The first permanent water production in Dubai is planned for launch in 2016, with the completion of the construction of a real water show theatre on Habtoor Island. This will be the fourth entertainment venue of this type in the whole world, alongside Las Vegas, Macau and the Han Show in Wuhan in Western China.
During a press conference, Mohammed Al Habtoor, Vice Chairman and CEO at Al Habtoor Group announced on April 23 the building of the unique attraction. The spectacular water production will be built in collaboration with Italian-Belgian theatre director Franco Dragone who became internationally famous for his work with Cirque du Soleil and singer Celine Dion. The water show theater is part of a larger project by Dubai developer Al Habtoor Group, the Metropolitan complex which will also consist of three luxury hotels and it would worth AED 4.7 billion. The hotels are planned to open for business by the end of 2015, and the water show theatre will be completed in January 2016.
The cost of the water show theatre is estimated at around AED 550 million. The venue is expected to attract thousands of visitors not only from the region, but from all around the world.
Designed by Paris-based Jean Rabasse, the water show theatre will have a capacity of 1,300 seats and will be 35 meters high so that performers will be able to dive from up to 25 meters high into a 5.5 meter deep pool. The show production itself will be a complex mixture of water elements, sound and lights which will create maybe the most extravagant show ever to be seen in Dubai. Some of the highlights of the project are the two-million-liter pool and the special hydraulic stage which will move during shows. The show is also expected to feature a giant waterfall done by special light and water effects. The fantastic project will involve more than 80 performers, both foreigners and Emiratis.
Producer of the project, Franco Dragone, Founder and Artistic Director of Franco Dragone Entertainment Group is known for his work with Cirque du Soleil and singer Celine Dion, but one of his latest projects, The House of Dancing Water at the City of Dreams in Macau became the largest water-based performance ever staged in the world. He is responsible for the creating of some of the largest shows, and the new water show theatre in Dubai is expected to combine in a unique way circus, opera, and musical and pair them with cutting-edge modern elements to create a breathtaking entertainment experience for the visitors.
