Middle Eastern developer Nakheel and Spanish hospitality giant RIU Hotels & Resorts have officially kickstarted development on an 800-room resort and waterpark at Dubai’s artificial Deira Islands.

Planning advisory firm Dar Al Handasah have been appointed to oversee the design, engineering and construction of the AED900m (US$268m, €219m, £190.3m) project.

Nakheel and RIU signed a joint venture agreement in Palma, Mallorca, in February this year to develop an affordable family resort in line with the Government of Dubai’s tourism vision for 2021. Now a construction tender is being put together so construction can begin imminently.

The four-star development will be one of the largest in Dubai in terms of rooms. It will cover a 3.4 million sq ft plot of land and include four swimming pools, a kids’ club, a spa, a fitness centre, two restaurants and four smaller eateries and an entertainment area for live shows. The waterpark will occupy around 10 per cent of the total site.

The resort will be a part of a wider 15.3sq km waterfront development at Deira Islands, with 21km of reclaimed beachfront being added to Dubai’s coastline.

Nakheel is well known for its land reclamation projects such as The World and Palm Islands. For Deira Islands, it is developing a mall and a night souk among other attractions.