Israeli city of Bat Yam seeks proposals for $13 billion Dubai-style artificial island off Mediterranean coast

Bat Yam, an Israeli city located south of Tel Aviv near the Mediterranean, has plans to build a Dubai-style 1.5-kilometer (almost mile-long) artificial island off its coast. The municipality announced it is seeking “proposals, ideas, models and the like from architects, planners, designers, development companies or any other professional entity with an idea or vision that could be suitable for the realization of the project.”

While the unconventional construction plan faces environmental and regulatory challenges, City Mayor Tzvika Brot believes the need for an artificial island stems from the city’s geographic location and that it can be implemented quickly.

“Bat Yam is trapped between Tel Aviv, Holon and Rishon LeZion. We have nowhere to expand,” Brot argues. “The only options are to grow upward, meaning build higher, or to build into the sea."

Being located in the greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area – the most densely populated region in the Jewish state – available land for construction is scarce and sells at premium prices.

Brot says the project “would enable urban renewal within Bat Yam without necessarily adding housing units or increasing neighborhood density.”

According to Brot, it would cost the government $13 billion to build the island, development costs could reach as much as $30 billion.

“If I wait for the government, it won’t happen,” Brot said. “My goal is to see this happen in a short time frame. I’m hearing a great deal of openness from government ministers and from professional officials. I’m going all in on this."

While it's unclear whether the plan will move forward, the concept of building an artificial island off Israel’s Mediterranean coast is nothing new.

In 2022, Israel Ports Company published a document prepared for the Israel Land Authority that explored the possibility of building an artificial island to serve as a supplementary airport to Ben Gurion International Airport. The document warned that it would be challenging, “due to the country’s harsh maritime conditions, unlike Japan or China, for example, where such projects are located in relatively calm bays.”

The document also stressed environmental risks, asserting, “The construction of an artificial island affects the movement of sand along Israel’s coastline. This natural movement runs from south to north toward the Haifa Bay area. Near Hadera, significant quantities of sand still move along the shore. An artificial island would disrupt this flow, causing sand to accumulate south of the island and erosion along beaches to the north."

Beyond regulatory challenges, the initiative is expected to face opposition from environmental groups.

The Israel Union for Environmental Defense (or Adam Teva V'Din) has already voiced its concerns about the construction plan. 

“The Bat Yam Municipality is acting as if there is no climate crisis and Mediterranean storms do not exist. There is no logical explanation for this strange call for proposals to plan an artificial island off the city’s coast," the organization said.

The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection said it has not yet reviewed Bat Yam's construction plan, but added, “The issue will undergo professional examination, and once relevant staff work data are transferred to the ministry by the municipality, an orderly discussion will be held to present the ministry’s position.”

The project also comes against the backdrop of heightened security concerns in Bat Yam over the past year.

Ten residents were killed and multiple buildings were damaged by Iranian missiles during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June. Just last month, Brot warned residents of Bat Yam against spying for Iran against Israel, after Shin Bet officials raised concerns about Iranian recruitment efforts.”