Nakheel, one of the worlds largest and most innovative real estate developers, has today signed an agreement with the Gold Coast City Council of Australia to work together on a series of projects to promote sustainable coastal development as part of the Blue Communities initiative. The Gold Coast Council is building a vibrant city, unique in its urban design and it is already regarded as the most bio-diverse city in Australia.

This is the first agreement of its kind to be signed by Nakheel as part of the Blue Community initiative launched earlier this year.

The Gold Coast City Council is bringing specific expertise to the Blue Communities initiative in the area of sand movement and beach management strategy and policies. With over 40 active environmental related strategies and procedures the Gold Coast City Council has proved itself to be an award-winning, world leader in the fields of sustainable development and growth.

Over the next few years Nakheel will be engaging with a wide range of organisations and Governments to work on specific issues relating to coastal development. Abdulrahman Kalantar, Managing Director of Design & Development at Nakheel and the driving force behind the Blue Communities sustainability initiative said: "We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Gold Coast City Council, who share our commitment to promoting sustainable coastal development. Nakheel is seeking to draw on expertise from organisations and governments around the world and this is just the first of many partnerships we will be announcing. Together we will take forward the aims of Blue Communities to provide best practice solutions to the many challenges of coastal development."

CEO of Gold Coast City Council, Dale Dickson, comments: "It's an honour to work with Nakheel, a company recognized as a global leader in coastal development. We are also pleased to be the first company to be partnering with Nakheel in the commendable Blue Communities initiative in this way. We hope to be able to share our expertise with others and communicate our vision of how water can be valued for its contribution to a better waterfront lifestyle."

Blue Communities was launched under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai in January 2008. Nakheel has committed AED 500 million over the next five years to Blue Communities to fund research and development activity and to promote active engagement with international experts on the issues of sustainable development, construction, management and governance of coastal communities around the globe. Earlier this year, Nakheel also announced that Dr Farouk El-Baz, the renowned scientist who played a key role in the Apollo Moon missions, had been engaged as an expert advisor for Blue Communities.