Project update: $64bn Dubailand gets big, bigger, biggest

The focal point of Phase One will be the Universal Studios, but it also includes the Ernie Els Golf Course, Global Village, Dubai Outlet City, Plantation World, the Al Sahara Desert Resort and the Formula One Theme Park.

'At present the average visitor to Dubai spends 2.5 days in the city and spends $40-80 per day,' said chief executive officer Mohammed Al Habai. 'By 2015 we forecast they will stay four to seven days and spend $240 per person per day.'

This looks an ambitious target. But in terms of the 15 million visitors this is an extrapolation of 8% growth into the future, which might actually be conservative. In 2007, Dubai welcomed 7.7 million visitors.

'The main constraint on visitor number growth is presently a shortage of hotel rooms, which total 42,000,' noted Al Habai. 'We will add 60,000 hotel rooms in the Bawadi district, which is a 10km stretch of 51 hotels four times bigger than Las Vegas.'

No casinos

But he said casinos in Dubailand were 'absolutely out'. Dubailand is not going to be short of other attractions, however, and it is hard to fit them into a short article.

There will be the City of Arabia with its artificial dinosaur park and the largest shopping mall in the world, until that is surpassed by the one in Bawadi. There will be the Dubai Sports City with its stadiums. There will be the Motor City with its F1 Theme park and race track. The Dubai Outlets City for discount shopping is already open.

The first three are 'dynamic projects' as Al Habai put it, meaning that frenzied construction activity is under way.

Not so far behind will be the Dubai Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel; Dubai Lifestyle City, a glamorous residential community; Beauty Land for ladies; Golf City with five courses; botanical gardens with villas; the Plantation polo and equine centre; the Falcon City of Wonders, a vast villa project with its own Eiffel Tower (planned to be taller than the real thing) and other reproductions of global landmarks; a health farm and education city.

Hollywood

Then we should not forget the Aqua Dunya water park with a full-sized ship on its lake that Jumeirah International will operate as a hotel; and the Dreamworks theme park which together with the Universal Studios provides more than a touch of Hollywood. Plus the Tiger Woods Dubai is designed to be the world's top gold residential community.

The target date for completion of the $64bn worth of Dubailand projects is 2020, by which time 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.

See also:
Video: Bawadi - the world's largest hotel development
The Middle East's Ultra-Luxury Hotels
Hollywood comes to the Middle East
Peek inside a Flying Palace