Ride off into the sunset on a floating seahorse in Dubai

Just when it seemed Dubai’s manmade island complex, The World, couldn’t get any more spectacular, it now comes up with 90 partially submerged luxury floating living pods.

After a hard day of catching rays from the Arabian sun and enjoying a few cocktails on the viewing deck, you can step downstairs to your own underwater lagoon and relax in the bath, watching sea turtles and fish swim past your window.

Those behind the project have redesigned the shape of the St Petersburg Island into a heart shape featuring 90 Tzar edition “floating seahorses” or floating boat homes.

The seahorses will be available from next month — for a cool €1.6m each — and will be connected via floating jetties to St Petersburg, which will be inter-connected to Main Europe island.

Each floating seahorse will weigh 188 tonnes and feature 25sq m of underwater glazing and a coral garden of 46sq m.

The designers say the underwater level of the unit will create a protected environment in which seahorses can live and breed in their natural habitat in the Arabian Gulf.

The floating seahorse is described as a marine-style retreat and is effectively a boathouse without propulsion. It will have three levels — one underwater, one at sea level, and an upper deck ideal for sunbathing.

The master bedroom and bathroom will be totally below the water level, while sea-level accommodation will have floor-to-ceiling windows, a fully-fitted kitchen with a dining area and an open plan living area.

The upper deck will feature an informal bed, a mini bar, a kitchenette, and a glass-bottomed hot tub. The deck could be converted into a winter bedroom, which can be enclosed with retractable drapes.

More than 5,000 hours have been invested in researching and developing of the pods and more than 13,000 hours have gone into designing and engineering the floating seahorse. Some 200 specialists and professionals from 25 different countries have been involved in the project.

It has been reported that 35 of the floating seahorses have already been snapped up by Gulf Co-operation Council nationals, Indians, and Europeans, who have paid €1.6m in cash for each unit.

Prices for the luxury tethered boats have increased by 30% since they first went on the market in February 2015 for €1.2m.

Having seen a slice of paradise, now all we have to do is win the Lotto.