Nakheel, the leading property developers in the UAE confirmed Sunday that there was continued interest from celebrities looking for homes on The Palm, Jumeirah, and that Christian Panucci, the 32 year old international football player and defender for Series A club, AS Roma has purchased a three bedroom apartment in the Shoreline Apartment complex on The Palm Jumeirah.
Panucci joins a host of famous footballers who have purchased on the man-made palm-shaped islands and he is sure to enjoy regular ‘kick arounds’ with some of his famous neighbours, such as David Beckham and Michael Owen who also purchased villas on The Palm, Jumeirah.
Christian Panucci was hosted at the Nakheel Sales Centre by Wahid Attalla, Nakheel's Executive Director - Commercial and Operations and senior company officials where he was shown documentary films and had several questions to ask of the Nakheel Sales team. Panucci said that he was amazed by his impressions of the island projects that have attracted the interest of the entire world and that he intends to stay at his new residence, once completed for between two to three months of every year.
Panucci was later escorted on board a special sightseeing boat organised for a first hand experience of Nakheel’s offshore developments and was able to visualise the construction of the islands. While inspecting the islands, Attalla said that while all the coastal projects were well off the ground and are closer to their dates of completion, each stage of construction continues to present itself as a feat of engineering and architectural marvel to the world. Admitting that, “when we launched these projects, we were faced with the world's incredulous astonishment. However, as we progress, we are being met with their admiration."
The Palm, Jumeirah is the first of the three palm-shaped islands that Nakheel are developing and will be completed in early 2006. Over the past months the first island’s construction and infrastructure has been coming to life with the urban plans being implemented and many of the villas close to completion. “We are no longer talking about a concept but one of the most influential projects that the world has seen. As the construction stages are completed on time and to schedule, we can see a new city going up across the skyline and everyone is marvelling at it – to the point that we are still inundated with requests to be part of the eighth wonder of the world”.
“The intense excitement that is building in the market as we move through this year and closer to the completion of the first project we initiated is tangible, and the fact that so many celebrities and important business men and women have shown their interest by visiting our centre where they have been astounded at our project portfolio, shows that there is a very great interest not just locally and regionally but also on an international level. We are very much looking forward to being able to hand over the first set of keys to the lucky few who will take up residence in early 2006”.
The construction of the 20 apartment blocks that the Shoreline Apartments comprises of has already begun, with the sub-frames and reinforced concrete structures surfacing over the coming months. These apartments are situated on the trunk of The Palm, Jumeirah and will offer the residents panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf and The Burj Al Arab. The 2,300 apartments being built at present, have a very challenging construction time frame, which is similar to all the construction on The Palm, Jumeirah. “so Panucci will not have to wait long before he can start living the Dubai dream of 365 days of sunshine, in the privacy afforded by The Palm, Jumeirah,” said Attalla.
