Private islands are part of Dubai’s charm, and there are countless secret paradises owned by millionaires who choose to preserve their exclusivity. In Dubai, celebrities also make investments, and some authorities in the United Arab Emirates choose to honor their famous friends with extravagant gifts.
This is exactly what happened with Dubai’s prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who in 2006 decided to reward his favorite athlete and gifted German Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher a private island in the The World complex when he retired from racing. A luxury the athlete had the privilege of enjoying in one of the city’s abandoned enclaves.
What Schumacher’s private island in Dubai looks like
Extravagance and luxury are part of Emirati culture, and this thriving city continuously drives multi-million-dollar investments. At a time when the area became the focus of the world’s wealthiest investors, The World, a series of artificial islands designed to represent each continent, was built. Although this project attracted a lot of attention, the investment did not reach the expected success, and with the 2008 financial crisis, the development remained incomplete.
This is where the mansion of the iconic Michael Schumacher is located, part of the complex that was meant to represent Antarctica. This property is valued at $7 million and has no other constructions—only the athlete’s mansion. On this piece of land, there is a grand mansion with a large swimming pool, helipad, and private dock (as the property can only be accessed by helicopter, plane, or boat).
The lost mansion of the idol in Dubai
Despite this costly gift from the Dubai authorities, the private island was never properly used by Michael Schumacher because, as mentioned earlier, the project failed. The World or the World Islands began as a $12 billion investment, using nearly 321 million cubic meters of sand and 386 million tons of stone, intended to be inhabited by the world’s wealthiest individuals.
The project was considered one of the most useless in the world, and more than two decades after its construction, only a few islands have been fully inhabited and utilized. Those visiting Dubai for the first time often discover that many of these islands have been completely forgotten, a sign that even a city like this can fail at times.
Other celebrities looking to Dubai: celebrity projects in the city
Besides the renowned Formula 1 athlete, other celebrities have chosen Dubai for their investments, retirement mansions, and to enjoy luxury in this destination. The well-known Lindsay Lohan confirmed that she planned to have her own piece of land in Dubai.
“I’m working on several projects. For example, right now I’m designing my own island in Dubai, and I’d like to name it ‘Lohan Island’ to surpass Donald Trump and have more businesses under my name than he does,” the singer once stated. The same happened with Pamela Anderson, who received a gift on the coast of Dubai from her partner at the time.
