Six Flags Announces Partnership to Develop Park in Qatar

[Evan1127]

From Yahoo:

 

DOHA, Qatar, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qatar Entertainment City (QEC), the mixed-use development in Lusail, Qatar announced today in a signing ceremony between Oryx Holdings, a Qatari based diversified group, and Six Flags, Inc., one of the largest, most widely recognized theme park operators in the world, that a Six Flags branded location will be open within QEC by mid-year 2012.

 

The signing ceremony took place at the Four Seasons Hotel, Qatar, attended by Assam Shaikh - Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Oryx Holdings; Mark Shapiro - President and Chief Executive Officer, Six Flags; and Yousef Darwish - General Manager, Qatar Entertainment City.

 

Under the binding agreement, Six Flags will provide concept development and planning services to Oryx Holdings for the creation of a 50,000 square meter (500,000 square ft) Six Flags branded location within QEC. Once this initial phase is finalized, Six Flags and Oryx Holdings will collaborate on the detailed design, development, construction and management of the branded location.

 

Oryx Holdings Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Assam Shaikh commented, "Six Flags brings 47 years of theme park industry experience and a world renowned entertainment brand to create a best in class tourist destination within QEC. The partnership will help further establish and push Qatar's initiatives for family tourism, attracting investments as well as keeping in-line with its growing economy. For the implementation, Qatari resources will be sought in all elements of the project as and when available."

 

Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Executive Officer said, "Extending the Six Flags footprint beyond Dubai represents another strategic step in our international expansion and further solidifies our reputation as a world-wide leader in family entertainment. We are thrilled to be on the ground floor of what will surely be a treasured destination."

 

Yousef Ali Darwish, General Manager of QEC said, "There is no time to waste in the development of what will be the most attractive tourist destination within the region. Thanks to the expertise of Six Flags and Oryx Holdings, QEC is on its way to becoming the place of choice to have a relaxed and entertaining time for families - whether residents or visitors alike. This is in-line with the original strategy to attract major international partners for QEC."

 

Qatar Entertainment City, an award-winning project, is the first project being implemented under the 'Entertainment City' concept - developed by Abu Dhabi Investment House. The project is a holistic, fully integrated family entertainment destination covering a total area of 1 million square meters of development and 180,000 square meters of international leisure, retail entertainment and restaurants situated with a waterfront location.

[whakojacko]

aww, just when im leaving. Maybe theyll have something more than a crappy boomerang (cough Aladdin cough).

[AllenA07]

It'll be interesting to see this when completed, however I'll admit that I'm rather cynical about this move by the park. I don't recall their European expansion going that well, and the fact that the company is already having some serious financial woes right now, I question if this is the time for risk taking.

 

2012... I'm really wondering if we'll see this park by that point, or if it is going to take considerably longer to actually get it moving.

[Airtime&Gravity]

^Six Flags is not building the park. They are simply providing licensing and concepts much like Tokyo Disney.

 

I wonder if this park will have the Loony Tunes/DC Comics characters/themes though, because I know the Dubai won't due to Time Warner building a park of their own.