The incredible man-made reef with 1 billion coral that’s the biggest in the world

Developers in Dubai are planning the world's biggest man-made coral reef (Image: Getty)

Dubai is home to an impressive number of ambitious mega-projects but now the city is aiming for what could be its biggest achievement yet - the largest ocean restoration project on the globe.

Innovative development project The Heart of Europe, launched by the Kleindienst Group after a heatwave damaged some of the fragile reefland in 2017, succeeded in building underground villas with floating platforms designed to act as coral reefs in its aftermath. 

And now the government is planning to take that accomplishment a step further by creating a group of floating islands, collectively measuring around 200 square metres, under the headline of the Dubai Reefs mega project.

Convinced of the viability of an ocean-based mega-project after a long history of successful land-based ventures including new coastal and beach facilities, Dubai Reefs will comprise the world’s biggest artificial coral reef underwater and tourist and research facilities on their surface alongside over 100 million mangrove trees.

The aim is to create more than 30,000 jobs in Dubai’s emerging green economy sector and use the reefs to protect the city against flooding and coastal erosion - as well as generating renewable energy from ocean currents.

Pulling off the project will include deploying 20,000 reef modules to the city’s waters over a three year period, with a longer-term goal of one billion, and building the islands from materials including reinforced water-resistant concrete.

Sustainable city developer URB, the firm behind the plans, says it is committed to tackling challenges faced by Dubai including a rising population and  tourist trade.

URB CEO Baharash Bagherian said: “The health of our cities is intrinsically tied to the health of our oceans. The ocean is the source of life controlling everything. Given that everything on our planet is connected, a healthy ocean is a healthy city. Our ocean will be entirely different by the end of the century if we don’t take action today.

"We need an entrepreneurial spirit in the planning of coastal cities & the types of infrastructure as well as developments that are linked to the ocean. As an innovative coastal city, Dubai is best positioned to lead such a transformation. Beyond creating a unique resilient destination for ecotourism & marine research, Dubai Reefs aims to become a blueprint for ocean living, whilst mitigating the impacts of climate change.”