Q&A
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DUBAI PARKS & RESORTS Q Lines - Matthew Priddy
How will the three parks complement one Motiongate Dubai will be media/IP-based, Bollywood w
How will the three parks complement one another?
Motiongate Dubai will be media/IP-based, Bollywood Parks Dubai is all about live entertainment and then there’s Legoland Dubai, which is play-based. It’s a nice balance. Clearly Legoland resonates with W kids as this is a theme pa
ark many of them already
are familiar with, Motiongate is for all ages with IPs including Madagascar, Ghostbusters and The Smurfs, and Bollywood Parks will be a lot of fun with iconicl movies franchises such as Sholay, which is like the Godfather of Indian cinem
and Bollywood Parks will be a lot of fun with iconic movies franchises such as Sholay, which is like the Godfather of Indian cinema!
ma!
Why do you think no one has ever done a Bollywood theme park before, even in India?
Why do you think no one has ever done a Bollywood theme park before, even in India?
motiongate™ Dubai M
Matthew Priddy, chief technical officer for Dubai Parks and Reso
y, for Dubai Parks and Resor
, chief technical officer orts
ost the becom a hote
a
ost theme/amusement parks only become “resorts” when they add a hotel or other facilities, perhaps
me “resor
eme/amusement parks onl ts” when they add
ly d
el or other facilities, perhaps
a “second gate” waterpark. By launching three parks at once in October 2016, Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR) will achieve such status on day one. motiongate™ Dubai will be a Hollywood-inspired
movie park featuring intellectual propertyoperty from DreamWorks, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate, while Bollywood™ Parks Dubai will celebrate the magic of India’s ry
W Wo
eaturing intellectual pr kS Pi t
d ’s famou
Parques Reunidos. The third theme park, LEGOLAND® Dubai operated by Merlin Entertainments, will be the first LEGO theme park in the Middle East. As DPR’s chiefiddle East. As DPR’s technical officer, Matthew Priddy (pictureder, Matthew Priddy (picture left) brings more than 35 years’ industry experience, including a 20-year spell with Wa
Lionsgate, while Bollywood™ Parks Dubai will celebrate the magic of India’s famous film industry. Both will be managed byy. Both will be managed by Parques Reunidos. The third theme park, LEGOLAND® Dubai operated by Merlin tainments, will be the first LEGO theme ’s chief
us ,
park in the Mi technical officer,
alt Disney y.
he tells Park Wo project also ha therefore stan
y. In an W
an exclusive inter w,
left) brings more than 35 years’ industr experience, including a 20-year spell with Walt Disney. In an exclusive interview, he tells Park World why this ambitious project also has a conservative streak, andas a conserv therefore stands a solid chance of success.
ed t
nds a solid chance of succes
Lapita will be Dubai Parks and Resorts’ on-site hotel
rvative streak, and ss.
a “second gate” waterpark. By launching three parks at once in October 2016, Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR) will achieve such status on day one. motiongate™ Dubai will be a Hollywood-inspired movie park fe f DWom DreamW
Why is now the right time to be developing new parks in the United Arab Emirates? Clearly the economy is im available funds, the midd
Why is now the right time to be developing new parks in the United Arab Emirates? Clearly the economy is improving, there are more available funds, the middle classes are growing, Expo 2020 is coming and the infrastructure in Dubai is growing, so it makes sense to us that now is the time ttdi
mproving, there are more dle classes are growing, Expo
2020 is coming and the infrastructure in Dubai is growing, so it makes sense to us that now is the time to do it. Dubai also has a programme called Tourism Vision 2020, where it plans to attract 20 million visitors by 2020. Dubai Parks and Resorts is an integral partof that vision.
o do itt. Dubai also has a
There will also be critic MG or other competing
a programme called T ll d T To i
ision 2020, where it plans to attract 20 million visitors by 2020. Dubai Parks and Resorts is an integral part of that vision.
There will also be critical mass. Whether it’s Ferrari, I IMG or other competing entities, together we will only serve to highlight the UAE as a destination. Instead of people going through Dubai or Abu Dhabi on their way o somewhere else, now they may choose to stay a day
cal mass. Whether it’ entities, together we will only
s Ferrari,
ve to highlight the UAE as a destination. Instead of people going through Dubai or Abu Dhabi on their way t to somewhere else, now they may choose to stay a day or two, and with the offering we will have at Dubaifering we will have at Dubai Parks and Resor Parks and Resorts we believe we can make them stay another few days.
or two, and with the of ts we bel
another few days. days
How ambitious is it to be opening three parks at once?
How ambitious is it to be opening three parks at once?
October 2016 is what we’ve made public and that’October 2016 is what we’ve made public and that’s what we believe. We always say it is better to have too much demand than capacity. What we are not doing, which Disney did in Europe, is overbuilding the hotels. We
what we believe.We alw much demand than capa
e’ve got 500 rooms, th
ways say it is better to have too acity. What we are not doing,
which Disney did in Europe, is overbuilding the hotels. We’ve got 500 rooms, three theme parks. We are notWe are not overestimating the attendance on the business plan, we vative, because at the end of the profitable
hree theme parks. W
overestimating the attendance on the business plan, we are being very conservative, because at the end of the day it’s a business and it should be
profitable.it’s a business and it should be profitable.
day it Te
We
Tell us a bit more about the location We are located in Jebel Ali, virtually equidistant between the two international airports (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), so it’ Dhabi), so it’s pretty easy to get to. We will have a lot of
ell us a bit more ab e are located in Jebel A
between the two inter s pretty easy
28
bout the location tually equidistant
Ali, vir
national airports (Dubai and Abu to get to. W will have a lot of
JULY 2015 LY Y 2015 ieve we can make them stay
There are parks in India but no Bollywood theme parks, you see local amusement parks in a lot of places that are not necessarily that big but satisfy a population just fine. Now with an emerging middle class with greater spending ability and desire to travel, the time is right. And Dubai of course already has a massive Indian population.
There are parks in India but no Bollywood theme parks, you see local amusement parks in a lot of places that are not necessarilh
ly that big but satis bffy a population just
fine. Now with an emerging middle class with greater spending ability and desire to travel, the time is right. And Dubai of course already has a massive Indian population.
, Ghostbusters and The Smurfs,
Parks Dubai is all about liive entertainment and then there’s Legoland Dubai, which is play-based. It’s a nice balance. Clearly Legoland resonates with Western kids as this is a theme park many of them already are familiar with, Motiongate is for all ages with IPs r,
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