Cedar Island

Damour, Lebanon


www.cedarsisland.com


http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/5016/66254467dn2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/mohamadm/cedargeneral.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/mohamadm/cedar1.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/mohamadm/cedar2.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/mohamadm/cedar3.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/mohamadm/cedar4.jpg


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From Almustaqbal newspaper:

المجموعة العقارية الاماراتية تنفذ
مشروع "جزيرة الأرزة" في بحر بيروت

المستقبل - السبت 30 كانون الأول 2006 - العدد 2490 - بزنس - صفحة 11

وصل الى بيروت مساء أمس رئيس مجلس ادارة المجموعة العقارية و"العقارية الفضائية" رجل الأعمال اللبناني المهندس الدكتور محمد صالح يرافقه المدير العام لمحطة العقارية وسيم المنديل.
وكان في استقبالهم في صالون الشرف في مطار بيروت المستشار القانوني للمجموعة المحامي رشيد أيوب والمحاميان عبد الله عيتاني وخليل قباني والمستشار المالي الخبير بشارة أيوب.
وقال صالح بأن الهدف من زيارته لبنان لتفعيل الدور الاستثماري البنّاء في هذه الآونة التي تشهدها الأوساط اللبنانية وخاصة خلال موسم الأعياد المباركة، وقد أشاد الدكتور صالح بأن مشروع جزيرة الأرزة والمزمع اقامته من قبل العاصمة بيروت وصولاً الى عمق البحر، بعد أن تم الحصول على موافقة معظم المستثمرين الخليجيين والعرب في هذا المشروع العملاق والذي يعكس الايمان بلبنان أفضل لمستقبل أجمل.
هذا وقد كان الدكتور محمد صالح قد قام بزيارة سابقة الى لبنان وعرض المشروع يرافقه وفد رفيع المستوى الى الجهات المختصة للمباشرة بطرح الفكرة والمشروع قيد الاستثمار والذي تأتي عنه مبادرة قيّمة من قبل رؤوس الأموال لدول مجلس التعاون الخليجي.
وتجدر الاشارة الى أن الدكتور محمد صالح والذي يرأس مجلس ادارة المجموعة الاعلامية وتلفزيون العقارية يرأس أيضاً مجموعة ضخمة من الشركات العالمية العملاقة.
هذا وسوف يتجه بعد غد الدكتور صالح الى عدد من الدول الخليجية بدعوة رسمية لطرح العديد من المشارع الاستثمارية المشتركة.

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I like the idea of an island but is such a thing feasible given the sea is very deep off Beirut coast?!

A pathetic attempt to copy the UAE. I am completely against this project.

Lebanon does not need to join the pissing contest of the UAE in order to prove itself.

^^

Actually, well unlike the Gulf, Beirut has very limited vacant plots of land to build on. The Gulf states have endless desert to build on and thats why they dont need islands, but in our case it may be necessary... I dont see this as being much more different than the landfill at the Beirut Marina or the one in Dbayeh.

i am not sure if the Mediterranean Sea is a good place for this island. It's very windy there.

I dont believe Lebanon needs this island at the moment or in the near future, there are plenty of other unique alternatives such as further developing in Beirut proper... and what makes it so unique or differents from similar projects taking place in the middle east such as Dubai???

hmm i think it would be cool?? .. hmm i dun exactly see why you're so many against it.. it will make lebanon more like 'international' or just 'famous' for the cedar island.. like maybe a new distinctive feature for lebanon as the eifel tower in paris or the freedom statue of new york .. we don't have such marks.:cheers:

its an oldish topic but i think extending the beirut peninsula (on the BCD side)would be a better idea (and much cheaper since they could use the long port wall (that extends into the see) as a support. they could build a completely new city (and perhaps a highrise district, and i mean HIGHRISE..50+, to create a skyline! ) a city isnt a city without a skyline! duh! hmm its hard to explain...i'll try to draw smthin and uplaod it later..
anyway..the fake island thing is too much of a dubai thing.. lebanon has the natural surroundings and beautiful coast to do much more than a fake island.
+ ofcourse dubai has money to burn..lebanon doent (at the moment anyway).

I found this article in « Le Commerce Du Levant » magazine, and it dates from december 2006

Cedar’s Island, un projet émirati sur le littoral nord du Liban

La société de développement immobilier (Sharikat el-Tatwir el-Ikari) basée a Dubaï envisage de lancer un projet immobilier d’une valeur de 1,2 milliard de dollars, sur le littoral nord du Liban. Cedar’s Island est un projet péninsulaire conçu sous la forme d’un cèdre. Il est prévu qu’il s’étende sur une surface de 4 millions de mètres carrés dont 1,2 millions de remblais et 0,8 de plan d’eau. Il regroupe 4 hôtels, plusieurs restaurants, une zone résidentielle représentant 13% de la surface totale du projet, un parc de loisirs, des espaces verts… La préparation des plans est en cours, ainsi qu’une étude sur la nature géologique du projet.

Translation &summary:
Value of the project: 1,2 billions
Size of the island: 4 millions m2
Location: North Lebanon
There will be 4 hotels, a leisure park, green spaces, a residential area (13% of the island)
The plans are being prepared

...

this is soo lame!!! a cedar island off the coast of beirut! shou hal habal! the uae and their neighbours have been copy pasting our city for years and now WE want to take an idea from them! lol this is pathetic! we dont need a stupid man made island to create a buzz for our city, nor do we need to build a gold plated hotel and put it on our number plates! how shallow! our country and city is known worldwide as a beautiful city, and saying the word Beirut to ppl speaks for itself!
man, if these countries could take Beirut, and rename their capital city Beiut, they probably would!!!

I say go for it. If someone has the ability to spend $1 billion on an environmentally friendly, cedar shaped island without needing 100LL of taxpayer money I don't see what the problem is. It'll only bring more tourists to the north. I honestly don't see this happening though

^^^its not about bringing in tourists. building such an island will kill the whole essence of a "city". what they're doing is building little mini-cities here and there...if they go through with this say farewell to a prospective 'real' Downtown Beirut.

and besides, a cedar island is tacky, and very fake...Dubai needs those fake islands coz they have nothing, lebanon on the other hand...don't let me start...

^^^its not about bringing in tourists. building such an island will kill the whole essence of a "city". what they're doing is building little mini-cities here and there...if they go through with this say farewell to a prospective 'real' Downtown Beirut.

and besides, a cedar island is tacky, and very fake...Dubai needs those fake islands coz they have nothing, lebanon on the other hand...don't let me start...

Beirut itself has 2 million+ residents and thats enough to support a real downtown that caters to Beirutis before wealthy tourists. Kaslik and Jounieh are great places to visit and they didn't seem to hurt tourism at all. Something like this would be great for all of Lebanon since you can't really visit Lebanon without visiting its capital. And many cities have artificial islands, not only Dubai. If done right, it could work very nicely with the city. Look at Danube Island in Austria as an example. It didn't take anything away from the city (Lebanon is the size of many cities) it added to it

ITS OFFICIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

Al Hokair Group to Launch” Cedar of Lebanon” Project

Saudi based company Al Hokair Group for Tourism & Development
is planning to launch a touristic and commercial project in Lebanon.
The latter consists of a man-made island in the form of a Cedar
Tree that will be built on the Lebanese coast covering more than 1
million square meters. The project will require total investments of
more than 3.75billion Saudi Riyal ($1 billion) and will be financed by
investors from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
According to Abdel Mohsen Al Hokair, chairman of Al Hokair
Group, this project will enhance trading and investment activities
and will open new business opportunities to Saudi and Lebanese
investors.

I agree john2890, Why do we need a cedar Island!!! They should invest that money in planting and preserving the real cedars. It is really tacky, it will look unnatural. Can't they invest that money to build buildings in the already existing city.

Or if they are going to build an island, why make it look so artificial on purpose!!

Big mistake. Just take a look at the Palm Islands on Google Earth. It looks so unnatural and so out of place.

I don't mind an island off the coast, but to shape it like a cedar tree is just plain tacky. Hopefully it doesn't get off the ground.

Also, it needs government approval. There was a major uproar over the Sannine Zenith project which just got over the line. This one may not be so lucky.

^^this is gonna create even more beaches.

^^ Also it will create more jobs, which is a surplus to the Lebanese Economy

Al hokair to invest 10billion dollars in Lebanon

''Abd El Mohsen Hakir company is looking to invest 10 billion dollars. According to the chairman the project will be called Lebanon’s Cedar, it will take the shape of the Lebanese Cedar and it will be constructed in the sea. The project comprises Saudi, gulf and Lebanese investment. This project will create over 100000 jobs.''

Honestly, if some developer wants to create a project, okay. I mean, I understand that there's a lot inside of Lebanon that needs work, but developers don't care about that, UNFORTUNATELY. Their job is to create a market that didn't exist before. BUT, can't they just make an island or something that's NOT shaped like a Cedar Tree? Talk about devaluing a gorgeous symbol. This is about as classy as when, I don't know if this happens outside the US, some brand of canned soup isn't selling so they start making it with differently shaped pieces of pasta. Whoever thought of this needs to be drug out into the street and shot. This is the sort of thing that belongs in Florida or the UAE, not a country with heritage and class. Someone needs to force the developers to make a nice, sane, square piece of land before construction starts so that their body can be buried in it for even suggesting to have a novelty shaped piece of land protrude from the coast.

LOL OMG...i think its tacky also..i guess it really just depends on where and how exactly it is shape...look at the cedar on the flag..will it be a squared off design or rounded edges? Will they go for a more natural look? (sand beaches instead of rocks) ..will it be lush and green? its very palm like..IS trumps tower that was supposed to go on the Palm (cancelled) be built there?

If built out it can be serious competition to the BCD...247 acres little more than half of downtwn beirut(including extension)I just hope its in the north..they can use it more..If in the south it would spoil the natural beached etc..

It would ruin the Lebanese coastline!
The only reason they're reclaiming lands in the UAE (Nakheal ..), Qatar (Pearl), .. is because they have this straight coastline which leaves less room for luxury sea-side real estate.
We have a gorgeous sea-side, rocky int the north and sandy in the south..
The only sense I could make for why would a person go with this project is that they're Saudis


And guys, from a technical point of view. Isn't the Lebanese sea bed very deep? especially in the north?
I know for a fact that the depth of the area just by the Beirut port is 15 meters..

What about where the material comes from?..they better not demolish mountains

I was checking out how big 250 acres is...Its about half the size of the bcd..Its also smaller than Qatar Pearl(997 acres). I think its big but its not going to be monstrous..i think everyone is thinking of the Dubai Palms etc..Its nowhere even close in size

I think they should go for it. As AmeriLEB pointed it out, it's not huge. Beside, it will create many jobs, will have many green spaces (cf. LCDL 2007) and will put Lebanon on the Real Esatse and economy map again.

Question: Will it coast $1Billion or $10Billion ?

^^ I guess one Billion.

lebanon is a mountainous country... there are so many mountainside roads that look out onto the coast. beautiful natural views...now we're gonna see a fake island in the shape of a tree... this is ridiculous and so cheap, tacky, cheesy, destined to become an eye-sore and in a few years time will be a nuissance and a regret to the lebanese people for allowing such a stupid project to b built. only saudis would come up with such an idea. why dont you find fake islands in western developed cities? because they're ugly and pointless and not enviromentaly friendly.

where on earth...other than in arab countries would you find mass-built cities... building a city from scratch? all by the same developer?!!! maybe some countries in africa and asia. the whole essence of a city is the natural growth and development that occurs over years, where different architects leave their mark by building a beautiful building that has a distinctive style from a certain era..

yes build an island...if we run out of space in beirut and need that little bit more land in order to accompdate people.

but do not build an island and ruin lebanon's natural coast in order to make arab tourists happy. and satisfy greedy developers that give no shit about lebanon.

also: and this is coming from a foreigner. sometimes i feel that you guys cant care less about your own country. too blind to see. just wanting to copy your masters and allow them to tread on you and control you.
sorry but i'm very upset about this.

The cost of this thing is going to be enormous. It will exceed $10 billion easily. Remember, you have got things like
a) labour
b) material - where the hell are they going to get the mateial from?
c) infrastructure - water, sewerage, electricity, telecommunications, roads to the island from the mainland and internal roads
d) buildings, houses etc
e) breakwaters to protect the island
f) landscaping
g) all the other tacky things they would want to put on it

I think the one billion is just for the reclamation...10 billion will probably be for all te building and infrastructure

I think we all need to calm down just a bit. Again, this project is no where near ready to begin as it isn't even approved yet and we haven't even seen one rendering. Attacking each other and getting all riled up over this is really not worth it.

Just to address a couple things, for those of you saying that the Lebanese coast will forever be scarred and this will be such a travesty need to realize that in comparison to the overall coast, this island will be just a spec. We have far more unsightly eye-sores all over our coast that need to be addressed first (like all those crumbling marinas). Having a glitzy green space docked along the coast is refreshing and a symbol of our prosperity; not to mention it represents our national pride (the cedar). More importantly, those of us in Lebanon know all too well how those jobs are desperately needed!

By the way, it wont really look tacky since from most views it will simply just look like an island. The cedar shape will only be apparent from an areal perspective.

I dont think they will build this, i mean the med is windy and it could get nasty in winter time, and the coast is way to deep and we have valuable species (or had not sure if they all left cuz of the oil spill lol), building this island will ruin marina life and it might be dangerous, I would say no. The Cedar is nice and all but its just not... Lebanon to do that.


What about the Rabbit Islands in Tripoli and the islands off of the coast of Sidon? They seem just fine...

What about the Rabbit Islands in Tripoli and the islands off of the coast of Sidon? They seem just fine...

But the islands in Tripoli and Sidon are made of solid rock with sand surrounding it. If it's a man made island, it will not survive the intensity of the Med. Sea. The only way it will survive and not wash away would be surrounding it with barriers, which is one of the reasons why the reclaimed land has them for such circumstances. If I remember correctly from an interview, it was one of Solidere's argument and reason why they placed those high walls that blocked St-Georges's view.

Okay guys, today I saw the first rendering of the project. It is really not that bad, actually I love it. That island consists of many green parks. (Maybe 50%)
Early next year the final rendering will be released online. I will post the name of the company soon. - Sorry, I do not remember the name anymore.

I'm in this forum pretty much everyday but I haven't logged in or commented in a long time ... I just had to stand up against this project for so many reasons.

1. the damage to the ecology of the Mediterranean this project would create is massive ... also can you image a septic tank rupturing into the sea or something? not to mention the natural habitats that will have to be destroyed.

2. we have natural beauty in our coastline being the way it is ... this is going to ruin it forever. and once built, the aesthetic damage is permanent

3. let's be honest about this .... this is a cedar tree that will be inhabited by non-lebanese nationals of a certain financial class ... and the design of the island itself is so exclusionary that I bet you the average citizen will NOT have access to it

4. hideous, fake/unnatural and just DOES NOT FIT WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN or our architecture ... even the homes planned are not unique ... what makes this project stand out?

5. and most importantly, lebanon has underground aquifers that run out to the sea and naturally refilter near the coast ... the acquifers are literally everywhere and at least a handful would have to be destroyed or permanently contaminated and therefore rendered useless for this project to go forth

6. like i've said in this thread before, we have different weather than the dubai coast .. this thing doesn't stand a chance in hell against an earthquake (part of it sliding into the sea ... pollution and all)

7. why are we imitating dubai? I know its an imarati project and company, but are they incapable of building on land? I seriously think dubai should be against this as much as we are seeing as it's stealing their idea.

8. where's the material coming from? are we going to blow up a few mountains to make this $hit-hole (sorry for the language)

This is a TERRIBLE idea and I seriously hope it doesn't go through

*EDIT* a waterpark, an office park AND a mega department store? god help us...

I'm in this forum pretty much everyday but I haven't logged in or commented in a long time ... I just had to stand up against this project for so many reasons.

1. the damage to the ecology of the Mediterranean this project would create is massive ... also can you image a septic tank rupturing into the sea or something? not to mention the natural habitats that will have to be destroyed.

2. we have natural beauty in our coastline being the way it is ... this is going to ruin it forever. and once built, the aesthetic damage is permanent

3. let's be honest about this .... this is a cedar tree that will be inhabited by non-lebanese nationals of a certain financial class ... and the design of the island itself is so exclusionary that I bet you the average citizen will NOT have access to it

4. hideous, fake/unnatural and just DOES NOT FIT WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN or our architecture ... even the homes planned are not unique ... what makes this project stand out?

5. and most importantly, lebanon has underground aquifers that run out to the sea and naturally refilter near the coast ... the acquifers are literally everywhere and at least a handful would have to be destroyed or permanently contaminated and therefore rendered useless for this project to go forth

6. like i've said in this thread before, we have different weather than the dubai coast .. this thing doesn't stand a chance in hell against an earthquake (part of it sliding into the sea ... pollution and all)

7. why are we imitating dubai? I know its an imarati project and company, but are they incapable of building on land? I seriously think dubai should be against this as much as we are seeing as it's stealing their idea.

8. where's the material coming from? are we going to blow up a few mountains to make this $hit-hole (sorry for the language)

This is a TERRIBLE idea and I seriously hope it doesn't go through

*EDIT* a waterpark, an office park AND a mega department store? god help us...


I was just wondering where you have been...

I agree with your concerns and the questions you pose are more than valid. All we can do at this point and wait for more information rather than jumping to conclusions though. I am sure this would not have been approved it would have such severe consequences. I guess one positive thing is that it has some greenery incorporated into it. I am just glad that this development did not destroy the banana fields.

Also important to mention is that there are two major beach resorts (Oceana and Janna sur Mer) recently built along this exact coastline (and they are continuously expanding by building chalets).
By summer of this year, there will be a third beach resort built right in-between Janna Sur Mer and Oceana called Utopia! I wonder how this will have an impact on the project...

I think Kheireddine said it best when he said that history repeats itself in Lebanon. Instead of ever investing in better quality infrastructure that would improve citizens' lives, people invest in glitzy projects :ohno:

I would love to see Lebanon be a research and medical hub, with investment going into grand labratories and hospitals, not more real estate projects. And last I checked I thought Lebanon needed more money to upgrade its electrical grid not build an artificial island when its civilians still dont get enough electricity or have high enough wages.

And lebgurl is completely right, Lebanon and Dubai or not the same at all. Dubai has no natural beauty like Lebanon (not unles you're really into sandunes) Its proven that Lebanon is prone to earthquakes, and its seas can get stormy. Whats stopping this thing from flooding or sinking? How about replanting some cedars instead and preserving old buildings. I'd much rather see that.

It is certainly not as massive as the palm tree islands in Dubai and will not have much of an impact on the view from space.

While it isn't as massive as the Palm tree islands in Dubai, it will still nonetheless be clearly noticeable from space.

Go to the Cedar Island website and click on Site & Location, they have a properly scaled object imposed on Google Maps satellite imagery, just uncheck "Show Labels" and zoom out and you can clearly see the Cedar island sticking out into the sea.

Did the reclaimed land in Dbayeh and BCD look that weird?

The reclaimed lands in Dbayeh and BCD aren't shaped like trees...

What a disaster. Fingers crossed this doesn't get approved.

A few issues I can see (these may have been mentioned earlier)

1) The water in between the branches will be stagnant from lack of circulation.

2) The beaches will crumble due to erosion especially during storms. The beaches will have to be artificially replenished on a regualr basis to prevent the whole island from being washed away.

3) There needs to be some sort of protection in the form of a breakwater. You can't leave the island exposed to the sea like that. The Palm Islands have a ring around them.

4) Where are they going to get the material from?????? At what cost is this going to be to the environment.

5) It is right under the flight path of one of the runways at Beirut Airport. I hope the future residents won't mind a bit of noise.

6) It looks completely out and place on the coast and will be an eyesore from the air despite its greenery.

All in all, there is still a lot of work to be done before this comes close to being feasible not to mention the required government approvals.

this is the most ridiculous project for Lebanon yet...and anyway who cares about how the island looks like from above, it's not like people lives 5 km up in the sky to see the shape. Investments should be poured into what we ALREADY have, like cleaning up beaches, restoring city centers...etc. I pray this project goes bankrupt and doesn't go through!

Remember though, investements have to make money. Cleaning beaches and building roads doesn't earn investors any money. There should be conditions on these sort of investments such as "You may build this island on condition that you clean all the surrounding beaches and resurface all surrounding roads etc"

Excellent post, thank you.

thanks:) I would like to add that I believe Lebanon is unique in its land and people and should not mimick the gulf (no offense against the gulf they have achieved leaps and bounds). It has natural forests and beaches and thats what can draw tourists in and the local community.


Joseph D I was just about to say the same thing! They should tie those investments into investments in infrastructure as well. And you are right what is gonna stop those beaches from being swept away.

AND what about beach resorts such as bamboo bay which are located in Damour? What will become of them????

That area and the South in general are the most natural beach areas Lebanon has.. I think its a bad location...I love the banana fields and the unspoiled look of the place

If it appears as it does in this render, it would look a lot better, it looks more natural with the greenery
http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/cedars.jpg

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/df.jpg

^^I think that's old. I mean Emile Lahoud is in the picture next to the rendering.

remember that these things hardly ever turn out like the renderings, like the palms for example in the renderings they were so green and spacious but in reality they're crammed with villas and there's hardly any greenery....they need to sell to make money and green spaces don't sell!

what is "semi floating" structure? kinda weird..also whats up with the dwntwn highrises? thats going to really affect the CBD in beirut..is there enough demand for two so close?

^^i now have an official reason to not support this project : according to the site & location renders this project will be built directly parallel to Oceana and Janna Sur Mer resorts which will totally destroy their beach fronts :(:(

At first I hated this project, but now that I think about it might be kinda good for lebanon.
Everyone in the world will be talking about this project, and imagine how much it will bump the tourism.

Maybe evn some nice highrises could fit here. It will be like our mini-Dubai, except nicer. :)

What is so exciting about a mini-Dubai in Lebanon? I dont see how an island shaped as a cedar would attract people. The actual cedars attract people. You either have to go drive up to the top of a mountain to stare at its horrible shape, or fly over it. We have enough under developed attractive attractions that this company could develop and profit from, but they choose to throw their money into the sea. The only positive thing I see is that it will not be off of the coast of Beirut.

^^i now have an official reason to not support this project : according to the site & location renders this project will be built directly parallel to Oceana and Janna Sur Mer resorts which will totally destroy their beach fronts :(:(


say it ain't so :ohno:

Why not do it near rocky beaches. Honestly it would be better near Amchit or Saida (Saida needs more economic development). And I'm suprised people want to give it so much funding concerning all the instability in the region. I know lebanon isn't a land of war, but unfortunately sometimes it is sucked into awful conflicts that lead to alot of instability.

good it will be built here, at least we will not lose a sandy shore however they should have built it somewhere where
we could see it from a mountain, it will be a lot better that way
Location of the Island
http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/01.jpg

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/02.jpg

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/05.jpg

You know its not going to be that green haha but i do like the effort and the sandy beaches:) The breakwaters u can see now...I still am concerned about where the fill will come from...and what about the marine enviroment..there are major hatching ground for the green turthle in the south..

What makes this easier to maintain than the Dubai islands is that the "branches" are supposed to have a rugged coastline, unlike the palm branches where they have to add sand to keep the edges straight.

^^ yeah it should be..
some ppl are totally against this and maybe they have some good points but im actually looking forward to seeing it complete !!

^^ Same here :cheers:

this is a devastating project

I took these pics a couple summers ago... this is the exact location the island will be constructed:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/22-1.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/DSCN2155.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/DSCN2159.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/DSCN2156.jpg

^^ yeah it should be..
some ppl are totally against this and maybe they have some good points but im actually looking forward to seeing it complete !!

Has it even been approved yet???

Jan. 08 2009
A meeting was hold at the office of the "Directeur General" of the Public Works Ministry eng. FADI NAMMAR along with the engineering team of Noor Holding to elaborate all the necessary approaches for the project.

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/Damou-2.jpg

those pics look beautiful. thanks for posting/

that's a very nice project,lokoing forward for that bridge over the sea linking the island with the main land :cheers:

^^ This certainly begs the question (that lebgurl mentioned earlier), who will have access to the Island? Will the roads be public or private? Clearly there will be strict security and not just anyone will be allowed to cross this bridge...

^^ I think the upper part will be private but the highrises and other parts should be public cause this should be a tourist attraction as they said, so it has to have hotels and public spaces. what's the point of making it 100% private?

I can't see any ecological "disaster" as a result from this project,as the shore will be almost totally INTACT as we can see from the renders,and we know that the shore or the coast line is the home for the majority of the marine life ecological system.

Does that mean that the Port d'amour project is canceled now???

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/9576/zulogooq9.jpg

^^ Hope not!!
i v never heard of it but it seems great.
besides ther's no reason y this should be canceled cause Damour is big and this project is on sandy beaches and the cedar is on rocky shores..

And maybe it can go on the cedar also

I d like to see them both on different locations

I love this project, it would add a whole new perspective to our already diverse country...its sort of an urban planned modern aread that diffirentiates from anything that could be developed on the land we have already

the sea belongs to the people of lebanon. no one has the right to claim a part of the sea and turn it to a private project (public? yes why not but not private, but how are the people of lebanon going to benefit from this?) especially when its going to be rich arabs from the gulf who own the majority of those houses there. our corrupt government allowed this, i cant believe it. in no other modern country would such a thing be accepted.

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/Damou-2.jpg

Gotta say I'm not a big fan of this project.. But after these renderings (especially the 2nd one) it's kinda growing on me :cheers:

the sea belongs to the people of lebanon. no one has the right to claim a part of the sea and turn it to a private project (public? yes why not but not private, but how are the people of lebanon going to benefit from this?) especially when its going to be rich arabs from the gulf who own the majority of those houses there. our corrupt government allowed this, i cant believe it. in no other modern country would such a thing be accepted.

John, I think we all get your point by now... but you have to realize that in this global economy, any investment in Lebanon will be good for the country.

Yes its not just housing for rich people..its construction jobs..its hotel/office jobs,maintenance , taxes, etc etc..it has a mutiplier effect

wowwwwwwwwww this is a great project! hope they do it

Gotta say I'm not a big fan of this project.. But after these renderings (especially the 2nd one) it's kinda growing on me :cheers:

tell me how are you going to benefit from this? are we going to be able to use that park in the middle? of course not. can we use the beaches? of course not! its one giant private project being built on public space. imagine someone built an apartment building in hyde park london, or time square new york. the sea is for everyone.

^^ How about we wait and see. You can't be so judgemental John. If you read the brochure you should see that there will be a golf course, beaches, marina's and swimming pools that will be open to public. After all, even if it isn't, wouldn't you want some privacy if you just bought a 3.5 millions dollar house?? How else would lets say the golf course make money if its open only to those who own a property on the island? After all most of the residents would be vacationers that would come and go and the company owning the golf course would not be able to financially support itself ;) And clearly in its first statement when you enter the website it says it will be built in the touristic area of Damour and it will be attracting tourists (in either case do we not pay a small fee to enter private beaches in Lebanon? I'm more than sure it will work the same way)

From Today's Almustaqbal issue

بتكلفة 7 مليارات دولار قبالة الشاطئ اللبناني

"نور الدولية" تطرح مشروعاً استثمارياً عالمياً يحمل إسم "جزيرة أرزة لبنان" في البحر

المستقبل - الجمعة 23 كانون الثاني 2009 - العدد 3198 - بزنس - صفحة 14


http://www.almustaqbal.com/issues/images/3198/C14N2.jpg
باسم سعد

أعلنت شركة "نور الدولية القابضة" ومقرها بيروت عزمها على طرح تطوير مشروع "جزيرة أرزة لبنان" قبالة الشاطئ اللبناني على المراجع الرسمية اللبنانية لأخذ الموافقات.
وكشفت الشركة النقاب عن أن المشروع عبارة عن جزيرة اصطناعية في البحر على شكل رمز لبنان الوطني وسوف تشكل أكبر شجرة إصطناعية عرفها التاريخ.
وتضم الجزيرة مجمعات سكنية وتجارية وسياحية وترفيهية وخدماتية تتميز بقدر كبير من الفخامة المنسجمة مع أسلوب الحياة العصرية بالإضافة إلى توافر أفضل وسائل الراحة والاستجمام .
وذكرت الشركة أيضاً بأنها ستقوم بدور المطور الرئيسي للمشروع وأنها باشرت اتصالاتها مع العديد من المستثمرين اللبنانيين المقيمين والمغتربين والعرب وجهات استثمارية أخرى.
ويقول رئيس مجلس إدارة " شركة نور الدولية " الدكتور محمد صالح ان المشروع من شأنه تعزيز مكانة لبنان كوجهة سياحية وإستثمارية رائدة على المستوى الدولي واستقطاب الزوار والمستثمرين من كل أنحاء العالم إلى لبنان .
وأوضح صالح أن مجلس إدارة الشركة جال على بعض الأقطاب السياسيين لأخذ "المباركة" على فكرة طرح المشروع مؤكداَ أنه لقي الترحيب بالفكرة. فضلا عن ترحيب مؤسسة تشجيع الإستثمارات في لبنان (إيدال) للمباشرة بإجراءات الترخيص .
وأعرب عن أمله بأن تتم الموافقة الرسمية على المشروع وإصدار التراخيص اللازمة بأقرب وقت ممكن نظراً لإهتمام المستثمرين البالغ للدخول في مشروع "جزيرة الأرزة" العملاق .
وقال صالح إن المشروع سيوفر نحو 50.000 فرصة عمل ، موضحا أن استراتيجية الشركة تتمحور حول تأسيس تحالفات مع أهم الشركات في هذا المجال لضمان توفير أفضل الخدمات في المشروع. وأشار إلى أنه سيتم الإعلان عن مزيد من التفاصيل حول "جزيرة أرزة لبنان" بعد استصدار الموافقات اللازمة .
بدوره قال المستشار الاقتصادي والمالي للشركة بشارة أيوب أن إنجاز المشروع سيستغرق3 سنوات إلى 4 بعد الحصول على المراسيم والتراخيص الخاصة من الجهات اللبنانية المختصة. وأكد أن المشروع يراعي في تصاميمه حماية البيئة البحرية وعدم إلحاق أية أضرار بها حيث إن بعض أجزاء الجزيرة ستكون عبارة عن أجنحة الأرزة العائمة فوق سطح البحر.
وكشف أيوب ان التكلفة التقديرية حسب الحسابات الاولية للمشروع هي بحدود 7 مليارات دولار اميركي، وهناك مفاوضات حثيثة تجري مع عدد من الشركات لتقديم الخدمات الاستشارية ومنها B.A الأميركية المتخصصة بالمشاريع المائية على مستوى العالم. كما تعاقدت الشركة مع كبرى الشركات العالمية للدخول في تنفيذ بعض أعمال البناء كشركة "باناسونيك" وشركة هواوي الصينية العالمية وشركة "هومز اكسبرس" البريطانية المتخصصة في التسويق العقاري وشركة "نيفي غروب" انترناسيونال المتخصصة في مجال مكافحة التلوث البيئي.
وكشف أن شركات إستثمارية عدة أبدت إهتمامها للإستثمار في المشروع من بينها مجلس الأعمال السعودي اللبناني ومجموعة الحكير للتنمية السياحية السعودية وشركات بحرينية وقطرية ومجموعة البهبهاني الكويتية.

^^ So this project is not approved yet , working on the approval though :)
it's going to cost about $ 7 billion , and it's going to take from 3-4 years to be completed from the date of approval.Also it provides 50,000 job opportunities.companies like " Panasonic,hawawi,and others" working on their projects on the island,so this is something serious guys,

i expect they start working on it later on this year.

The Arabic article said that it will form the largest tree shaped artificial island in history.

So that will be bigger than the Palms in Dubai, meaning were gonna have a really big project in our hands. This is gonna be great for Lebanon.

wow thats huge!!! i still think the floating wings sound amazing..but i do not know it wont affect the marine ecosystem...i mean its going to block sunlight and the mere fact its in the water means different waterflows etc etc

Another thing about this island, if it gets built, is I feel it will open the flood gates so to speak. I reckon, all of a sudden, there will another two or three proposals for even larger offshore islands. That is what happened in Dubai. Once they started building the first one, they decided to go with a second larger one, and an even larger world one. If this does get built, i really hope it is the only one.

This island is gonna be a hotspot for the yacht owners in eastern med. :)

Its gonna be HOT!!!!!!!!!! I am liking this project more and more..but i have alot of concerns..I have a feeling Solidere will come up with something..Like extending there waterfront again..possibly from the new park arching north.or exteding out from the north tip...that way views are protected for the investors on the new land

Jan. 23 2009
A delegation of Board of Directors of NOOR visited the Office of Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) and met the Chairmen Dr. Nabil Itani. The delegation provided a detailed explanation of the project and applied for legal license

did anyone else notice the aerial and the sidways rendering are different at the fist "Branch"...one shows just one bridge (the mainland) and the other shows 2 with wide water when it reaches the first branch

'Noor International' is about to present the development of a Universal Investment Project called 'Lebanon's Cedar Island' that will be constructed in the Sea
24 January 2009


http://www.almustaqbal.com/issues/images/3198/C14N2.jpg


Beirut - "Noor International Holding", located in Beirut, declared its determination to present to the Lebanese official authorities the development of "Lebanon's Cedar Island" project facing the Lebanese coast in order to get the approvals. The company revealed also that the project is an artificial island in the sea and it is similar to Lebanon's national symbol. It is worth mentioning that this island will be the biggest artificial tree in the history.

This island will include service, entertaining, touristic, commercial and residential compounds characterized by a great luxuriousness that is in harmony with the modern lifestyle, in addition to the availability of the best accommodations. Moreover, the company mentioned that it will be the main developer of the project and that it has started its calls with many Lebanese investors residing in Lebanon and abroad, with Arabs and other investment parties.

The chairman of the board of directors in "Noor International Holding", Dr. Muhammad Saleh, declared that the project aims at reinforcing Lebanon's position as a pioneer touristic and investment figure at the international level and at attracting the visitors and the investors from all over the world to visit Lebanon. Furthermore, Dr. Saleh (the inventor of the project's idea) clarified that the company's board of directors visited some political leaders in order to get "the blessing" regarding the idea of the project's presentation and he confirmed that the idea was welcomed. The board of directors visited also the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL)Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL)
Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, which is responsible for encouraging the investments in Lebanon, in order to start the authorization's procedures. Saleh expressed his hope for getting the official approval related to the project, in addition to the issuance of the necessary authorizations as soon as possible due to the serious interest of the investors in joining the giant "Cedar Island" project. Dr. Saleh added that the project will provide 50.000 job opportunities, clarifying that the company's strategy is to form alliances with the most important companies in this field in order to provide the best services in the project. In addition, he mentioned that more details will be announced about "Lebanon's Cedar Island" after getting the necessary approvals.

According to Dr. Saleh, it is expected that the accomplishment of this project will take 3 to 4 years after getting the specific authorizations and decrees from the competent Lebanese parties.

Dr. Saleh confirmed that the project, in its plans, takes into consideration the protection of the maritime environment without causing any damages to it due to the fact that some of the Island's parts will be the cedar's branches floating above the sea surface. He also mentioned that many investment companies showed their interest in investing in this project, among them are the Lebanese-Saudi Affairs Council, the Saudi based company Al Hokair Group for Tourism and Development, Qatarian and Bahraini companies and El Behbehani Group in Kuwait.

The company revealed that fst negotiations are taking place with several companies in order to present the consultative services and among these companies is the American company B.A. specialized in the water projects worldwide. In order to carry out construction works related to the project, the company made contracts with the biggest universal companies such as Panasonic Corporation, the universal Chinese Hawawi Corporation, the British Homes Express Corporation specialized in the real estate marketing and Navy International Group specialized in controlling the environmental pollution. Thus, "Noor International Holding" prepared a universal alliance in the field of engineering, construction, marketing, administration and environmental and economic studies and it formed a giant structure in order to carry out this special project.

It is worth mentioning that CP Company, one of Noor International Holding's companies, got a work of art and literature registration certificate, holding No. 4125, on 28th February 2008, issuance No. 1515. This certificate is issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Economy - the Department of the intellectual property's protection in Lebanon.

this project does not belong in Lebanon...are we imitating dubai now?!?! and how are they caring about the environment?!?! by building "cedar branches that are floating above the sea surface". what happens to the middle part?

^^It is going to be an eco-friendly project.
And I agree on the Dubai part, but I just can't stop thinking about this. Yes we are copying, but I think we are making it a hell of alot better.

how are we making it better??!its the same thing but the shape is different!...and can someone explain this "floating branches thing"? i don't get how this can be ecofriendly...

^^ Studies have shown the wide stretches of bay-shaped coastlines causes a boom in marine life..
Look for the studies about Dubai's Palm and World islands. There was once a documentry on NGCA...

its nice project!!!! its like palm island in dubai

its nice project!!!! its like palm island in dubai

and that's exactly what everyone will think of it as ...
CharoogAjram, how exactly will it be eco-friendly? what about the coast? and the material that has to be brought in... where is it coming from? and what happens in 50 years when it's no longer inhabited? how do we take it apart?

d2MbbywSGTM

I'm ashamed to say this and I will probably regret saying it, but I am secretly hoping that hizbulla uses it as a launching pad so that Israel takes care of it ...

and that's exactly what everyone will think of it as ...
CharoogAjram, how exactly will it be eco-friendly? what about the coast? and the material that has to be brought in... where is it coming from? and what happens in 50 years when it's no longer inhabited? how do we take it apart?

I'm ashamed to say this and I will probably regret saying it, but I am secretly hoping that hizbulla uses it as a launching pad so that Israel takes care of it ...

I read somewhere a while back and it said it was gonna go eco0freindly and good for the environment. I don't know whaere the materials r coming from tho.

And I think in 50 years the island will still be inhabited. Why would anyone leave it?

And no comment on the Hezbollah thing, that is just plain said.

@ lebgurl ^^ :lol:

I read somewhere a while back and it said it was gonna go eco0freindly and good for the environment. I don't know whaere the materials r coming from tho.

And I think in 50 years the island will still be inhabited. Why would anyone leave it?

And no comment on the Hezbollah thing, that is just plain said.

How is it even possible for this to be eco-friendly? the ecosystem won't even be there because a skyscraper will take its place ... how can you be friendly to something that will no longer exist?

I don't know if any research has been done on how long these islands will last, but we all know that after a while it won't be worth as much as it is now ... we should turn it into a nightlife area then and give gemmayze residents a rest.

will it really be bigger than the dubai ones? :ohno:

^^ cheer up guys , this is not gonna happen :P

Developers constantly state their projects are eco-friendly to win public support. This is usually blatant lying.

I wonder what actual experts think of this project? I doubt they will consider it eco-friendly.

Also, I wonder what the locals think of this project? Do they think it will be eco friendly?

The thing that pisses me off the most about this project, is it is being funded, designed and completely developed by foreign entities who have not got Lebanon's interest at heart. They are purely driven by profit. They don't care about environmental impacts or about the whole copying Dubai thing. In terms of job creation, how many Lebanese jobs will be created is the real question. Out of the 50,000, it will be lucky if 1/4 of them are Lebanese.

For those of you who have facebook, there is a group called "No for Cedar Island". Just search for it and join it if you are interested in opposing this project.

For those of you who have facebook, there is a group called "No for Cedar Island". Just search for it and join it if you are interested in opposing this project.

I <3 you!
I am so glad I'm not the only one!

My grievance with this project is that its completely artificial, I wouldn't be so opposed to it if they were extending the coastline in a way that looked natural. I just hate how the cedar is whored out. I'm joining that facebook group.

projects off the coast, the idea John has mentioned of extending the BCD landfill along the port breakwater would be so much more logical. Rather than destroying yet another part of the coast (and one of the last relatively unspoiled parts), and creating an urban agglomeration far from any existing infrastructure, you could extend the BCD and thereby get the concentration necessary to justify mass transit, etc.

If someone has the money to build that island thing, maybe he could be convinced to invest it differently.

And in any project of this type I'd like to see the State be granted a meaningful percentage, so that Lebanese could feel they were participating a bit in the sale of the country

Anyway, I wonder about the currents off the coast and the silt. Tyre's peninsula is man-made, a consequence of silt building up against Alexander's mole. Somehow, you'd have to think that the numerous little inlets of that 'cedar' would pose some heavy maintenance problems after a while....

I wish they would invest that money in something like public transit, some of the best transit systems around the world are privately owned and funded. Imagine if that money was reinvested in something like a nation wide transit system as well as a local transit system for Beirut. That would have been both profitable and worthwhile.

Well....I would only agree with this project because it will create more jobs for lebanese people!....BUT I do agree that it's TACKY and why the hell are we trying to imitate instead of inovate!!! PLZ Lebanese people are known for being smart. WE already have a NATURAL beautiful country ....Dubai has a desert!! They should invest this money in rebuilding the city, in building beautiful roads, traffic systems, transport systems...ah PLZ dont COPY the ugly and failing Projects of DUBAI!!

For those of you who have facebook, there is a group called "No for Cedar Island". Just search for it and join it if you are interested in opposing this project.

There are 534 members and counting. It was around 100 members when I joined. There is no doubt there is significant opposition to this project. Hopefully, the government will realise this and not give the required approvals for the project.

Also, I have been in contact with Greenpeace in Lebanon to get their opinion. They are still studying the impact of the project and are yet to declare an official position.

I don't know why, but this project has struck a nerve with me and I am going to do as much as I can to try and help stop it, even though I am on the other side of the world.

^^ there are about a 1000 now

seriously NO!!!!
contrary to what most are using as "defense" regarding jobs.. i say this
ARE YOU EFFIN KIDDING ME? this leads me to believe that you haven't seen the construction yards in dubai where the 99% are east indian folks
u think lebanese ppl are gonna work on a project like this... which reminds me things like sukleen... i'd love to see a lebanese person climb those garbage trucks... so please this is not even an argument...

also, knowing who's buying the real estate in dubai and it's current situation should draw a clear picture of money laundering at the highest of levels...
here again NO!

the fact that it's not the lebanese gov or a lebanese entity or consortium of lebanese entities who is responsible for such an undertaking and specifically the fact that it's a gulf project... (most likely uae and not saudi) makes me shiver.
NO NO NO!!!

if this is real, boycott this! this should receive the heaviest resistance!

Well to be accurate it does have alot of lebanese investors..

Wow ya'll are so negative here...

OK... Let me be the only one here that is backing this project! How and why in the world would anyone in his right mind refuse 7 billion in estimated investment!!!! This is just an estimation! This project will introduce at LEAST 10 billion dollars into Lebanon's economy! I don't see the problem of having an island built offshore?! It will not look like a tree from the shores of Batroun. Besides, has anyone seen any of the tens of shows that displayed the trees in Dubai and the engineering savantry it required? Dubai tried to copy Beirut so many time before and actually went on on a path of it's own... I don't see the problem if we take one of their ideas and make it on an even bigger scale?!
I Can't say I love this project, but I can say that I want it done! This might be tacky and it might affect the environement, but do you really think the positive effect will be lesser than the negative ones?! We have whole dumpsters in the sea and no one says anything about those! Projects like this have an really huge impact on the long term economy of a country. If someone invests 10 billion dollars in lebanon, it will be the biggest proof of stability and will reassure other investors that Lebanon is a safe place to invest. Once we get more investments, then our infrastructure will be fixed automatically! Trust me, you want this or anything that has a 10 billion dollar price tag built in Lebanon!!!!

^^ You are not the only one supporting this project! I think there is a silent majority that does because we know that the benefits outweigh the costs in this project.

Of course, there is no such thing as being 100% eco-friendly, but there are plenty of other environmently problematic issues in Lebanon that should be addressed first. This project is epic and will certainly put Lebanon back on the map (in a good way). Unlike the Gulf states, Lebanon has a lack of open land and needs this new space for development.

I can respect the fact that they even mention enviromental sensitivity. I can see they are trying to work with different organizations to ensure this is as safe as possible. I think we all need to hold off judgement until we see the major details. It is still too new...Even GreenPeace is holding off and studying it when they are very vocal.

Great Article..answers many questions as to enviroment..amount of houses..investors..even facebook etc..

A cedar made of sand?
Plans are unveiled for a Dubai-style artificial island off Lebanon's coast
Alice Fordham, NOW Staff , January 29, 2009


Plans for Cedar Island show houses, a golf course and a marine academy.
A Beirut company has unveiled plans to build an island in the shape of a cedar tree off the coast of Lebanon, with over 300 villas, a golf course and a self-contained infrastructure, including a water treatment centre and power plant.

The $7.4 billion island, on which hundreds of Lebanese have apparently already asked to buy houses, is being developed by Noor International Holding, headed by Dr Muhammad Saleh, a Lebanese civil engineer who developed the world's tallest hotel, the Rose Tower in Dubai.

Working with a team of more than 20 architects, civil engineers, environmental and investment consultants, Noor has produced detailed plans for the enterprise, and has, it says, letters of intent from investors in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Holland, Mexico, Panama and – most of all – Lebanon.

Speaking to NOW Lebanon, Dr. Saleh said that funding was not a problem, that environmental and marine assessments were underway, that Ernst & Young, the financial services company, was refining the first draft of the economic analysis and that Tourism Minister Elie Marouni expressed his support for the enterprise this week.

"I got the idea," said Dr Saleh, "when I was on a plane in 2005, looking at the logo of Middle East Airlines – a cedar. And then when I was in Lebanon I saw the shore, and I saw how we could make a city." A dream it may once have been, but the financial world seems to be taking it seriously. Investment fund managers have been in touch to discuss international investment, and Aston Martin wants to present the project to its owners' club at the launch of their new car in November.

The project has its skeptics. Thomas Schellen, publishing editor of Lebanon's Zaywa Industry Research, pointed out that the Lebanese environment could present problems. "The Mediterranean coast," he said, "is battered by storms most winters and projects like the sea wall for the new Corniche show that building construction on the coastline is not a simple proposition." Similar islands have, of course, been constructed off the coast of Dubai, but, says Schellen, "the Arabian Gulf with its shallow waters is much easier to deal with."

Furthermore, he pointed out, mega-projects do not have a good track record in Lebanon. "Some years ago," he said, "Gulf investors launched what was to become Sannine Zenith resort on one percent of Lebanon's surface. They had models, a theme song, a marketing office, the works. They already bought properties. To date, the Sannine Zenith has not moved an inch."

However, according to Dr. Saleh, the only obstacle to beginning work on the project is getting the necessary permits, although the volume of paperwork necessary makes Cedar Island, as he said, "a high-risk venture." Permission must come from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, then from the civil authorities, then the Environment Ministry, then Parliament and finally a Presidential decree must be issued. "We are looking at a time scale of four to six months[B]," said Dr. Saleh, "Inshallah."

Criticism has also come from environmentalists, who have raised concerns that building a giant artificial island will affect marine and coastal bird life. Amir Shahab works on research for the project, and counters that they are finding a site for land reclamation, which will "[B]not have a coral reef, we are making sure there will be no bird habitat and no fishermen whose livelihood depends on fish stocks." It will, in the long run, he said, become an artificial reef environment for fish, and the water treatment facility will prevent stagnation.

The project is slated to be in Damour, just south of Rafik Hariri International Airport, and to take between three and four years to build. According to Noor International, it will create 50,000 jobs, and take advantage of willingness to invest and buy in Lebanon as the country's economy remains strong in comparison with troubled markets in the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, among Lebanese blogs and on Facebook, the subject is dividing people sharply. Blogger Qika Nabki wrote, "Am I the last person to hear about this? Say it isn't so!" The online community also expressed the view that this island is so similar to the Palm Island in Dubai that it will move Lebanon closer to being what one Facebook user called "another Dubai-Disney-land."

"I'm horrified! Lebanon isn't Dubai," wrote a member of the 963-strong Facebook group "No for Cedar Island." However, a Facebook group of fans of the project numbered more than 4,000 and was growing. One commenter made the point that he was against the idea because it would create an easy target in the event of more conflict with Israel.

"Well sure," said Dr. Saleh when questioned about the security aspect, "if there is a war, we'll stop." However, he explained, he unveiled the plans only as US President Barack Obama took office, because, "he will help the Arab world," and conflict is unlikely in the future.

You don't have to be optimistic to work in the Noor offices, it seems, but it helps. "We passed through a lot of difficulties in Lebanon," chimed in Lilian Haddad, who is handling the company's investor contracts, "and I think it's saturated, it's over."

^^

However, a Facebook group of fans of the project numbered more than 4,000 and was growing.

^^ Now its almost 6,000.

My God, what a disaster. I didn't realise Lebanon was so desperate for investment, that the majority of people would be willing to support such a tacky project.

Oh well, there is no point in stressing about it. You just have to accept it I guess and move on.

This project is a disaster, for what, 300 villas?
There are 3 facebook groups against it:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/204387?m=24480d57
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51803536670#/group.php?gid=51662262233
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51803536670#/group.php?gid=51803536670

Any country in todays worldwide recession would be deperate for any investment...let alone one of $7 billion..

Imagine the impact in such a small country...That equates to 1750 per head...

Little of the 7 billions will be going to the Lebanese people...

I'm really disgusted to hear people who I thought were patriotic and cared about their country now sell it out to such a blatantly stupid project. Bravo to the young generation!

3an jad, shi byirfa3 el ras!
what should we try to do next ... maybe build a mall around the baalbeck ruins "to protect them from the elements and bring investment to baalbeck" ... or possibly a flume ride through jeita? rock climbing on rawche? walmart in the chouf reserve?

Ya dee3an lebnen bi hek sha3eb ma ken yifham 2imto!

Do you people not realize that one of the reasons lebanon is such an attraction in the region is its natural beauty?

Btw guys, Dr Saleh has already bought out Tayyar and they're totally on board for the project ... understandable seeing as this whole thing will be built by syrians and we all know who they work for...


"What will remain of your Lebanon after a century? Tell me! Except bragging, lying and stupidity? Do you expect the ages to keep in its memory the traces of deceit and cheating and hypocrisy? Do you think the atmosphere will preserve in its pockets the shadows of death and the stench of graves?

Do you believe life will accept a patched garment for a dress? Verily, I say to you that an olive plant in the hills of Lebanon will outlast all of your deeds and your works; that the wooden plow pulled by the oxen in the crannies of Lebanon is nobler than your dreams and aspirations.

I say to you, while the conscience of time listened to me, that the songs of a maiden collecting herbs in the valleys of Lebanon will outlast all the uttering of the most exalted prattler among you. I say to you that you are achieving nothing. If you knew that you are accomplishing nothing, I would feel sorry for you, but you know it not.

You have your Lebanon and I have my Lebanon. "

GKG ... hey we could turn his museum into a planetarium!

http://www.kippreport.com/kipp/2009/01/28/is-that-island-shaped-like-a-cedar-tree/

Is that island shaped like a cedar tree?

Yes, it is. And it may be built in Lebanon, the land of cedars.

Jan 28th, 2009

We were forwarded an email yesterday with news that Noor International Holding, a Beirut-based construction company, plans to present a project named Lebanon’s Cedar Island to Lebanese officials. We’re not joking. We had to do some research to verify it. There was an article in Zawya about it, but we still couldn’t believe it.

Sadly, and laughably, it’s true. The construction company has already created a website for this monstrosity. And yes, it’ll be shaped like cedar.

And why not? If Dubai has more than one palm shaped island, why shouldn’t Lebanon have one cedar-shaped one? Because it’s environmentally detrimental? Because Lebanon isn’t short of coastlines? Because the country has natural attractions and doesn’t need to use Dubai’s over-the-top antics to attract attention?

What are you trying to say?

Before and after
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2127/0/103/549637164/n549637164_2538588_9060.jpg


Anyone wanna take a wild guess at what it will look like from space? Italy is the one shaped like a boot .. and lebanon will now have a ...........

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1979/151/92/610720044/n610720044_5723407_7488.jpg

As if we need to be a geographical laughing stock!

lebgurl, u funny, but u got a point, it will look quite odd sticking out like that...but from an investment point of view, it could be a great tourist attraction. i know it seems lame, but lame works, and lame sells, wat to do...

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1979/151/92/610720044/n610720044_5723407_7488.jpg

As if we need to be a geographical laughing stock!

That island is actually at least 10 times smaller than the one shown in this map.

I would go so far as to say 10 times ... but yes the size is exaggerated. The map is more to show where it will be rather than how big it will be.
According to the project site, it will be 3.311.731.60 squared meters

I agree but a big majority of professionals will benefit...We need jobs in architects, Lawyers, designers, planners etc etc etc We need to provide work for the returning lebanese ...plus this may give publicity to the country and spur other development and investment...i think this will add a percentage or two to gdp growth over the build period

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1979/151/92/610720044/n610720044_5723407_7488.jpg

As if we need to be a geographical laughing stock!

The island will look nothing like that! The Palms of Dubai can't even be seen from Google Earth unless you zoom in a billion times. This island, like Hassoun stated, is gonna be waaay smaller!

Oh yes this island is so big. :rolls eyes:

http://i41.tinypic.com/5mmvih.png

From their official website.

That's funny, the island is actually larger than all of Beirut in that very not-to-scale image.

It will actually look somewhat intriguing from the sky and not so much laughable. Besides, who doesn't love islands off their coast?

I dont recall anyone complaining about the landfill in the BCD and Dbayeh.

From:

http://theinnercircle.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/cedar-island-lebanons-own-man-made-island/

Cedar Island - Lebanon’s own man made Island

29 Jan 09

First Dubai, and now others seem to be amazed by it.

Noor International Holding is planning on building this massive island covering an area of 127.8 squared miles in the touristic coastal area of Lebanon, the Cedar Island lends itself as a luxurious residential, commercial, and touristic project. Its geographical location along the Lebanese coast allows it to play a vital role in attracting tourists and savvy residents looking for an exotic lifestyle or escaping from the city.

One critic wondered:”[The content of this project] remains vague, provides no information on the environmental impact, the financial and economical feasibility, the investment and investors as well as the actual details of the project.“

While this observer feels that it may be better to embellish what we already have, and maintain it, than to venture into ‘tiblit el ba7er‘.

So 128 Squar Miles? Beirut metropolitan area covers 26....Is that accurate??? Thats almost 5xs the size! The entire coastline is 150...i understand its in "branches" but its liek dbling the coast line

why don't they replant lebanese forests with real cedars instead of building such a "thing"

why don't they replant lebanese forests with real cedars instead of building such a "thing"

They can't just a build a thousand new trees just like that.
Plus, this ''thing'' as you guys call it is going to be a great investment in our country, especially in such a bad time. Plus, 4 years from now, I guarantee this is going to be a really hot spot for tourists from around the world.

So 128 Squar Miles? Beirut metropolitan area covers 26....Is that accurate??? Thats almost 5xs the size! The entire coastline is 150...i understand its in "branches" but its liek dbling the coast line

That is just not true. The island will only span about 50-60% of the coast of Damour (which is not that long).

why don't they replant lebanese forests with real cedars instead of building such a "thing"

The Lebanese gov is already receiving aid from the UN to plant cedars (and they are doing so).

It is important to note that this island will contain plenty of green spaces!

That is just not true. The island will only span about 50-60% of the coast of Damour (which is not that long).

good because that is what your article u posted said

^^ It wasn't an article, it was a blog entry... I figured it was nice to just post some fresh opinions whether they are real articles or not.

I would only trust specific facts and numbers that are posted on the official website and no where else.

They can't just a build a thousand new trees just like that.
Plus, this ''thing'' as you guys call it is going to be a great investment in our country, especially in such a bad time. Plus, 4 years from now, I guarantee this is going to be a really hot spot for tourists from around the world.

Hot spot for tourists around the world? Are you sure?

Trust me, tourists won't be impressed by a tacky island. This project will do nothing for tourism. Unless you are in the air, this island will appear to be just another resort.

exactly. i havent met anybody that told me they were going to dubai to see the palm islands. Majority of the people just say "yes i saw it from the airplane, i didnt go there". Tourists are more likely to go to Oceana rather than going onto this island that's probably going to have security checkpoints at ever corner. This project will be for the people that live on it only

Hot spot for tourists around the world? Are you sure?

Trust me, tourists won't be impressed by a tacky island. This project will do nothing for tourism. Unless you are in the air, this island will appear to be just another resort.

What makes this tacky? I think it looks cute, and it's ginormous, to make it look ugly.

This island is gonna be really beautiful, which will attract many people. I showed this to some of my friends and 1 out of 6 of them hated it, while the other ones thought it was very fascinating.

I think you guys are just scared to see Lebanon changing and becoming modern. Lebanon is moving forward in '09, and none of ya'll are going to stop it.

...ino

I think you guys are just scared to see Lebanon changing and becoming modern. Lebanon is moving forward in '09, and none of ya'll are going to stop it.

a country doesn't become modern, by building artifical islands, and concentrating only on tourism and real estate. a country becomes modern by upgrading what it already has. this project neglects what we have and diverts needed funds to something useless.. condos and tourist attractions won't make lebanon modern, it just makes lebanon even more dpendent on foregeiners.. modernity comes with infrastructre: roads and electricity are the way to go.. the best thing for lebanon to do if it wants to become modern is build more dams, b/c that solve electricity problem, and it harnesses fresh water for our use and to sell to countries in the region who need to import fresh water

Again, it's a private company with foreign investors .. !! it's not the stat's money ppl!

What makes this tacky? I think it looks cute, and it's ginormous, to make it look ugly.

This island is gonna be really beautiful, which will attract many people. I showed this to some of my friends and 1 out of 6 of them hated it, while the other ones thought it was very fascinating.

I think you guys are just scared to see Lebanon changing and becoming modern. Lebanon is moving forward in '09, and none of ya'll are going to stop it.

how old were they?

what this is doing is widening the gap between rich and poor. while rich arabs from the gulf live on this fake tree-shaped island, people all around lebanon will be experiencing power cuts, pot-holed roads, empty shops, battered cars, bullet holed buildings, etc...you get my point. building a private island will certainly not make lebanon modern!

how old were they?

what this is doing is widening the gap between rich and poor. while rich arabs from the gulf live on this fake tree-shaped island, people all around lebanon will be experiencing power cuts, pot-holed roads, empty shops, battered cars, bullet holed buildings, etc...you get my point. building a private island will certainly not make lebanon modern!

Your rigth but again its not the States money
The state should encourage investments..

^^ the state should encourage investment, but should not open its doors to anyone and anything. there has to be a point when it says "NO, simply because its ugly".

i didnt say its the states money. i said (or meant) a private resort project will not make a country modern while everything around it isnt.

instead of being inspired by this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2822290432_33a2cd01ff_b.jpg

we import this:
http://photos-g.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2114/54/76/46116263499/n46116263499_1340166_8028.jpg

:ohno:

I'm not against investment. but i am against vulgar tasteless investment.

Haha, great comparison John. The top picture is what Lebanon should aim for and there is no reason why we can't get there.

I think I mentioned this somewhere earlier in this thread, but private companies who want to invest in projects such as this should be required to contribute a percentage of the investment into into improving local infrastructure. I don't know if such a scheme exists in Lebanon but I know it does here in Australia.

And I agree with the previous comments, this project does nothing in terms of modernising Lebanon and bringing it into the 21st century so to speak. It is just a bullshit gimmick and sadly, many Lebanese seem to be sucked in by it.

the sad truth is that with 7.6 billion dollars, the whole bay of Jounieh could be transformed into a luxury hotspot similar to that one i posted on top. i really dont understand how someone could spend 7.6 billion to build 300 private chalets.

^^Not only chalets

Plans

http://www.cedarsisland.com/plans.html

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8822/cedarisland1ep8.jpg

^^ did you post that to argue my point :P (its not flattering at all!) Besides the fact i hate the project altogether, i hate even more the chalets, buildings, houses etc... they look like modernist cookie-cutter row houses, like those built in rural parts of the UK to house poor people.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8822/cedarisland1ep8.jpg

Is a four lane highway necessary?

^^ its a two way lane in one direction, there's many of these all over the world I don't know why you're making a big deal out of it

Exuberant Tree Island in Lebanon
Saturday, January 31, 2009

A real estate developing company of Lebanon headquartered in Beirut is planning to construct an artificial island which will surpass some of the most exuberant waterfront developments based in Dubai in terms of beauty and luxury.

Noor International will be fulfilling this objective of building the Cedar Island which is being regarded as the universal investment project”. Providing the breathtaking appearance of the Lebanese coast the breakthrough development will be in shape of a Cedar Tree.

It will take up to three to four years to acquire completion if certified by the government. The company has started to conduct surveys to opt for a prestigious international investor for the project.

Chairman of Noor International refrained from disclosing many details about the project but said that it can create up to 50,000 employment opportunities for people.

The firm said: “First negotiations are taking place with several companies in order to present the consultative services.” British Homes Express Corporation is looking forward to make investment in the project to help in its initiation.

In addition to this El Behbehani Group in Kuwait is also showing keenness of investment in the project. The project will constitute elite and superiorly constructed apartments, villas and chalets for consumers.

An artistic representation of the project shows that the island will comprise of a large tree with residential units constructed on each branch.

The combined effect of the project is nearly the same as provided by the mind blowing projects such as the World and The Palm Jumeirah.

Real estate company plans stunning tree island in Lebanon
January 28, 2009 by OPPE News

A real estate company based in Beirut has unveiled plans to build a man-made islands project which could even rival some of Dubai’s iconic investment developments.

Noor International has applied to the authorities in Lebanon to construct Cedar Island, described as a “universal investment project”.


Facing the Lebanese coast, the vast development will be in the shape of a Cedar tree and would take three to four years to complete if authorised, providing an offplan investment opportunity

The firm has already begun touting the project to international investment professionals and real estate funds.

Noor International chairman Dr Muhammad Saleh said more details of the scheme would be released after approval but mentioned the possible creation of 50,000 jobs linked to the scheme.

The firm said: “First negotiations are taking place with several companies in order to present the consultative services.”

Real estate firms who could be involved include marketing group British Homes Express Corporation.

Investment operators already listed as showing an interest included El Behbehani Group in Kuwait.

Types of homes listed as possible investment opportunities on the scheme’s website include apartments, villas and chalets.

Artists impressions of the project show a lush tree shaped island with a series of residential developments on each branch.

The overall effect is similar to some of Dubai’s most famous island real estate schemes, such as Palm Jumeirah and The World, built by Nakheel.

People!!!!!!!!! Please use your brains!!!!!

This "Cedar Island" project will be something we all have to be thankfull for. Do you know how much money this will pump into the Lebanese economy, and how many jobs it will create!!!!! Lebanon needs this project becuase the unemployment rate is like %20, and who cares about the coast go to shika (south of tripoli) and most of the big cement/chemical factorys in lebanon are located there and see the shore there its disguasting and no one complains about it because it pumps $$$ into the economy. I dont think a little island will do any damage to the shoreline plus there is plenty of shoreline in Lebanon why are you all worrying about this one little piece?? :bash:

People!!!!!!!!! Please use your brains!!!!!

This "Cedar Island" project will be something we all have to be thankfull for. Do you know how much money this will pump into the Lebanese economy, and how many jobs it will create!!!!! Lebanon needs this project becuase the unemployment rate is like %20, and who cares about the coast go to shika (south of tripoli) and most of the big cement/chemical factorys in lebanon are located there and see the shore there its disguasting and no one complains about it because it pumps $$$ into the economy. I dont think a little island will do any damage to the shoreline plus there is plenty of shoreline in Lebanon why are you all worrying about this one little piece?? :bash:

That is like you saying, Israel already killed 1000 civilians so why don't they go kill 1000 more because Hamas might stop firing rockets. Just because the coastline is already polluted, it doesn't mean it is okay to damage it even more.

sirna south beach y3ani. those renderings still look like a high school project. do we really want designers who create renderings like that working on a project that is going to completely change the definition of that area? at least let them be creative with the architecture and planning since there's no creativity in the concept.

That is like you saying, Israel already killed 1000 civilians so why don't they go kill 1000 more because Hamas might stop firing rockets. Just because the coastline is already polluted, it doesn't mean it is okay to damage it even more.

if you think about it at a brigther side, you WILL see an improvement when it comes to cleaning up the coastline but all you have about this project is the negative side of it (which has far less points than the positive side). Did you see the garbage along the coast line of Damour (pictures they have is proof of this) + the location which this island will be built is on a rocky shore so we don't have to worry about the natural sand part of Damour being damaged. What more of an enviornmental disaster could you possible have after the 2006 war that left thousands if not millions of species in the med. water to die or leave the shores. At least this way the island will bring some species back to its shores and help maintaining the Damour coastline clean and preppy.

I was trying to say that this project will not do "real" damage to the shoreline and that people should worry about other parts of the shoreline in lebanon like the Shika region or the enormus oil spill in jouneih and all that trash on that beaches..eh?

a country doesn't become modern, by building artifical islands, and concentrating only on tourism and real estate. a country becomes modern by upgrading what it already has. this project neglects what we have and diverts needed funds to something useless.. condos and tourist attractions won't make lebanon modern, it just makes lebanon even more dpendent on foregeiners.. modernity comes with infrastructre: roads and electricity are the way to go.. the best thing for lebanon to do if it wants to become modern is build more dams, b/c that solve electricity problem, and it harnesses fresh water for our use and to sell to countries in the region who need to import fresh water

These funds are NOT BEING DIVERTED!!! they would have NEVER came to Lebanon to invest in damns or whatever! We do need the damns, the roads and the hospitals, but People invest to make money, and not to modernize a country. This project will boost the trust that international investors have in our country and will be a new start for Lebanon. If this gets built, mark my word and watch the projects that are worth 1 billion and up pour in! Once we get a bit of stability and trust, then we won't need anyone to invest in our infrastructure and useful things, we will be able to do it ourselves!

instead of being inspired by this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2822290432_33a2cd01ff_b.jpg

we import this:
http://photos-g.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2114/54/76/46116263499/n46116263499_1340166_8028.jpg

:ohno:

I'm not against investment. but i am against vulgar tasteless investment.

:applause:

How come this Noor company doesn't do something about the Dbayyeh Marina!!
There's so much potential there!!

These funds are NOT BEING DIVERTED!!! they would have NEVER came to Lebanon to invest in damns or whatever! We do need the damns, the roads and the hospitals, but People invest to make money, and not to modernize a country. This project will boost the trust that international investors have in our country and will be a new start for Lebanon. If this gets built, mark my word and watch the projects that are worth 1 billion and up pour in! Once we get a bit of stability and trust, then we won't need anyone to invest in our infrastructure and useful things, we will be able to do it ourselves!

:applause::applause::applause:

These funds are NOT BEING DIVERTED!!! they would have NEVER came to Lebanon to invest in damns or whatever! We do need the damns, the roads and the hospitals, but People invest to make money, and not to modernize a country. This project will boost the trust that international investors have in our country and will be a new start for Lebanon. If this gets built, mark my word and watch the projects that are worth 1 billion and up pour in! Once we get a bit of stability and trust, then we won't need anyone to invest in our infrastructure and useful things, we will be able to do it ourselves!

No one is complaining about the investment. And you are quite right, investors just want to make money but the government should not allow tasteless investments like this. Why are they prostituting Lebanon out to foreign developers. They should encourage mainland investments. Why don't they build those 300 villas on the coast of Damour rather than building that stupid island. I think the picture of Monaco which John attached is a great illustration of my point.

We are an international laughing stock because of this island. I am yet to see one article about the Cedar Island which doesn't mention the Dubai Palm Islands. Copying other countries isn't a good look.

The way to encourage investment is by a good stable political environment with no corruption and good tax incentives not by building tacky islands. I can't imagine any investor thinking of investing in Lebanon because of the Cedar Island.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8822/cedarisland1ep8.jpg

this is horrible...200 villas and 200 buildings that look exactly the same...tasteless...its such an insult to mention the palms in dubai everytime they mention this cedar island...

This is frightening, its not even touristy, judging from the plans on the website it seems more like a fully functioning city. Which is scary, just the thought of an entire city/island not owned by the gulf in the Mediterranean. I don't have any reasons at all to support this project. Especially since the design resembles an artificial suburb, or something out of "The Truman show".

this is horrible...200 villas and 200 buildings that look exactly the same...tasteless...its such an insult to mention the palms in dubai everytime they mention this cedar island...

Even though I don't support this project, let me tell you that the villas won't be exactly the same. That is just a render showing the general lot layout. Each villa will be different depending on what the buyer wants I guess.

Lebanon's own Palm Jumeirah runs into opposition
Nour Samaha Feb. 1st 2009
The National, United Arab Emirates

Opposition is building to plans for a man-made island, similar to Dubai’s Palm islands, off the coast of Lebanon.

The Cedar Island project was announced by Noor International Holding (NIH), the founder of nine UAE-based companies, two weeks ago.

The project, resembling the Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali developed by Nakheel, would cost about US$8 billion (Dh29.4bn) to build and create about 50,000 jobs.

It would have the shape of a cedar tree, the national symbol of Lebanon.

One of many websites opposing the project, No for Cedar Island, has signed up 2,000 people angry that it could cause irreversible damage to the coastline. A common theme on its Facebook site is: “We don’t want to be another Dubai.”

Lebanese citizens living in the Emirates feared environmental harm and said the $8bn would be better spent on existing tourist sites.

“This is not something natural and it will cause destruction and many disadvantages for the ecosystem,” said Ali Wehbe, a Lebanese resident in Dubai. “The money that is being spent on the project could be spent more wisely on existing touristic attractions, and all the ones that are still undiscovered. This will increase tourism as much as the creation of the island.”

The huge island would include residential, commercial and tourism ventures. It would be built just south of Beirut, off the Damour coastline, and would take three to four years to complete after government approval.

Documents have been presented to the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, and the company is awaiting approval from authorities including the ministry of works, civil regulatory administration and the Lebanese president, prime minister and parliament.

Elie Marouny, the Lebanese minister of tourism, has been briefed on the project and expressed his approval, but that has not placated opponents.

“I’m against the plan for many reasons,” said Yousra Aoun, a resident of Beirut. “I think it’s unacceptable that such an amount of money is raised while the southern suburbs of Beirut and South Lebanon are still being rebuilt.

“Furthermore, our sea is already polluted. We don’t need to pollute it more ... This project will have an enormous effect on our fish and marine life.”

The project was the brainchild of the NIH chairman, Dr Muhammed Saleh, a Cedar Island official said.

“The idea originally occurred to Dr Saleh while in a plane hovering over the beautiful Lebanese greenery and the blue sea,” said the project official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “He thought of something original, unique that will attract Lebanese immigrants to invest in their homeland.”

NIH has offices all over the Mena region, specialising in real estate and investment. It is the founder of nine companies in the UAE, including Alayaan Real Estate and ABBCO Real Estate.

The company said a huge amount of investment interest has been pouring in from around the Middle East, especially the GCC.

“People worldwide have renewed solid confidence in the Lebanese economy that is basking in the storm of the international crisis, and are more encouraged to invest in this beautiful country,” an NIH official said.

“The best indicator is the great impact this project is having now on people worldwide, as is witnessed by the huge flow of inquiries at all levels.”

In four days, 1.6 million hits were recorded on the company’s website as people sought information on the project.

Is a four lane highway necessary?

Absolutely necessary - it's called modern infrastructure (something Lebanon lacks). And yes, it's only 2 lanes.

I am sure a lot of celebrities from across the globe gonna buy Villas in this island.

People!!!!!!!!! Please use your brains!!!!!

This "Cedar Island" project will be something we all have to be thankful for. Do you know how much money this will pump into the Lebanese economy, and how many jobs it will create!!!!! Lebanon needs this project because the unemployment rate is like %20, and who cares about the coast go to shika (south of tripoli) and most of the big cement/chemical factorys in lebanon are located there and see the shore there its disgusting and no one complains about it because it pumps $$$ into the economy. I dont think a little island will do any damage to the shoreline plus there is plenty of shoreline in Lebanon why are you all worrying about this one little piece?? :bash:

Very good points, and this is something I have been saying all along. Other parts of Lebanon (that dont bring anything good to the table) deserve all of this uproar and protest - not this project.

And as Nadini mentioned, this project will actually help maintain a coastline that is currently neglected. This is no different than Oceana or Janna sur Mer (resorts that actually keep their respective coasts clean). In Lebanon, development is the only thing that protects nature. It is the areas that are public that are the most damaged.

I am sure a lot of celebrities from across the globe gonna buy Villas in this island.

Oh yeah most definitley. It's gonna be one of the biggest hotspots around the world.

this is horrible...200 villas and 200 buildings that look exactly the same...tasteless...its such an insult to mention the palms in dubai everytime they mention this cedar island...

They just look the same because this is a just a model / early rendering. They are going to be track homes, but not all similar. The island is gonna look way different from what these renderings look like.

I have been reading about this project and I am really concerned. I really hope this project never gets approved and the investment $$$$ go to other areas in need in Lebanon. I think that people are being suckered into believing that this project, if approved, will bring lots of much needed fortunes to Lebanon and all the Lebanese. I unfortunately am very skeptical about this and do not believe that many Lebanese will benefit from it or see any sort of funds headed their way. I do believe that our "beloved sister" neighbor will benefit at the expense of it's little neighbor.
Here's what I think will more than likely happen.
1. Most of the supposed 50,000 jobs will be given to cheap laborers from next door.
2. Syrian truckers will benefit from transporting all the materials, that will be coming in from Syria
Does anyone have any information on where the insane amounts of materials needed to fill the sea will be coming from? I have not seen that been answered.

3. If the materials needed will come from Lebanon, then we are definitely going to see fewer mountains and more deserts in our area as so many mountains will have to be blown up in order to get the materials needed. This to me is the very scary thought of this project. We hardly have any natural resources that we can just "waste" and dump in the sea to build an island that the average Lebanese citizen will never benefit from. So to take something that Lebanon is famous for, like our once beautiful mountains and just remove them to never see them again is really depressing.

They should the money to improve the current coastlines that we still have and like a couple of posters have suggested, build more dams to generate more much needed power.
I would start off with the desecrated Jounieh Bay and all those hideous "L" shaped jetties!! Why is LEbanon the only country in the world that allows those and people actually think they are a good idea? People think that is the only way to have a "private" beach and they are so proud of this, it's pathetic. I would remove them and just have the whole bay wide open with 30 feet of sand width.
Then how about using the Dbayeh marina to have a beach all the way along the wall. I can't believe to this day that the whole marina was built and they completely removed any way to get to the beach from it!

It is true, Lebanon is in much need for some investment, but this island is sadly not the answer. It's just a very short term band aid that will not cure in any way Lebanon's ills...

^^ its a two way lane in one direction, there's many of these all over the world I don't know why you're making a big deal out of it

they're called dual-carriage ways. In civilized countries they're used to link nearby cities and towns together.

Dual-Carriageway:
http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/research/aru/diquestionnaire/11_Driving_Dual%20Carriageway_circle.jpg

not have have them running through a residential area with houses on both sides! I've never seen such bad urban planning in my life. its like they're playing Sim city and are having fun with the roads and designs: making them look nice from above without bothering about how it would be like down there!

I have been reading about this project and I am really concerned. I really hope this project never gets approved and the investment $$$$ go to other areas in need in Lebanon. I think that people are being suckered into believing that this project, if approved, will bring lots of much needed fortunes to Lebanon and all the Lebanese. I unfortunately am very skeptical about this and do not believe that many Lebanese will benefit from it or see any sort of funds headed their way. I do believe that our "beloved sister" neighbor will benefit at the expense of it's little neighbor.
Here's what I think will more than likely happen.
1. Most of the supposed 50,000 jobs will be given to cheap laborers from next door.
2. Syrian truckers will benefit from transporting all the materials, that will be coming in from Syria
Does anyone have any information on where the insane amounts of materials needed to fill the sea will be coming from? I have not seen that been answered.

3. If the materials needed will come from Lebanon, then we are definitely going to see fewer mountains and more deserts in our area as so many mountains will have to be blown up in order to get the materials needed. This to me is the very scary thought of this project. We hardly have any natural resources that we can just "waste" and dump in the sea to build an island that the average Lebanese citizen will never benefit from. So to take something that Lebanon is famous for, like our once beautiful mountains and just remove them to never see them again is really depressing.

They should the money to improve the current coastlines that we still have and like a couple of posters have suggested, build more dams to generate more much needed power.
I would start off with the desecrated Jounieh Bay and all those hideous "L" shaped jetties!! Why is LEbanon the only country in the world that allows those and people actually think they are a good idea? People think that is the only way to have a "private" beach and they are so proud of this, it's pathetic. I would remove them and just have the whole bay wide open with 30 feet of sand width.
Then how about using the Dbayeh marina to have a beach all the way along the wall. I can't believe to this day that the whole marina was built and they completely removed any way to get to the beach from it!

It is true, Lebanon is in much need for some investment, but this island is sadly not the answer. It's just a very short term band aid that will not cure in any way Lebanon's ills...

i AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FILL..BUT A SOLUTION CAN ALSO COME FROM OFFSHORE SAND DEPOSITS THEY CAN PUMP LIKE DUBAI DID..\

JOUNIEH SITUATION IS UNFORTUNATE..BUT U CANNOT BLAME THE STATE FOR THIS..THIS WAS ALL BUILT DURING THE WAR DURING ANARCHY

They just look the same because this is a just a model / early rendering. They are going to be track homes, but not all similar. The island is gonna look way different from what these renderings look like.

Who told you?

hehehe ... I'm wiling to bet this turns political VERY VERY soon

http://photos-c.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2112/147/72/523960017/n523960017_5614066_4979.jpg

wow

Check this comment on facebook:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/204387?m=431846e

"guys i worked here on similar projects, trust me it can never be done, its just one big advertisment for this development company to build a name, surely next month you'll see the same company next month with one high rise building they want to build, never mind them.
our sea is deep and mainly rocky, so its impossible for a dredger to operate, plus they need bout 20 quarries for rocks for shore protection,that is if they find a source for the reclamation sand which is about what we have along our shoreline all over, so dont sweat bout it, it'll never be :D
khallo il shabeb t'hayyes shway jeyeh il intikhabet!!!!"

^^ we drive on the right.. i guess that changes everything ha?! :lol:

they're called dual-carriage ways. In civilized countries they're used to link nearby cities and towns together.

Dual-Carriageway:
http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/research/aru/diquestionnaire/11_Driving_Dual%20Carriageway_circle.jpg

not have have them running through a residential area with houses on both sides! I've never seen such bad urban planning in my life. its like they're playing Sim city and are having fun with the roads and designs: making them look nice from above without bothering about how it would be like down there!

Check this comment on facebook:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/204387?m=431846e

"guys i worked here on similar projects, trust me it can never be done, its just one big advertisment for this development company to build a name, surely next month you'll see the same company next month with one high rise building they want to build, never mind them.
our sea is deep and mainly rocky, so its impossible for a dredger to operate, plus they need bout 20 quarries for rocks for shore protection,that is if they find a source for the reclamation sand which is about what we have along our shoreline all over, so dont sweat bout it, it'll never be :D
khallo il shabeb t'hayyes shway jeyeh il intikhabet!!!!"

Build a name for themselves by deceiving the public. Doesn't sound like good public relations. Anyway, I am truely hoping this is true.

^^ I agree, I highly doubt this is a PR stunt because it would have the reverse affect (kind of like DAMAC's unfulfilled promises around the region). Besides, there is a good possibilty it is physically possible to build this island. The sea along the Damour coast is not soo deep and rocky as other parts.

And so now we are treating Facebook comments as news sources?

actually it can make some sense!
1- No one had heard of Nour developments before now! Damac already had a name for itself and it suffered from mismanagement!
2- I've always heard the Lebanese coastline is trenchy deep...

There's no such thing as bad publicity (Marketing 101 ;))

we do not need such projects that will look ugly (total pollution), we are not sure these guys know that Lebanon is made by God to be his favored land, no need to have foreign people coming with their money and try to contaminate our country. Please stay away and make sure you are very far, daring not to touch our icon.

All Lebanese should join forces to stop this monster coming to our Lebanon under the name of foreign investment... we do not even know the real people behind these projects; they could be fake and dangerous ones.

The real investment for Lebanon is in its people who should get the best education and conquer the world with their good manners and ideas. Let us invest the money on learning how to cope all together and love each other as Lebanese regardless the religion and race… Then we will be immune against all evil… Foreign investment has a lot of elasticity in its terms… wake up guys… :bash:

Check this comment on facebook:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/204387?m=431846e

"guys i worked here on similar projects, trust me it can never be done, its just one big advertisment for this development company to build a name, surely next month you'll see the same company next month with one high rise building they want to build, never mind them.
our sea is deep and mainly rocky, so its impossible for a dredger to operate, plus they need bout 20 quarries for rocks for shore protection,that is if they find a source for the reclamation sand which is about what we have along our shoreline all over, so dont sweat bout it, it'll never be :D
khallo il shabeb t'hayyes shway jeyeh il intikhabet!!!!"

Maybe that's why we never heard from Sannine Zenith for a long time now ???

^^ I agree, I highly doubt this is a PR stunt because it would have the reverse affect (kind of like DAMAC's unfulfilled promises around the region). Besides, there is a good possibilty it is physically possible to build this island. The sea along the Damour coast is not soo deep and rocky as other parts.

And so now we are treating Facebook comments as news sources?

and where do u get your information from? what a shame you have the approval over such a project that makes us a copy of dubai or other gulf estates. people will be saying "Lebanon is making island similar to the ones in dubai"

and for people saying it wont damage the environment, yeah right...

as for financial reasons, are we ready now to accept all shit that makes money? are we that degraded now? maybe if we work all as prostitutes it will help the economy also? why dont we sell bekaa to syria? that would also benefit the economy


like lebgurl said, i hope this project stops regardless of the reasons... ;)


sorry for the tone but such project is utter BS

:cheers:

موقف غرينبيس من مشروع بناء جزيرة الأرز
03 شباط/فبراير 2009

صورة تجسيدية لمشروع جزيرة الأرز



لبنان — تقوم غرينبيس حالياً بالتعاون مع علماء اختصاصيين بالتحري عن مخاطر جزيرة الأرز على البيئة البحرية في لبنان ، وتعمل على تحضير استراتيجية عمل لمنع ولادة هذا المشروع

تقوم غرينبيس حالياً بالتعاون مع علماء اختصاصيين بالتحري عن مخاطر جزيرة الأرز على البيئة البحرية في لبنان ، وتعمل على تحضير استراتيجية عمل لمنع ولادة هذا المشروع. وبغرض تطوير خطة مشتركة، تتصل غرينبيس بالعديد من المنظمات غير الحكومية والعلماء والصيادين والغطاسين والمواطنين القلقين حيال التأثيرات السلبية لبناء هذه الجزيرة على البيئة البحرية وحياة المجتمع الذي يعتمد على صحة البحر.اضغط هنا للمزيد من المعلومات عن مشروع الجزيرة.

تؤمن غرينبيس بأن المحميات البحرية -على عكس الجزر الاصطناعية المُدمرة- هي الوسيلة للحماية والحفاظ على الحياة البحرية وتشكل بالتالي إحدى أهم عوامل الجذب السياحي في لبنان وخصوصاً في مجال السياحة البيئية. اضغط هنا للتوقيع على عريضة المطالبة بإنشاء المحميات البحرية في مياه المتوسط ولبنان.

^^ Please translate or summarize in English.

Thanks.

7.5km^ is the approximate size of this fake island. Many people can't seem to picture how big that really is in real life. So i went onto Google Earth and created this.

This box is 7.5km^. The Island will be bigger than Downtown/Hamra/Ashrafiye put together.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t177/john2890bucket/CedarIslandscalepic.jpg

apologies for my computer graphic skills. I know I'm no good at it ;).

^^ I posted this image a while ago.

Oh yes this island is so big. :rolls eyes:

http://i41.tinypic.com/5mmvih.png

From their official website.

Yes it is about the size of Beirut, but In reality Beirut isn't that big anyways. You guys are acting like we are building this huge piece of ugly land off of the coast. Relax ya'll.

موقف غرينبيس من مشروع بناء جزيرة الأرز
03 شباط/فبراير 2009

تقوم غرينبيس حالياً بالتعاون مع علماء اختصاصيين بالتحري عن مخاطر جزيرة الأرز على البيئة البحرية في لبنان ، وتعمل على تحضير استراتيجية عمل لمنع ولادة هذا المشروع. وبغرض تطوير خطة مشتركة، تتصل غرينبيس بالعديد من المنظمات غير الحكومية والعلماء والصيادين والغطاسين والمواطنين القلقين حيال التأثيرات السلبية لبناء هذه الجزيرة على البيئة البحرية وحياة المجتمع الذي يعتمد على صحة البحر.اضغط هنا للمزيد من المعلومات عن مشروع الجزيرة.

تؤمن غرينبيس بأن المحميات البحرية -على عكس الجزر الاصطناعية المُدمرة- هي الوسيلة للحماية والحفاظ على الحياة البحرية وتشكل بالتالي إحدى أهم عوامل الجذب السياحي في لبنان وخصوصاً في مجال السياحة البيئية. اضغط هنا للتوقيع على عريضة المطالبة بإنشاء المحميات البحرية في مياه المتوسط ولبنان.

Greenpeace's stand on the Cedar Island project
Feb 3rd, 2009

LEBANON. Greenpeace is currently studying along with specialists the effects of the Cedar Island on marine life in Lebanon.
They're working on a strategy to stop this project from happening. And in order to evolve a united front, Greenpeace is communicating with other NGOs, scientists, fishermen, divers, and concerned citizens who are worried about the negative effects of building this island on the marine life and the societies that are dependent on maritime stability.

Greenpeace believes that marine reserves, unlike destructive artificial islands, is the only way to protect our sea and marine life. Thus creating the best factors for touristic attractions in Lebanon especially Eco-tourism.

Sign petition here to develop marine reserves in Lebanon
http://www.greenpeace.org/lebanon/ar/campaigns/defending-our-mediterranean/petition

My opinion about this project doesn't stop changing. The good thing is that it will attract many tourists and investments to Lebanon, and this is a fact you can't deny. 10 billions USD is a huge deal, and I don't think any other possible project would bring that much money to Lebanon.

You are saying that Lebanese people won't get anything from this money, but when you think about it , this project will have many positive effect on South Lebanon wich will be more attractive. In fact, people visiting Cedar Island would certainly continue their way to Saida or Sour.

You are also saying that workers won't be Lebanese. This might be right, but once the island is completed, who will work in the Hotels? Who will work on mantaing the island? Who will work in the office towers? Lebanese of course!

About the Ecosystem and preserving the coast..I am big fan of natural environments, forests, natural beaches, etc...But what are you guys talking about? Look at the Jounieh or Cheka coasts. Is that what you call preserving? I personnally think Cheka's bay has much more to offer than Damour.

On the other hand, this project lacks of originality. I would have prefered innovation, something unique and being done for the first time. But you know, you are always talking about Dubai and Palm Island. How come no one never says anything about Holland's Tulip Island? I bet no one (or just few persons) here knows it exists.

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2007/12/tulipislandReuters_450x421.jpg

I hated this project when I saw John's photo of Monaco. I just love european cities, either they are coastal or not. Take a look at the French Riviera (Nice, Antibes, Monaco, etc). It attracts tourists from all over the world without having any artificial island. The services are good, the beachs are crystal clear, and that's enough. I would have prefered such a project in Lebanon. The coast could have been extended in a way so it looks more "natural"...But we are in the 21st centuray, and aparently the new race isn't "who build the tallest building" anymore, but who builds the most beautiful island. What is next? Pyramid shaped islands in Egypt? Camel shaped islands in KSA? or whabt about an Eiffel Tower shaped island in France?

the tulip is a lot more attractive than the cedar

On the other hand, this project lacks of originality. I would have prefered innovation, something unique and being done for the first time. But you know, you are always talking about Dubai and Palm Island. How come no one never says anything about Holland's Tulip Island? I bet no one (or just few persons) here knows it exists.

I hated this project when I saw John's photo of Monaco. I just love european cities, either they are coastal or not. Take a look at the French Riviera (Nice, Antibes, Monaco, etc). It attracts tourists from all over the world without having any artificial island. The services are good, the beachs are crystal clear, and that's enough. I would have prefered such a project in Lebanon. The coast could have been extended in a way so it looks more "natural"...But we are in the 21st centuray, and aparently the new race isn't "who build the tallest building" anymore, but who builds the most beautiful island. What is next? Pyramid shaped islands in Egypt? Camel shaped islands in KSA? or whabt about an Eiffel Tower shaped island in France?

The Cedar Island is unique. It is a not a palm tree or tulip but a Cedar tree, which makes it unique.

Egypt wouldn't not have Pyramid shaped island and France would not have an Eiffel tower shaped island because those aren;t national symbols for their country. The Cedars are Lebanon's nation symbol, so it wouldnt look weird to have an island shaped like it. Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids are landmarks, not a symbol.

But I do agree with the first part of your post. This island is going to bring a lot of attention to the South, which is something we need. After visitng CI, most people will probably drive down to Sidon and Tyre.

The Cedar Island is unique. It is a not a palm tree or tulip but a Cedar tree, which makes it unique.

Egypt wouldn't not have Pyramid shaped island and France would not have an Eiffel tower shaped island because those aren;t national symbols for their country. The Cedars are Lebanon's nation symbol, so it wouldnt look weird to have an island shaped like it. Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids are landmarks, not a symbol.

But I do agree with the first part of your post. This island is going to bring a lot of attention to the South, which is something we need. After visitng CI, most people will probably drive down to Sidon and Tyre.

you didnt get a word he said did you?
If you want to talk about Lebanon's national symbol, there are hundreds of them. In actuality the Cedars are landmarks, they really do exist, and they exist as tourist attractions, because of their history. There are several other much more vast cedar forests around the world with cedars much bigger than the ones near Bcharre, etc.
by no means does our long history revolve around this tree, as beautiful as they are.

you didnt get a word he said did you?
If you want to talk about Lebanon's national symbol, there are hundreds of them. In actuality the Cedars are landmarks, they really do exist, and they exist as tourist attractions, because of their history. There are several other much more vast cedar forests around the world with cedars much bigger than the ones near Bcharre, etc.
by no means does our long history revolve around this tree, as beautiful as they are.

But IMO the Cedars are an important Symbol for Lebanon.

You said there are hundreds, so would u like to name some of them that we can build an island shaped like?;)

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/34.jpg

Cedar Tree Island vs, Wind Energy
Sunday, 8 February, 2009
By Ghassan Karam
Special to Ya Libnan

The Lebanese media has been abuzz recently with the news about the grandiose plans to construct an artificial island off the Damour coast in the shape of a Cedar Tree

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8484/windenergyforlebanonpw6.jpg (http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=windenergyforlebanonpw6.jpg)
wind energy for lebanon

As if the shape of such an environmental monstrosity is supposed to make it acceptable.
No country, rich or poor, can possibly justify spending precious human and environmental resources in order to create an artificial habitat whose only purpose is to cater to the whims of the rich and privileged. Homo sapiens, at least the variety in Lebanon, do not seem to have learned the most basic of ecological principles; we are part of nature and not apart from it. This implies that we have a moral obligation to respect other specie and not to act as if everything was created for our benefit. A basic environmental truth is that the more we do then the less we will have. All of that is made absolutely clear by the Second Law of Thermodynamics; entropy; which has been described by no less of an authority than Einstein as the supreme law of nature.
Lebanon is not the only country in the world that faces many challenges in practically all fields but yet it is a country whose challenges appear to be daunting whether one is to consider its political stability, economic progress, social coherence or ecological sustainability. Lebanon’s political existence is challenged daily both from within and from without but what is even more essential is the fact that its social structure is fractured , its economic modus operandi rests on inequality and exploitation, its political system is tribal and its ecology is unsustainable. Such a set of circumstances must relegate the destructive ideas of building small gardens within troubled areas as totally unacceptable and ultimately selfish. It looks that the invisible hand has demonstrated its shortcomings and grotesque failure the world over except in Lebanon where the idea of individual gain still trumps the common good and that is sad.
What is even more deplorable is the complicity of the Lebanese state in the promotion of these environmentally degenerate projects. The most ardent advocates of the free market enterprise system admit that in many instances the forces of the market fail to find the theoretical optimal allocation and the proverbial efficient solution. The name of the economist Pigou , a strong advocate of traditional mainstream economics during the early part of the 20th century, will always be associated with the notion of externalities that prevent the actual market forces from performing their magic. An equally important circumstance that prevents the free market from working efficiently is that of Public Goods.
The ultimate question in regards to the Cedar Island and the Hotel opposite Saint George in Beirut is that of ownership of the sea bed on which these projects are to be constructed. Who owns the sea bed? Obviously it is not individuals, nor corporations or a handful of politicians. The closest thing to an international law regarding the ownership of beaches and waterways is the Public Trust Doctrine which simply states that the citizens are the ultimate owners of these resources and that each and every one of us has the right to protect these natural endowments even if we have to sue on their behalf. The beaches are our natural patrimony and we have an obligation to protect them on behalf of the future generations.
What Lebanon needs, and very badly for that matter, is not a Hotel on stilts in the sea or an artificial island for the rich but a serious investment in clean and renewable energy that will cut down on our carbon footprint and yet supply us with the electricity that we need. We must ask those that are running for elections about their positions on these existential issues and vote accordingly. Good citizens have no choice but to act in a manner that will promote the integrity of the ecosystem as Aldo Leopold , the great environmental ethicist, has taught us.

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/34.jpg

Thanks for posting that. I think they are gonna make it look really nice.

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo305/Nadini23/34.jpg

who are these designers? are they serious?

^^seriously, it looks like a render from the 80's...one word: HORRENDOUS

^^seriously, it looks like a render from the 80's...one word: HORRENDOUS

Keeping in the general theme of the Island I guess.

guys guys !
i don't know what is ur financial status but guys ( poor or super rich ) .
50 000 jobs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is great
we need these jobs ... we need them bad
so pls before we talk about :
1.copying dubai
2.enviroment
3.where should it be built
4 how ugly it is

we should keep in mind ...
1. up to 15 billion dollars direct investment in our economy ( that half our gdp ).the lebanese economy need such huge investment .... it is a chain reaction
huge investment means trust in lebanese economy , which will deminish ( for one year at least ) the high-risk index of our economy which will allow new investments in the econmy and thus will bring other projects to lebanon.that implies more jobs ( the cedar project alone could cover up to 12% of our unemployment) which means more people are working thus more people are saving money in the lebanese banks ... which we stablize our finance . which will encourage the existing banks to issue new loans for the people ( like housing,education,credits, ..loans)
such huge diminshing in unemployment means aswell that more people have insurances ( that most stable countries in world r the ones who have the highest insured citzen percentage )

as for copying dubai ..... guys the whole world wants to copy dubai .... we can use their methods ( at least one time ) to boost an investment boom in lebanon .
lebanon is not dubai ... lebanon we always be different . so chill out
dubai system + our banking system = great new method

as for the inviroment . i know it is bad it huge .. but u know what i would mess up the eviroment rather than having such a huge unemployed people who r ready to do anything for some money ( like fighting with the militias of our parties , all of them ) . and still thank to the isrealis we dont have such a huge diverse see life on our coasts because of the oil spill 2006 . atleast this project will clean the oil from the bottom of the sea in the area it will be built in .

as for the location ... i think damour is the best place ..coz
1. the coast there has been exploited by small private investment like jena ..
2. it is not a traditional investment area ( greater beirut and the towns and cities around it ) .. and we need that
3.it will ecourage the people ( lebanese and tourists ) to go to the south more than before . that will bring money to the south which will mean that many of the people ( originally from the south but living in beirut ) will have a better chance of going back to their towns and cities and villages ... which will help us fight the huge demographical-mess we have ( 2 millions in greater beirut out of 4 millions in lebanon ) .
as for the north ( which is more deprived ) there r some great plans for it .... expanding the tripol port , building a train connection to homs and thus to the other part of the arabich region ( espacially iraq ) which will incourage the transit profits .

uu ya and guys stop saying it ugly .. we have not seen the last renderings yet .. but ja sometime i find it good and some times ugly ... but ist more beatifull than ugly ( i mean the whole project as an intity . the cedar shaped island )

^^ good argument..
it makes total sense.. But I simply think that a 15 billion $ investment should go to developing current, proposed, or on-hold projects! such as the Dbayeh marina, the electricity system, better urban planning and zonning..
The marina in Dbayeh has so much potential, and Lebanon could truely benefit from wind energy to provide electricity..

If the recent financial crisis proved anything is that Dubai is nothing but a bubble.. hollow on the inside! Since everyone is focusing on constructing skyscrapers, highways, off-shore developments ... and not on a sustainable growth and creating a healthy and free society to truely encourage people to move there for something besides good salaries!

Besides if they really wanna preserve the Cedar as an entity, how about somebody invests in foresting the trees and protecting the existing ones from forest fires.. They're not yet extinct to do a tribute to them!

^^ It is not up to us where the money goes, because it isnt our money.

Again, this is a PRIVATE project. We cant tell the developers, "no go fix our electricity instead".

It is all about profit, and this will certainlly bring that.

^^ but this is our country, our landscape, our pride!
we should have a say in this!

How about someone comes and claims that he's got the cash to construct a hotel on the pigeaon's rock?! would we say nothing just because it's private and is aimed for profit!

I don't think you're defending the project Beiruti! but you're acknowledging it simply because it's inevitable! well I still believe in the power of (and to) the people..

ka-rabih !!!
again
this is a private investment
and the sea ist not like the rawche rock or beittedine or baalbeck ...
it is simply for lebanon and lebanon can build there
and guys the electricity and water services r still owned by the goverment and now sane person would invest in such corupt companies !
but if such investment is down it will improve the infrastucture in the surrounding area .

^^No u got him wrong
we do have a say in it
we can either accept the project or not.
we cant divert the money thowords some thing else

I think they really are trying to be enviromental..choosing companies to work with them and creating a marine monitoring board etc...this is from the site.. OMG A FLOATING CEDAR???? can u imagine...can be relocated and moved...the technology exsists and compares financially to land fil

Overview

The overall idea of CEDAR ISLAND is to develop a planning scheme for a residential, commercial, recreational, and touristic site made for luxurious experience, and positively responds to the context in which it lies. A group of commercial, public & private zones merge with the elegant forms of local architecture and design, set amidst green fields and palm trees, offering sensually designed accommodation. Palaces, Villas and Buildings, each showcasing its own distinctive design embodying the simplicity and elegance of the island’s graceful surroundings

Site Selection

Noor International Holding is committed to reclamation laws when selecting the project’s location, and is commencing comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies to get the final approval for the project.

In addition, marine and topographical studies essential for the projects feasibility and sustainability are carried out, stressing the importance of both economical and environmental aspects of the project.

Ecosystem

Remediation measures for the surrounding environment of the project, such as creating artificial coral reefs will be a complementary part for EIA studies. Preventive measures based on the site’s location nature will be considered. Fish habitats of biological significance are avoided, alleviating any project unfavorable effects. Also, the impact on fish-stock is well regarded, and the fishermen’s livelihood will be taken into consideration.
After the reclamation phase, restorative ecological efforts such as dune restoration, seeding of new clam beds, eel grass plantings, and spooning beds for fish will take place. Anti-erosion solutions will be applied to the coast, preventing any long term erosion to the beach.

Shore birds’ habitats are part of the aquatic ecosystem, and the impact on their species will be reduced by remedies such as reservations.
In the long run, the island will become a new habitat for aquatic life, and a hot diving site for diving enthusiasts.

Sand reclamation

The reclamation’s sand source(s) hasn’t been specified yet, but we can confirm that the source(s) with the least environmental impact is going to be selected. Noor is taking into consideration many solutions that will mitigate the impact of sand use; such as Very large floating structures (VLFS), and Semi-submersible floating structures.
The value of filled seas as production factors and ecological damage of sea reclamation will be integrated into the decision-making to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources.


Other environmentally friendly solutions:

The Cedar Island frond’s design will prevent stagnation, and the island’s water treatment facility will treat water discharge preventing sewage discharge into the sea. A marine environment management company will implement robust monitoring programs that ensure compliance with environmental regulations, thus allowing marine life coexistence.


Noor International Holding considers different solutions other than reclamation, such as VLFS (Very large floating structure) and Semi-submersible floating structures, in order to reduce the project’s impact on the environment.

VLFS Technique

Pontoon-type floating structures are made from buoyant steel-concrete with mooring facility to keep the floating structure in place, an access bridge or floating road to get to the floating structure from shore, and a breakwater (usually needed if the significant wave height is greater than 4 m) for reducing wave forces impacting the floating structure.
Several successful projects have utilized VLFS technique, and have proven its economical and environmental viability.

The first successful development to revolutionize offshore development was the Mega float airport in Japan. For more details please visit:
http://www.srcj.or.jp/html/megafloat_en/index.html

Other innovative floating dwelling areas are being constructed by German and Dutch companies providing state of the art housing.

The following links show the progress of this technology:
http://www.floatinghomes.de/
http://www.strindberg.se/060118/index_e.html
http://freshome.com/2008/03/05/modern-floating-villa-villa-nackros/

Semi-submersible Strustures

They are superstructures supported by columns sitting on hulls or pontoons which are ballasted below the water surface. They provide excellent stability in rough, deep seas.
This technique is traditionally used for offshore oil and gas production. Pioneering marine companies in collaboration with innovative architects have developed this technique, and have integrated it in off shore marine structures. For additional information please visit:

http://www.gvaconsultants.com/gva-7/

Noor is working in partnership with the world’s leading offshore development companies to select environmentally friendly and cost efficient solutions. Environmental agencies are involved to make sure that the project abides by international environmental regulations.
We will keep you updated with further progress regarding the Cedar Island project.

^^:eek2:

If they are going to float it, then say goodbye to the beaches.

Thanks for posting that. I think they are gonna make it look really nice.

I bet this man walking down on that pavement regretted spending his life savings on a villa on the cedar island. Why? after all the hype it created, he realized he wont be seeing the cedar shape island at all. He may very well be on mainland after all. ah well.

Feb. 05 2009
Invited by the AUL (Arts,Sciences & Technology University in Lebanon)- Jadrah Campus, Dr.M.Saleh / Chairman Noor International Holding was the guest speaker on the Cedar Island project. Journalists, Mayors and Heads of Municipalities greeted the efforts and wished the project all the success it deserves in favor of Lebanon’s precious Heritage.

Feb. 04 2009
Chairman Noor International Holding -Dr. M.Saleh has paid an official visit to the Minister of State, Mr. Wael Abu Faour to present the Cedar Island project concept and plan that won the Minister blessing and approval.

Jan. 31 2009
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Turkish Giant IHLAS Holding/Construction- and Noor International Holding as an investment partnership in the mega project the Cedar Island. Both parties agreed to join efforts to meet objectives.

وأشارت المعلومات الى ان اهتماماً كبيراً من المغتربين اللبنانيين في المكسيك والباراغواي والكويت والبحرين اضافة الى بعض الدول العربية والأجنبية بالاكتتاب في مشروع "ارزة لبنان". كما ان مؤسسات القطاع الخاص التركي كانت المبادرة الأساسية الى الاكتتاب بملياري دولار في المشروع منذ أسبوع.

وقالت المديرة العامة لوزارة السياحة ندى السردوك لموقع "المستقبل" ان ذلك "إن دلّ على شيء فإنه يدلّ على رغبة اللبنانيين والعرب والأجانب في الاستثمار بالقطاع السياحي اللبناني، ومشروع أرزة لبنان هو أحد أهم المعالم الاستثمارية السياحية ويمكن له أن يحرّك القطاع الاقتصادي بقوّة، إضافة إلى خلق أكثر من 70 ألف فرصة عمل، وهذا شيء جيد".

^^ In English please!

Is Cedar Island A Hoax?
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Lebanon | Tags: Lebanon, Cedar Island, Dubai, hoaxes |
[12] Comments

The more time one spends on the website of Noor Holding, the firm that is allegedly developing Cedar Island, the more one begins to get the creeping suspicion that this is one of the most brilliant hoaxes pulled off in recent memory.

After all, their other projects include “Canadian Town”, a luxury full-service residence town 10 km from the Iraq International Airport. They include “the biggest chair in the world”, and a building in Kurdistan called Erbil Towers “comprised of five giant business and commercial towers embracing and illuminating the skies of Iraq and carrying the biggest word in the world, E R B I L.”

After scratching my head about this for a few minutes, I picked up the phone and called the number listed on the website. The fellow who answered assured me that it was real.

“The crazy cedar tree island is real?”

“Yes, of course.”

“The company is real? The enormous building shaped like a chair, and the Canadian Town near Baghdad airport? These are all happening?”

“Inshallah.”

Truth stranger than fiction?

—

UPDATE

I’ve just received heard from my contact in the Tourism Minister’s office that the project is, in fact, real. It was first floated (no pun intended) a few years ago, and is now gathering steam.

Contrary to what they suggest on their website, however, the project does not have a green light yet. It still needs Cabinet approval, and will likely require a law to be passed by the Parliament as well, just like the proposed Sannine ski resort. The development firm is in the process of lobbying MP’s and ministers on their views.

I’d guess that they began releasing publicity materials ahead of time so that they could build some buzz around the idea.

Off the Coast of Lebanon, Cedar Island Draws Controversy Proposed island raises economic, environmental, cultural issues
By Charlie Ghanem
Epoch Times Staff Feb 20, 2009

BEIRUT, Lebanon—A massive team of architects, engineers, and environmental consultants are sweating over the technical plans for a 3,311 square kilometer island off the coast of Lebanon. Headed up by Dr. Muhammad Saleh, a civil engineer and chairman of the real estate development company pushing the venture, they are now making their case to the Lebanese people and government for the proposed resort in the Mediterranean Sea.

Saleh’s company, Noor International Holdings, is behind the venture. It is proposed that the island will hold residential, commercial, recreational, and tourist facilities, as well as being equipped for permanent inhabitants. The Minister of Tourism has encouraged the US$ 8 billion idea, but the project is still pending permits from some quarters of the Lebanese bureaucracy.

Economic Boost, Job Opportunities
Despite the country’s fragile political situation and the global financial crisis, Noor is certain that the project will be a major success. Investment from around the world, and hundreds of inquiries about the project from government and businesses, were significant signs, Noor believes, that people have faith in the country.

A New York Times commentary on Jan. 11 also describes Beirut as “poised to reclaim its title as the Paris of the Middle East” in 2009.

Dr. Saleh believes Lebanon is safe amidst the financial crisis, having been fairly well protected by the relative isolation of its financial sector from the international system.

A tourist project of this nature will not only attract travelers from around the world, helping Lebanon to boost economic revenues, but also provide around 50,000 job opportunities for citizens, Saleh says. Many Lebanese working and living abroad will therefore also be encouraged to return to their home country.

Environmental Concerns
The biggest questions raised for Noor, however, come from environmentalists. While the Divers Union, fishermen and Green Peace are all against the project, Noor gives assurances that marine life, already endangered in Lebanon, will develop after the island is built.

The company says it is looking into the environmental issues, and that it is committed to reclamation laws when it comes to deciding on the project’s location: “In the long run, the island will become a new habitat for aquatic life, and a hot diving site for diving enthusiasts,” Saleh told The Epoch Times.
A top level view of what Cedar Island will look like on Lebanon's coast. (Courtesy of Noor International Holdings)

An example of the mind-boggling problems architects of the project face is where to get the sand from. Saleh doesn’t talk specifics on this point, but makes clear that the source with the least environmental impact will be used. Further, he says that Noor is considering a number ways of mitigating the impact of digging up massive amounts of sand and dumping it into the sea, like using large floating structures in part instead, and semi-submersible floating structures.

People like Habib Maalouf, a journalist specialized in environmental issues, on the other hand, say that wherever they get the sand from, it’s going to create problems. Maalouf says it will either have to come from other areas of the sea itself, or somewhere inland, leading to new quarries somewhere in the Lebanese mountains. Both locations, when damaged, can’t be restored.

Apart from the sand issue, the simple existence of the island itself may be problematic. The “water brakes” (a technology that will protect the island from the waves of the Mediterranean) will also cause disruption to seawater currents, and not only around the island, but up to tens of kilometers away. This is expected to be harmful to marine life, and damage wrought in this area is also hard to recover from.

Cultural Concerns
The Lebanese blogosphere is full of complaints about the claimed cultural damages the project is going to cause. Bloggers against the project are mainly concerned that other archeological sites and old towns that Lebanon is known for will be neglected in favor of a flashy new island. They argue that the island will shift travelers’ sight away from the true identity of the country, instead putting the spotlight on a Westernized Cedar Island that has nothing to do with Lebanese tradition.

An interesting quote of Facebook user John O'Sullivan argues that Lebanon should be inspired by the luxury hotspots of the Mediterranean, such as Monte Carlo, St Tropez, and Cannes, instead of importing ideas from the Arab Gulf, which differs greatly from the Lebanese culture, history and environment.

Carlo Massoud, an architect from Beirut, wrote: “Stop imagining yourself on a white sand beach with palms. We will never be a tropical country … we have our [own] identity.”

While hundreds of curious inquiries fill up Noor’s inbox, and while the usual suspects protest against the environmental issues, others still are looking closely at the Lebanese political situation, and wonder whether a project like Cedar Island has any chance to be implemented in the short term anyway, given the number of other issues that have priority.

Whether Noor will achieve its goal and change Lebanon’s image, or whether the project won’t go any further than blogs, remains to be scene. While Saleh and his team wait impatiently for the slow-moving wheels of Lebanese bureaucracy, the project remains a hot topic of controversy among the people. Last Updated
Feb 20, 2009

^^ Very interesting article... it appears the whole project is still up in the air - even the details of how it will be constructed are uncertain.

But 50,000 new jobs its worth highlighting!

Westernized Cedar Island? don't they mean Arabized? I wouldn't think many civilized modern western countries would allow such a horrendously ugly project be built off their shores. only the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and so on have similar projects.

^^This might interest you, there were plans to build a "presqu'ile" ("almost island" ->peninsula) in Monaco, but it was cancelled. However, it didn't have a hideous shape : http://www.nicematin.com/edito/photo/510/20081106/nm-photo-220264.jpg

Why can't we have a proper design for Lebanon? Maybe something parallel to the coast, or just an extension, but a cedar?

That island in Monaco is disgusting.
What is up with taht shape.

I'm still standing by this project. The Cedar is not gunna be huge, and I think its gunna be cute once you fly over Damour and see it.

Imagine: Coming with an airplane into Lebanon and in the distance seeing this beautiful island. I think it'll be great!

^^ it's a tree-shaped private fake island... how is that great? artificial things aren't "Great".

The island in Monaco is actually well-designed. It is made to blend into its surroundings and to look almost natural. That's good design. architecture is not meant to be loud and flashy (only backward countries seem to like flashy designs).

Also, the fake island in Monaco wasn't built, so they obviously realized it's not a good idea.

^^ will it also give you an erection [edit: wait...assuming you're a guy ;) ]? it's a tree-shaped private fake island... how is that great? artificial things aren't "Great".

The island in Monaco is actually well-designed. It is made to blend into its surroundings and to look almost natural. That's good design. architecture is not meant to be loud and flashy (only backward countries seem to like flashy designs).

Also, the fake island in Monaco wasn't built, so they obviously realized it's not a good idea.

lol she doesn't understand design hayde.

Many Lebanese working and living abroad will therefore also be encouraged to return to their home country.

WWWWWWWWHAAAAAAT? How exactly? If family, culture, history, night life and natural beauty didn't bring them back ... the giant floating fake tree will?!?!?!?
“In the long run, the island will become a new habitat for aquatic life, and a hot diving site for diving enthusiasts,” Saleh told The Epoch Times.
"long run"???? 50 years? 100? He needs to be a little more specific!

Saleh doesn’t talk specifics on this point, but makes clear that the source with the least environmental impact will be used.
Fabulous!

I'm not stressing about this island anymore I'm confident it will never be built.

Feb. 27 2009
A delegation from «Noor International Holding» headed by Chairman Dr. Mohammed Saleh visited Patriarch Sfeir in order to introduce the «Cedar Island Project» that is to be developed off the Lebanese coast after obtaining the necessary approvals. Dr. Saleh asked the Maronite Patriarch’s blessings and support for this important project that will have no negative impact on the environment, yet, create even more than 50 000 job opportunities for all Lebanese alike.

^^ Very interesting...visiting the the Patriarch for his blessing? These seems like a desperate attempt at winning public approval.

blessing?!? no effect to the environment?!?! very bad marketing strategy :ohno:

Feb. 27 2009
A delegation from «Noor International Holding» headed by Chairman Dr. Mohammed Saleh visited Patriarch Sfeir in order to introduce the «Cedar Island Project» that is to be developed off the Lebanese coast after obtaining the necessary approvals. Dr. Saleh asked the Maronite Patriarch’s blessings and support for this important project that will have no negative impact on the environment, yet, create even more than 50 000 job opportunities for all Lebanese alike.

What's with the Lebanese obsession of visiting religious officials for their "blessings?"

Is the logic that whenever a religious leader gives his "blessings" to something, all followers of that religious leader will go along with it as if they are sheep?

You guys are too much...I dont think its a "desperate" attempt...its marketing you go to all areas..and influential people...this needs to be approved so your going to market yourself to all...Its lobbying..I do not think people will follow like sheep...lebanese are much more intelligent in these kind of matters..

^^ Where have you been lately? The Lebanese are the most sheep-like people on this planet! If the leader of a certain 'jame3a' tells them to throw themselves from the balcony they'd do it, I bet a 100 bucks on it!

^^ Okay, let's not get off topic...

Storm brews in cedar seas
March 2009
Proposed mega-project dredging up environmental battle


Knowing that Dubai's Palm islands have dominated real estate headlines for the last couple of years, developer Noor International HoldingNoor International Holding has directed its attention to Lebanon with its newly announced 3.3 million square meter "Cedar Island" development off the Lebanese coast. The estimated $7.4 billion development will host residential villas and apartments, commercial space, as well as recreational and touristic elements like gardens, a golf course, a sailing club and a water park. Moreover, the Cedar will be divided into commercial, public and private zones, each having specific components.

Why an island?
Noor International aims to create a comprehensive development, encompassing all elements essential to a community. Dr. Mohammed Saleh, chairman and owner of Noor International HoldingsNoor International Holdings explains, "the problem is that we have not been able to find any piece of land on shore that would enable us to develop such a project." He says if a piece of land with only 60 percent of the proposed island's area had been found, they would have created the cedar shaped development on a mountainside or seashore, which would have been much easier. "Our project includes villas, chalets, gardens, a school... and that cannot be done on a 10,000 to 20,000 square meter piece of land on the shore," he elaborates.

Additionally, the developer's idea is to attract Lebanese expatriates and immigrants who have long been waiting for such a project in order to come back to Lebanon. "Lebanese expatriates and immigrants cannot be attracted to Lebanon by a small scale project including a couple of villas. A mega-project is needed to induce them to come back to their country and invest in it," says Saleh. Noor InternationalNoor InternationalNoor International claims it is already receiving emails from potential buyers the world over interested in the project.


Furthermore, the island aims to create 50,000 jobs during the construction phase and even more jobs upon completion, since thousands of people will be working in the project's restaurants and facilities.

The approval process
The Cedar Island is in its preliminary stages, since it has not been approved yet by the Lebanese authorities, nor have the location of the island or the construction method been determined. Noor InternationalNoor International
must submit three studies to the government for approval: an environmental impact assessment, a feasibility study and a site location study. Of four potential locations along the Lebanese coast Damour, Amchit, Sour and Dbayye -- Noor considers Damour the most viable and will conduct the location study on this area. If not approved, the company will consider other locations.

Official responses should come from the Ministry of Works, the Civil Regulatory Administration, the prime minister, the parliament and the president of the Lebanese Republic. "We expect the process to take around six months or one year at the most," says Saleh. After receiving the approval, the company estimates the construction work to take around four years. Noor has already won the blessings of Elie Marouni, the Minister of Tourism and Wael Abou Faour, the Minister of State. Moreover, the developer is currently using the services of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL)Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) in order to facilitate the process and benefit from the package deal that IDALIDAL is providing in terms of tax incentives and fee reductions.

Public response
When the idea was proposed to the public, some people were terrified by its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, while others embraced the project and held up its potential contribution to the Lebanese tourism sector and the economy in general. Environmentalists claim that the Cedar Island will cause serious water and air pollution, as well as affect the well-being of the Damour community.


Environmental consultant Lama Abdul Samad explains that, "we have a rocky ecosystem, rich with wildlife and marine habitat and dredging will kill everything there. It is too bad because Damour is one of the places on the shoreline" that has not yet been severely damaged by human development, she adds. Additionally, the immediate vicinity of the island's area is not the only place that will be affected. Sourcing the fill for the island, whether by sea dredging or quarrying the mountains, will further harm Lebanon's natural heritage.

Skeptics also argue that the construction, which would last for about four years, will cause serious air and noise pollution, since a lot of machinery and equipment will be used. "The air and noise pollution will be catastrophic, heavy machinery will cause traffic jams and the fumes and dust will contaminate the area's environment," comments Abdul Samad.


Lebanese environmentalists have started to act as 13 environmental organizations, including Greenpeace Mediterranean, Byblos Ecologia, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon and others, have formed a joint coalition hoping to keep the project from being constructed. As a first step, the coalition issued a press release stating that it categorically opposes the Cedar Island and warns the Lebanese government of the harmful impacts that the project may have on Lebanon's environment, as well as the economic and social ramifications on the surrounding communities. Yasmin El Helwe, the oceans campaigner at Greenpeace Mediterranean, explains, "our next step is to have pre-assessment. However, we cannot do that right now because we are not aware of the project's location or the method of construction." Greenpeace is also working with their scientific unit at Exeter University in the United Kingdom in order to discover possible environmental impacts.


Project construction
Although the method by which the island would be constructed remains undetermined, Saleh explains that most probably the cedar trunk will be constructed by land reclamation, while the branches will be floating. "The island might be a mix of a floating structure and land reclamation. However it is too early to tell since as soon as we choose the location, we will conduct a topographic study of the surface and determine the best suited method of construction," notes Saleh. He also emphasizes that the methods will be chosen to minimize the impact of the island on the maritime environment. "If, God forbid, we damage the environment, we will fix it," says Saleh.

For the construction of the Cedar's trunk, Saleh says the company has found a way to enable its creation without using sea dredging or quarrying mountains. "I heard that there is a license being issued for constructing a tunnel in the mountain leading to Shtoura [in the Bekaa valley], which would reduce the travelling time from more than an hour to 25 minutes. The idea is to use the rocks that will be taken out of the mountain to construct the island." Saleh did not specify to whom the license is being issued, but he added that if the tunnel project is not already online, Noor will propose and execute the idea itself. "One tunnel might not be enough, it is a plus or minus, but here we are trying to find ways to develop our project without hurting the environment. Instead of damaging the sea or the mountains, a point in which environmentalists are 100 percent right, we are developing new infrastructure," he notes.


Experts claim that a floating island is a bad idea, not because of the construction process, but due to the costly maintenance the island will require. Adel Monsef, project manager at Archirodon, a leading international construction group, explains that, "a floating structure, whatever it is, needs maintenance every year or maximum every two years. In this case, a dry dock has to be built next to the island, which would be very costly. We are on the Mediterranean and we have rough seas, so there will have to be [lots of] maintenance, they are already facing some difficulties in the Palm," which experiences mild seas compared to what the Cedar would face, Monsef adds.


Conservationists agree that whatever the method of construction, there is no escape from the serious environmental impact it will cause. Even if the branches are floating, the upper layer of the maritime ecosystem is very dependent on sunlight and would die. "The fish might swim out, but there are other elements in the ecosystem that will not survive," says Abdul Samad. "If it is not going to sustain life, they might as well cover it all than have it slowly die and rot," she highlights.

The fight continues
As Noor works on the approval by conducting the required studies, opposing parties are on guard and trying to make their case. Saleh would like the environmentalists to open a line of communication with the company. "We are an environmentally friendly project, we are coming to build and not to destroy," says Saleh.


Saleh also thinks that the attack on Noor International was premature, since no studies had been made on the possible impacts. He says that only when these come out will environmentalists have the right to oppose the project. Yet the environmentalists believe no study is needed to prove their case. "It is impossible to build such a thing without causing damage to the environment," concludes El Helwe.


© Executive 2009

The more I learn about this project, the more I am against it.
They should invest all this money on conserving the natural environment, and even constructing buildings on land.

Lebanon is unique because it is the only country in the middle east that is not a desert, and furthermore the only country that has some sort of marine life, and a unique year-round climate. This is what should attract tourists, and it is the Lebanese who need to spend money to conserve what we have. If we build this island then all of this is taken away from Lebanon. We will no longer we unique, and different from the rest of the gulf and middle east. And living in Abu Dhabi and seeing islands being constructed across from where I live, I guarantee it is a menacing sight to watch. Cranes and other machines digging up coral reefs and sand from the ocean, and creating an excessive amount of noise and air, and sea pollution.(Lebanon really does not need more pollution.) Also all of our beaches and resorts will be eroded. You have to think about the long steps(4-6 years) that will be taken to make this island, and also the long-term effects it will have on Lebanon. When you look at the whole picture it is defiantly not worth it.

Where does the developer get the idea that building this island would attract expatriates and immigrants back to Lebanon?

I am not considering moving back to Lebanon if this island gets built, that is for sure.

Is this project dead yet?

hope so!

I hope its not!

I hope this project is the biggest april fools joke ever!!

With money everything is possible when it comes to the Lebanese goverment. And the uae has alot if money.

We can definitly use an island or two, but come on, a cedar shaped island is just so plain tacky. Anyone with the slightest sence of taste would tell you that this project is a BAD IDEA. First of all anything that will be built should be for all to enjoy. Lebanon lacks public spaces especially in our cities. Also we'll never be unique by copying other countries. we need to come up with our own solutions to enhance and compliment what already exists. Lebanon is an ancient land with so much history, It isn't Las Vegas or Dubai. Their is a reason why Dubai and Vegas go thru such great lenghths to create these behemouth projects. Cause they are in the desert where nothing else is appealing. Lebanon is charming and should be catagorized in the spheres of countries like Greece and Italy. NOT SOME THEME PARK! please let's stay classy!

^Vegas does not have any artificial islands? It is in the middle of the desert.

But I have recently changed my mind on this project aswell. I think it is going to make Lebanon the center of jokes, not fame. Maybe it will be good, but for now I'm not really wishing for this to come true.

Chroogajram, I think melkrat meant that Las vegas relies on big spectacles to attract people to it, much like dubai does. Las vegas has its glass pyramid and gambling lifestyle, and Dubai has its Islands, and Burj Dubai. And yes, lebanon doesn't need an Island for the rich to own private lands, there is enough land to develop already.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/capt_468f263b1ec04464a0766679da93fc.jpg

In this Feb. 20, 2009 photo, Lebanese engineer Mohammed Saleh, chairman of the Beirut-based Noor International Holding which plans to build the Cedar Island, explains about his off shore project in Beirut, Lebanon. A plan to build a massive artificial island off the coast of Lebanon in the shape of its national symbol, the biblical Cedar tree, is creating waves in Lebanon even before the $8 billion project is launched.
(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)