Of Dubai's absurd dreams, none has failed more spectacularly than The World - 300 man-made islands sculpted from sand; only 'Greenland' has been built on. And as Adam Luck reports, the $14bn dream has left a trail of death, debt and deception [image: A luxury villa nestled in the centre of 'Greenland' island]
A luxury villa nestled in the centre of 'Greenland' island - one of 300 man-made islands, sculpted out of sand, a 15-minute boat ride off the coast of Dubai The two-storey luxury villa rises up like a Bond villain's lair from the immaculately manicured lawn.Swaying palms shade it from the glaring Arabian sun and shelter it from prying eyes. To one side is an infinity pool, while on the other the alluring turquoise of the Persian Gulf, teeming with silver fish, appears to stretch out to infinity itself. The only connections with the outside world are a jetty for speedboats and a helipad. Security guards patrol the beach, making it clear that visitors are not welcome. This is the paradise playground where Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum comes to fish. The Cambridge-educated ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed is best known in the UK for his love of horse racing, and as founder of Godolphin Stables. *HERE*<http://1426.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-dubais-14bn-dream-to-build-world-is.html>
