• Home
  • About
  • Posts
    • Autism
    • Synesthesia
    • Unbelievably True Adventures
    • Body Language Expert
  • Press
Talk Nerdy To Me®

Type and hit Enter to search

  • Home
  • About
  • Posts
    • Autism
    • Synesthesia
    • Unbelievably True Adventures
    • Body Language Expert
  • Press
General

#TheEndIsNear: The World is sinking: Dubai islands ‘falling into the sea’

January 21, 2011 3 Mins Read
120 Views
0 Comments

DUDE! Between this, and all the shenanigans going on with the dead birds … if the end isn’t near then my name isn’t Hilda.

Per Telegraph: The islands were intended as the ultimate luxury possession, even for Dubai.

 

dubai world 1684940c Talk Nerdy To Me®

But the World, the ambitiously-constructed archipelago of islands shaped like the countries of the globe, is sinking back into the sea, according to evidence cited before a property tribunal.

The islands were intended to be developed with tailor-made hotel complexes and luxury villas, and sold to millionaires. They are off the coast of Dubai and accessible by yacht or motor boat.

Now their sands are eroding and the navigational channels between them are silting up, the British lawyer for a company bringing a case against the state-run developer, Nakheel, has told judges.

“The islands are gradually falling back into the sea,” Richard Wilmot-Smith QC, for Penguin Marine, said. The evidence showed “erosion and deterioration of The World islands”, he added.

With all but one of the islands still uninhabited – Greenland – and that one a showpiece owned by the ruler of Dubai, most of the development plans have been brought to a crashing halt by the financial crisis.

Nakheel, the developer, was part of Dubai World, the state-owned conglomerate that had to be bailed out of debts put at around $25 billion at the end of 2009. The Dubai World Tribunal was set up to hear cases arising out of the restructuring and separation of the companies involved.

The low-lying islands represent a vague shape out to sea when viewed from Dubai’s beaches, but are visible by satellite or from the top of the city’s Burg Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, which opened to the public last year.

According to the company, 70 per cent of the World’s 300 islands have been sold. Nakheel is also behind Dubai’s famous Palm-shaped offshore developments. Villas in the only one near completion, Palm Jumeirah, were given to or bought by footballers including David Beckham and Michael Owen.

Though few celebrity buyers were found for The World, it was rumoured – or joked – that Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie had considered Ethiopia.

Many investors who did buy the islands proved unwilling or unable to finance further work when Dubai’s property prices halved in the space of a year.

Some were hit by troubles elsewhere – the owner of the company which bought Ireland for £24 million, John O’Dolan, committed suicide, while the man who bought Britain for £43 million, Safi Qurashi, is serving seven years in jail in Dubai after being accused of bouncing cheques.

The dispute being heard by the property tribunal involves Penguin Marine, the company which bought the rights to provide boat travel to the islands.

With little business, it is trying to exit the contract, which involves paying an annual fee of just under £1 million to Nakheel.

Nahkeel say they will cash an advanced payment guarantee worth just over £1 million if that happens.

Penguin claim that work on the islands has “effectively stopped”. Mr Wilmot-Smith described the project as “dead”.

Graham Lovett, for Nakheel, said the project was not dead but admitted it was “in a coma”.

“This is a ten-year project which has slowed down,” he said. “This is a project which will be completed.”

He said Penguin would make money eventually. “That’s the price Penguin makes to stay in the game,” he said. “They have the potential to earn millions.”

The tribunal found for Nakheel on Thursday, saying it would give full reasoning later.

A spokesman for Nakheel insisted the islands were not sinking. “Our periodical monitoring survey over the past three years didn’t observe any substantial erosion that requires sand nourishment,” a statement said.

#nerdsunite

Tags:

dubainerd talktalk nerdytalk nerdy to metalk nerdy to me loverthe end is nearthe world is sinking

Share Article

Other Articles

TheFighterMoviePoster Talk Nerdy To Me®
Previous

#Awesome: High on Crack Street- Watch the documentary “The Fighter” was based on!

Screen shot 2011 01 22 at 7.34.28 PM Talk Nerdy To Me®
Next

#ActualChat: I don’t have to wonder why this guy is single …

Next
Screen shot 2011 01 22 at 7.34.28 PM Talk Nerdy To Me®
January 22, 2011

#ActualChat: I don’t have to wonder why this guy is single …

Previews
January 19, 2011

#Awesome: High on Crack Street- Watch the documentary “The Fighter” was based on!

TheFighterMoviePoster Talk Nerdy To Me®

No Comment! Be the first one.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Hi, I’m Jen Friel

    & I’d like to personally welcome you to my home
    Talk Nerdy To Me.®

    I’m autistic (late diagnosed) and have a lot of different forms of synesthesia (making my life unusually interesting). 

    Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube

    Featured Posts

    11864805 10100873076569489 7874067153814933141 o Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #TalkNerdyToMe: The full story behind our @BritneySpears moment

    Screen Shot 2023 08 08 at 8.23.35 AM Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #TrueStory: I met and talked to Sharon Stone about Synesthesia (*pinch me*)

    Screen Shot 2023 03 28 at 8.03.34 PM Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #TrueStory: I Used Synesthesia to “Out” Con a Conman

    hyperlexia dyslexic synesthesia autistic

    #RealDeal: I’m autistic with hyperlexia, synesthesia, and I’m dyslexic (here’s what that means)

    Screen Shot 2023 03 15 at 4.01.38 PM Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #Fact: Jamie Lee Curtis won an Oscar on Sunday and showed up to her bestie Sharon Stone’s art show on Tuesday

    Related Posts

    2011 12 222013.05.42 Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #WTF: About the last 48 hours … Can I get a rundown? (macbook pro retina, Aston Martin, monogamy, slave)

    December 29, 2012
    314772 423349271036919 1396863120 n 1 2 Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #NerdsUnite: My name is Alicia and I’m doing 50 dates in 50 states (North Dakota)

    December 28, 2012
    eric carillo tntml 2 Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #NerdsUnite: Social Dynamics Lesson 2 (Non-Committal Body Language)

    December 27, 2012
    chelofthesea Talk Nerdy To Me®

    #NerdUnite: Today, I will squeeze my loved ones a little tighter

    December 17, 2012
    Talk Nerdy To Me®

    Talk Nerdy To Me® is an intimate and intelligent perspective on what it is like to be diagnosed with Autism and Synesthesia late in life. 

    Talk Nerdy To Me®

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Media
    • FAQ

    Category

    • Autism
    • Synesthesia
    • Unbelievably True Adventures
    • Body Language

    Follow Us

    Facebook Twitter Instagram

    304 S. Jones Blvd #1209

    Las Vegas, Nevada 89107

    (702) 530-2789

    Talk Nerdy To Me® by: Jen Friel | All Rights Reserved

    • Home
    • About
    • Posts
      • Autism
      • Synesthesia
      • Unbelievably True Adventures
      • Body Language Expert
    • Press