Evidence was brought forward at a property tribunal in Dubai that the World islands development may be sinking into the sea. Penguin Marine, the boat operator for the mostly uninhabited luxury development composed of 300 manmade islands, said erosion and deterioration is causing the islands to "fall into the sea".

The tribunal was set up in 2009 to hear cases from the restructuring of the state-owned project developer Nakheel. They deny the islands are sinking and the tribunal found in Nakheel's favour, providing no reasoning for doing so.