Dolphin City, Abu Dhabi

Peddle Thorp/Morgan Architects, one of Australia's largest architectural groups are designers of a $1.7 billion Dolphin City project based on an island in Abu Dhabi. The company already implemented a study for the under construction $90 million Dubai Mall Aquarium, the largest of its kind in the world and it has also won another contract to design a $50 million aquarium in Bahrain, becoming leaders in aquarium design.

The Dolphin City project will feature office towers, retail and shopping areas, a 75-storey seven-star hotel together with an 18-hole golf course, and a number of residential towers. With visitors only able to reach the resort by cable car, it was reported that the "Dolphin City project has been conceived on the idea of helping children and their families cope with physical and emotional disabilities."

All indications, including statements from Sami Mikhail, Middle-Eastern Director of the operation, suggest that dolphin therapy will be a key factor of this project, the construction of which began at the end of 2006, and is due to open in 2009.