Windsor Genova – Fourth Estate Cooperative Contributor
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (4E) – United Arab Emirates Vice President and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has announced the implementation of a 2008 plan to build a new city in the emirate that will host the world’s largest mall plus 100 hotels.
Rashid said Saturday the building of the city to be named after him is in line with the ambition of Dubai to become a tourism hub for 2 billion people and timely
because of the increased economic growth and projected increase of foreign visitors to more than 90 million in the next six years.
Emaar Properties and Dubai Holding are building the $60 billion Mohammed bin Rashid City in more than 28 square miles of property surrounded by Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Road and Al Khail Road, based on the 2008 masterplan for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens project. The size is 30 percent larger than London’s Hyde Park.
The proposed Mall of the World to be built in the MBR City is to accommodate 80 million visitors per year. It will be partly built by Universal Studios, a subsidiary of U.S. cable giant Comcast. A Universal Studios will also be built in a proposed theme park within the MBR City called Dubailand. Dubailand is to have a golf course named The Tiger Woods.
An avenue lined with art galleries will connect the MBR City to downtown Dubai and Business Bay. An “innovation and entrepreneurship” area will also form part of the proposed city.
Rashid did not say when the project will start.