Dubai announces Mohammed Bin Rashid City mega-development

DUBAI // A new mega-development, possibly the largest in the country's history, was announced today by the Ruler of Dubai.
Mohammed Bin Rashid City will encompass sprawling parkland, the largest shopping mall in the world, and will include more than 100 hotels, golf courses, a hub for the arts and centres to develop small businesses.
The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and comes amid a general resurgence in the emirate's economy. "The current facilities available in Dubai need to be scaled up in line with the future ambitions for the city," said Sheikh Mohammed.
The development will be located between Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Road and Al Khail Road. It will include the Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens project, which was first announced in 2008. The original masterplan suggested the gardens would be 800 million square feet, and would cost $60 billion (Dh220bln) to construct. It is not clear whether the original plan is being utilised, or a new revised plan would be adopted.
The release said the park would be 30 per cent larger than Hyde Park in London, which is 15.2 million square feet. The project will also include the Mall of the World. It is anticipated the mall will have the capacity to handle 80 million visitors a year.
The mall will be partly developed by Universal Studios. Originally, it was planned that a Universal Studios theme park would be situated in the planned mega theme park, Dubailand. The project has been on hold and it is not clear whether the original plans will now be incorporated within the mall.
[e-mail]