Dubai Holding, the global investment holding company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Municipality to develop the largest public park in Dubai.

The move follows the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Stretching across 1,430,000 sqm in DubaiLand, this park will act as a new destination for residents and tourists and provide a vibrant, natural environment, encouraging individuals to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Through developing the park, Dubai Holding and Dubai Municipality aim to elevate the city’s fitness levels, as well as consolidate Dubai’s position as one of the happiest cities around the world.

The partnership between the two entities complements the UAE government’s vision of activating the relationship between the public and private sectors through joint ventures that will encourage investments in Dubai. As envisioned, the partnership will improve the community’s overall wellbeing as well as strengthen Dubai’s position as a global smart city.

Eng. Hussain Lootah, the Director General of Dubai Municipality, said, "This park is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to expand the emirate’s green spaces. The project will establish the longest public park in Dubai, and will meet the highest levels of sustainability while raising environmental awareness among its visitors. I also want to take this opportunity to commend the continued cooperation between Dubai’s public sector entities and local developers, which together enhance further Dubai’s global reputation as premier destination to live, work, or visit through projects such as these."

He added Dubai Municipality is committed to establishing additional public parks throughout the emirate in the future, and will continue promoting active lifestyles and environmental stewardship.

Commenting on the partnership, Ahmad Bin Byat, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Dubai Holding, said, "In addition to enhancing the natural landscape and attracting tourists, every major city, including New York, London and Singapore, has an iconic park that reflects its cultural and social identity. The provision of green, open spaces play a pivotal role in elevating the quality of life among residents, creating a desire to explore new pursuits and enjoy favourite pastimes. In addition, such parks act as important links between different parts of the wider city, positioning them as popular destinations drawing people together. The development of this park, in partnership with Dubai Municipality, aims to show off Dubai’s remarkable landscape and position it among the most prominent global cities.

He added, "The development of this park also reflects Dubai Holding’s strong commitment to supporting economic diversification, innovation and sustainable development across Dubai and the UAE. Such efforts align with our leadership’s National Happiness and Positivity Programme. We are thrilled to kick-start this project, which will further demonstrate Dubai Holding’s efforts to create a healthier, happier and more active nation."

Targeting the highest international standards, Dubai Municipality seeks to achieve a density for the city as a whole of 12.5 sqm per person. When completed, this park will increase public space in Dubai by 17%.

The park will also provide a number of spaces that encourage exploration and year round activity for its visitors, including 30km pedestrian pathways, 20km jogging track, over 14km cycle tracks and over 7km nature trails. It will also include 55 playgrounds for children, 45 sports grounds, 5 major events spaces and retail space for shops, restaurants and coffee shops.

The large amount of natural landscape and trees is expected to improve the air quality of surrounding area, facilitate the preservation of existing biodiversity and an opportunity to enhance the urban ecology.

In addition to being a sports and entertainment destination, the public park will host innovation and smart-solutions, including sustainable on-site power generation, waste recycling and natural shading. The park will also have smart cards for ticketing, purchasing and Wi-fi connectivity throughout.

The construction of the first phase of the park, covering 318,000 sqm, is scheduled to commence later this year, and will offer a 4km jogging track, 7km of pedestrian pathways and a 2km cycling track. The public garden will also include 10 sports grounds and one major events space. The park will also help preserve the environment through reducing water consumption by 5 litres per sqm and will be home to up to 15,000 trees of native and adopted species.

Through attracting local, regional and international investments, public and private partnerships are an effective way to develop national projects. Such partnerships help achieve the social and economic goals of the local community and increase competition in the market. Both Dubai Holding and Dubai Municipality are committed to such partnerships as part of their efforts to support the development of the UAE’s sustainable economy.

The MoU outlines the specific role of each party in order to enhance the effectiveness of the partnership. Dubai Municipality will provide technical support to establish the project, in addition to implementing infrastructure work relating to irrigation connections and planting green areas. Dubai Holding will develop and operate the park and other facilities such as the playground and F&B area, as well as provide administrative support associated with the park’s operations.