Human possibility is a mindset game.
At the initial stage of developing Palm Island, the original design presented to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum included around 7 km of beachfront. Sheikh Mohammed challenged this and asked Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who was leading the project under Nakheel, why the beaches could not be extended to 70 km—especially when Dubai’s natural coastline was only around 60 km at the time.
He pushed the team to go back to the drawing board and rethink the entire concept. This challenge led to the iconic Palm Tree design, which dramatically increased the total beachfront through artificial land creation.
Today, Palm Jumeirah is one of the most inspiring human-made developments in the world. It has played a major role in Dubai’s real estate growth and has significantly contributed to the city’s ambition of reaching close to a trillion-dollar real estate market by 2030—a goal that is already close to being achieved.
Whenever I see Palm Jumeirah, it inspires me deeply. I was part of the Atlantis Dubai project, and we were the first hotel to open on the Palm. I witnessed the development from its early days until its grand opening, which remains one of the largest and most iconic hotel openings in the world.
What we set in our mind is what we achieve. When we change the settings in our mind, we expand what is possible—and often go beyond it.
Dubai continues to inspire me for what is possible when mindset meets bold action.