So farewell then - pretty flamingo

I know we are assured that all the studies have been done and that they won't be harmed.

But frankly I don't fancy their chances.

I mean would you hang around while all aound people were building islands and multi storey blocks. I mean seriously, those island building ships were loud when they were 3 miles out to sea.

Good to see the Toady staying on company message though.

Sama Dubai, the newly-created real estate arm of Dubai Holding, yesterday announced the launch of The Lagoons, a waterfront project comprising seven islands on the Dubai Creek to be developed at a cost of Dh65 billion.

Spread over 70 million square feet near the Ras Al Khor end of the Creek, The Lagoons will be one of the largest property developments in the emirate, said Dubai Holding Executive Chairman Mohammad Al Gergawi, who is also the UAE Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.

Comprising seven landscaped islands linked with bridges, the project plan includes residential units, shopping centres, office towers and marinas.

Sama Dubai Chief Executive Officer Farhan Faraidooni told Emirates Today that the seven islands will be interlinked and linked with the mainland by 40 bridges, which are about to begin construction.

Phase one of the development, which was the land development, is over, he said, and the infrastructure for the bridges will be completed by the end of this month.

Dubai Holding’s real estate ventures – including Dubai Properties and Dubai International Properties (DIP) – were merged under the Sama Dubai umbrella last week. DIP has large projects in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. But this is by far the biggest we’ve done so far, added Faraidooni.

Other elements include parks, a boardwalk, resorts, marinas, five-star hotels, bicycle and jogging tracks, and waterfront malls and souqs, the company said.

The finalisation by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority of a new bridge linking Bur Dubai and Deira is close to The Lagoons, Faraidooni said, which will ensure smooth traffic to and from the development.