Michael Schumacher received from Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a piece of the man-made island paradise ’The World, located off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The World is 300 islands clustered together in a nine kilometre zone to resemble Earth from an aerial photo.
Schumacher’s island, apparently part of ’Antarctica’ on the artificial globe, is worth about (US) $7 million. (The bottom group of islands)
Schumacher’s manager Willi Weber confirmed: "In a couple of years it will be finished. Then Michael and Corinna will have their own holiday island! Perhaps he will build a kart track on it."
Vehicle: 1985 500SEC, 1991 190E 2.6 (50k original miles)
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 9,548
Thanks for the pic. My brother in law works with Mohammad Al Fahim and Dubai Partners (one of Mohammad Al Makhtoum's companies). Here is the promotion video for 'the palm' http://www.dubaiwaterfront.ae/video/video_web.wmv Towards the end of the 2005 season they were also offered the Jaguar F-1 team at a very cheap price (now Red Bull ), as well as the 55% of the BAR team at the time not owned by Honda. I have both documents that should be out of non disclosure. They finished due diligence on both before deciding to found the A-1 GP series. Sheik Muhammad always wanted, and still wants a Formula One race track in Dubai. The fact that neighboring Bahrain already has a track won't slow him down much. All this could have a lot to do with his gift to Schumacher. The big boys from over there like to play monopoly on a different scale, where each piece moved can equal Trump's entire real estate holdings.
OCTOBER 16, 2005
Formula One gets a theme park
Formula One Administration has announced a deal with Dubai's Union Properties for the establishment of a F1-theme park in Dubai. The plan is for Formula One World to be located at the MotorCity in Dubai. The $360m development will feature state-of-the-art fun and entertainment facilities for all ages. There will be a hotel and conference centre.
Construction will begin in 2006 and the park will be completed in 2008 and it is logical to assume that soon afterwards Dubai will make a bid for a Grand Prix, presumably when the current deal with Bahrain comes to an end. The first Bahrain race was in 2004 and if there is a five-year deal, which is the norm, the contract will be up for grabs in 2009.
Union Properties, a development company run by Anis Al Jallaf, a major player in finance in Dubai and chief executive of the Emirates Bank, was the company behind the construction of the Dubai Autodrome, an impressive race track which was unveiled in 2004. That project had the support of the Dubai royal family, notably the Crown Prince Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid
Linear Mode
