Marvel Theme park announced

The whole article is here, but below is the first sentence, which is really all you need since there's not much more in the article.

"United Arab Emirate-based Al Ahli Group and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced today a partnership that will bring Marvel's full library of Super Heroes -- including Spider-Man, Iron Man, The X-Men, Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer -- to Dubai for a major new theme park destination being developed by AAG."

Sadly, there's no details or concept art, but it sounds like it could be an exciting project.

Aren't the Marvel Chars also owned by Universal? If so, we can expect this to be a new expansion for them aswell..

^Why is that?

^^ no, they are not. Their usage at the Universal parks are licensed. So this project is not connected to Universal at all, save the similar theme, and no, I do not believe IOA will be doing any upgrades to Marvel Hero island any time soon.

But its alright, the land is still pretty bad ass.

^I thought the Marvel characters were handed out to companies on a piecemeal basis, or at least the movies are. That's what Sony Pictures came out with Spider-Man, Universal came out with the Hulk, Fox came out with the Fantastic Four, etc.

^If by piecemeal, you mean that Marvel was smart enough to not sell all the rights to one studio, then you would be correct. It's basically a case of who will pay the most for each property, with studios snapping up whatever they could after the success of the first Spiderman movie...

Just heard this on the loacl news tonight.

Dont hold your breath. I have been holding mine for Dubailand for years and as yet, nothing much has happened.

Rest assured I will dig for more info and keep everyone informed.

OOh Double post.

heres a link

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/03/21/10112466.html

The interesting bit

"The creative team developing the Dubai theme park will be based in Hollywood, Orlando and Dubai throughout the four-year development process."

Disneyandmore just posted some jaw-dropping concept art for this project. Will be interesting to see how much of it makes the final cut, if the park ever open at all.

Disneyandmore just posted some jaw-dropping concept art for this project. Will be interesting to see how much of it makes the final cut, if the park ever open at all.

Wow! I don't even know where to begin! The park looks simply stunning. One of the pictures seems to show that there will be a lot of land available for expansion. Dubai seems like a great theme park enthusiast's dream in 5 to 10 years when many of these projects should be finished.

TPR Dubai Trip 2017 anyone?

^Yeah the problem is I can find several posts saying "TPR Dubai Trip in 2010" due to all of the stuff that was 'supposedly' being built and never happened.

I'm not holding my breath for any of these Dubai projects. I mean, look how far the Shamu Island with all the Busch parks went only to be totally cancelled!

Exactly. I'm definitely not holding my breath for any of this stuff. Dubai was a hot topic a couple years ago, and it all seemed really exciting. Now, everything there has just fizzled out.

^Yeah the problem is I can find several posts saying "TPR Dubai Trip in 2010" due to all of the stuff that was 'supposedly' being built and never happened.

 

I'm not holding my breath for any of these Dubai projects. I mean, look how far the Shamu Island with all the Busch parks went only to be totally cancelled!

Exactly. I'm definitely not holding my breath for any of this stuff. Dubai was a hot topic a couple years ago, and it all seemed really exciting. Now, everything there has just fizzled out.

My hopes and dreams were just crushed

I'm starting to look at Dubai concept art as the hottest chick on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. You stand around hoping she'll flash, but you know it's not gonna happen until she gets exactly what she wants/needs.

Get that chick enough booze and beads, and it'll happen. Give Dubai a stabilized global economy, and these projects might eventually happen. Until then, yeah, Dubai's just the hot tease up on a balcony.

Heck, I'm amazed Ferrari World is at the point it's at. Hmmm, wait. Come to think of it, everything else is now just the second hottest chick behind this.

^So...DON'T give the park booze and beads?

Anyways, the concepts look AMAZING if they actually go through with it. I'm still waiting on the Deadpool live action show. Witty insane mercenary of invincible doom for everybody!

Maybe Dubai should hire Danny Rogers to revive their theme park projects.

There's a link in that Disneyandmore article that leads to another article called "Why Disney Won't Build a Park in Dubai." That's a very interesting article... and I think you can count my wife and I out of any trip to Dubai. Ever.

Squid

^Interesting article. I've read similar articles in various main stream mags. Dubai creeps me out.

I'm starting to look at Dubai concept art as the hottest chick on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. You stand around hoping she'll flash, but then she gets stoned to death before you ever find out.

^Yeah the problem is I can find several posts saying "TPR Dubai Trip in 2010" due to all of the stuff that was 'supposedly' being built and never happened.

 

I'm not holding my breath for any of these Dubai projects. I mean, look how far the Shamu Island with all the Busch parks went only to be totally cancelled!

That's been cancelled?! Awww man! Where/when was that announced? I searched the forum theo ther day for Dubai topics and I did not see anything about that.

Dubai is starting to be such a disappointment, I mean... correct me if I'm wrong, but ever since the visitor center opened, like, what, 4-5 years ago? There hasn't been a single new occurance in Dubailand, right?

^I don't know much about Dubailand itself, but Dubai in general has just overbuilt to the point where new projects are being cancelled left and right. It's obvious they are attempting to transform themselves way too quickly. Projects like the Burj Dubai, the Palm Islands, The World, The Universe, Dubai Waterfront, and the likes are fun to look at, but when it comes down to it, there isn't anywhere enough demand for even one half of what has been/will be built. And I'm not even going to get started on the actual design merit of any of these projects...

It's really a shame though, there were so many cool concepts for Dubailand that will most likely never come to existence. If everything had gone as planned, it would have been one killer theme park hub.

OK,

Ive been biting my tongue for a bit and tried not to read the article but I have to reply to a couple of points.

"She is not alone. All over the city, there are maxed-out expats sleeping secretly in the sand-dunes or the airport or in their cars."

Sorry this is an outright lie. I would be very happy for the author to show me these homeless expats. If you are stuck here with visa and money problems then there are organizations that will get you out and everyone knows about them.

" Four years ago, an employment agent arrived in Sahinal's village in Southern Bangladesh. He told the men of the village that there was a place where they could earn 40,000 takka a month (£400) just for working nine-to-five on construction projects. It was a place where they would be given great accommodation, great food, and treated well. All they had to do was pay an up-front fee of 220,000 takka (£2,300) for the work visa – a fee they'd pay off in the first six months, easy. So Sahinal sold his family land, and took out a loan from the local lender, to head to this paradise."

How does this have anything to do with Dubai?

Dubai firms will not take workers if they find they have been recruited through an agency who have charged them money. This is entirely the fault of this workers countrymen who have made a quick buck and ripped him off in his country, not in Dubai.

"Last year, some workers went on strike after they were not given their wages for four months. The Dubai police surrounded their camps with razor-wire and water-cannons and blasted them out and back to work."

Sorry,but, again. this is not true. They were water cannoned because they tried to walk down Sheikh Zayed Road, a six lane, very high speed highway. and were a danger to everyone.

The authorities got them their back pay and, yes, the ring leaders may have been arrested, but the article doesn't mention the numerous car\s and buildings that they ransacked and damaged during their strike.

"Employers are meant to pay on time, never take your passport, give you breaks in the heat – but I met nobody who said it happens. Not one"

OK, maybe employers do keep passports but during the summer there is a mandatory 3 hour break during the day. This happens everywhere. even the expats are not allowed on a building site during this time.

"I approach a blonde 17-year-old Dutch girl wandering around in hotpants, oblivious to the swarms of men gaping at her. "I love it here!" she says. "The heat, the malls, the beach!" Does it ever bother you that it's a slave society? She puts her head down, just as Sohinal did. "I try not to see," she says. Even at 17, she has learned not to look, and not to ask; that, she senses, is a transgression too far."

While this does sometimes happen, this does sound like journalistic license, put in to help portray the writers view of Dubai. I very much doubt it was a real encounter.

I have now stopped reading the article after the gay club paragraph.

Overall, from what I have read. The writer makes a very good case for his view on Dubai, but just please remember it is only his opinion and it is a piece written to sell newspapers.

Sorry for such a long post but I did have to say something.

One final thought.

Has this guy actually been to Dubai?

A huge amount of what he has said is very similar to the stuff that floats around the Internet on blogs and suchlike.