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The World Islands (Dubai)

View of the World in 2010
Geography
Location	United Arab Emirates
Coordinates	25°13′00″N 55°10′00″E / 25.21667°N 55.16667°E / 25.21667; 55.16667
Archipelago	The World
Length	9 km (5.6 mi)
Width	6 km (3.7 mi)
Administration
United Arab Emirates

The World Islands (Arabic: جزر العالم, romanized: Juzur al-Ālam) are an archipelago of small artificial islands constructed in the shape of a world map, located in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.^[1] The World Islands are composed mainly of sand dredged from Dubai's shallow coastal waters and are one of several artificial island developments in the emirate.^[1] The World's developer is Nakheel Properties. Construction was done by two Dutch joint-venture specialist companies, Van Oord and Boskalis, who also created the Palm Jumeirah.

Construction of the 300 islands began in 2003, before being halted due to the 2008 financial crisis.^[2] Though 60% of the islands were sold to private contractors in 2008, development on most of the project has not started.^[3] As of July 2012, Lebanon Island was completed and was the only island that had so far been developed commercially, being used for private corporate events and public parties. As of late 2013, only two of the islands had been developed. In January 2014, Kleindienst Group announced the launch of "the Heart of Europe" project.^[4] By February 2014, JK Properties, one of Kleindienst Group's brands, announced that the project was "well underway".^[5] The first of these series of islands will be Europe, Sweden, and Germany, with development led by Kleindienst Group.

Islands in the project range from 1.4 to 4.2 hectares (3.5 to 10.4 acres) in area.^[1] Distances between islands average 100 metres (110 yd); they are constructed from 321 million cubic metres of sand and 386 million tons of rock.^[1] Designed by Creative Kingdom Dubai, the development is an area that covers 6 by 9 kilometres (3.2 by 4.9 nmi) and is surrounded by an oval-shaped breakwater island. Roughly 232 km (144 mi) of shoreline has been created. The World's overall development costs were estimated at $13 billion CAD in 2005.^{[citation needed]}

The archipelago consists of seven sets of islands, representing the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica, and Oceania.^[6] Each artificial island is named after its representative country, landmark, or region, such as France,^[7] California,^[8] Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest,^[9] Australia,^[10] New Mexico,^[11] Upernavik,^[12] Buenos Aires,^[13] New York,^[14] Mexico,^[15] Saint Petersburg,^[16] São Paulo, and India.^[17]

The project was unveiled in May 2003 by Al Maktoum,^[18] and dredging began four months later.^[18] By January 2008, 60% of the islands were sold, with 20 being bought in the first four months of 2007.^[1][18] On 10 January 2008, the final stone on the breakwater was laid, completing development of the archipelago.^[18] As of July 2012, a second island, the Lebanon Island (1.5 hectares, or 3.7 acres and 482.21 metres of perimeter) was developed and was 'the only island that has so far been developed commercially, is used for private corporate events and public parties'.^[19]

The Times reported in September 2009 that work on the World had been suspended due to the effects of the 2008 financial crisis.^[20][21] Nakheel denied 2010 reports that the islands were sinking into the sea as wholly inaccurate.^[22] Despite the denial, The Daily Telegraph reported in January 2011 that an independent company, Penguin Marine, provided verification on the erosion of the islands and the silting of the passageways between the islands.^[23] Due to financial and technical problems, Penguin Marine, contracted to provide transportation to the archipelago, attempted to get out of the annual fees of $1.6 million paid to Nakheel properties.^[23]

Until early 2012, only one of the islands had been occupied by a building (a show home),^[2] and commercial or residential properties were not being constructed on any of the other islands. Property prices in the Emirates had fallen 58% from their peak in the fourth quarter of 2008.^[24] The world economic recovery from the Great Recession resulted in a rebound for the Dubai real estate market: it was reported that "residential prices [in Dubai] rose by 17.9% from August 2012 to 2013, while rents soared by 14.9% in the same period".^[25]

The World was supposed to be serviced by four major transportation hubs linked by waterways. Land parcels were supposedly zoned for various uses: estate, mid-density, high density, resorts, and commercial.^[26]

The plan was for utilities to be routed underwater, with pumping stations at each of the hubs pumping fresh water to the islands. Power was to be supplied by the Dubai grid and distributed through underwater cables. However, as of May 2025, no cables had been laid, and developers had to provide their own power using diesel generators. Wastewater and refuse systems are an individual concern for each island.^[26]

Nakheel Group is itself further developing a resort named Coral Island, covering over 20 islands that make up the North American part of the World. The low-rise development will include a marina and hotel village.^[27] The second largest confirmed development is the purchase of 14 islands that make up Australia and New Zealand by Investment Dar of Kuwait. The islands are being developed as a resort named OQYANA.^[28]

The Irish business consortium Larionovo had plans to develop the Ireland island into an Irish-themed resort.^[29] The plans included a large internal marina, apartments and villas, a gym, hotel, and an Irish-themed pub. In July 2007, it was announced that the island would feature a recreation of Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway. However, on 25 November 2008, a provisional liquidator was appointed for Larionovo. As of October 2022, this has not happened.^[30]

In April 2008, Salya Corporation announced that it had acquired the islands of Finland and Brunei and planned to develop them into fashion-themed resorts. Salya spent about Dh800 million (US$218 million) to purchase the islands and plans to spend a further Dh2.4 billion (US$654 million) on development. Brunei Island will be turned into a Fashion TV resort and Finland Island into a fashion community called FTV palace.^[31]

Safi Qurashi^[32] at the head of Premier, and his business partner Mustafa Nagri, paid an estimated US$64 million for the 4.5-hectare (11-acre) piece of land; he was later convicted for non-payment of cheques and sentenced to seven years in jail.^[33] However, on appeal, he was later found not guilty and released from prison in July 2012, when he was declared innocent of two of the three charges.^[34][35]

Josef Kleindienst and his firm JK Properties are developing the Heart of Europe, a collection of seven islands (Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine, Main Europe, Switzerland, and Monaco) in the European section of the World, into an island luxury resort.^[36] It is meant to create a fully immersive European experience, with outdoor snow^[37] and stores accepting only the Euro as a currency.^[38] It was set to open in 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[39]

In June 2020, a street called Raining Street was being built as part of the Heart of Europe project, with plans to create artificial rainfall once the outdoor temperature exceeds 27 degrees Celsius, with the objective to make a close copy of southern European climate.^[40]

In December 2022, it was announced that the first hotel within the project, Cote d'Azur Monaco, had opened.^[41]

Dubai Creek خُوْر دُبَيّ
Abras on the creek
Details
Location	Dubai,  United Arab Emirates
Coordinates	25°15′21″N 55°19′0″E / 25.25583°N 55.31667°E / 25.25583; 55.31667
Length	Total 24 kilometres (15 mi) of which natural length is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi)
North end	Al Shindagha
South end	Beach of Jumeirah

Dubai Creek (Arabic: خُوْر دُبَيّ, romanized: Khūr Dubayy) is a natural saltwater creek in Dubai. It extends about 9 miles (14 km) inwards and forms a natural port that has traditionally been used for trade and transport.^[1] The creek ranges from 200 to 1,200 metres (660 to 3,940 ft) in width while the average depth is about 6.5 to 7 metres (21 to 23 ft). Previously, it extended to Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary but as part of the new Business Bay Canal and Dubai Canal, it extends a further 13 km (8.1 mi)^[2] to the Persian Gulf.^[3]

In the 1950s, extensive development of the creek began, including dredging and construction of breakwaters. A number of bridges allow movement of vehicles across the creek while abras are used as taxis. The banks and route alongside the creek houses notable government, business and residential areas. A number of tourist locations and hotels are situated along the creek. The Dubai Creek, a vital waterway in the heart of the city, plays a significant role in Dubai's growth by handling the passage of more than 13,000 ships annually. As a major artery for maritime trade, it supports the city's commercial operations. Enhancements to the Creek's infrastructure are being made through a project aimed at improving safety and security measures for maritime traffic and commercial activities. These improvements are expected to strengthen the city's role as a regional hub for trade and ensure smoother, more secure operations for the numerous ships passing through each year.^[4]

The creek in 1964

The creek in 2007

Historically, the creek divided the city into two main sections – Deira and Bur Dubai. It was along the Bur Dubai creek area that members of the Bani Yas tribe first settled in the 19th century, establishing the Al Maktoum dynasty in the city.^[5] In the early 20th century, the creek, though incapable then of supporting large scale transportation, served as a minor port for dhows coming from as far away as India or East Africa. Although it impeded the entry of ships due to current flow, the creek remained an important element in establishing the commercial position of Dubai, being the only port or harbour in the city.^[6] Dubai's pearling industry, which formed the main sector of the city's economy, was based primarily on expeditions in the creek, prior to the invention of cultured pearls in the 1930s. Fishing, also an important industry at the time, was also based along the creek, whose warm and shallow waters supported a wide variety of marine life. Dhows used for purposes of fishing were also built on the foreshore of the creek.^[7]

The importance of the creek as a site of commercial activity was a justification to introduce improvements to allow larger vessels to transit, as well as to facilitate loading and unloading activities. This led, in 1955, to a plan to develop the creek, which involved dredging shallow areas, building of breakwaters, and developing its beach to become a quay suitable for loading and unloading of cargo.^[8] The creek was first dredged in 1961 to permit 7-foot (2.1 m) draft vessels to cross through the creek at all times.^[9] The creek was dredged again in the 1960s and 1970s so that it could offer anchorage for local and coastal shipping of up to about 500 tons.^[10] The dredging opened up the creek to much more continuous traffic of merchandise, including the development of re-export, and gave Dubai an advantage over Sharjah, the other dominant trading centre in the region at the time.^[10]

Al Maktoum Bridge, the first bridge connecting Bur Dubai and Deira was constructed in 1963. Although the importance of the creek as a port has diminished with the development of the Jebel Ali Port, smaller facilities, such as Port Saeed, continue to exist along the creek, providing porting to traders from the region and the subcontinent.

In September 2007, a Dhs. 484 million (US$ 132 million) extension of the creek was finished, which now ends just south of the Metropolitan Hotel and projects on Shaikh Zayed Road. A final 2.2-kilometre extension, called the Dubai Water Canal was inaugurated 9 November 2016, crossing Shaikh Zayed Road in a northerly route, passing through Safa Park and then through Jumeirah 2. The channel is expected to continue through Jumeirah Beach Park where it will reach the shores of the Persian Gulf.^[11] The extension is part of the Dubai's Business Bay development. Additionally, a new project consisting of seven islands known as Dubai Creek Harbour was proposed to be built on Dubai Creek. The centerpiece of this project would be the Dubai Creek Tower, which is set to become the tallest building in the world. Three additional bridges are being planned for Dubai Creek, which are the Seventh Crossing, the Al Shindagha Bridge, and the Fifth Bridge.^[12][13]

The Dubai Festival City Mall on Dubai Creek opened in 2007. Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is being built in the Al Jaddaf area on the Creek. Dhows are constructed in this area too on the bankside. The Green Line of the Dubai Metro terminates at the Dubai Creek metro station. Close to this metro station is the Al Jaddaf Marine Station, operating ferries on the Creek, including across the Creek to the Dubai Festival City Mall.

The Dubai Creek Harbour development is set to launch in 2025, home to Dubai Creek Tower, with residential units and parks constructed.^[14]

The creek's initial inlet into mainland Dubai is along the areas of Deira Corniche and Al Ras in eastern Dubai and along the area of Al Shindagha in western Dubai. It then progresses south-eastward through the mainland, passing through Port Saeed and Dubai Creek Park. The creek's natural ending is at the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from its origin at the Persian Gulf. The traditional form of transport between the eastern and western sections of Dubai via the creek was through abras, which continue to operate in Dubai. In addition, the eastern and western sections are linked via four bridges (Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge, Business Bay Crossing, and Floating Bridge) and one tunnel (Al Shindagha Tunnel).

• 
  Original route of Dubai Creek is highlighted in blue. The new extension is highlighted in red.
• 
  Coast of Dubai from the International Space Station. Dubai Creek is visible.
• 
  Dubai International Airport and Dubai Creek figure prominently in this photograph from the International Space Station.