Dubai Promises The World

The World
The deity, it's true, had the advantage of divine fiat: "Let there be light and there was light," "Let there be a firmament: it was so, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so." Easy peasy - if you happen to be omnipotent.

Nakheel Developments, the people whose property portfolio includes the outrageous Palm islands off the coast of Dubai, aren't quite in that league - but when it comes to construction they too like to think big.

There aren't many developers, after all, who'll wade 4km off shore and then sink US$3 billion into the construction of 300 man-made islands laid out in the shape of a world map complete with continents, countries and, something God unaccountably failed to include in the original design, a clutch of celebrity islands.

"Construction of properties on The World commenced in September 2003, after many years of research," says Nakheel's press release. "The project is scheduled to be completely raised from the sea in 2008." Now that's what I call an equity-boosting extension.

Redrawing the Map

The Palm islands and the World
You can forgive the company for sounding a little hubristic: the scale of this project is truly mind-boggling. Over the next few years hundreds of private islands ranging in size from five to twenty acres will break the surface of the gulf waters, each one named after a country, a province, or a major city.

Geographic accuracy, it has to be said, is not a strong point of the master-plan and the redrawing of some borders and regions suggests either a loose acquaintance with the current geopolitical map or some serious wish fulfilment on the part of the designers.

There may be some justification for subsuming England under the United Kingdom, but the reunification of Ireland will certainly raise a few eyebrows. And erasing both Israel and Palestine from an otherwise complete map of the Middle East seems unnecessarily provocative.

New World Order

Island community
But while the developers have played a little fast and loose with the world as we know it - denying, it should be said, any political motivation - they're keen to ensure that some semblance of international order prevails in their Brave New World

"Once the islands have been purchased, developers can create their own vision of paradise whether it be private golf course, hotel or a Scottish Castle. However, Nakheel believes that each island should be in keeping with its country name," says a company spokesperson.

Texas oil barons, in other words, are more than welcome, but will probably not be allowed to snap up France, declare English the national language, and make freedom fries compulsory with every meal.

Themes And Dreams

Themed island resort
Shame, really, but you can see where they're coming from. The real world has enough strife to be going on with without conflicts breaking out between islands just 50-100 metres apart. But what, then, will The World, look like when it's all eventually finished?

Nakheel say investors and buyers will be carefully vetted, first, to ensure a balance between private owners and commercial ventures and second, to ensure that the plans for the islands are acceptable.

Their website suggests possible commercial ventures might include themed resorts - an eco-island complete with tropical rainforest, a history resort with a medieval castle, and a culinary island showcasing cuisines from around the world.

Private buyers are enticed with the Crusoe-like fantasy that "the footprints in the sand belong only to you and your family," and property developers will be given the chance to construct whole new residential communities "for weekenders and year round residents."

World For Sale

Private home
Some of this might sound, well, a bit wonderful world of Disney, but buyers, spurred on by the staggering success of the nearby Palm island developments, have been snapping up countries north, south, east and west.

A third of The World has already been sold, though Nakheel are a little coy about which countries have been bought and what exactly their new owners plan to do with them.

Has there been much interest in buying either the UK or Ireland, I ask. "This information cannot be disclosed," is all they'll say, "however, as with all Nakheel projects we have seen great interest from the British public."

Maybe John Prescott, planning to build all those new homes in the South East, should drop by and see if a bit of imaginative off-shore development could provide a solution to our well-documented housing woes.

Then again, maybe not. House prices may be high here, but the islands in The World development are not exactly at the affordable end of the scale: asking prices range from US$10.8m to US$36m for each personal fiefdom.

The World: The Facts

Located just off the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the World involves the creation of 300 man made islands built to represent the world map. The 300 islands will be offered for sale on a freehold basis to selected investors only.

- The World is located 4km off shore from a point halfway between Port Rashid and The Palm, Jumeirah.

- The development will measure approximately 9km in length and 7km in width. It will cover over 593 million square feet, including more than 200 kms of beach.

- The average distance between islands is 50-100 metres, with an average depth of water surrounding each island at 11 - 16 metres.

- All 300 islands will only be accessible by marine or air transport, with world-class marinas to berth boats, yachts and cruise liners. Nakheel will integrate a series of waterways, canals and lakes to enhance the overall design.

- The islands will be built in the shape of the world map and consist of two protective breakwaters on the outer perimeters to provide shelter from long and cross-shore waves. The outer breakwater will be a submerged reef and the inner breakwater will be above water

- Nakheel will hand over the islands to the investors once the land has been reclaimed. All infrastructure and construction will be up to the individual investors who will have the freedom to create their own personal vision on the islands for private or commercial use.

- All of the islands will range from 100,000 sq feet to 450,000 sq feet in size, with the average island measuring approximately 300,000 square feet with more than 350 million cubic metres of rock and sand.

- The islands range in price from AED 40 million (US$10.8m) to AED 135 million (US $36m)

The World

Michael O'Flynn

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