The World Islands property investment guide
Offshore archipelago of luxury resort islands off Jumeirah
The World Islands is a waterfront community in Dubai where recorded residential sales have a median price of AED 2,654 per sqft. Ownership is freehold. The nearest metro station is ONPASSIVE, 10 km away.
Man-made archipelago off Dubai; includes The Heart of Europe. Boundary from DLD project parcels (approx).
Key numbers
- Ownership
- Freehold
- Maturity
- Under construction
- Handover
- Phased; Heart of Europe 2024+, ~2026 target
- Metro served
- No
- Commute to downtown
- 45 min
- Projects tracked
- 5
Market data: recorded sales
Over the 12 months to Sep 2026, The World Islands recorded 33 property sales with a residential median of AED 2,678 per sqft.
See how The World Islands ranks city-wide: price per sqft, sales momentum, price growth.
- Median sale price
- AED 2,654/sqft
- 7 residential sales, last 4 quarters
- Sales, last 12 months
- 33
- -75.7% vs the 12 months before
Monthly figures, last 12 months
| Month | Median AED/sqft | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | — | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | — | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | — | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 2,115 | 3 |
| May 2026 | — | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | — | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 3,788 | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | 2,744 | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | 1,865 | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | — | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | — | 3 |
| Sep 2025 | 2,307 | 11 |
Top-selling projects in The World Islands
Ranked by registered sales, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. "Prior year" is the 12 months before that window.
| Project | Sales | Prior year | Median AED/sqft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marbella Resort Hotel, a Vignette Collection world Islands Dubai | 13 | 70 | — |
| THE Heart OF Europe 2 | 12 | 49 | — |
| Zaya Zuha Island | 4 | 2 | 2,744 |
| Amali Island | 3 | 6 | 1,865 |
Projects
Build status and unit counts from the Dubai Land Department project register; rows we could not match to a register entry are marked unverified.
| Project | Developer | Units | Status | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marbella Resort Hotel, A Vignette Collection World Islands Dubai | The Heart of Europe | 153 | Under construction · 47% | — |
| Sea Horse Villa | The Heart of Europe | 1 | Under construction · 50% | — |
Amenities & access
- Beach
- Private island beaches (Anantara, Heart of Europe Beach Club)
- Metro
- No metro; nearest Red Line ~8.5 km on the mainland
- Schools
- None on-island
- Also nearby
- 5-star resorts (Portofino, Cote d'Azur, Anantara), Floating Seahorse underwater villas, yacht marina
Getting around & daily life
Nearest of each, measured to the edge of The World Islands — not driving distance.
- Metro station
- ONPASSIVE · 10 km away
- Tram stop
- Al Sufouh · 13 km away
- School
- Jumeirah College · 9.2 km away
- Hospital
- Neuro Spinal Hospital · 8.2 km away
- Mall
- Sunset Mall · 7.9 km away
- Supermarket
- Carrefour Market · 7.9 km away
- Park
- Khaja Park · 9.2 km away
- Beach
- 60 m away
- University
- Jumeira University · 13 km away
- Airport
- Dubai International Airport · 21 km away
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Infrastructure that moves values
- Palm Jumeirahoperational · 2007
Dubai's iconic palm-shaped island resort district lies along the coast near the archipelago.
- voco Dubai Monacooperational · 2022
A 198-key adults-only five-star hotel managed by IHG, the first fully operational hotel on The Heart of Europe.
- Portofino Family Hoteloperational · 2024
Italian-themed family resort on Main Europe Island, completed December 2024.
- The Floating Seahorse Villasoperational
A complex of 130 three-level villas that sit partially submerged, with underwater bedrooms overlooking coral reefs.
- Lebanon Islandoperational
A popular daycation island with a large beach club, two private beaches and a beach volleyball area.
- Fishing Harbour Jumeirah Oneoperational
The nearest mainland boat station; The World Islands is reachable only by water or air.
- Jumeirah Beach coastlineoperational
The mainland Jumeirah shoreline sits roughly 4 km inshore of the offshore World Islands.
- Dubai Marinaoperational
One of Dubai's main resort and yachting districts, close to the archipelago along the coast.
- The Heart of Europeunder construction · 2027
Kleindienst Group's six European-themed islands with 4,000+ keys and 20 hotels form the flagship development of The World Islands.
- InterContinental Dubai – The Heart of Europeunder construction · 2027
IHG's first InterContinental resort on The World Islands, billed as the first luxury family resort here and due to open winter 2027.
- World's First Rainy Streetunder construction
A climate-controlled outdoor street with artificial rain, one of several 'world-first' attractions planned for The Heart of Europe.
- Coral Instituteunder construction
The region's first coral institute, dedicated to protecting and restoring the archipelago's marine ecosystem.
- First Underwater Hotelunder construction
A planned first-of-its-kind underwater hotel with gym and spa on The Heart of Europe.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does property cost in The World Islands?
- Recorded residential sales in The World Islands over the last four quarters have a median price of AED 2,654 per sqft, across 7 transactions. Buying costs add roughly 7–10% on top, and net rental yield after service charges typically lands 2–3 percentage points below the gross figure.
- What is the nearest metro station to The World Islands?
- ONPASSIVE is the nearest metro station — 10 km away, measured to the edge of The World Islands.
- What are the best-selling projects in The World Islands?
- By registered sales over the last 12 months, the top projects in The World Islands are Marbella Resort Hotel, a Vignette Collection world Islands Dubai (13 sales), THE Heart OF Europe 2 (12 sales), Zaya Zuha Island (4 sales).
- Can foreigners buy property in The World Islands?
- Yes — The World Islands is a freehold zone, so foreign buyers get full ownership with no residency requirement.
- How far is The World Islands from downtown Dubai?
- The World Islands is roughly 45 minutes from downtown by car. Upcoming infrastructure: The Heart of Europe, InterContinental Dubai – The Heart of Europe, World's First Rainy Street, Coral Institute, First Underwater Hotel.
- What new projects are selling in The World Islands?
- 2 projects are still under construction in The World Islands, including Marbella Resort Hotel, A Vignette Collection World Islands Dubai by The Heart of Europe, Sea Horse Villa by The Heart of Europe.
Compare with nearby areas
Source: Dubai Land Department open data, sales data through Sep 2026. Medians are computed from registered residential sales and can lag or diverge from asking prices. Not investment advice. Project starting prices and area details come from Esto’s area dataset, updated 2026-07-22. Net yield after service charges and buying costs is what decides a deal —here’s how to run that math.
Analyze deals in The World Islands
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