10billion

DUBAI has finally cracked open its £10billion mystery islands to sun-seeking holidaymakers after they lay deserted for more than two decades.

The city has long been recognised for its architectural wonders including the 828m tall Burj Khalifa.

But the glamourous city has revealed its latest gem, known as ‘the world’s islands’, which is now officially open to tourists after years of development.

Rocky beginnings

The £10.6bn fantasy archipelago was supposed to reshape the coastline into a giant world map made from 300 man-made islands.

The mad dream began as a sketch on a cocktail napkin and back then, ambitious tycoons queued up to claim their slice of the fantasy.

There were even plans for a Giant’s Causeway on the ‘Ireland’ island and a fashion paradise overseen by Karl Lagerfeld himself.

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Bit in 2008 the crash hit and money vanished, turning the whole thing into a sandy graveyard.

The pricey stunt had costed enough dredged sand to fill Wembley nearly 100 times over.

Developers soon went bust, investors fled, and by 2011 officials were admitting the project was basically “in a coma.”

For years, the only excitement came from tourists peering out of plane windows, gawping at the ghostly outline of a world that never was.

The only resident for years was Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who quietly bagged ‘Greenland’ for a private palace in 2011.

But in true Dubai fashion, the city has refused to give up and the forgotten islands are back, open for business, and dripping in luxury.

Open for business

The islands are now open to tourists, offering a game-changing new experience.

Travellers can enjoy the World islands, which consist of 300 islands, situated just off the cost of the mainland.

Each island has been designed to mimic different countries or continents, including luxury resorts, fine dining spots and high-end beach villas.

While many are still under construction, a select few are fully accessible to tourists.

‘Heart of Europe’

Austrian developer Josef Kleindienst, snapped up half a dozen islands and nearly two decades later, his sprawling resort, ‘The Heart of Europe‘, is now open.

The islands resemble popular European destinations, including ‘Sweden,’ ‘Switzerland,’ ‘Germany,’ ‘Monaco,’ and ‘St Petersburg’.

Guests can take a trip to the glitzy Voco Monaco hotel, blasting out endless techno, offering visitors a luxury, high end party experience.

The star attraction is the bonkers “raining street,” where sprinklers blast out a fake downpour every 15 minutes.

In 35°C heat, it creates a misty, Paris-in-August atmosphere.

Further along the map, the mood shifts from rave to relaxation.

The Anantara World Islands resort offers a Maldives-on-Sea escape full of private pools, beachfront villas and pampering sessions.

Guests can even have breakfast served in their own pool.

There are also 133 floating seahorse villas, making up a £5billion floating city in the middle of the sea.

This new wave of luxury comes as Dubai doubles down on its quest to be the world’s go-to playground for the rich and restless.

More resorts and mansions are set to come through soon.

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Even a former “dead” island, ‘Chile’, is now hosting parties, while another has been reborn as ‘Zuhha Island’ with luxury villas on sale.

The World Islands were once written off as an embarrassing folly, but the new development is bound to be a game changer for the cities’ already bustling tourist scene.