The wonders of the world are to be replicated in an ambitious Dh5.5 billion project called the Falcon City of Wonders at Dubailand.
Shaped like a falcon as a symbol of the UAE's heritage, the city features structures based on ancient and modern wonders of the world, such as the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
The project was launched yesterday at a ceremony attended by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Falcon City significantly complements the vision of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, to turn Dubai into one of the leading tourist destinations in the world, said Salem Al Moosa, chairman and chief executive officer of Falcon City of Wonders LLC.
"The project will effectively be a land of civilisations, creating an exotic ambience for visitors, while educating them about the culture, tradition and lifestyles of people from different ages. It is this distinctive nature of Falcon City of Wonders that sets it apart from developments elsewhere in the region," he said. The city comprises apartments, villas, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, health clubs and spas, schools and parks.
Spread over four million square metres the city is divided into five overlapping phases, with the first expected to begin by the first quarter of next year.
Finance for the project will be raised through a mix of banks, investors and sales of commercial and residential properties, said Al Moosa.
"Falcon City of Wonders has already signed agreements with leading local and international design offices to develop concept designs for the major constituent structures of the project," said Mahmoud Rayyan, project manager, Falcon City of Wonders.
"These structures, modelled after the world's wonders, will be larger than the originals. The Eiffel Tower structure will be 70 feet taller than the real one in Paris and the Taj Mahal area will be 150 per cent larger than the one in Agra, India," he said.
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