Paramount to Build Park in Dubai

[Airtime&Gravity]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film studio Paramount Pictures on Monday said it agreed to let Middle East real estate company Ruwaad Holdings build a theme park in the United Arab Emirates using its hit movies such as "Titanic."

 

The licensing deal follows a similar pact unveiled in May between Paramount, a unit of U.S. media giant Viacom Inc and South Korea's Daewoo Motor Sales Corp, which is building a $1 billion theme park south of Seoul using Paramount movies, characters and content to attract visitors.

 

Ruwaad said the Paramount park in the UAE would be the hub of a $2.5 billion, family-oriented development that is expected to include resorts, boutique hotels and shopping centers.

 

Financial details were not disclosed.

 

Ruwaad affiliate International Destination Brands Ltd. would be responsible for finding funds and locating a site for development, the companies said in a statement.

 

Paramount would not invest money, but would help in the theme park's planning and design, the companies said. Along with "Titanic," Paramount films include "Mission Impossible," "Braveheart," "Forrest Gump," "Grease" and "The Godfather."

 

In March, Marvel Entertainment Inc., maker of comic book movies such as "Spider-Man," said separately that it was working with UAE-based real estate company Al Ahli Group to build a $1 billion theme park in Dubai.

 

 

Paramount in Dubai

 

Dubai keeps getting better, and soon they will have some of the best thrills in the world. It is amazing at what is being built, and at 2.5 billion dollars, I would expect some great theming and some great rides.

[JuanSe_Colombia]

Awesome Dubai is really entering into the "world game".

[Ryan King]

Dubai real-estate will continue to get better and better. Many companies and beginning to see the potential money making business there! Well this sounds like a good theme park, although I think the movies are a little "old" for a themepark. But well soon see!!!

 

-Ryan

[BDG]

I look forward seeing these coasters behave in Dubai's 130 degrees F summer temperatures.

[Airtime&Gravity]

^Well the park will be designed with the temperature in mind, but I'd expect many of the coasters to be built indoors. The other possibility is to use shade(Dubai turning desert areas in to green areas capable of holding plant life) or water features when building rides.(Titanic could be a Mack water coaster) The rest of the park, like the Universal park, will be built with large covered areas, so the heat shouldn't be a problem.

[Disney Dood]

Paramount seems to really want to get to the top of the buisiness right now. But my question is, now that Universal and Paramount are building parks in Dubai(land), will Dinsey do so too?

[jamesdillaman]

^ Paramount isn't building anything, they are only granting a license for their movies to another developer, who is actually doing the building. This is a paramount-THEMED park, not a paramount park.

 

-James Dillaman

[ahecht]

Paramount seems to really want to get to the top of the buisiness right now. But my question is, now that Universal and Paramount are building parks in Dubai(land), will Dinsey do so too?

 

Don't forget that Paramount Pictures (which is really Viacom) gave away Paramount Parks to CBS when they split in 2005, and then CBS sold their theme park assets to CedarFair in 2006. The Paramount Pictures that licensed their content to this Dubai park is twice removed from the now defunct chain of Paramount Parks.

[JuanSe_Colombia]

Hey about the temperature I think is important the covered sections because if we at Colombia we have been like 40°c and that's insoportable I mean 50°c must be really hot

[MisterP]

Middle America's favorite vacation destinations:

 

1. Branson, MO to see Shoji Tabuchi

 

2. the Persian Gulf to ride rolly coasters