OQYANA

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OQYANA is an archipelago of artificial islands which make up the Australasian contingent of The World development, off the coast of Dubai. The original plans were to have 14 islands (15 including the island occupying the position of Melanesia), which where assigned to the positions of Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea.

The islands were purchased by The Investment Dar (a company based in Kuwait) and EFAD Holdings in late 2006. The name OQYANA comes from the Arabic word meaning Oceanic. The islands were selected as they are one of the closest group of islands from Dubai, and also have the best view of the city, which is approximately 4km (2.5mi) away.[1]

The islands will be terraformed by the developers, meeting the investors specifications, to create a total of 19 islands. The land will be handed over in the third quarter of 2008 by the developer, Nakheel, and construction will start in late 2008 or early 2009.

The island will have luxury apartments, harbor vistas, secluded homes, and also a number of mansions. Also included in the development of Oqyana are plans to include a retail hub, a luxury hotel, a spa resort, restuarants and cafes. Running through each island will be private coridoors (no public access) with water bridges connecting the islands.[2]