HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Land Department has inaugurated the International Property Show – Dubai 2009, the biggest transactional property exhibition in the region on February 15, 2009. The show has on display exceptional real estate development projects from across the globe that are seeking to leverage the high attendance of international and regional investors at the annual industry event.

HH Sheikh Mohammed said, “Dubai will be the fastest city to recover from the impact of the ongoing credit crunch, and the emirate’s real estate sector will once again witness a period of long term boom. The impressive participation of players at the ‘International Property Show – Dubai 2009′ underlines the high confidence in the UAE’s property sector.”

Strategic Marketing and Exhibitions (SME), the event organizer, has revealed that the show that will run until February 17, 2009 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, is set to capitalize on the shift in property prices in Dubai, as well as the projected rise in the number of expatriates in the emirate in 2009.

Lindsay Lohan and her lesbian girlfriend Sam Ronson are looking to buy a $3m home in Dubai – right near where Victoria and David Beckham live

Lohan and Ronson – who were recently spotted arguing at Miami International Airport – have been house hunting on the Palm Island development.

The couple are said to have fallen in love with the plush resort after Sam – a club DJ – did a gig at the opening of the super-luxurious Atlantis hotel.

A source tells Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper, “Lindsay and Sam loved the tacky glitziness of Dubai. “There is so much money and opulence out there it really impressed Lindsay – she can be quite materialistic like that. Despite her fair skin, Lindsay loves the beach and sunshine.

“And with the property market over there probably the only place where there still seems to be a boom, she thinks it will be a wise investment.

“There isn’t as much paparazzi either – although that’s sure to change once Lindsay and Sam become regulars on the scene.”

Lindsay may also be looking to home in on Posh when she moves in. At a recent party she giggled: “I love her hair. She looks really hot at the moment.”

However, she must be very carefull – Homosexuality is illegal in the strict United Arab Emirates state. In August a female couple were put in the slammer for two months for just having a snog on the beach.

The announcement comes amid a global market crash that has shattered investor confidence worldwide, but goes on to show that Dubai is determined to continue with the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The development will redefine living in one of the most popular neighbourhoods of Dubai, currently undergoing demolition to pave the way for the new project.

The project will comprise seven distinct areas, taking up approximately 110 million square feet of land, including the islands. One section will host Dubai Park, which will be half the size of Safa Park.

Phase one of Jumeirah Gardens will cover around 820,000 square metres. It will comprise six main blocks of high-, mid- and low-rise office, retail and residential buildings, two hotels and a high-end shopping area.

Handover of phase one is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2011, and completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2013.

“Every great city has a great park. London has its Hyde Park, New York has its Central Park. This will be Dubai Park,” Sina Al Kazim, chief executive of Meraas Development, told Gulf News. The park will be surrounded on all sides by residential apartments, duplexes, penthouses, villas and commercial buildings.

Meraas is planning at least eight landmark buildings in Jumeirah Gardens, including One Dubai, One Park Avenue and Park Gate, which will have six buildings.

The islands will be made up of East Bay and Coastal, predominantly residential, but will also include hotels and resorts.

The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map and located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The World is built primarily using sand dredged from the sea. It was developed by Nakheel Properties and was originally conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

Each island in the archipelago ranges from about 14,000 m² (150,000 square feet) to 42,000 m² (450,000 square feet). The distance between each island will be an average of 100 metres (328 feet).The entire development covers an area of 9 km in length and 6 km in width, surrounded by an oval breakwater. Roughly 232 km (144 miles) of shoreline has been created. The overall development cost of The World was estimated as 14 billion USD. As for the individual islands, prices range between 15 and 50 million USD. One island is still for sale at a price of 250 million USD.

The project was unveiled on 6 May 2003 by Sheikh Mohammed. Dredging began four months later in September 2003. By January 2008, 60% of the islands had been sold, 20 of which were bought in the first four months of 2007. On 10 January 2008, the final stone on the breakwater was laid, completing initial development. The next phase of the project is to hand over the individual islands to developers.