First floating villa of Sea Palace Floating Resort is completed

Property created by a Ras Al Khaimah-based ship building company is part of a development that will contain a 156-room floating hotel and 12 mobile boat villas.

UAE-based ship building and repair company Seagate Shipyard unveiled the first floating house, which will be part of its USD 237 million Sea Palace Floating Resort project.

The project consists of a floating luxury hotel and 12 mobile boat villas that will be stationed near Dubai Marina.

The first mobile boat villa, an eco-friendly house named Neptune, was unveiled at the Al Hamra Port in Ras Al Khaimah on May 24, 2021.

'The project will include a luxurious hotel of 156 suites and rooms, encircled by 12 residential floating boats,' Mohammad El Bahrawy, chief executive of Seagate Shipyard, said.

Seagate Shipyard is among a handful of developers in UAE that are building floating residences or hotels.

Another company building floating "seahorse" villas is the Kleindienst Group. These villas are part of its USD 5 billion Heart of Europe project in Dubai. The developer said, the first phase of the project would be open to the public in time for Expo 2020.

The overall Sea Palace Floating Resort project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2023, the company stated. Remaining villas in the project will be launched soon.

The first floating villa in the project was bought by Dubai-based businessman Balvinder Sahani for USD 5.4 million in October last year.

Each boat villa will consist of two storeys and have an area of about 10,333 square feet. They will feature four ensuite bedrooms, indoor and outdoor living areas, a roof with an infinity swimming pool and a ground floor made of glass allowing for views of the water. There will also be a kitchen, living room and two separate rooms for staff.

Luxury car company Aston Martin designed the furniture for the floating villas. The developer mentioned this in November last year.

The luxury boat villas will be powered by solar energy and will use technology for wastewater treatment and air filtration. They will also feature a muted engine room and wave-resistant hydraulic engines, allowing residents to move the villa to other locations.

All units meet international safety standards and are equipped with self-sterilizing systems as well as smart home systems.

The floating Sea Palace hotel will be managed by an international hotel chain and investors will be able to buy units in the project.

Dubai was picked as the location for this resort as it is a 'significant tourism and investment destination' and offers flexible economic policies and well-developed infrastructure, Mr El Bahrawy pointed out.