Dubai, in October 2003, launched one of the biggest construction projects in the world, the $5 billion Dubailand mixed-use theme park, a Middle East answer to Disneyland. To be built on three billion square feet of land behind the Emirates Road stretching from the back of Emirates Hills down almost to The Creek, the theme park consists of 45 separate projects from a space exploration exhibition to full-size dinosaur enclosure.
Phase One with the core facilities will be completed within two years, while the progress of the rest of the project depends on the willingness of the private sector to participate in this immense project.
Dubailand includes the biggest shopping mall in the world, The Mall of Arabia, several new five-star hotels including one built in sand dunes, an indoor ski-slope, a complex of sports stadiums, and an ecological dome to grow vegetation in the heart of the desert.
There will also be an equestrian centre, aviation display, modern art gallery, water amusement park, multi-cultural garden complex, the largest zoo in the Middle East, Pyramids and much more. Other divisions planned to be part of Dubailand include a sprawling Adventure World as well as Sports World.
Eco Tourism World, Shopping World, Family City World and Kids World. However, the most striking thing about Dubailand will be its immense scale. This is a huge area of land and the project will be almost as large as the present built-up area of Dubai.
Dubailand is designed to entertain and amuse the 15 million tourists a year Dubai intends to attract and will vastly add to the hospitality infrastructure of the emirate. This is to be nothing less than the leisure and entertainment hub of the Middle East, and a world-class tourism attraction similar to Disneyland in Florida.
The project, which expects to strengthen the bond between the government and private sector, comes at a time when Emirates continues its strong expansion by placing a $26 billion order for new aircraft, and Dubai International Airport is moving to increase its capacity substantially by investing $4.5 billion.
The project will be managed by Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA). The authority is in the process of setting up a dedicated organisation to handle Dubailand in terms of zoning and regulations.
Dubailand is a bold vision of the modern Middle East and its own dynamic will be the key to its success.
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