For more than a decade, progress for The World had been stalled, but ambitious plans are now back in motion. To see what's being planned, visit the Heart of Europe sales desk in the main entrance lobby of Dubai Mall, where a vast model of the project is on display. The first island to be completed, Sweden, is expected to open its ultra-luxurious permanent residences -- otherwise known as beach palaces -- by the beginning of 2019. Every palace will have its own stretch of sand and water, as well as a coral beach.