DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 29 (UPI) -- A ground-breaking ceremony was Tuesday at Universal Studios Dubailand in the United Arab Emirates, Universal announced.
Mohammed al-Habbai, chief executive officer of Dubailand, a member of Tatweer, and Laurent Jeanjean, vice president of Universal Studios Dubailand, a member of Tatweer, attended the ceremony and officially broke ground for the 7 million-square-foot, $1.25 billion theme park system, which is to include five "lands" and be completed in December 2010.
The ground-breaking ceremony featured appearances by Woody and Winnie Woodpecker from the Dubailand's planned Surf City Boardwalk park, a menacing raptor from Epic Adventures and two fierce Nubian guards from the Land of Legendary Heroes.
Hollywood, "bustling with energy and bursting with glitz and glamour," and New York, "bold and romantic as it appears in classic films," are the other two parks that will make up the Universal Studios Dubailand family, the company said.
"We are proud to announce the ground-breaking of Universal Studios Dubailand, the premiere theme park in the Middle East and the star of Dubailand," Jeanjean said in a statement.
