islands Shoreline

Development Single Family Dubai United Arab EmiratesDubai IslandsDeira

October 9, 2026•3 min read

Aerial rendering of Dubai Islands, including Island B, where Nakheel awarded Mar Marine & Building Contracting marine and beach works to upgrade approximately 3 kilometres of shoreline and add 320 metres of beach frontage.| Photo: Nakheel

Nakheel, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate, has awarded Mar Marine & Building Contracting L.L.C. a contract for marine and beach works on Island B at Dubai Islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The developer announced the award on 8 October 2026.

Scheduled for completion by Q4 2027, the works will add 320 metres of beach frontage near Bay Villas and upgrade approximately 3 kilometres of the island's western shoreline.

Scope of the Nakheel Marine Works Contract

The contract covers the construction of new breakwaters, the removal of existing protective rock revetments and the formation of a new beach near Bay Villas. Mar Marine & Building Contracting will also refurbish and carry out remedial works across several existing beach areas on the western side of Island B, bringing new and upgraded stretches of coast together.

The beachfront works will support delivery of Bay Villas, a 636-home community of villas and townhouses on Island B. In August 2025, Nakheel awarded an AED 2.6 billion construction contract to Fibrex Contracting L.L.C. for the development. The marine works are now progressing the surrounding waterfront environment in parallel.

Island B Contract Sequence

The marine award follows Nakheel's AED 527 million contract to Al Nasr Contracting Company in April 2026 for primary infrastructure and utilities works on Island B. Together, these packages are advancing the coordinated delivery of the island's infrastructure and coastal landscape.

The Fibrex and Al Nasr packages total AED 3.127 billion. The Fibrex contract equates to an average of roughly AED 4.09 million per home across the 636 homes, a simple contract-value average rather than a measure of property value or sales price.

The sequencing indicates Nakheel is moving Island B from enabling infrastructure toward visible, resident-facing delivery. The utilities contract establishes the island's servicing framework, the Bay Villas construction package advances the residential product, and the marine contract adds the coastal setting for the waterfront community.

Executive Comments on the Dubai Islands Project

Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate, said: "Dubai Islands is being delivered as a distinctive waterfront destination designed around the experience of residents and visitors. Building on the infrastructure works already under way on Island B, the new beach frontage near Bay Villas and enhancements to the western shoreline will create a high-quality coastal environment that develops in step with the wider masterplan."

Nabil Abou Rjaili, General Manager of Mar Marine & Building Contracting L.L.C., said: "We are proud to partner with Nakheel for marine and beach works on Island B at Dubai Islands. This package combines new breakwaters and beach formation with the refurbishment of existing coastal areas. Our team will leverage its marine engineering experience to coordinate these elements and deliver the next stage of the island's waterfront."

Dubai Islands Masterplan Scale

Dubai Islands spans 18.6 square kilometres across five islands and extends Dubai's historic Deira coastline as a waterfront destination. The masterplan is designed to accommodate more than 230,000 residents across approximately 62,000 homes, alongside more than 11,000 hotel keys and over 4,000 branded residences.

The development includes more than 59 kilometres of waterfront and approximately 20 kilometres of beaches, as well as parks, promenades and cycling routes. The 3-kilometre shoreline package represents roughly 5% of the total waterfront and about 15% of the planned beach network, though the measures are not directly equivalent because the package includes shoreline upgrades rather than only new beach construction.

Broader Nakheel Activity at Dubai Islands

The award comes amid a run of Nakheel announcements at Dubai Islands. In September 2026, the developer awarded a main construction contract worth more than AED 800 million for Bay Grove Residences. The wider scheme is planned to reach 1,154 homes across 15 buildings, with the remaining 617 homes still in planning.

On 5 October 2026, Nakheel unveiled Bay Estate, a gated waterfront community whose wider masterplan covers 653,709 square metres, with 2.4 kilometres of beachfront and 6.5 kilometres of waterfront.

Market Implications

The projects point to Dubai Islands being advanced as a multi-product waterfront district combining villas, branded residences, apartments, hotels and public-realm infrastructure, rather than relying on a single residential launch. The marine works represent both a construction milestone and a placemaking investment within that wider masterplan.