Legoland also on board
After signing up many of the attraction brands that have been a hit elsewhere in the world, Dubailand developer Tatweer has announced that a local licensed property will form a centrepiece of the three billion sq ft theme park resort.
Freej Dubailand will be dedicated to the popular Arabic cartoon Freej, created in Dubai. Its four characters, a group of Emirati grandmothers called Um Saeed, Um Saloom, Um Allawi and Um Khammass (pictured), will each have their own land within the park.
“It is great that the success and popularity of a home-grown product is being recognised with a dedicated world-class theme park,” says Tatweer executive chairman Saeed al Muntafiq.“The launch of Freej Dubailand is indicative of an ambitious growth plan for the Freej brand, transforming it from a local television series into a world class intellectual property.”
The park, which will also include two themed hotels, will be the only Dubailand development focusing solely on Arab culture, providing a glimpse into Dubai’s unique past, present and future. Its four lands will include Window on UAE, Golden Age of Discovery, Myths and Legends, and Land of Freej – an exact replica of the famous neighbourhood portrayed in the cartoon.
Meanwhile Merlin Entertainments has announced plans to create Legoland Dubailand, the first Legoland park east of Europe. The result of a strategic alliance between Merlin Entertainments and Tatweer, the park is scheduled to open at the end of 2011.
