A multi-billion pound vision for an archipelago of ‘countries’ in Dubai with artificial, celebrity-owned fantasy islands has been resurrected – ten years after it was abandoned due to the financial crash.
The World, a 300-island chain laid out in the shape of the world’s continents and made out of sand dredged from the Gulf, has only been partially developed after the lavish project ground to a halt in 2008.
But construction work on the sprawling site, surrounded by a 20-mile breakwater, is underway once more with lofty plans afoot for the likes of a ‘Floating Venice’ complete with gondolas and canals, an Ibiza-themed resort and luxurious floating ‘Sea Horse’ hotels costing up to £2.9million.
A multi-billion pound plan to build an archipelago of ‘countries’ (pictured) in Dubai with artificial celebrity-owned fantasy islands has been resurrected – ten years after the vision was abandoned due to the financial crash
construction work on the sprawling site, surrounded by a 20-mile breakwater, is underway once more with lofty plans afoot for the likes of a ‘Floating Venice’ complete with gondolas and canals (shown in an artist’s impression)
Luxury: Developers also want to build a series of lavish floating ‘Sea Horse’ hotels costing up to £2.9million (shown in an artist’s impression)
Construction work is well underway on the Sweden Island where a series of luxurious ‘palaces’ are being built. This was the scene in December 2015 as construction got underway
Building work is also moving on at pace on ‘St Petersburg’, which was remodelled in a heart shape and is being marketed as being for honeymooners. This was the construction site in July 2016 with the Dubai skyline in the background
Though 60 per cent of the islands had already been sold to private developers in 2008, the majority of work came to a grinding halt as the emirate suffered the brunt of the worldwide economic crisis. This picture, from 2009, showed one of the islands that had been developed
Work on the 5,000-hectare cluster of man-made islands began in 2003 in a plan unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. An estimated $14 billion was sunk into the project.
Built using 320 million cubic metres of sand dredged from Dubai’s shallow coastal waters as well as 25 million tonnes of rock, the islands lie 4km off the shore of Jumeirah.
In 2008 master developer Nakheel, effectively owned by the government, boasted that 70 per cent of the islands had already been sold.
Developers, financiers, global banks, building giants and investors flooded in. But within months of the emirate suffering the brunt of the worldwide economic crisis, all that could be seen was emptiness and desolation and instead of a millionaire’s playground there were 299 mounds of bare sand sweltering in the 40 degrees centigrade heat.
The region found itself $100billion in debt after enjoying years of excessive and exuberant spending, leaving deep-pocketed investors hesitant to pile money into its many development projects.
However, enthusiasm for the project was rekindled and construction teams can once again be seen at work on the islands with a decadent ‘Heart of Europe’ development progressing and plans to finish a luxury 100-villa resort on one of the South America islands by the end of this year.
An overhead image from July last year shows work continuing on villas on an island representing Germany
By November last year (pictured), engineering work for the new glass roof of a ‘palace’ on Sweden island’ had been finalised. Developers said at the time that the installation of the ‘unique gold glass rooftops’ is almost complete. The upper floors ‘will give have uninterrupted views of the surrounding islands at The Heart of Europe and the Dubai Skyline’
Work on the 5,000-hectare cluster of man-made islands began in 2003 in a plan unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This is how the islands looked in 2009 a year after the project ground to a halt
Tycoon Sir Richard Branson was pictured in a Union Jack suit planting a Union flag in ‘Britain’ in 2006 amid a wave of excitement about the project
Built using 320 million cubic metres of sand dredged from Dubai’s shallow coastal waters as well as 25 million tonnes of rock, the islands lie 4km off the shore of Jumeirah
The islands (shown in an earlier artist’s impression) were marketed as a playground for the rich and famous with people invited to ‘own the world’ and snap up their own territory for up to £36million
In a bizarre twist, Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan revealed last month that she is also designing her own island – giving it the name ‘Lohan Island’.
The islands were marketed as a playground for the rich and famous with people invited to ‘own the world’ and snap up their own territory for up to £36million.
Richard Branson was pictured in a Union Jack suit planting a Union flag in ‘Britain’ in 2006 while Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Anjelina Jolie were also rumoured to have snapped up Dubai’s version of Ethiopia.
There were plans to create a Giant’s Causeway in ‘Ireland’, while a Chinese tycoon had unveiled a vision to recreate Shanghai’s skyline.
But in the end, only Dubai’s version of Lebanon was opened to the public – it is now a party destination hosting fashion and corporate events.
The islands were marketed as a playground for the rich and famous with people invited to ‘own the world’ and snap up their own territory for up to £36million. Pictured: An artist’s impression of an underwater section of the proposed ‘Floating Venice’
Among the new plans for the islands are these proposed floating Sea Horse villas which come with an asking price of up to £2.9million
When the idea was first conceived, there were lofty ambitions to make fantasy islands for the rich and famous. This was one of the early sketches mapping out proposals for the archipelago
Pictures show one of the islands that was constructed. Despite huge interest in the wider The World project, it ground to a halt in 2008 when the financial crisis hit
Boom and bust: The islands were quickly constructed from 2003 to 2008 using sand dredged from the Gulf
An estimated $14 billion was sunk into the project as millions of tonnes of rock was used to build up a 20-mile break water
Among the new plans is a cluster of six islands to form a Heart of Europe development.
Within this there will be a ‘Floating Venice’, billed as the world’s first five-star floating destination aiming to bring ‘the charm, serenity and culture of Venice to the tranquil shores of Dubai’.
A Portofino hotel is being built on Italy island while the groundwork is being prepared for an Alpine complex on Switzerland.
Developed Kleindienst aims to make ‘St Petersburg’ a honeymoon island while a main Europe island will feature an Ibiza-themed resort as well as city hotels representing Munich, London, Amsterdam and Scandinavia – all connected by a circular swimming pool, according to the Guardian’s Oliver Wainwright.
Sweden will feature ten ‘palaces’ as one of the most exclusive resorts while Germany will also be reserved for top-end customers.
Dubai’s ruling family is eager to put return the city to its former state of prosperity by hosting the 2020 World Expo, which will bring about an estimated $25billion economic boost.