Busch plans 4 theme parks in Dubai
Busch Entertainment Corp. announced Thursday it was partnering with a Dubai company to develop four theme parks on an artificial island in the United Arab Emirates.
The project will replicate Orlando's Aquatica, Discovery Cove and SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. The first phase, located on The Palm Jebel Ali, is expected to debut in 2012 and it marks the first time Busch has developed a theme park overseas.
Busch, which is relocating its entertainment headquarters to Orlando from St. Louis, is partnering with Nakheel PJSC, the developer of the Palm Islands in Dubai. Nakheel is providing the capital to build and operate the parks, with Busch Entertainment licensing the brands and operating the parks under a management contract.
Work has already started on what is being called the Worlds of Discovery project, which is the name given to the Busch Entertainment's 10 theme parks.
Worlds of Discovery will occupy a section of The Palm Jebel Ali known as "the Crown," which will resemble a giant killer whale when reclamation work is complete. Nakheel's plans also call for the development of commercial, residential and shopping districts that will contain resort hotels and restaurants.
Asked whether the Dubai project presents competition for the Orlando tourist industry, Gary Sain, president and chief executive officer of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, says it presents a marketing opportunity to draw people to Orlando.
Visitors to the proposed four theme parks will be more inclined to plan a visit to Orlando after seeing one section of the larger theme park mix that exists in Central Florida, according to Sain.
Jim Atchison, president of Busch Entertainment, agrees, saying, "Who can look at that island (that will be in the shape of Shamu) and not think of Orlando."
Sain says those visiting the Dubai project would likely be from Asia and the Middle East, which do not often visit Central Florida.
On what the project means to that section of the world, Chris O'Donnell, Nakheel's chief executive, says in a prepared statement, "Dubai has become one of the world's leading tourist destinations, and a key part of the strategy has been attracting world-class entertainment brands to the emirate."
