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Passed by the City of Arabia site today, it looks like always, the same deserted Mall of Arabia pillars, and a few delayed or abandoned residential buildings scattered around the site. No idea where they would be wanting to (or be able to) build and open a huge Marvel indoor park by the end of 2013!?

No Disney Imagineers involved:

"The significantly scaled-down Marvel Adventure entertainment center promises to have 'interactive entertainment experiences' featuring Marvel characters. While officials have yet to announce any attractions, the new Dubailand park will likely have smaller attractions rather than larger rides," the paper notes.

Disney told the Times that it has only licensed the use of the characters for the project and won't involve Walt Disney Imagineering or its theme park operations.

Source:
http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2012/06/disney-sending-marvel-comicbooks-heroes-to-dubai-theme-park-/792200/1

The answer to the Disney Imagineer question is NO:

The MARVEL name and characters have been licensed to the IMG Group by MARVEL Entertainment. Marvel Adventure is owned, managed and operated by the IMG Group which has developed the complex including the interactive entertainment experiences.

The overall facility for the themed entertainment destination will be in excess of 1.2 million sq. feet in its first stage and will be the largest temperature controlled indoor entertainment destination in the world. It is designed to attract 10,000 plus visitors per day.

...and to be honest the whole thing doesn't sound much like a theme park, more like a playground with lots of merchandise:

The initial plans for the family entertainment centre include:
• Merchandise & Retail outlets stocking a full range of MARVEL merchandise
• Food and Beverage facilities covering a wide range of international cuisines
• Interactive entertainment experiences based on MARVEL characters
• Acres of common areas and facilities

Source for both quotes:
http://www.imgaladari.com/

Groundbreaking took place already! Wonder if someone lives close by and can post some pictures of the site?

The crazy thing is that this Marvel experience would actually be a Disney theme park. In Dubai. When the original Marvel outdoor theme park was announced for Dubailand years back, the brand hasn't been acquired by Disney yet. Does that mean that Disney Imagineers are actually designing the park? Read this:

The Marvel Adventurefamily entertainment center is expected to open in late 2013 in the United Arab Emirates with superhero-themed attractions, restaurants and shops. The eight-acre indoor mini theme park will be part of the $5-billion City of Arabia entertainment, commercial and residential development in Dubailand.

Plans for a full-size Marvel theme park in Dubai were initially announced in 2007 before the global economic downturn put the brakes on a number of ambitious yet unrealized Middle East projects by some of the biggest names in the theme park industry, including Universal Studios, Legoland, SeaWorld, Six Flags and Busch Gardens.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in March that Walt Disney Imagineering artists were working on preliminary designs and attraction concepts involving Marvel characters intended for theme parks "in a few places around the world."

It appears Marvel Adventure will be the first Disney park to feature Marvel characters, but likely not the last.

Source:
http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/themeparks/la-trb-disney-marvel-adventure-dubai-06201227,0,6881071.story

This announcement is interesting and raises thousands of questions.

What happened to the Restless Planet indoor theme park planned for the City of Arabia?
And to its dinosaurs stored in Japan?
And its dark rides made by Mack?
Will the Marvel indoor theme park replace it?
Will it consequently be part of the Mall of Arabia?
Will the Mall of Arabia happen, at all?
It refers to Marvel 'theme park', but doesn't mention any rides in the article?
Consequently, will this be a theme park, or just a branded experience?
Will it have anything in common with the Marvel outdoor theme park originally planned for Dubailand?
And how can it be possible that it will be operating by end of 2013? They didn't even start yet!

Sorry, no space here to ask the remaining 990 questions, but I do have them!

Marvel Adventure, a new indoor family entertainment centre, is scheduled to open its doors to superheroes and comic book fanatics by the end of 2013 in the City of Arabia development on Emirates Road. It will include retail outlets, restaurants and a range of interactive experiences featuring Marvel characters.

The announcement comes in the middle of a blockbuster summer for superhero films at cinemas across the UAE.

Marvel's The Avengers had the biggest industry opening ever in the Middle East and the film is already one of the most successful of all time in terms of box office takings. It has made more than Dh10 million in the UAE since its launch in May, according to distributors, Italia Films.

Source:
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/industry-insights/tourism/spider-sense-tingling-marvel-theme-park-coming-to-dubai

I can confirm first hand that nothing has changed in Dubailand since 2008, theme park wise. Whatever attraction is being announced, there is absolutely nothing happening on the ground.

News from City of Arabia:

The developer of City of Arabia, Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group (IMG), has obtained the support of two banking institutions in the Middle East to finance an indoor amusement park of about 27,5 acres / 11 hectares which opening is scheduled in late 2013 in South Dubai, UAE.

The IMG Theme Park - which is the name currently used for the project - should accommodate innovative rides and one of the region's largest roller coasters. In this regard, the German manufacturer Mack Rides has already confirmed during the last IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo that one of their Launch Coasters (similar to Blue Fire at Europa-Park) has been ordered. IMG also announced it has signed several licensing agreements with international companies for the use of their concepts and characters, without any specific details so far.

Source:
http://www.newsparcs.com/en/article/00005840-green_light_for_the_construction_of_an_indoor_theme_park_in_dubai_uae

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The Tiger Woods golf course for Dubai has been suspended:

http://blog.oceanvillasgroup.com/tiger-woods-dubai-golf-course-shelved/

I have been by the area and they completed about 8 holes. But work stopped and the desert is reclaiming the area. If they ever restart it, then it will have to built pretty much from the beginning.

This is from a blog and could therefore be incorrect information.