News that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have bought Ethiopia in Nakheel’s The World islands off the coast of Dubai has thrown the spotlight back onto the man-made islands springing up off the coast of the GCC countries.
In Dubai, Nakheel is shaping ‘The World’ in 300 man-made islands over an approximate space of 300,000 square feet separated by 100 meters each.
Islands in the project are designed to cater for the needs of different uses. There is the low density islands located at the perimeter of the masterplan ensuring maximum privacy, Resort islands located near the marinas are suitable for hotel and resort developments, and mid-high density islands that will be a mix of residential and commercial communities.
The couple’s purchase is part of cluster of 300 islands, shaped like a world map, that is gradually surfacing in waters off the booming Gulf emirate.
Representatives of the pair in the US and other reliable sources had confirmed the purchase had gone ahead. But state-owned Nakheel, the firm behind the development, called The World, have declined to comment.
The couple’s two-year-old daughter Zahara was born in Ethiopia.
Billionaire businessman Richard Branson and musician Rod Stewart are also reported to have bought plots on the development.
Prices for the islands range from $US6 million ($A6.7 million) to $US36 million ($A40.2 million).
The bustling emirate of Dubai, which is a member of the UAE federation, is busy positioning itself as a global leisure and finance hub through The World and several other mega-projects including the world’s tallest tower.
For information on the World islands, click here.
