Madame Tussauds Dubai: Ronaldo, Messi, and Kohli among stars immortalised - in pictures

London's famous waxwork museum has opened its first outpost in Gulf region

A wax statue of Soccer player Lionel Messi is displayed at Madame Tussauds Museum, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 18, 2021. REUTERS / Rula Rouhana

A waxwork of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is unveiled at the newly opened Madame Tussauds in Dubai. AFP

Wax figures of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and his Argentine rival Lionel Messi at Madame Tussauds Dubai. EPA

A waxwork of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madame Tussauds Dubai. AFP

Virat Kohli's waxwork at Madame Tussauds iDubai. AFP

A visitor next to the wax figure of boxing legend Muhammad Ali at the Madame Tussauds Dubai. EPA

India batsman Virat Kohli's waxwork at Madame Tussauds Dubai. AFP

A visitor poses with a waxwork of weightlifter Amna Al Haddad. AFP

English football great David Beckham's figure at Madame Tussauds Dubai. AFP

A waxwork of British F1 champion Lewis Hamilton at the newly opened Madame Tussauds Dubai. AFP

Waxwork of MMA and UFC star Conor McGregor. AFP

Conor McGregor's wax figure at Madame Tussauds Dubai. AFP

The UAE is the place to be at the moment for travellers across the globe. Expo 2020 and the T20 World Cup are already under way, with the upcoming UFC and Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix only adding to the status of the Emirates as a top destination for any visitor.

You can now add Madame Tussauds to the list. London's famous waxwork museum has opened its first outpost in the Gulf region in Dubai, coinciding with the influx of tourists for Expo 2020.

The Dubai branch has 60 sculptures of global stars, including football greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, India cricket star Virat Kohli, F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and UFC star Conor McGregor.

Fans will notice Ronaldo is wearing the Juventus jersey, which is understandable since his Manchester United move was finalised only in late August.

The sculptures are incredibly lifelike and are created following a meticulous process pioneered by founder Marie Tussaud. One sculpture can take up to 12 weeks to create, depending upon the level of detail required, and cost up to to Dh700,000 ($190,000).

Madame Tussauds Dubai is located on Bluewaters Island, and is within walking distance of Ain Dubai.

Visit madametussauds.com/dubai for more details.