• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Plans to build £4 billion replica of the moon in Dubai

Home> News

Published 17:17 20 May 2023 GMT+1

Plans to build £4 billion replica of the moon in Dubai

The gigantic 274m replica of the moon is set to be built in Dubai

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Plans to build a £4 billion replica of the moon in Dubai have been unveiled, with hope that it will ‘significantly impact’ the United Arab Emirates’ economy.

Canadian entrepreneur Michael Henderson is behind the ‘MOON’ project, which is set to feature a gigantic 274m replica of the moon on top of a 30m building in Dubai.

Inside will be a mega-resort including a 4,000 room hotel, a 10,000 capacity arena, nightclub and wellness centre.

There will also be a ‘lunar colony’, which promises to offer visitors the sensation of walking on the moon.

Advert

A drawing of the proposed nightclub at MOON.
Instagram/@moonworldresortsinc

Speaking to the Associated Press (AP), Henderson, co-founder of Moon World Resorts Inc - which has funded the ambitious project – alluded to the fact that the moon itself was his brand.

“We have the biggest ‘brand’ in the world,” he said.

“Eight billion people know our brand, and we haven’t even started yet."

Estimated to cost £4.28 billion, the MOON Dubai project hopes to drawn in 2.5 million guests a year.

Advert

MOON Dubai s set to feature a gigantic 274m replica of the moon.
Instagram/@moonworldresortsinc

This, according to Henderson and co-founder Sandra G Matthews, will allow it to ‘significantly impact every aspect of the UAE’s economy, including tourism’.

The pair said in an earlier statement that they would also be targeting ‘transportation, commercial and residential real estate, infrastructure, financial services, aviation and space, energy, MICE, agriculture, technology and of course education’.

They continued: “[It] will be the largest and most successful modern-day tourism project in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, doubling annual tourism visitations to Dubai based on its global appeal, brand awareness and unique multiple integrated offerings.”

According to AP, the structure will also include space for a possible casino.

Advert

A sketch of the project's wellness centre.
Instagram/@moonworldresortsinc

While gambling remains illegal in UAE, major brands like Caesar’s Palace already exist or hope to build in Dubai, with AP adding that Wynn Resorts plans to build a $3.9bn resort in Ras al-Khaimah north of Dubai with gambling to open in 2027 – meaning a change to the law is ‘likely to come’.

Christopher Davidson, a Middle East expert who wrote the recent book From Sheikhs to Sultanism, told the news outlet that MOON could fit well into ‘the legitimacy formula of Dubai’s ruling elite'.

“They can be seen as a non-democratic elite but nonetheless believe strongly in science and progress - and that’s ultimately very legitimizing and a megaproject like this would seem to tick all of those boxes,” Davidson said.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@moonworldresortsinc

Topics: World News

Jess Hardiman
Jess Hardiman

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

X

@Jess_Hardiman

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Mysterious bright green pigeon spotted in UK town has experts 'sounding the alarm'

    The bird has been attracting visitors from all over the country

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Distressing new bodycam footage shows police woman with bloodied face after Manchester Airport brawl

    Pc Lydia Ward suffered a broken nose following the incident at the Terminal 2 car park pay station area on 23 July, 2024

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Scientists dropped a cow carcass into the sea and it got some very unexpected visitors

    The visitors were reminiscent of a certain Finding Nemo character

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Doomsday prepper hoarding for WW3 shares everything on his list incase of global disaster

    Shahzad Kayani has stockpiled loads of essentials so that he is ready for anything

    News
  • Plans confirmed to build a nuclear power plant on the moon
  • People can't help but notice Gillian Anderson's awkwardness in iconic line up of celebrities compared to 'The Hunger Games'
  • $17 billion discovery made 600 meters below the surface of the Caribbean Sea
  • Man who visited every country in the world shares worst place he has been to