The Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) (Arabic: أبراج بحيرات الجميرا) is a large development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which consists of 80 towers constructed along the edges of three artificial lakes (Lake Almas West, Lake Almas East, JLT Lake) as well as the JLT Embankment of eight towers facing Jumeirah Islands.[1]
Initially JLT had four lakes (Lake Almas West, Lake Almas East, Lake Elucio, Lake Allure) but in late 2012 the developer of JLT, DMCC, announced that lake Elucio would be drained and a 55,000 m2 (590,000 sq ft) park would be created instead.[2] Subsequently, Lake Allure has been renamed to JLT Lake. The total area covered by the lakes, waterways and landscaping is 730,000-square-metre (7,900,000 sq ft).[citation needed] The towers range from 35 to 45 floors, except for the centerpiece (Almas Tower), which is 66 floors. The tallest tower and the centerpiece of the entire complex is Almas Tower which is situated on its own island between Lake Almas West and Lake Almas East.
The completion of Saba Tower in December 2006 marked the first tower to be completed in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. The majority of construction took place in 2008. By April 2011, over 80 percent of the JLT towers were said to have been completed. As of June 2015 there were reported to still be 11 towers unfinished, either abandoned due to the 2009 crisis or still undergoing construction.[3] The most prominent of these are Wind Tower 1 and Wind Tower 2 that are part of Cluster B and on Sheik Zayed Road. Wind Towers 1 and 2 have been under construction for more than 12 years.[citation needed]
The towers in JLT proper are organized in 26 clusters of three named from A to Z, each cluster has its own parking structure and a retail waterfront.
JLT Dubai is located near Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, Jebel Ali and Al Sufouh and borders Sheikh Zaed Rd.[4] Jumeirah Lakes Towers on the Dubai map is located in the northwestern part of the city.[5]
The project is estimated to have a resident population of around 60,000 and a working population of another 120,000; it will include five children's playgrounds, three mosques, a 55,000 m2 (590,000 sq ft) park (reshaped from Lake Elucio in 2013–2014), a police station, a civil defense station, a hospital and other facilities.[citation needed]
There are two available Dubai metro stations along the site: Sobha Realty (previously Dubai Marina) and DMCC (previously Jumeirah Lakes Towers) stations.
On January 18, 2007, two workers were killed and at least 40 injured when a fire broke out in the Fortune Tower, which was under construction at the time.[6] The Fortune Tower's construction was delayed for several months.[citation needed]
In addition, there was a smaller fire reported at the reception area of Tamweel Tower in the U cluster. The only reported injury was an infant who was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor smoke inhalation.[citation needed]
At 12.30 pm on 18 January 2007, a fire broke out on the upper storeys of the 34-storey building, billowing plumes of thick black over Dubai's skyline.[7] An investigation into the cause of the blaze found that burning welding material set alight wooden parts of an area of scaffolding.
JLT includes the Al Seef Towers, a group of three apartment buildings. One of these, the Tamweel Tower, was gutted by fire in November 2012. The tower was repaired by the end of 2016.[8]
On April 22, 2018, a fire broke out in Almas Tower[9] and all residents were evacuated. No injuries were reported according to Dubai Civil Defence.[citation needed]
Jumeirah Lakes Towers has become a popular mixed-use community, according to Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC.[10]
Most construction workers were from the Indian subcontinent.[6]
JLT is accessible via two metro stations - DMCC and Sobha Realty.[11] Both of these are on the Red Line of the Dubai Metro.[12]
Cluster Z is planned to be a single mixed-use development instead of the three towers per cluster for the rest of JLT. The property developer is Seven Tides. Cluster Z is planned to include a large retail offering in addition to residential units.[13] As of August 2024, the project is under construction.
