Feature 35 ENTERTAINMENT
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COMING SOON
2018
WORLD ABU DHABI 2019
AT DUBAI PARKS AND RESORTS
2022
ENTERTAINMENT CITY, SAUDI ARABIA
SEAWORLD ABU DHABI &
SIX FLAGS WARNER BROS.
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7 Artist’s impression of CLYMB 8 Six Flags in the USA 9 Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi logo 10 Legoland Dubai 11 SeaWorld California 12, 13 & 14 Bollywood Parks
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“The key to a consistently successful destination is enabling visitors to enjoy multiple attractions”
rooms at Rotana hotels as well as discounts at Rotana’s food and beverage outlets. Hutchinson says the country’s rising repu-
tation as a global leisure and entertainment hub augurs well for the hospitality industry as a whole, “as it will certainly attract more tour- ists to the destination.” He adds: “The good news is that the list of attractions continues to get bigger and better.”
FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT As expansion of the region’s entertainment proposition continues apace, plans are already afoot for the region’s first Six Flags park at Dubai Parks and Resorts. Scheduled to open late in 2019, Six Flags Dubai will feature a number of record-breaking roller coasters, unique experiences, live shows and more. The UAE capital is also set to take a major
slice of the action, with construction underway on the region’s first Warner Bros. theme park on Yas Island. Developer Miral Asset Manage- ment says the new US$1 billion (AED3.67 billion) indoor park will open by 2018 and include a Warner Bros.-themed hotel as well as 29 rides, shows and interactive attractions. The new park’s logo was unveiled in the lead up to Arabian Travel Market.
Mohamed Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral, said:
“We’re delighted to see the park coming together and on track for the launch in 2018.” The venue, which will span over 153,000 square metres, is set to include retail and food outlets, in addition to rides themed on hit characters from the DC Universe including Superman and Wonder Woman, as well as Warner Bros. Anima- tion characters like Bugs Bunny. The family-friendly destination is a key
part of Yas Island’s plan to welcome 48 million annual visitors by 2022, but there’s much more in store. Miral and SeaWorld Entertainment have revealed plans to bring the first-of-its-kind marine life theme park to Yas Island in 2022. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will include the UAE’s first dedicated marine life research, rescue, rehabilitation and return centre and, crucially, will be the first new SeaWorld in the world to be opened without orcas. It will instead inte- grate up-close animal experiences, mega attrac- tions and a world-class aquarium, bringing the latest technology in visitor engagement for an outstanding experience. Also joining the island’s offering, by 2018, is
the US$100 million (AED367.3 million) attraction CLYMB, which will feature the world’s widest flight chamber, allowing visitors to experience
the thrill of skydiving within an unmatched width of 9.75 metres. The venue will also feature the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall at a height of 43 metres. The UAE is boosting its entertainment port-
folio with more than just theme parks. Ain Dubai is set to become the main attraction of Meraas’ Bluewaters Island, located just off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Residence. Previously known as Dubai-I, the observation wheel will be the largest and highest in the world, offering stun- ning 360-degree views of the city. Meanwhile Dubai Safari, covering an area of nearly 1.2 square kilometres, is also set to open over the next few months at Al Warqa’a. Home to 3,500 animals, the highly-anticipated venue’s first phase will feature Asian, African and Arabian-themed ‘villages’ as well as an open Safari Village with guided drive experiences. Animals on site at the 119-hectare phase one of the park are set to include lions, antelopes and elephants.
CONTINUING THE THEME With the UAE setting the tone for development within the entertainment sector, the rest of the Middle East is rapidly realising the potential of boosting the leisure industry as a pillar for tourism growth, helping to reduce economic
dependence on oil revenues. Saudi Arabia has already announced plans for a 334 square kilo- metre Entertainment City in Al Qidiya, south of the capital Riyadh. It will feature world-class sports, cultural and recreational facilities, a safari and a Six Flags theme park, marking Six Flags Entertainment Corp’s official expansion into the kingdom. “We are honoured to have this opportunity
to bring Six Flags to Saudi Arabia,” says John Duffey, President and CEO of Six Flags. “We look forward to supporting Saudi Arabia’s efforts to expand tourism by creating new world-class entertainment destinations in the kingdom.” Tourism has been earmarked as one of the
focal points of new reforms as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Construction will begin next year on Saudi Arabia’s Entertainment City, which is expected to open in 2022. In a statement issued by the Saudi Press
Agency, the kingdom’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud says the city will be “a prominent cultural land- mark and an important centre for meeting the future generation’s recreational, cultural and social needs in the kingdom”, adding that the landmark new project will be “an important incentive to attract visitors”.
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