The World Islands

The World Islands is an artificial offshore archipelago comprising 260 to 300 reclamation islands arranged to resemble a map of the globe, master-developed by Nakheel. Located in the Arabian Gulf approximately 4 kilometres off the coast of Jumeirah, the archipelago spans 9 kilometres in length and 6 kilometres in width, adding roughly 232 kilometres of new coastline protected by a 27-kilometre outer breakwater. The development is under active construction and features a combination of operational hotel resorts, beachfront villas, multi-level floating homes, and undeveloped private island plots, with notable sub-developments including The Heart of Europe and Zuha Island. The archipelago has no road or bridge connections to mainland Dubai and is accessible exclusively by boat, seaplane, or helicopter. Daily living relies on self-contained utilities such as local desalination, wastewater plants, and private power generation, while schools and healthcare must be accessed on the mainland.