Great Dubai Wheel

Dubailand is an entertainment complex being built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which is owned by Tatweer (which belongs to Dubai Holding). When announced in 2003 it was one of the most ambitious leisure developments ever proposed anywhere in the world costing $64.3 billion, but development has been severely impacted by global recession and Dubai's financial crisis. The development was put on hold in 2008 but resumed in mid-2013. Updates in 2013 show that $55 billion has been raised towards the works.

Development

Dubailand was announced on 23 October 2003. It will have an area of and include 45 "mega projects" and 200 sub projects. To date, there are currently 22 projects under construction. Dubailand is divided into six zones (worlds): Attractions and Experience World, Sports and Outdoor World, Eco-Tourism World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Retail and Entertainment World, and Downtown. It will be twice the size of Walt Disney World Resort, and will be the largest collection of theme parks in the world; however, no theme park in Dubailand will surpass Disney's Animal Kingdom (located at Walt Disney World Resort) as the world's largest theme park.

The Sahara Kingdom theme park, situated in the Attractions & Experience World, will cover and will combine high end virtual and physical theme park rides, attractions such as a state of the art gaming zone, IMAX theater, and integrated live and virtual entertainment shows, together with a retail zone, four hotels and residential accommodations. The theme of the development is traditional Arabian folklore and the tales of ''One Thousand and One Nights''.

In 2006, planning permission was granted for the Great Dubai Wheel, a giant Ferris wheel with 30 passenger capsules, to be built and managed by the Great Wheel Corporation. It was expected to open in 2009, at a cost of over AED 250 million. In January 2012 it was announced that the Great Dubai Wheel would not be built.

In 2008, most of the developments in Dubailand were put on hold and virtually all of the staff and workforce were fired due to Global finanical meltdown of the late 2007-2008.

DreamWorks announced plans, on 19 January 2008 to build a theme park in Dubailand.

On 4 March 2008, Tatweer announced a strategic alliance with Six Flags to build the Six Flags Dubailand theme park.

On 1 May 2008, Tatweer announced the launch of Freej Dubailand. Freej Dubailand will boast hotels totalling 2,600 keys, and feature retail, food and beverage outlets, as well as a spectrum of entertainment attractions.

On 2 May 2008, it was announced that the design and conceptual master plan for a Marvel Superheroes theme park had been finalized, the first of its kind. It will include 17 rides and attractions on a development. It will also comprise nine retail outlets on an area of . Over 40 food and beverage outlets, including carts merchandising light refreshments, will be developed over .

On 6 May 2008, Tatweer announced a strategic alliance with Merlin Entertainments Group to build a Legoland park in Dubailand. The project will cost Dh912 million, occupy a total of , and will feature more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions geared towards families with children ages 2 to 12.

At this point, Dubai Properties Group took over Dubailand from Tatweer. United States companies Six Flags and DreamWorks dropped out of their projects, losing interest in the site.

In September 2012, Dubai Properties Group announced the revival of the Mudon residential community project, estimating the completion of the project at around 18 months.

Construction on the site resumed in early 2013, with the 72,000 square-meter Dubai Miracle Gardens opening at the beginning of March. The adjacent 2,600 square-meter Dubai Butterfly Garden opened in 2015.

In October 2016, Legoland Dubai was opened at Dubai Parks and Resorts, 35 km from Dubailand. In December 2016, Motiongate Dubai, which incorporates DreamWorks' attractions, opened at Dubai Parks and Resorts.

Zones

This list includes both places that have been built and opened and proposed places that have not yet been built.
*Attractions & Experience World ()
**Akoya Oxygen
** Bawadi
**Fantasia
**Falconcity of Wonders
**IMG Worlds of Adventure
**Legends of Dubailand
**Global Village
**The Trump World Golf Club, Dubai (opened in 2017)
**Kids City
*Retail and Entertainment World ()
** Dubai Outlet City
**Black Market
**Flea Market
**World Trade Park
**Auction World (Dubailand), Auction World
**Factory Outlets
** Dubai Lifestyle City
*Themed Leisure and Vacation World ()
**Women's World (LEMNOS)
**Destination Dubai
**Desert Kingdom
**Andalusian Resort and Spa
*Eco-Tourism World ()
**Al Sahra Desert Resort
**Sand Dune Hotel
**Al Kaheel
**Bio World
**Animal World
*Sports and Outdoor World ()
**Dubai Sports City
**Emerat Sports World
**Extreme Sports World
**Plantation Equestrian and Polo Club
**Dubai Motor City which includes Dubai Autodrome
** Dubai Golf City
**Dubai Snowdome
*Downtown ()
**City of Arabia
*** Mall of Arabia, which will be the world's largest shopping mall
*** Restless Planet
***Wadi Walk
*** Elite Towers
** City Walk
**Virtual Game World

Cancelled projects

*Legoland Dubailand (moved to phase 1 of Dubai Parks & Resorts in Jebel Ali as Legoland Dubai, opened October 2016)
*Six Flags Dubailand (moved to phase 2 of Dubai Parks & Resorts in Jebel Ali as Six Flags Dubai, but subsequently cancelled)
*Pharaohs Theme Park
*DreamWorks Studio Theme Park (now as a part of Motiongate Dubai in Dubai Parks & Resorts, opened October 2016)
*Universal Studios Dubailand
* F1-X Theme Park Dubai
*The Tiger Woods Dubai (renamed as "The Trump World Golf Club, Dubai" as part of Akoya Oxygen, opened 2017)
*Brownstown Dubailand and Rowleyville Dubailand
*Freej Dubailand
*Marvel Superheroes Theme Park (now as a part of IMG Worlds of Adventure, opened 15 August 2016)
*Tourism world
*Aviation World
*Islamic culture and Science World
*Giants World
*Six Water Parks
*Astrolab Resort
* Great Dubai Wheel

See also

*List of development projects in Dubai

References

External links

Dubailand website

Tatweer website

Dubai Holding website

The Dubai Lands Website

Meraas Development
is the majority shareholder of Dubai Parks and Resorts (52%)

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2003 establishments in the United Arab Emirates
Government-owned companies of the United Arab Emirates
Tourist attractions in Dubai