Later it was claimed this was a PR stunt as sources close to the two stars revealed the news wasn't true, but no matter to the developers - superstardom had brought attention to its ambitious islands.
State-owned Nakheel, the firm behind The World, declined to comment on the matter, stating that the issue was "highly confidential". When AME Info probed for names of other stars or celebrities that had bought World islands it declined to divulge any, saying they were confidential - unless the celebrities themselves chose to reveal their identity of course.
However, there is no doubt that in the recent years Dubai has drawn heavily on the power of star names, attracting celebrities not only to buy property but also to design golf courses and borrow their name for towers.
Now names like former formula one champions Michael Schmacher and Nikki Lauder, and golf stars such as Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Gary Player are synonymous with property in Dubai.
Star branding
Malcolm Thorpe, Marketing Director for Sports Business, Dubai Sports City believes that "branding" projects with star names is not enough to attract the public. "People know the difference between a good golf course and a bad one, and just having a star's name associated with a project doesn't mean the development is good," he said.
The 18-hole Ernie Els course in Dubai's Sport City was opened to the public in January. "And so far we have been getting a very positive response from the public," said Thorpe. Currently a golf club is being developed that will carry Els's name.
"Ernie is a highly ranked and still active golf player and so far he has been very pleased with the results he's seen...so his name is not merely a badge on the wall but the course itself adds value to golf players," he added.
Yet there is little doubt that having a celebrity name associated with a development project has a direct impact on the level of profits made. "Just having the Tiger Woods signature on any golf course adds value and profits not only to the course but to all the property surrounding it," said St John Kelliher, Director of Business Development for Dubai Golf, which is responsible for the Dubai Creek Golf & Emirates Golf Club projects.
The Tiger Woods Dubai is being developed by Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holding. The course is designed by Woods himself and runs across a 55 million square foot area in Dubailand, the region's largest tourism, leisure, entertainment and lifestyle destination.
According to Tatweer, the course will be open by September 2009 and will include 197 residences. Despite several attempts made by AME Info no one from Tatweer was available to comment, citing that the project is 'very exclusive'. "The prices of property are 100 per cent influenced by the Tiger Woods name," added Kelliher.
Palm Jumeirah
Even though the connection between having a star name associated with a project and the amount of profits made might seem obvious, determining the extent of its effectiveness might be a little bit tricky.
"It's difficult to say whether celebrities can have a direct effect on the value of properties, but what we have seen is a dramatic increase in the value of homes on The Palm Jumeirah over the last year as we move from concept to reality and more and more families move into their homes where they can experience the lifestyle to be had on the island," said Manal Shaheen, Director of Sales, Marketing & Customer Services at Nakheel.
Amena Bakr, Senior Reporter
