The final masterplan of the $5 billion Oqyana World First, a fully masterplanned island community within ‘The World’ development, was unveiled at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2008, last month.

Construction on the luxury island community is set to start shortly, while completion is slated for 2011.
The large-scale model of Oqyana World First, which covers the continent of Australasia, sought to emphasise the new lifestyle and engineering features of the final masterplan. Among the latest additions include a yacht club and dive centre, a reef lagoon, an outdoor performing art centre, a waterfront promenade with a central canal featuring outdoor dining venues and boutique shopping, a state-of-the-art ferry terminal, and an iconic hotel with a private beach.
The 22-island Oqyana World First is the first and largest of all developments on The World, and offers a variety of opulent accommodation choices that suit different preferences, such as stylish water homes, villas, canal homes, hotels and serviced apartments – all designed to ensure maximum exclusivity and privacy for residents and visitors, says the developer.
“The Oqyana design has been perfected to cater to the demands of the world’s elite, making it truly one of the most impressive lifestyle destinations in the world. Aside from offering the most fashionable and sophisticated leisure, recreational and home amenities, the masterplan also ensures a stable and healthy living environment by adopting innovative solutions that maintain the superior quality of seawater and other environmental elements of the development,” says Dr Wadad AlSuwayeh, CEO of Oqyana World First.
“In this regard, our designers have also revised the layout of the masterplan to ensure the best island shape and orientation for water flow, in addition to improving water transportation routes and privacy for residents,” Dr AlSuwayeh adds.
The design will also remain true to its vision of being a car-free community, optimising the health benefits of the marine-themed paradise. Some of the features of the original masterplan have likewise been preserved in the final version, including the unique double water frontage, with a private beach on one side and private mooring facilities on the other, for its wide selection of elegant homes.