With work on the infrastructure stage of the project already well underway, The Palm, Jumeirah has reached another milestone as construction of the villas on the island begins. Workers on the island yesterday laid the `blinding slab` on villas on Frond E. This is in preparation for the laying of the foundations for the villas, a move that is expected to take place early next week.

The Palm, Jumeirah is designed to be a residential environment of unequalled quality giving residents the opportunity to own the most luxurious, waterfront properties, said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel. So you can imagine the tremendous sense of achievement, excitement and anticipation among the Palm team as we begin this exciting new phase of the development. An enormous amount of research, planning and effort has been invested by Nakheel to ensure that these homes are of the highest international standard. This attention to detail and insistence on quality has been clear from the employment of world class architects right the way through to the purchase of fittings for these properties. As far as The Palm is concerned no detail is insignificant.

The villas that are currently being built are on Frond E and are in the Signature style (Grand Rotunda) measuring 7,000 square feet of built-up area from a total of 13,000 square feet of purchased land area.

All of the residential fronds on the island will be the source of a lot of activity over the coming weeks as construction begins on the villas designated for these areas.

We are right on schedule for the completion of the villas on the island, said Bob Berger, Director Projects Execution, Nakheel. We currently have around 2,000 workers on the island who are carrying out a variety of tasks from installing vital elements of the infrastructure such as the sewage and electrical requirements through to construction of the villas. This number will grow to around 3,000 workers within the next couple of months. An area in which Nakheel Engineering takes particular pride is the level and quality of inspections that we make on all areas of this project to ensure that what is constructed on this unique island will meet the expectations of residents and visitors alike. Absolutely nothing is left to chance.

Three contractors are working on construction of the villas (Al Hamed, China State Engineering and Al Moosa). There will be around 2,000 villas in total on The Palm, Jumeirah and these will be built in a variety of architectural styles and with a wide choice of amenities. All will be two storeys in height and will have a private pool and private beach with breathtaking waterfront views. Residents of the villas will also benefit from state-of-the-art security systems and at the nearby village centre marina with state-of-the-art marina systems to berth their yachts.