The shareholders have approved yesterday the enhancement of both Motiongate Dubai and Bollywood Parks Dubai, with the addition of 10-12 attractions between them, including world record thrill rides.
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The shareholders have approved yesterday the enhancement of both Motiongate Dubai and Bollywood Parks Dubai, with the addition of 10-12 attractions between them, including world record thrill rides.
Yes- sad but very true. It is the result of poor up-front planning and quite frankly erratic leadership and financial ambiguity. No need to go into the design mishaps that have been well covered here.
Many Many good, talented people have been let go and some deservedly so after being paid a small fortune with luke warm results. Thats the UAE way.
Everyone loses except for the few that ran off with better bank accounts.
DXB had better get their act together for the remaining Parks and Riverland that are marginally performing.
Otherwise this obituary will only be the first chapter.
Six Flags Dubai has now been officially halted due to funding for the project no longer being available
You can read the full disclosure here: https://twitter.com/isiemzhabzy91fw/status/1093404327765573632
Here's a full timeline of Six Flags' failures in Dubai, which spans over a decade:
(March 4, 2008) Six Flags announces an agreement with Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holding, to build Six Flags Dubailand http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=61629&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1115158
(March 10, 2011) Six Flags announces that in 2010 due to a lack of payment they had terminated their agreement with Tatweer to build Six Flags Dubailand http://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/s/NYSE_SIX_2010.pdf
(April 10, 2014) Six Flags announces a new strategic partnership with Meraas Leisure and Entertainment to build Six Flags Dubai as part of what will become Dubai Parks and Resorts https://investors.sixflags.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2014/04-10-2014
(March 28, 2016) DXB Entertainments, owned by Meraas, announces that the company is seeking to raise money to finance the development of Six Flags Dubai https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/dubai-amusement-park-plans-to-add-454-million-six-flags/2271032
(April 11, 2016) DXB Entertainments announces that it has secured partial funding to build Six Flags Dubai https://www.dxbentertainments.com/investor-relations/dubai-parks-and-resorts-pjsc-secures-aed-993-million-in-syndicated-debt-for-six-flags-theme-park/
(April 19, 2016) DXB Entertainments announces the launch of a Rights Issue intended to raise additional funding for Six Flags Dubai https://www.dxbentertainments.com/investor-relations/dubai-parks-and-resorts-pjsc-launches-aed-1-68-billion-rights-issue/
(July 3, 2016) DXB Entertainments breaks ground on Six Flags Dubai https://content.sixflags.com/dubai/dubai-parks-and-resorts-breaks-ground-on-the-construction-of-six-flags-dubai-theme-park/
(August 9, 2018) DXB Entertainments announces that the board is mandating management to evaluate DXB Entertainments’ future development plans and capital deployment which includes Six Flags Dubai https://www.dxbentertainments.com/investor-relations/dxb-entertainments-pjsc-announces-first-half-2018-financial-results/
(November 6, 2018) DXB Entertainments announces that management's strategic review may delay the opening of Six Flags Dubai https://www.dxbentertainments.com/investor-relations/dxb-entertainments-pjsc-announces-financial-results-for-first-nine-months-of-2018/
(February 6, 2019) DXB Entertainments announces that Six Flags Dubai cannot proceed at this time due to funding not being available https://twitter.com/isiemzhabzy91fw/status/1093404327765573632
The rumor is probably getting even worse from Screamscape...
Source: http://www.screamscape.com/html/dubai_parks_-_resorts.htm#GeneralScreamscape sources have quietly sent in a little more information regarding the fate of Six Flags Dubai. According to what I’m told the funding for the park was pulled back in October, which would match up with the reports that leaked to the local news sources a few weeks later that the entire Six Flags Dubai project was undergoing “a board-mandated review”.
According to the latest gossip, this sudden stop the project underwent after construction has already been well under way on the site, followed by this latest development, has not been well received by the many ride companies and vendors involved with the project. I’m not going to list company names, but a good number of well known ride companies were involved and were building, or had already built, ride hardware for this park and were awaiting assembly as well as payment.
From the sound of things, many were on board as they have previously been partners with Six Flags before at their US based theme parks… but Dubai Parks & Resorts was the true owner of Six Flags Dubai and in the end, was the one footing the bill for the project, which now looks to be leaving some big names in a very awkward position. Word is some of them have asked Six Flags to bring the projects to their US parks, but the cost to launch a whole new theme park ride collection into the chain all at once would be cost prohibitive. Maybe a ride or two perhaps could find their way to the US, but then again Six Flags is also involved with building parks in China right now as well as an alternative.
Well that's interesting. But is it the design of the park that is really the problem? I think the problem is less about the design of Six Flags and more about the overall resort just not drawing the numbers needed. Design aside, I think if I were at the helm of DP&R I would want to pause SF for the time being so I can focus ensuring the current parks can draw and generate the revenue needed.
Project is not cancelled, but they got rid of all of the DPR construction senior staff 2 weeks ago.
That makes a lot of sense to me.
Can you tease us on some of the design improvements?
The construction stopped because of changing the design to enhance the park. it does not mean it is cancelled, its going to happen. Changes are being made in the park to avoid mistakes which happened before. The park is not going to open in 2019 for sure, they push it to sometimes end of 2020 or 2021.
I am trying to stop all the rumours who got their info from people or by looking in the site.
As I said earlier, the park is happening, most of the rides arrived in Dubai, believe me it's not cancelled
In the Loop has a construction update video on this (along with SeaWorld Abu Dhabi)
Wanted to chime in as I was there last week and I see my photos shared in the thread. The park isn't happening. 2019, 2020 or likely ever. Not only has no progress been made in almost a year, in the two days I stayed at the hotel overlooking the site I saw zero people on the site. At least the SeaWorld Abu Dhabi site I saw a bulldozer moving around. Heck, even part of the construction wall has fallen down and no one bothered to put it back up. Plus DP&R needs to focus on their current parks first. I visited LEGOLAND and didn't see another guest until 45 mins after the park opened. When I was in Motiongate midday I had the entire How To Train Your Dragon section to myself.
The location is horrible. Referencing the nearby Palm project makes the matter worse. That project halted construction and was put on hold before ground even broke for Dubai Parks and Resorts. Work was suspended for 4 years before DP&R broke ground. If they were hoping for the Palm to bring in people to the area then it was quite the risk to go up against a project that was shuttered for 4 years already at that point. Now to make matters worse all that land is basically preventing anyone else from coming in and building something else nearby. Best thing that can happen for the location (besides Palm happening, which I doubt) is the company giving up on the Palm and some other resort coming into that area.
Speaking of the outlet mall - it looks nice, but should've been built more as part of the property maybe right up against Riverland. I tried to walk from Lapita and security stopped and questioned me twice. They were shocked someone who walk there. Sure it is "close" but I think not close enough. Could've been really neat to basically blend the outlets with Riverland.
Extending the Metro sounds like a good idea but have you taken the Metro is is slow. I took it the first few days in town last week than had to give up because it was much quicker (and not much more costly) to take a cab. Extending down to DP&R means you would be looking at likely probably a 1.5 hour travel time from Burj Khalifa area, or at least a hour from the New City area. But yes they have started running buses as of late.
To me one of the issues is such a large portion of Dubai visitors are on extended layovers - no one has the time or desire to travel that far South. And if you are in Abu Dhabi why drive past WB for DP&R when WB is one of the greatest parks built?
With that all said I think the area could benefit from a thrill park. I heard numerous people talking about Six Flags and even Cedar Point in line for some of the rides at Motiongate and IMG. "Would be awesome to see big coasters here." I love me some dark rides, but I think part of the problem of the UAE parks is they are all somewhat similar with great trackless dark rides. I don't think the area can support another park at the moment, but if and when it can I think a thrill park is the best thing vs another box of awesome dark rides. To the general public I wonder how much difference they see between Motiongate, IMG and WB.