British family take plunge in Dubai and celebrate stunning export success

Aura Skypool

Don’t look down! Father and son team Russell and Sam Milburn are celebrating a huge export win. (Image: Lakeland Verandahs)

A British father and son thrown in at the deep end are celebrating a massive post business win after installing decking around the world’s highest 360° infinity pool.

Exclusive Aura Skypool, one of Dubai’s most iconic locations, regularly attracts multimillionaires, including Floyd Mayweather and Cristiano Ronaldo.

But the task was less relaxing for ambitious grafters Russell and Sam Milburn.

They worked around the clock for three months after flying 24 tonnes of decking by air from the UK to the sweltering desert city before installing it 48 storeys above the ground at the iconic Palm Jumeirah in the United Arab Emirates.

The job could now lead to a slew of multi-million-pound contracts in the Middle East for little Lakeland Verandahs based in Preston, Lancashire, which was only set up in 2008.

Boss Russell said: “What we really needed was a high-profile installation and they don’t come much bigger than the Aura Skypool, one of Dubai’s most visited locations.

“We undertook an amazing amount of due diligence together to showcase our product and why it would work and last better than the previous installation – agreeing to fit-out a dedicated area to provide a free taster of what they could expect.”

The success has paved the way for a slew of Middle East contracts

From From Preston with love: The team 48 storeys above the ground at the iconic Palm Jumeirah (Image: Lakeland Verandahs)

Aura Skypool is perched on the 50th floor of Nakheel’s Palm Tower and is the world’s first and highest 360-degree infinity pool. It is one of the most featured images on , with the venue a selfie paradise.

Sam, who oversaw the project, said: “The timings had to be just right to fit in with Aura’s extremely tight events calendar and we even had to overcome some major issues with sea freight, instead switching to transporting 24 tonnes of decking by air.

“The hours of planning and the late nights were all worth it and we are justifiably proud to have our product fitted and performing very well at one the most ‘Instagrammable’ locations in the world. We’re so confident in the quality and robustness of the product that we have given a 25-year warranty.”

The plunge has paid off. Lakeland Verandahs, employing 40 people from its operations in Preston and Scotland, is now on course to complete 12 projects in its first year in the Middle East. Following ongoing negotiations with hotels, commercial architects, and luxury villa owners, over £1m is set to be generated by the middle of the year.

The world's highest swimming pool

Aura Skypool is one of Dubai’s most iconic locations attracting multimillionaires. (Image: Lakeland Verandahs)

It is the company’s only export market, with the rest of its work completed in the North West and in Scotland where it supplies a mix of domestic and commercial clients with decking, fencing, balustrades and pergolas.

Last year, the business’s sales rose to £6m, one of the best performances in its 17-year history.

Dean Stuart Jarvis, General Manager at Aura Skypool, said: “Being 200 metres above sea level, we have our own microclimate, and we had to make sure that any decking product we chose could withstand the sun, the salt and the chemicals we use in our pool.

“We were delighted when Lakeland Verandahs agreed to customise our own colour. We are incredibly happy with the product and our guests have definitely noticed the difference.”

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