Dubai has established itself as one of the leading business and trade centers in the Middle East, and has recently focused its efforts on making Dubai one of the premier tourists destinations in the region as well. Dubailand, a 3 billion square foot tourism, leisure and development project, is being constructed and designed to solidify Dubai’s place as a premier tourist destination spot for not only the Middle East but the entire world as well. The Dubailand project was announced by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on October 23, 2003. The project has four development phases. Phase 1 is scheduled to be complete in 2010 and the final phase between 2015 and 2018. The developer is Tatweer, a division of Dubai Holding.
Once Dubailand is completed it will be two times the size of Disney World. It is by far the most ambitious and largest tourist destination project ever conceived. Dubailand consists of 45 mega projects and over 200 tourism, entertainment and leisure sub projects. There are seven themed areas in Dubailand: Attractions and Experience World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Retail and Entertainment World, Downtown, Eco-Tourism, and Sports and Outdoor World.
The Attractions and Experience World is comprised of theme parks, roller coasters, water parks and other attractions. Some of the attractions planned are Warner Brothers Movie World, Legoland Dubai, Six Flags Dubailand, Dreamworks Studio Theme Park, Universal Studios Dubai, Marvel Super Heroes Theme Park and Global Village.
The Retail and Entertainment World will feature shopping and retail facilities, all contained inside the Mall of Arabia, which will the world’s largest mall. In addition to Mall of Arabia, there will be factory outlets, World Trade Market, The Flea Market and Auction World.
The Themed Leisure and Vacation World will feature spas, wellness retreats, fitness and stress-management facilities. Some of the planned venues include Women’s World, Andalusian Resort and Spa, Destination Dubai,and Desert Kingdom.
The Downtown World will feature a wide array of dining, retail and entertainment venues. It will encompass four projects, including Dubai Walk, The Towers, Teen World and Virtual Games World.
The Eco-Tourism World contains several projects including Al Sahra Desert Resort, Al Kaheel, Sand Dune Hotel, Bio World, Animal World, Science and History Museum, Equestrian Centre and Dinosaur World.
The Sports and Outdoor World will offer sporting and leisure venues including Dubai Sports City, Extreme Sports World, Polo World, Golf World, and Racing World. Dubai Autodrome and the Business Park racetrack are projects that are already complete within the Sports and Outdoor World.
There are quite a few Dubailand projects that are operational including Dubai Sports City, Al Sahra Resort and the Dubai Autodrome. The project has garnered a lot of interest. The year 2008 saw announcements of strategic alliances with Dreamworks, Six Flags and Merlin Entertainments Group (Lego) for new projects within Dubailand. Dubailand is by far the most ambitious tourism attraction ever conceived. Once complete it is projected to attract millions of visitors each year from around the world and will help to solidify Dubai’s position as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.