Today's project represents the culmination of the vision of Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which was first conceptualised in 1998.

The development, which will eventually comprise 10 distinct community districts -  is strategically located close to many of the five-star hotels, beach clubs and other leisure facilities for which Dubai is becoming internationally renowned.
It is also located close to many of the new business clusters in the area, such as Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, as well as the growing Jebel Ali Free Zone.
A closer look at the details makes impressive reading in what is a multi-residence project with both high and low-rise components.
When fully completed, Dubai Marina will be the largest master-planned waterfront development of its kind in the world, a home for 35,000 people in luxurious residential apartment towers and villas.
As well as its size, the community will be 'intelligent', with advanced IT systems deployed in every home using state-of-the-art fibre-optic networks installed by Emaar sister company Sahm Technologies.
Amenities will include shopping centres; restaurants; community centres; a children's day care centre; underground parking; communal barbecue areas; CCTV and security card readers; security channel for viewing visitors and security cameras in the parking lots, lobbies and pools; bicycle paths; swimming pools; fountains; beach club; 24-hour concierge; high speed Internet facility throughout; access to digital and satellite TV and advanced safety systems including fire and general alarm systems.
The 10 districts, covering 30,000 sq ft, will be built in different phases over the next 15 years, though the ultimate number of phases will inevitably be determined by market forces, says an Emaar official.
The first phase, which is currently under construction, covers the development of Marinas 1, 9 and 10. Marina 1 comprises the six distinctive towers which form the focal point of the development so far, while Marina 9 will be a 44-storey hotel complex. Marina 10 has been sold to private developers.
Phase 2 construction has also started for Marinas 4 (five towers) and 7 (two towers), with Marina 4 expected to be complete by autumn next year. Marina 4 will comprise two high-rise towers and three medium-rise towers offering one, two and three-bedroom apartments of 842, 1,303 and 2,057 sq ft respectively.
The infrastructure work for phases 1 and 2 has been undertaken by Al Futtaim Carillion, and the consultants are Parsons and Hyder Consulting. Subcontractors on phase 1 include ETA and BK Gulf (MEP works); Carrara Mid East (supply of marble and granite); Contech Engineering (structural steel work); Katlink Furniture (timber skirting supply and fixing); Orient Irrigation (sewage treatment); RMC Topmix (concrete supply); Speedwell Decor (partitions, GRG assemblies; aluminium strip ceilings; retail arcade ceiling); Technical Resources Establishment (fabric awnings); Cox Middle East (BMU); Convrgnt (podium structure); Juma Al Majid Establishment (white goods); Al Dharis Establishment (LPG gas); Prefab (suspended ceilings); Tuleila Heat Insulation (fire stopping); Intex Universal Ltd (suspended ceilings); Blue Sky (temporary works); Ocean Rubber Factory (rubber guards to corner and wall); Ostermeister FZE (garbage chute and waste compactors); Desert Roofing & Flooring (waterproofing - substructure and superstructure); ETA Melco (elevators); York International (supply of chillers); Danway (supply of generators); Faisal Jassim Trading (supply of cooling towers and water heater); Al Falaj Maintenance (sprayed plaster to soffits); Consent  (blockwork and insulation); Sultaco (supply of sanitary ware, ceramic tiles and bathroom accessories);  Leader (woodwork and joinery),  Alba Tower Aluminium Factory (cast aluminium screens) Specialised Technical Contractors and Terraco (plastering), Robodh Contracting Company (concrete framework of  S1); Al Ghandi Electronics (built-in appliances from Whirlpool), Concretec (precast concrete cladding panels) Projects and Supplies (light fittings) and Al Kuhaimi Metal Industries (metal doors).

Phase 1
Work on this Dh1 billion ($375 million) phase was launched in summer 2000 with the award of raft and pile foundation contracts, both of which took less than a year to complete. Work on the reinforced concrete core and slab superstructures started in July 2001 (with a concrete specification of 60N for the columns and core and 40N for the slabs).
Approximately 1.8 million cu m of concrete was used, along with 30,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel, 350,000 sq m of blockwork, 150,000 sq m of ceramic tiles, 12,000 wooden doors and 53,000 light fittings.
The six towers of Marina 1 have been named after either precious stones or scents and are, according to Emaar executive director - projects, Isam Galadari, inherently intertwined with the culture and history of Dubai.
'We have tried to create something different in Dubai,' he says.
'There is a real local flavour in the design of the towers,' he says of the development of the Fairooz, Al Mass, Murjan, Mesk, Yass and Anbar towers.
They're all distinctive too, all varying in their number of storeys from the 19-storey Anbar, 23-storey Fairooz, 27-storey Yass, 31-storey Al Mass and 40-storey Murjan and Mesk towers.
'This means that all the apartments throughout the development get good views of the overall marina project which, also boasts one of the most attractive interactive water fountain features in Dubai or the UAE,' says Galadari.
Built on one tastefully landscaped podium which has a gated area providing a safe environment for children, the six towers offer striking residential and retail accommodation, and one tower is being developed as fully-furnished serviced apartments. They are the only towers to date in Dubai to use precast, rather than glazed, curtain walling.
The 1,026 apartments in the towers comprise two, three and four bedroom varieties with either deluxe or luxury finishes as per the tenants' requirements and are serviced by 22 lifts.
As well as the apartments, Marina 1 also comprises 64 villas (on podium level) and 15 retail outlets, mostly restaurants and including The Gallery (overlooking the water), The Academy and the Cigar Bar. The development will also have what Emaar director of construction Rami Dabbas describes as a 'unique' fitness centre and spa as well as facilities such as a daycare centre and prayer hall. The two and three storey villas - which, says Dabbas, have the 'best views of the overall development' - come in three or four bedroom varieties, each with parking space for two cars.
The flooring used throughout is reinforced concrete, while finishes to walls and ceilings are lightweight thermal blocks.
A 4 km-long canal (of 70 m minimum width) is at the core of the design concept at the Dubai Marina project, providing 11 km of water frontage, and is the culmination of an environmental impact assessment by UK firm Halcrow and a civil construction contract undertaken by Al Futtaim Tarmac (now Carillion).
It is 3.5 to 5 m deep and is bridged by a series of single-span bridges (10 m wide and completed by Dutco) providing a minimum clear height from water level of 6 m. The design of the canal and marina is such that it will flush completely every three weeks.
The waterfront will have pontoons providing mooring facilities for a number of boats and water taxis will offer convenient transport around the development.
Meanwhile, chilled water for the air conditioning is provided to the towers by a cooling farm which is situated adjacent to the towers, in which five chillers with a capacity of 1,434 kW each are housed. The development also has 3,520 fan coil units.
While construction work on phase 1 is on schedule and nearing completion (three of the towers will be ready for occupation from September 1 this year and three will be ready next February), the construction sector can look forward to a number of fresh tenders for new projects at Dubai Marina over the next year.
Dabbas explains that construction tenders for a further 15 towers are expected to be awarded this year and next though with full infrastructure work (roads, sewage, lighting and landscaping) throughout Dubai Marina set to be ready in about 18 months from now, there will, he says, be no more infrastructure tenders.
While the sheer scale and fast-track development of the phase 1 at Dubai Marina has been a challenge in itself (there were 7,000 workers on site at peak), Dabbas points out that more specific challenges lay in the fact that the original site already had existing services which needed to be managed. Thus, four culverts were needed under the water to provide services to buildings.
On the seaward side of the development, high storm frequency made the construction of a breakwater difficult, he says, while sourcing rock with which to build the breakwaters was also a challenge as other projects in Dubai also required large volumes of material. The main contractor precasted and designed the rock for the quay wall on site.
'Dubai Marina will be the culmination of a dream for our (Emaar) shareholders,' says Galadari. 'Dubai Municipality, Dewa (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) and Civil Defence have gone the extra mile in putting this project together, and without them nothing would have been achieved,' says Galadari.
As well as its impressive scope, the Dubai Marina phase 1 is of a characteristically high construction standard, with interior finishes of a superior standard not found elsewhere in the city, says Galadari.

Phase 2
District 4: This is a dynamic five building complex on the Eastern side of Dubai Marina which, says Emaar, offers unparalleled views of the Gulf, world-class golf courses and the desert.

Phase 3
District 7: Contracts will be awarded for the six towers of this district development 'soon', says Dabbas.

When fully complete (perhaps within 10 years although this will ultimately depend on the plans of the private developers) the Dubai Marina project is expected to be home to a community of some 35,000 people, and traffic surveys already carried out on the project suggest that this figure will allow for a feasible, comfortable environment, particularly with the likely go-ahead of Dubai Mass Transit rail system, one of the stations of which would be at Dubai Marina.