Dubai World (Arabic: دبي العالمية‎‎) is an investment company that manages and supervises a portfolio of businesses and projects for the Government of Dubai across a wide range of industry segments and projects that promote Dubai as a hub for commerce and trading. As a subsidiary of Dubai Inc., it is the emirate's flag bearer in global investments and has a central role in the direction of Dubai's economy. Assets include DP World, which caused considerable controversy when trying to take over six US ports, and Nakheel, its property arm, which built The Palm Islands and The World developments, and Istithmar World, its investment company. It is chaired by Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.