At the southern end of Bahrain is a sight that can only really be appreciated from far above. The first residents moved to this group of artificial islands in 2009. Designed for residential living and tourism, the complex includes six atoll-like islands that surround five fish-shaped islands.

These images reveal additional projects that are in progress throughout the region. The Crescent is the center and will be a commercial hub, with apartments, offices, restaurants, shopping, and a 600-room hotel. The Durrat Marina is under construction to the north and will provide space for 400 boats and yachts. A planned golf course will be built amid 2,220 luxury residential villas and apartments and take up about 90 hectares.

When completed, the Durrat Al Bahrain will be able to accommodate 60,000 residents. Construction of the islands can be seen in the 2003 Landsat image. Many of the atolls have been developed. Look carefully at the 2014 and 2015 images. In just a matter of months, development began on the two southernmost fish-shaped islands. A 2023 image shows a more current view.

(Black stripes run through the 2006 images because of the Scan Line Corrector failure on Landsat 7 in May 2003.)