The World Islands Community Guide

The World Islands lies offshore, facing the Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim stretch of the Dubai coast. There is no bridge, causeway or tunnel to the mainland, and no metro, tram or bus service reaches the islands, so every journey is made by boat or by air. Boat crossings from mainland piers take about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the island and the vessel. In 2025, the Heart of Europe reported agreements with 3 private marinas on Jumeirah Beach for guest transfers, support from the Roads and Transport Authority through its marinas and ferries, and talks on a public water taxi link. Floating helipads are planned on each of the 6 Heart of Europe islands, and at least one newer project plans a yacht shuttle to the mainland every 30 minutes.

The islands lie within an oval breakwater measuring about 9 km by 6 km and are arranged in 7 continent-themed groups. Neighbouring islands are separated by about 100 metres of water on average, and together they add 232 km of beachfront to Dubai's coastline. The original plan relied on 4 transport hubs linked by waterways, with power supplied from the Dubai grid through underwater cables. As of 2025 those cables had not been laid, so developers generate their own electricity, mainly from diesel generators with some floating solar, while wastewater and waste are handled island by island.

Property on The World Islands comes in several forms. Hotel studios inside resort buildings are sold to investors as hotel units. Private beachfront villas and floating villas moored offshore form the luxury segment. Branded residences are the newest category, with 2 projects announced in 2026 adding apartments and villas under hotel and design brands. Land plots and whole islands also trade, though such deals are rare. Much of the residential stock is still off-plan or under construction, so many buyers are purchasing future delivery.

Sales on The World Islands are few and vary widely by property type. Of 4 hotel studio sales registered in August and September 2026, 3 sold for between AED 2 million and about AED 3.2 million, or AED 4,920 to AED 5,820 per sq ft, and 1 sold for AED 1 million. Villa Avatea, a 7 bedroom villa on Amali Island with 35,764 sq ft of built-up area, sold for AED 220 million in March 2026. An off-plan 6 bedroom villa on Zuha Island sold for AED 70 million in June 2026, about AED 2,120 per sq ft, and a 554,254 sq ft land plot changed hands for AED 62 million in September 2026. All figures are as of September 2026.

No reliable rental yield data has been published for The World Islands. Hotel units feature heavily in recorded sales, and returns on these depend on the resort operator's occupancy and room rates. Costs are also higher offshore: one of the archipelago's largest developers puts the cost of building on the islands at about 30% above the mainland.

Facilities differ from island to island. Completed resorts offer beaches, pools, restaurants and beach clubs. The Heart of Europe is the main leisure cluster, with themed resorts named after Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice and Monaco, and its first hotel, Côte d'Azur Monaco, opened in 2022. A Buddha-Bar overwater hotel with 162 keys was under construction there in 2025, alongside a planned all-day beach venue on Honeymoon Island. Lebanon Island became the first island to open commercially, with a beach club in 2012. The Anantara World Islands resort, which opened in January 2022, closed on 10 April 2026.

There are no schools on The World Islands. The nearest options are on the mainland, including BC Academy International School, so school-age children would need a boat crossing every day before the onward journey.

Life on The World Islands today is built around leisure. The Heart of Europe was designed for holidays and second homes, not permanent residents, according to its developer. One newer project, Samana Collecta, is planned as a primary residence with co-working, retail and a scheduled shuttle. For now, daily life depends on boat timetables and mainland services, which suits owners who visit regularly better than households with fixed school and office routines.

• Holiday-home buyers: owners who want a private beach base in Dubai for part of the year
• Hotel unit investors: buyers comfortable with returns tied to resort performance
• Ultra-high-net-worth buyers: those seeking a whole island, a land plot or a large villa
• Early-stage investors: buyers willing to hold through a long build-out for entry into an emerging offshore market

• Freehold ownership: open to all nationalities under Regulation No. 3 of 2006
• Golden Visa: property worth AED 2 million or more can qualify the owner for a 10-year UAE residency visa
• Capped supply: the number of islands is fixed by the original reclamation
• Global brands: Marriott is entering through The Ritz-Carlton Residences
• Privacy: every island has its own beachfront and water on all sides

• Access: daily travel depends on boat timetables and transfer operators
• Schools: none on the islands, so every school day starts with a crossing
• Utilities: power is generated on each island, mainly by diesel generators
• Market data: few recorded sales make valuation and exit harder
• Delivery record: work stalled for years after 2008 and several projects were cancelled