OQYANA
Encyclopedia
OQYANA is a real estate company that is developing the OQYANA World First archipelago
of artificial islands which form the Australasia
n region of The World
development off the coast of Dubai
.
The islands are owned by The Investment Dar (a company based in Kuwait
) and EFAD Holdings. The islands were purchased in 2005 and were to be developed as a "lifestyle destination" and community with approximately 2,000 apartments, 200 villas and luxury hotels. Features of the development include a cultural centre for performing arts, a conference centre, leisure facilities, restaurants, cafes and island lifestyle specific retail.
OQYANA World First is located four kilometres from the coastline of Dubai and will occupy a total area of 1.87 million square metres (20 million square feet) with a total upland area of 417 thousand square meters (4.5 million square feet). There will be 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) of inter-linked walkways, 15,000 metres (50,000 ft) of shorefront and a marina with over 1,500 private yacht berths.
The islands have been terraformed by the developers to the investors' specification. The land was planned to be handed over in the third quarter of 2008 by the developer, Nakheel, with construction starting in late 2008 or early 2009.
Plans for the islands include luxury apartments, harbor vistas, secluded homes, and a number of mansions. Also included in the development of OQYANA are a retail hub, a luxury hotel, a spa resort, restaurants and cafes. Each island is connected by private corridors (no public access) with water bridges
between islands.
The progress of reclamation for the OQYANA islands is complete. The completed land reclamation consists of 20 islands which are embedded into four separate land masses that will serve as construction platforms. Once building is complete these sand platforms will be dredged out and used to enhance the beaches. This land formation plan was created by OQYANA to speed up development during the construction phase. OQYANA planned to begin infrastructure works from the second quarter of 2008.
As of 2010, it is not believed that any further work has progressed and doubts remain about the future of the development.
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of artificial islands which form the Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
n region of The World
The World (archipelago)
The World or World Islands is an artificial archipelago of various small islands constructed in the rough shape of a world map, located off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The World islands are composed mainly of sand dredged from Dubai's shallow coastal waters, and are one of several...
development off the coast of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.
The islands are owned by The Investment Dar (a company based in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
) and EFAD Holdings. The islands were purchased in 2005 and were to be developed as a "lifestyle destination" and community with approximately 2,000 apartments, 200 villas and luxury hotels. Features of the development include a cultural centre for performing arts, a conference centre, leisure facilities, restaurants, cafes and island lifestyle specific retail.
OQYANA World First is located four kilometres from the coastline of Dubai and will occupy a total area of 1.87 million square metres (20 million square feet) with a total upland area of 417 thousand square meters (4.5 million square feet). There will be 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) of inter-linked walkways, 15,000 metres (50,000 ft) of shorefront and a marina with over 1,500 private yacht berths.
The islands have been terraformed by the developers to the investors' specification. The land was planned to be handed over in the third quarter of 2008 by the developer, Nakheel, with construction starting in late 2008 or early 2009.
Plans for the islands include luxury apartments, harbor vistas, secluded homes, and a number of mansions. Also included in the development of OQYANA are a retail hub, a luxury hotel, a spa resort, restaurants and cafes. Each island is connected by private corridors (no public access) with water bridges
Navigable aqueduct
Navigable aqueducts are bridge structures that carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railways or roads. They are primarily distinguished by their size, carrying a larger cross-section of water than most water-supply aqueducts...
between islands.
The progress of reclamation for the OQYANA islands is complete. The completed land reclamation consists of 20 islands which are embedded into four separate land masses that will serve as construction platforms. Once building is complete these sand platforms will be dredged out and used to enhance the beaches. This land formation plan was created by OQYANA to speed up development during the construction phase. OQYANA planned to begin infrastructure works from the second quarter of 2008.
As of 2010, it is not believed that any further work has progressed and doubts remain about the future of the development.
See also
- The World IslandsThe World (archipelago)The World or World Islands is an artificial archipelago of various small islands constructed in the rough shape of a world map, located off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The World islands are composed mainly of sand dredged from Dubai's shallow coastal waters, and are one of several...
- List of Developments on The World Islands
External links
- OQYANA Homepage - Official website.
- The World Homepage - Official website.
- OQYANA in 3D - Introduction (3D Animation).
- http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=208452&page=11 - Skyscaper city