Dubailand: The Most Amazing and Luxurious Amusement Park in the World

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, but development has been severely impacted by global recession and Dubai's financial crisis. The development was put on hold in 2008; however in May 2011, it was announced that a revised master plan for the mega-project will be announced by the end of 2011. The project is now expected to be scaled down in design to meet the Dubai's battered real estate sector. The construction will be resumed by the end of 2011.

Dubailand (Dubai Land) is a very large entertainment, leisure, and tourism area under development in Dubai by Dubai Properties Group, a subsidiary of Dubai Holding. Total size is a massive 3 billion square feet (24 January 2010 press release figure). Project joint ventures established include agreements with Formula 1, Hollywood theme parks, and Tiger Woods.

List of Dubailand Projects

A total of 26 mega projects expected - 3 scheduled to be open by end 2006, 10 open by 2009, the rest open by 2012. Total of 300,000 employees with 200,000 visitors every day. At least, that was the plan. As of the beginning of 2009, there's not quite so much ready.

• Al Barari - villa handovers started in 2009
• Al Kaheel - educational theme park about horses.
• Al Sahara Kingdom
• Al Sahra Desert Resort - restaurants, boutique hotel, souq, amphitheatre. Area 40 million sq feet? Includes the Jumana Secret of the Desert show.
• Aqua Dunya themed water park - with large ship hotel operated by Jumeira international
• Astrolab Resort
• Bawadi Tourism Area - 10 km strip between Al Barsha and the Lahbab Road with over 50 hotels, shopping centers, entertainment. Just like the Las Vegas strip except bigger with more lights but no casinos. Or maybe casinos with no gambling. Or maybe a strip of road with no hotels, shops, or anything else except sand. At least, that's how it looks at the start of 2010.

• Bawadi Mall - Phase I opening scheduled for 2012, eventually expected to be larger than Mall of Arabia
• Beauty Land (Beautyland Dubai) - a ladies resort and development with a beauty museum, beauty academy, a beautiful boutique hotel, and a beautiful boulevard with cosmetics and beauty product shops.
• Botanical Gardens - with residential villas (Al Barari?)
• City of Arabia - with artificial dinosaur park and large shopping mall
• Dreamworks Dubai theme park
• Dubai Autodrome - racetrack in Dubai Motor City
• Dubai Bazaar - traditional Islamic marketplace and souq.
• Dubai Country Club - new one behind Arabian Ranches, opening in 2010?

• Dubai Education City - another name for the Taaleem schools complex?
• Dubai Golf City - five golf courses, golf academy, golf communities and villages, retail shopping areas, hotel resort and spa.
• Dubai Lifestyle City - a residential community with a Tuscan theme for posh people, developer ETA Star. Infrastructure complete early 2009.
• Dubai Motorcity - see Motor City Dubai.
• Dubai Outlet City - with Dubai Oulet Malll
• Dubai Outlet Mall - Phase I open August 2006

• Dubai Heritage Vision - reportedly opening by end 2006
• Dubai Sports City - Dubai Cricket Stadium and other sports facilities, along with residential and commercial developments
• Dubai Wheel (Great Dubai Wheel or Wheel of Dubai) - giant Ferris wheel similar to the London Eye but bigger. Of course.
• Emirates Planetarium (within the Restless Planet)
• F1 theme park and race track
• Falcon City of Wonders (Falconcity) - residential complex with replicas of global icons, including an Eiffel Tower bigger than the original? Also replicas of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal. Area of 4 million square metres in the shape of a falcon. Includes a Pharaohs Theme Park.

• Freej Dubailand?
• Global Village (eventually a permanent one)
• Health Farm
• Islamic Culture & Science World
• Legoland Dubai?
• Mall of Arabia - largest shopping mall in the world when forecast to open in 2010 one day, in City of Arabia
• Motor City Dubai - includes the Dubai Autodrome, residential communites and retail shops, Formula One Theme Park, racing school, F1 track, museum, restaurants, and so on.
• Palmarosa
• Plantation Polo and Equestrian (Equine) Center - reportedly opening by end 2006, but didn't. Facilities include 3 polo fields, 5-star hotel resort and spa, veterinary hospital for horses, polo academy.
• Restless Planet - Jurrassic Park comes alive. Sort of.
• Riverside - wellness resort and health farm. Part of Dubai Beautyland?
• Six Flags Dubai theme park
• Snow Dome Dubai (or Dubai Snowdome / Skidome / Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome)
• Taleem Education City (or Dubailand Education City?) - for Taaleem / Beacon schools and HQ
• Tiger Woods Dubai - exclusive Golf Community in Dubai
• Universal Studios Dubailand theme park

Dubailand progress update 24 January 2010 press release - events in 2009

• Al Barari villas handed over
• Butch Harmon School of Golf open at The Els Club
• Dubai International Cricket Stadium open - seats 25,000
• Dubai MotorCity - 1300 commerical, retail, and residential apartments handed over
• Global Village 14th year started its 14th year (opening date 22 November 2009, closing date 27 February 2010, telephone +971-4-3624114)
• J.W. Marriott Hotel in Dubai Lifestyle City - construction started
• Leyan community apartments and villas handed over
• Royal Caribbean International - agreement signed with Dubailand to bring cruise passengers to Dubailand attractions. Brilliance of the Seas will be in UAE waters from 18 January to April 2010.
• The Villa villas handover started
• Victory Heights golf community - villa handover started in June 2009

Dubailand facts and figures update 25 February 2008 press release

• Dubailand project value AED 235 billion (US$64 bn)
• Chief executive officer is Mohamed Al Habai (Mohammed Al Habbai)
• Phase I of Dubailand sceheduled to open in 2010, final completion date target is 2020
• Bawadi tourist area will add 60,000 hotel rooms to the 42,000 rooms already existing in Dubai, in 51 hotels on a 10km stretch of road.
• 15 million tourists to Dubai per year expected by 2015 (double the 7.7 million tourists that visited Dubai in 2007).
• Average visitor spend in Dubai is $40-$80 per day and average length of stay is 2½ days. CEO Mr Al Habai forecasts average stay and spend of 4-7 days and $240 per person per day.
• By the time Dubailand is completed, "more than 250,000 staff will be working in the theme parks, all accommodated in dedicated units."
• "Consultants still question whether investors in Dubailand will get a sufficient return, but this skepticism has not deterred investments by the biggest local and regional families. Rome was not built in a day, and for once even Dubai is looking 12 years ahead." 

DUBAILAND PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS