Busch to build four parks in Dubai.

[PcMan]

Busch to build four parks in Dubai.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation

Ok SIX is missing out on this opportunity Dubai is growing like crazy and people from all over the world are/will be traveling there like they do to Disney but in a bigger way


UPDATE (11:07 a.m.): Jim Atchison, Busch Entertainment Corp.'s president, just confirmed it: The company will build four parks in Dubai.

Busch Entertainment Corp. is expected to announce this morning that it will build a mega-resort in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates city that is rapidly emerging as one of Orlando's biggest rivals on the global tourism stage.

Busch, the parent company of SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and the soon-to-open Aquatica water park and Tampa Bay's Busch Gardens, has scheduled a formal announcement for 11 a.m. this morning at SeaWorld. The company is billing the announcement as "the most significant news in our history."

Busch would follow Universal Parks & Resorts, which announced last spring that it will build a resort called "Universal Studios Dubailand." The resort, which will be comparable in size to Universal Studios Orlando, is expected to open by 2010. Universal hopes it will ultimately draw 5 million visitors a year.

UPDATE (10:50 a.m.): A publication called the Khaleej Times just reported on its website that Busch and a UAE partner have agreed to build a SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove on a man-made island in Dubai. The publication, citing a press release prepared by Busch, says the first phase of the project is expected to open in 2012 and that the project iwll also include resort hotels, spas, shops and restaurants.

-- Scott Powers and Jason Garcia

[WadeJ]

This was my first guess when I heard rumors.  Snart move as Dubai will soon surpass the USA sadly.

[rjholla2003]

Killer Whale shaped island?!  Awesome!

SIX was looking into Dubai, but they wanted to do like Disney and have someone else front the capital.  I don't think that'll happen anytime soon.

[David Jr]

Six doesn't have the money to do something like this, sadly.

[Dubya91]

This was my first guess when I heard rumors.  Snart move as Dubai will soon surpass the USA sadly.

They will, you think even with all the facelifts going on in Orlando?

[rjholla2003]

Easily.  Dubai's looking past oil since it's running out fast.  I think they only have something like 20 years left in the oil game before they run dry, so they turned to the world's largest mega industry to spurn their economy: Leisure and Tourism.  Gotta love my major.

[Robert T Ackerman]

Wonderful... now I have to add one more place to my list of places to go before I die. I can't wait.