The world’s largest domed city
July 15, 2014
Dubai Holding plans to build the world’s largest domed city: Mall of the World, in Dubai. The temperature-controlled city (also a first) will occupy a total area of 48 million square feet — the largest indoor theme park in the world. It will be covered by a glass dome that will be open during the winter months.
The project will also house the largest shopping mall in the world, with an area of 8 million sq. ft. in the form of a temperature-controlled covered retail street network spreading over 7 kilometers. It will also include 20,000 hotel rooms catering to all types of tourists, and a cultural district with theaters built around New York’s Broadway, Ramblas Street in Barcelona, and London’s Oxford Street.
Also included: a 3 million sq. ft. wellness zone catering to medical tourists, dedicated to providing wellness and rejuvenation services. “It will offer a holistic experience to medical tourists and their families, ensuring access to quality healthcare, specialized surgical procedures and cosmetic treatments, wellness facilities, and high-end hospitality options, according to a Dubai Holding statement.
Expected to take ten years to complete, Mall of the World is intended to become a year-round destination, welcoming around 180 million visitors annually.
The project was announced by UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Commenting on the new project, HH Sheikh Mohammed said: “The growth in family and retail tourism underpins the need to enhance Dubai’s tourism infrastructure as soon as possible. This project complements our plans to transform Dubai into a cultural, tourist and economic hub for the two billion people living in the region around us; and we are determined to achieve our vision.”