Dubai’s most ambitious projects – in pictures

When completed, the Dubai Police museum is set to be the world’s biggest hat. Located at Dubai Police HQ, the museum is planned to be four or five storeys high and will contain historical police artefacts. It is not yet clear when the project will be completed. Courtesy Dubai Media Office

Falconcity of Wonders is planned to eventually house 35,000 people, with reproductions of eight wonders of the world including the Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower. Jaime Puebla / The National

Why live above the water when you can live below? The developer Kleindienst Group announced in February its plans to build underwater villas on Dubai’s World Islands. The villas, given an initial price of Dh5 million, will be located in the Heart of Europe chain of islands in the offshore development and will have one floor below the water and two above. Although a sale of the villas was initially announced, approval was yet to be granted for the project, according to master developer Nakheel. Courtesy Kleindienst Group

The Dubai Rainforest will be completed ahead of the World Expo 2020 and will sit adjacent to the Trump World Golf Clubhouse in Damac’s Akoya Oxygen master community. It is designed to recreate the natural environment of rainforests, which cover 6 per cent of the world’s surface, said the developer. Those with a thrill for heights will be able to fly through the treetops on a zip wire or just relax in the Rainforest spa, the latter of which will offer hydrothermal treatments among rock pools and steam baths. Courtesy Damac

The Dubai Frame will bring 2 million visitors a year from across the world, according to Dubai Municipality. It will be 150 metres tall and 100 metres wide, with a walkway between the two sides of the frame. It will reportedly cost Dh120 million. Located in Zabeel Park, the frame could be ready for later this year. Courtesy Dubai Municipality

Dubai is already well-off for shopping malls. But the Mall of the World is set to take the concept to another level. The site of the proposed development is across the highway from the Mall of the Emirates, already one of the biggest shopping destinations in the region. It would connect to 100 hotels in what is described as the world’s first “temperature-controlled city” – covered by a dome that would open during the winter months. Details of when the project will start and be completed by have not been disclosed. Antonie Robertson / The National

It’s been around for a while now (its first residences were handed over in 2006), and it has become part of the Dubai furniture, but we mustn’t forget what an awe-inspiring feat the Palm Jumeirah is. New hotels are springing up all the time at what is still a signature destination for luxury. Sarah Dea / The National

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al Waleed bin Talal last year invited Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar to team up with his property development company Kingdom Holding to build a mile-high tower. The prince said he was looking at various cities, but where better than Dubai where the Burj Khalifa currently holds the world’s tallest record - although the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah is set to overtake it. Back in 2008 three designs were drawn up for the Dubai City Tower in Jumeirah Garden City, with six single buildings twisting into a single 1.5-mile structure. Pictured is a model of the Nakheel Harbour & Tower project from 2008, which was planned to stretch two-thirds of a mile. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo

There was a surprise in store when Damac released its plans for Akoya Drive. The Rodeo Drive-inspired street of shops and cafes is set to feature the UAE's first outdoor ice skating rink. The developer said that it would use “fans and cooling techniques” to make the attraction “more bearable during” July and August. Courtesy Damac

From a giant picture frame to desert rainforests and underwater villas, Dubai certainly knows how to be creative. Take a look at some of the most extreme projects in the emirate.