Consul General Mr Francisco Alonso leads visiting students from Tecnologico de Monterrey
KidZania® was originally conceptualised in Mexico
Dubai, UAE; September 26, 2009: It was home-coming with a difference for the Mexican student delegation from Tecnologico de Monterrey University, recently in Dubai to evaluate investment opportunities in the market for Mexican companies.
The premier university in Mexico works with the KidZania® team for educational research. KidZania®, which is Mexico's most popular children's entertainment centre will be brought to the Middle East region for the first time at The Dubai Mall. For the students, therefore, it was a perfect opportunity to evaluate how KidZania® has been tailored for the Arab world. The first KidZania® opened in 1999 in Mexico City and attracted over 760,000 visitors during its first year.
Mr Francisco Alonso, Consul General of Mexico in Dubai, headed the student delegation on the tour of KidZania®, which will soon open at the Entertainment Precinct on Level 2 of The Dubai Mall. Mr Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail, welcomed them and led them on the tour of the site.
The award-winning children's edutainment concept is spread over 80,000 sq ft, and is in effect a mini-city featuring life-sized streets, buildings and shops scaled down to a smaller, child-friendly size. KidZania® allows children to dress up and role-play by performing realistic tasks in a fun and meaningful way. Children can choose from 70 different real-life roles ranging from pilots, doctors, firefighters, teachers, construction workers, artists and mechanics.
Mr Alonso, said: "We are very proud that KidZania® is opening its doors in Dubai to show a project that has been very helpful in the education of new Mexican generations. I am positive that KidZania®'s new facilities and its magnificent quality will be a success, and it will be an added attraction for Dubai. KidZania® will be, without any question, a great place for kids in Dubai."
Mr Amiri said: "It was our privilege to host Mr Francisco Alonso and the student delegation at KidZania®. The educational content of the children's entertainment zone is periodically revised and developed through the Tecnologico de Monterrey, and the visit of students from the prestigious institution gave added insight to them on theme parks in different parts of the world."
Tecnologico de Monterrey is the sponsor of the University establishment at KidZania® Monterrey, Mexico. Children visiting the mini-city can learn about different subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics and maths. After spending time at the 'university' the children are rewarded with degrees with which they are able to earn more KidZos (the official currency of KidZania®) when they do any activities in establishments relating to their area of study. The end result is that the children learn that with more education they have the opportunity to earn higher salaries.
The operations team of KidZania® explained to the delegation the novel features of the edutainment centre in Dubai and how the various components have been tailored for a local audience. The content of the activities in each establishment can be linked to many school subjects. As part of the educational aspect of KidZania®, the activities contribute to the development of skills and attitudes, stimulate creative thinking, strengthen the self-esteem and confidence of children and foster interaction amongst children.
The Dubai Mall's Entertainment Precinct also features SEGA Republic, a 76,000 sq ft indoor theme park; and the 22-screen Reel Cinemas with a seating capacity of up to 2,800 seats.
-Ends-
For further information, please contact:
Roisin Lillis
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
E-mail: r.lillis@asdaa.com , m.hassan@asdaa.com
© Press Release 2009
