May 11th 2024.
Dubailand was meant to be the Middle East's response to Disney World - an extravagant and magical theme park that would rival its American counterparts. However, despite being announced nearly 21 years ago, it has yet to open its doors to the public. Sadly, it is not uncommon for theme parks to suffer this fate, becoming abandoned and forgotten after a short-lived success.
But Dubailand is not just another failed theme park. It was touted as the "Disneyland of the Middle East" and was set to cover a vast area of 278 square kilometers, divided into six different zones - Attractions and Experience World, Sports and Outdoor World, Eco-Tourism World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Retail and Entertainment World, and Downtown. The grand plans for this "world's most ambitious tourism, leisure and entertainment project" were announced in October 2003, with an ambitious budget of $64 billion, which was twice the size of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida at the time.
The Sahara Kingdom theme park, located in the Attractions and Experience World, was planned to be a massive 4,951,399 square feet and feature a variety of high-end rides, both physical and virtual. Other attractions included a state-of-the-art gaming zone, an IMAX theatre, live and virtual entertainment shows, a retail complex, four hotels, and residential accommodation. It all sounded too good to be true.
Sadly, the project faced numerous setbacks and delays. Work on the project came to a halt in 2008, following the global financial crisis, and did not resume until five years later. This resulted in most of the staff and workforce leaving their roles, and the project being passed on to various companies in an attempt to revive it. DreamWorks and Six Flags were among the companies that got involved, but their efforts were in vain. Even a partnership with Merlin Entertainments could not save the project.
In 2013, work finally resumed on the project, but it has been over ten years since its announcement, and Dubailand is still not fully open for business. However, some parts of the park, like the Dubai Miracle Garden, have been open to the public since 2013. This floral attraction boasts over 50 million flowers and 250 million plants, making it the largest natural flower garden in the world. Another area of the park that has opened is IMG Worlds Of Adventure, which is known as the largest indoor theme park in Dubai and features three thrilling roller coasters.
Meanwhile, other attractions have been built in the vicinity, including Legoland Dubai, which opened in 2016 and is the first park of its kind in the Middle East. It is located at Dubai Parks and Resorts, a massive 25 million square feet complex that also includes Motiongate - a Hollywood-inspired theme park featuring rides and attractions based on DreamWorks Animation, Columbia Pictures, The Smurfs, and Lionsgate.
So, what is the current status of Dubailand? Work is still ongoing, and it is expected that large parts of it will be open to the public by 2025. However, with vast empty spaces between the park and the desert, it remains to be seen whether this ambitious project will ever become a reality. The fate of Dubailand is still uncertain, but one thing is for sure - it has already left a mark on the landscape of Dubai.
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