One Za’abeel | Engineering for Dubai’s Iconic Skyline

An icon for the new spirit of Dubai

Dubai is well-known for its ambitious architecture and One Za’abeel – the latest addition to the city’s famous skyline, is no exception. However, the new development also represents something more. Dubai has set its sights on becoming one of the world’s most sustainable cities and One Za’abeel aims to show that it’s possible to create aspirational buildings more sustainably.

One Za’abeel is a LEED Gold-accredited, mixed-use development by Ithra Dubai, which is wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD). The project consists of two slender towers connected by ‘The Link’ – the world’s longest occupied cantilevered building. One tower is home to luxury residences, while the other houses a high-end One&Only resort and private homes, SIRO hotel, luxury penthouses, ICD’s headquarters, offices, retail and leisure facilities. The Link itself features a range of attractions including a 130-metre-long infinity pool, Michelin-starred restaurants, entertainment experiences and a 360-degree viewing deck.

Location

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Client

Ithra Dubai, fully owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai ICD

Architect

Nikken Sekkei

Project Status

Completed in December 2023

CERTIFICATIONS

USGBC LEED Gold and Guinness World Record “Longest Occupied Cantilevered Building”

AWARDS

Arabian Property Awards: Mixed Use Development of the Year, Sustainable Commercial Development of the Year, Sustainable Residential Development of the Year

Ithra Dubai embedded sustainability into the heart of One Za’abeel. The development implements sustainable practices and aims to use natural resources efficiently, by focusing on key components such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, health and wellbeing, amenities and transportation, and operational excellence.

“One Za’abeel shows you can embrace complexity and still achieve high sustainability standards in tall buildings,” says Raad Jarrah, Chief Development Officer of Ithra Dubai. “ICD made One Za’abeel its headquarters, because what better way to demonstrate our vision to the world than by being part of it.”

TOTAL FLOOR AREA (sqm)

540,000 540,000

THE LINK LENGTH (m)

230 230

THE LINK STEEL WEIGHT (tonnes)

9,400 9,400

The innovative engineering that made One Za’abeel possible

The development is surrounded by landmarks including Za’abeel Park, the Dubai World Trade Centre, the six-lane Sheikh Zayed Road, and Al Mustaqbal Street which comprises a four-lane elevated highway running between the two towers. One of the biggest challenges was to build it without causing disruption to both people and traffic.

Both towers have seven basement levels for parking, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and support services, reaching 42m below ground and connected by two underground tunnels. Our engineering teams used a range of specialist techniques to protect the surrounding roads. To prevent movement while the pile foundations for the basement and ground levels were constructed, they built a 2-metre-thick diaphragm wall with waler beams around the perimeter of the site.

The construction of One Za’abeel in the heart of Dubai is an ode to the city that has been pushing the boundaries of engineering and mega structures for near on five decades, to bring ambitious visions into reality.

Dr Mohamed Hegazy Head of Supervision – Property & Buildings, WSP in the Middle East

How do you build a bridge in the sky?

Once the basement, ground floor and podium levels of the towers were built, work started on The Link skybridge and its cantilever – a 230-metre-long steel structure weighing over 9,400 tonnes. Our engineers used a special sliding system to safely construct The Link from one tower to the other. It was then lifted into position in two stages using a strand jacking system to reach its final resting place 100m above the ground.

The towers were built on a slight lean (with an off camber of 1.5-2mm per level) to level 42, to allow the huge weight of The Link to be lifted and welded in place, gradually returning the towers to an upright design position. Afterwards, the construction of the final levels was completed.

The Link is designed using a diagrid tube structure to counter the effects of twist and vertical deflection and create a column-free space. It took nine months to build and during this time, the four-lane elevated highway below the structure only had to be fully closed once for 72 hours, to enable the final lift to take place.

Dr Hegazy explains: “A lift of this size and complexity has never been done for a structure of this kind before. However, we’re entering a new era of possibility where design innovations allow us to break the boundaries and create new structural engineering marvels more efficiently.”

It’s second nature to the spirit of Dubai to define the impossible and make it possible, but One Za’abeel was still a journey like no other. From the intricacy of the design to lifting the skybridge 100-metres up in the air with a busy highway underneath.

Raad Jarrah Chief Development Officer, Ithra Dubai

A self-sufficient space connected to the city

One Za’abeel’s people-centric design is focused on health, wellbeing and connectivity, with facilities including indoor air-conditioned gyms, swimming pools, green spaces, footpaths to encourage walking, and a running track. There is also another bridge at ground level directly connecting residents and visitors with the nearby Dubai World Trade Centre, Za’abeel Park and public transport links.

One of the biggest sustainability challenges was sourcing the luxury materials needed for the project, especially in Dubai where a lot of products are imported, increasing their carbon footprint. Our engineers focused on optimizing material usage at the design stage and selecting and sourcing the highest quality materials with the lowest carbon impact, including 100% low emitting materials to protect people’s health and wellbeing, and over half the materials sourced from the region. “We never build anything that’s frozen in time, we always look at the long-term impact of our developments," says Raad Jarrah. "With One Za’abeel we wanted to create an icon that positions Dubai on the world map for sustainability and WSP is an integral part of the team that has risen to the challenge and delivered our vision. Dr Mohamed Hegazy was instrumental in leading the charge – the personal commitment that he and his team showed throughout the project has exceeded our expectations.”

What makes One Za’abeel stand out?

Record-breaking skybridge

It weighs over 9,400 tonnes, more than the Eiffel Tower in France and is almost as long as the UK’s London Bridge, at 230 meters.

Diagonal steel framework creates a seamless column-free space and uses less steel than a conventional steel frame.

Innovative engineering

The residential tower has 58 floors of luxury apartments, and the other has 68 mixed-use floors including hotels, private homes and offices.

Hundreds of gauges in the concrete enabled the towers to be built to precise coordinates, so The Link could be safely assembled, lifted and fixed into position.