Property development on The World starts next year

Dubai: Land reclamation of The World real estate project will be completed by mid-2007, paving the way for international developers to move in and start construction on the exclusive islands, according to its top designer.

Luis Ajamil, The World's head consultant and architect from Miami-based Bermello Ajamil and Partners, said the first group of properties will be completed and occupied by 2009.

From 2010 to 2011, construction on The World will gain more momentum. The whole project will be completed in 2020, he said.

The World is expected to have a total population of 150,000, reaching 250,000 during peak seasons. "Most developments on The World will be low rise - three to four storeys - but if there is anything higher, it'll be iconic," said Ajamil, during a tour of the islands given to local and international media.

"We've set forth a design that takes into consideration global warming and we've provided for that for the next 100 years."

Creating environments

The islands sit four metres above sea level, enough to withstand what scientists predict may be a marked increase in sea levels over the coming decades, said Ajamil.

Developers on The World will be able to create their own environments within the project through a process known as terra-forming -earth shaping - such that they can change the form of the islands to create private beaches, coves, harbours and marinas within designated areas and rules.

To ease construction headaches when developers finally move in to work, Nakheel plans to coordinate and operate a logistics hub to make material deliveries to the various islands.

Only a few companies will be involved in this process and it's expected to take up to four years for developers to finish their projects, says Hamza Mustafa, General Manager of The World.

"The average price of an island will be $30 million (Dh110.1 million), with most looking at resorts or housing," says Mustafa. Some of the developers who have bought into The World are from the UK, Kuwait, Ireland, Russia and the US, he says.

And despite news of high-profile celebrities snatching up their own plots of sand, only a small handful of the 300 islands have been set aside for individuals.

Four different types of islands are available

They include low-density islands that ensure maximum privacy and open vistas, resort islands dedicated to hotels and resort developments, mid-high density islands for low-rise mixed use communities and commercial offerings and commercial islands located strategically near major transport centres that provide for an array of retail venues.