1. The Pearl-Qatar, Doha, Qatar This multibillion-dollar, man-made island development is being billed as “the most glamorous address in the Middle East” and the “Arabian Riviera”. Mainly residential, with upmarket shopping, dining and three five-star hotels. Due for completion in 2015.

  2. Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi A visionary project incorporating a Jean Nouvel-designed annexe of the Louvre; a Guggenheim offshoot – Frank Gehry’s design incorporates oversized blue cylinders modelled on traditional Arabian windtowers; a maritime museum by Tadao Anda and a Performing Arts Centre by Zaha Hadid.

  3. Burj Dubai The world’s tallest skyscraper, a surprisingly handsome tapered needle, will accommodate residential and office suites, a hotel, four swimming pools, a cigar bar, fitness centre and a library.

  4. North Beach Development, Doha A 32-square kilometre city of villas, apartments, golf courses, and resorts, plus a “dedicated family entertainment district”.

  5. The World, Dubai Three-hundred man-made coastal islands for residential, resort and commercial use. The islands will be sold as bare blocks on which owners – including Brad and Angelina, Sir Richard Branson and Rod Stewart – can create dream desert islands.

  6. The Friendship Causeway, Bahrain A 47km, $2 billion-plus bridge linking Bahrain and Qatar.

  7. The Palm Trilogy, Dubai Three palm-shaped islands built to “solve Dubai’s beach shortage”. The almost-completed Palm Jumeirah has already doubled Dubai’s coastline, and its complement of beachfront hotels. Its residential accommodation of 1500 villas and 250 apartments reportedly sold out in 72 hours. Two more palms, Jebel Ali and Deira, are in the works.

  8. Dubailand A vast conglomeration of theme parks and themed cities. It will comprise 45 “mega” projects and 200 “sub” projects, including a DreamWorks Animation Park, Universal Studios, Dubai Sports City, and a dinosaur theme park being developed with the British Natural History Museum.

  9. Central Market Redevelopment, Abu Dhabi Lord Norman Foster’s ambitious makeover of this historic site blends Arabic architecture with starkly modern skyscrapers to create a new civic hub.

  10. Desert Islands, Abu Dhabi Eight existing islands off the emirate’s west coast will comprise a cultural destination, the Arabian National Park and a nature reserve home to indigenous species such as the Arabian oryx and the sand gazelle, as well as giraffes and emus.

  11. National Library, Qatar This “minaret of knowledge”, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, will also house the National History Museum.

  12. Bahrain Bay, Bahrain A $1.5 billion development on Manama’s north east coast with a focus on “scale and aesthetics, social equity, community fabric and tomorrow’s environment”.

  13. Qatar Photography Museum Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava’s building, crowned by a diaphanous dome, will be home to the national photography collection.

  14. Al Reem, Abu Dhabi This 860ha island just 500ms behind Abu Dhabi Mall will become a new city extension for 280,000 residents, with schools, malls, hotels, resorts and beaches.

  15. The Museum of Islamic Arts, Doha I. M. Pei’s striking citadel beside Doha Bay was meant to open in March but has been delayed until late 2008. It will contain the Qatar National Collection of Islamic Art, a trove of antiquities from around the Islamic world.

  16. Mall of Arabia, Dubai Part of Dubailand, this aims to be the world’s largest shopping mall, complete with the world’s largest Starbucks coffee shop.

  17. Education City, Doha, Qatar This 1,000 hectare project, under the direction of the emir’s wife Sheikha Mozah, will include campuses of elite US institutions such as the Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

  18. Durrat Al Bahrain This seaside resort of 15 linked islands will combine leisure facilities and luxury living for 60,000 people. The $6 billion, 21 sq km project will include an Ernie Els designed championship golf course and a 400 berth marina.

  19. Masdar City, Abu Dhabi A zero-carbon, zero-waste community being designed by Sir Norman Foster. This mixed-use, high-density walled city will be powered by a photovoltaic plant and be entirely car-free.

  20. Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai Dubai’s bid to tap into the medical tourism fad will combine a Medical Community for acute care services (with a focus on cardiology, oncology and diabetes) and a Wellness Community for cosmetic procedures and pampering.

  21. Doha International Airport, Qatar New $5.5 billion terminal capable of accommodating the new Airbus A380. Originally planned to open in stages from 2009, now slated for operation from 2011.

Don’t miss the May issue of Travel + Leisure for Kendall Hill’s complete 10-page guide to the hot new Middle-East stopovers.

This quirky image by T+L reader Jackie Laws is the winner of the Travel + Leisure/Sony travel photography competition. More than 500 entries were received; a selection can be viewed in the Photoprize Gallery.