Dubai: Monte Carlo island on The World development off Dubai's coast is to be a members-only party and event venue, the CEO of project developer Kleindienst Group, Josef Kleindienst, told Gulf News Saturday.
The island, part of "The Heart of Europe" project on The World, will be accessible only to those who own properties on the islands, or VIP members who would have to pay Dh30,000 in annual membership fees and own a boat, Kleindienst said.
The island will be built in two phases.
The developer said by the end of the year, a club house, the infrastructure, a pool and barbecue area and a dance club would be finished.
Plans were being made for the venue to be officially opened on New Year's Eve with a VIP party including fireworks and performances, Kleindienst said.
He said only A-list celebrities and "big names" would be invited to the party.
That meant only those celebrities who "got popular through their achievements" rather than with their presence in tabloids, he said.
"We are organising a reputable event," Kleindienst said. "There have been some negative reports on the project, so we are keen to show that it is well on track."
News of the Monte Carlo island's official opening followed an announcement by Kleindienst this month that the construction of the first villas on the Germany island had started, the majority of which has already been sold.
When finished, "The Heart of Europe" will be a "unique complex made up of luxury hotels, designer villas, holiday apartments and shops," he said.
Destinations at The World development — after some islands have been renamed — would include Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Monte Carlo, Geneva, Luxembourg, St Petersburg and Sochi.
Part of the Netherlands Island had been planned as a leisure area with its own beach and be named Amsterdam, the developer said.
A luxury shopping arcade as well as two five-star hotels had been planned "to entice residents and visitors to St Petersburg".
One of the chief attractions at Austria Island would be The Sissi Hotel, dedicated to Austria's former empress. It would be decorated in keeping with the Sissi design, Kleindienst says.
The hotel was still in the planning stage.
There would also be a dolphin pool on one of the islands, he said.
The Heart of Europe was conceived to capture "the authentic charm of each European town," he said.
For example, Austria would be elevated at its centre so that the city was built onto a hill and Germany would have a tree-lined promenade.
In co-operation with the Kleindienst Group, the European research centre Fraunhofer Institute said it was developing environmentally friendly transportation, energy-efficient cooling systems and an irrigation system for the development.
The Heart of Europe development would cost a total of Dh3.1 billion.
