Nakheel is setting up a $1 billion logistics harbour and park to connect mainland Dubai with its ambitious project 'The World,' a cluster of 300 man-made islands.

The park is being developed on an area of 103 hectares next to Port Rashid, said a top company official.

'It will be developed in phases. The first phase will be ready in 18 months from now,'
The World's director Hamza Mustafa was quoted as saying in the Gulf News.

'There is a lot in the process. 'There will be a 1.3 kilometre quay wall to handle an
estimated daily 60 ferry trips and a large number of work boats at the park,' he added.

Initially there will be space for parking 4,000 cars, but capacity will be increased later.

Warehouses will be built in the logistics park and owners of islands will be able to buy them for their use.

A huge number of supply-and-waste collection boats will operate in the area apart from a ferry service, which will be linked to Dubai's public transport system.

These services will be operated by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, which last year launched a water bus service.

Hotels will be operating their own shuttle boat services for their guests. Hotels on 'The World' will have logistics and operations similar to the Maldives, where boats are used to ferry guests and bring provisions.

'This is the Maldives of Dubai, but you are only 20 minutes away from the city. When you go to the Maldives you are far away from city,' Mustafa said.

Around 5,000 hotel rooms will be available within the tourism projects planned on the islands.

Nakheel has so far sold about half of the islands, mostly to commercial developers who are building boutique hotels and residential real estate.

Of the islands sold so far, only three per cent have been bought by people for private residences, while the rest have been acquired by commercial developers.