Requirements for validity include that leased assets must have some usufruct, assets must be Sharia compliant in their nature and the lessor must abide by any ownership responsibilities imposed by Sharia.

FORBES: Islamic Funds - Sharia Law and Investment Structures

As the Times notes, these are safe assets spots leased to multinationals unlikely to bolt or default.

FORBES: Blackstone Bets On Bangalore Real Estate

Some land may have already been leased for generations, when the assets below were thought to be worth very little.

FORBES: Shale Leases: Promised Land

During the global financial downturn, most investors have been risk-averse and focusing on "core" assets, mostly fully leased buildings in top cities.

WSJ: Europe's Top Property Fund Shows Taste for Risk

The tribunal in Paris awarded the assets on the condition the shipping company operated under the French flag and Eurotunnel leased the ships to a workers' co-operative.

BBC: SeaFrance ferry