The archipelago of small artificial islands – one of several in the tourist hotspot – which cost £7.4 billion to construct, remains a largely incomplete sandy ghost town. It now also appears to be sinking back into the sea.
Since being launched in the early 2000s, the project has been subjected to much speculation. From outlandish, then abandoned, hotels to rumoured celebrity purchases, including Richard Branson, the controversial archipelago is unlikely to ever be completed after it was abandoned following the 2008 financial crash.
Yet, remaining incomplete appears to be the last of Dubai’s worries, as there have been warnings that the World Islands were sinking.
Claims by the Penguin Marine in 2010 said the archipelago was beginning to disappear based on measurements taken for safety reasons. The International Space Station took photographs that suggested that the islands were beginning to be devoured due to the rising of the Persian Gulf.
“The islands are gradually falling back into the sea,” said Richard Wilmot-Smith of Penguin Marine to The Telegraph in January 2011, with the company providing verification on the erosion of the islands and the silting of the passageways between the islands.
However, the project developer denied the allegations: “Our periodical monitoring survey over the past three years didn’t observe any substantial erosion that requires sand nourishment,” a statement from the company spokesperson said. They also managed to stop Penguin Marine from cancelling their contract by winning a trial in court.
This group of artificial islands are not the only ones in Dubai to have faced such concerns. NASA provided information that The Palm Jumeirah, another island on the coast, was also slowly sinking into the rising Gulf, at a rate of five millimetres per year.
The Dubai World Islands are a collection of small artificial islands designed to stand as a miniature global replication, with individual islands being named after their corresponding countries. Consisting of about 300 islands, ranging from 23,000 to 83,600 square miles, the whole collection measures some 5.4 miles across. It sits about 2.5 miles off the coast.
When it was announced in 2003, the excitement of the elite suggested that the project was to be the next big investment opportunity.
The concept was initially envisioned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, with Nakheel Projects as the developer. Van Oord and Boskalis, from the same company that built The Palm Jumeirah, were in charge of the construction of the islands.
The artificial islands were created by dredging sand from the Gulf and transporting it to the designated spot, with several million tons of rock used to keep it in place.
However, following the financial crisis in 2008, the project developments were stopped. Since then, there has been very little in the way of developments, and there have been conflicting reports about the recommencement.
When the project was halted, only Lebanon Island had been completed. It is home to a swimming pool, beaches, restaurants and a beach club. Since then, only one further island has been developed, on the South American island of Anantara, which opened in 2022. Offering spectacular views of the mainland, this is currently the only resort which offers overnight stays, so has become a highly sought-after destination.
The resort has a 70-room establishment with beach and pool villas, and suites with decks, terraces and private balconies. The resort also hosts several world-class amenities including an open-air cinema, Thailand-inspired spas, a floating lounge and many dining options.
The development and sale of the other islands are a closely-kept secret, with the only available online information dating back to the initial project. One project, which has not been divulged, is listed at a cost of over £12.5 million.
One of the islands is owned by the seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, given to him in October 2006 on the occasion of his final Grand Prix, by the Crown Prince of Dubai at the time
For many years, the “Heart of Europe” project was the most convincing, which would see a small number of the islands transformed into a replica of the continent. Imagined by the Kleindienst Group, the replica would go as far as creating fake weather conditions of rain and snow in some areas. It includes the building of several luxury hotels, private mansions and floating villas, each designed to reflect different European destinations including Monaco, Sweden, Venice and Germany.
