[2] In 1981, Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer worked on a proposal for the island to turn it into a leisure island including hotels and waterside residences, an elevated monorail, marina and aquarium, a nautical club, helipads, a convention centre and a zoo.

Niemeyer's plans included a rejuvenation centre designed to attract geriatric medical tourists, and a culturally sensitive theme park that took its inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights.

The proposal however was shelved because of its high costs and other more important commitments the Abu Dhabi government had at that time.

The corporation’s plans for the island included a wildlife reserve, parks, hotels, restaurants, man-made lakes and a museum.

In 2006 Sorouh Real Estate proposed a mixed use commercial, residential, cultural and recreational facilities on the Island and in 2010 US architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill presented plans for a 1,312-foot-high 75 storey Lulu Tower that would have been shaped like a giant clam.