UAE will get Mideast’s first Legoland

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates » A property development company controlled by Dubai’s ruler outlined plans Sunday for the first phase of an entertainment and resort complex in the city that promises the Middle East’s first Lego­land theme park.

The project is part of a broader push by the Arab world’s commercial hub to ramp up its hotel and tourism offerings as it prepares to host the World Expo in 2020.

Meraas Holding said initial work began in February on the $2.7 billion Dubai Parks and Resorts project, and that the first phase should be done by 2016. The company is backed by Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

In addition to the Lego­land park, that initial phase will include a Bollywood-themed park celebrating the Indian film industry and another known as Motiongate Dubai that promises to bring Hollywood characters to life.

Plans also call for a central retail and dining plaza and family-friendly hotel at the complex, located in Dubai’s Jebel Ali area, which is best known for hosting the region’s largest seaport and the second of the emirate’s palm-shaped islands. The Expo will be held nearby, alongside a new airport that officials envision will one day become the world’s busiest.

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