End of The World? Sea ‘reclaims’ Dubai islands

The end of 'The World' could be nigh, but fortunately for mankind the world in question lies just off the coast of Dubai, where a chain of artificial islands built as a millionaires’ playground is said to be sinking back into the sea.

The development, which resembles the earth when seen from above, is made up of around 300 man-made sandbanks that were expected to be sold to the rich and famous.

The developers claim that 70 per cent of the islands have been sold, but only one of them, Greenland, is currently inhabited, and that is owned by the ruler of Dubai.

The financial crisis has been blamed for stalling most of the plans to turn the islands into luxury retreats and high-end resorts. A legal dispute has now erupted between the state-owned developer, Nakheel, and the company that brought the rights to provide boat transport for the non-existent residents and guests, Penguin Marine.

At a land tribunal, Penguin argued that work on the islands has "effectively stopped" and that the the project was "dead".

To make matters worse, lawyers claim "the islands are gradually falling back into the sea" and that the navigational channels are silting up.

Unsurpsringly Nakheel disagree. A spokesman for the company insisted: "Our periodical monitoring survey over the past three years didn't observe any substantial erosion that requires sand nourishment."

Things have not gone well for The World since it was created. It failed to attract the kind of investment that poured into the Palm Jumeirah, another exclusive development adjacent to the man-made archipelago, where the likes of David Beckham owned properties.

The islands of Britain and Ireland are a case in point. John O'Dolan, the owner of the company that brought Ireland for £24m commited suicide, while Safi Qurashi has not had much time to enjoy Britain since he purchased it for £43m - he is serving a seven-year jail sentence after being accused of bouncing cheques. ·