Rides and slides

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Dubailand will soon play host to characters such as Spiderman at Marvel’s amusement park. (MN Chan/Getty Images)

The new park is expected to cost more than AED 8 billion ($2.1 billion) and will cover an area of around 279 km², featuring at least 4000 units of accommodation and 100 restaurants and retail outlets. The theme park will offer attractions based on films such as King Kong, The Mummy, Back to the Future and Jaws and will include many of the same rides and shows that can be found at the other Universal Studios parks in Los Angeles, Florida and Japan, such as the Jurassic Park River Rapids.

However, the park will also feature local influences, says Tom Williams, CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts.

"We're going to celebrate the movies but beyond that we're going to be working with Tatweer to have some attractions that are suitable for people of this region," he says.

"In particular, we have the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, as well as Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride, and that, along with other forms of street entertainment and live entertainment, will complement and enhance the overall offering of Universal Studios Dubailand."

Excitement is Paramount

Also looking to help boost Dubai's tourist numbers is the Paramount Pictures-branded theme park that was announced in July.

"[The development] will contribute to the country's economic growth by strengthening its tourism and hospitality base, creating jobs for UAE nationals in the destination development sector," says group chief executive officer of Ruwaad Holdings, Hayan Merchant.

"Moreover, such projects provide a tremendous platform to achieve solid investment returns. Historically, destinations of this nature create far more sustainable returns to retail, hospitality, commercial and residential investments than those properties would receive outside of such a development," he adds.

The project is being developed by real estate, hospitality and tourism investment company Ruwaad Holdings in co-operation with Paramount Licensing, which handles the worldwide rights for Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Studios, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films.

The $2.5 billion destination will incorporate boutique hotels and resorts, themed retail outlets and residential properties and will have "a unique blend of Hollywood, Bollywood and Arabian motion picture entertainment content to address the family entertainment needs of existing and future global tourism trends," according to Merchant.

Under the licensing agreement, International Destination Brands, an affiliate of Ruwaad Holdings, is responsible for funding the project. Paramount Licensing will not invest financially, but will instead provide access to Paramount Pictures' intellectual property library.

The theme park will feature rides, shows and attractions based on Paramount's motion picture titles, which include Forrest Gump, The Godfather, Top Gun and Mission: Impossible.

The developmental aspects of the project will be managed by Darrell Metzger, CEO of Ruwaad Destinations and chairman of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), which promotes best practices in the international entertainment and leisure industry.

"Paramount Pictures has released award-winning films that appeal to audiences of all nationalities and ages," says Metzger. "This universal popularity, combined with Ruwaad's understanding of regional markets, will translate into a destination that is appealing to everyone."

Motoring madness

It's not only the film studios that will soon be providing family fun for visitors to the UAE. Alongside its beaches, marinas and golf courses, the Yas Island development - currently under construction in Abu Dhabi - will also feature a Ferrari amusement park with 24 themed attractions.

Ferrari signed the contract with Yas Island's developers Aldar earlier this year for the creation of the park, which will be central to the mixed-use project.

"Yas Island will combine the many natural attractions of an island with the world's most popular leisure activities," says Aldar's chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh.

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