Beach football: Real Madrid launch plans for luxury $1billion holiday resort in the UAE
Twenty years ago, holidaymakers would have given barely a second’s thought to the idea of taking a sun-kissed break in the United Arab Emirates.
But this week has seen the endlessly ambitious Middle Eastern state chalk up another reason why tourists might want to spend a few days on its desert sands – assuming they happen to be football fans.
Futuristic: The resort will come with a marina laid out in the shape of the Real Madrid badge
Football giants Real Madrid have announced plans to build a themed holiday resort in the UAE, at the not inconsiderable cost of US$1billion (£631 million).
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Equipped with luxury hotels, villas, a marina, an amusement park and sporting facilities, Real Madrid Resort Island is expected to open in January 2015.
A colossal 430,000-square-metre facility, the resort is aiming to attract one million visitors in its first year.
However, unlike other celebrated holiday options that have appeared in the UAE – not least the Burj Al-Arab hotel, with its famous sail-shaped design – Real Madrid Resort Island will not be situated in the money-no-object emirate of Dubai.
Big plans: Real Madrid (with manager Jose Mourinho fourth left) launch the holiday resort at the Bernabeu
Instead, it will be situated on an artificial island in the north of the country, as part of the less-known emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
The Spanish football club hopes that the move will help strengthen its brand.
The resort was officially launched yesterday at the club’s Bernabeu stadium in central Madrid, with current stars of the team – including striker Karim Benzema and manager Jose Mourinho – wheeled out as part of a bells-and-whistles presentation.
‘It is a decisive and strategic step that will strengthen our institution in the Middle East and Asia,’ commented Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Of course, this is not the first time that a major sporting name has dipped its toe into the cash-rich waters of the Emirates.
Motoring icon Ferrari made the leap into tourism in 2010, launching Ferrari World on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. This huge amusement park plays host to Formula Rossa – the world’s fastest rollercoaster.
Va-va-vroom: Ferrari World opened in Abu Dhabi in November 2010
Nor are sporting legends the only major players to be lured to the UAE.
As of 2014, culture vultures will be able to flock to the new Louvre Abu Dhabi museum – an official off-shoot of the great art gallery in Paris.
Not to be outdone, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is expected to be completed next year.
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