DP World has completed the first phase of its pioneering Living Seawalls project at Jebel Ali Port, installing 1,000 eco-engineered panels designed to turn traditional seawalls into thriving marine habitats.

The initiative marks a major step toward creating the region’s longest continuous marine-supportive waterfront by 2028, when the installation will scale up to 6,000 panels.

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Developed with Living Seawalls — a research-driven initiative of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science — the modular panels feature diverse shapes and textures that replicate natural rock formations, helping marine organisms settle, grow and boost coastal biodiversity.

Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC, said the project highlights how ports can strengthen coastal resilience while enabling global trade. “By integrating science-based designs across our ports, we are helping marine life establish and thrive in areas traditionally limited in habitat value,” he noted.

Biodiversity monitoring at Jebel Ali is set to begin in 2026 to advance global understanding of nature-positive port development. The initiative aligns with DP World’s Ocean Strategy and supports international biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The project builds on DP World’s successful pilot in Callao, Peru, where 66 species across 12 marine groups were recorded within a year — including seven species found only on the Living Seawalls panels — with no invasive species detected.

With additional initiatives such as the Dubai Reef project and circular port-waste solutions underway, DP World is positioning the Jebel Ali Living Seawalls as a scalable model for ports seeking to blend sustainability, science and infrastructure development.

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