Dubai is pulling out all the stops to achieve its goal of hosting 20 million annual visitors by 2020.
Citing state news agency WAM, Reuters reports the United Arab Emirates' largest city is set to break ground on a $1.7 billion tourist project known as Marsa Al Arab.
The 4 million-square-foot development will comprise two manmade islands straddling the five-star Burj Al Arab hotel.
One island will house 140 luxury villas, 300 residential apartments, a private marina and a helipad while the other will be used for entertainment. Highlights will include a water park and a theater, according to WAM.
The villas will be operated by the Jumeirah Group.
According to the Khaleej Times, the Wild Wadi Water Park will be relocated closer to the beach in a move that will more than double the park's current size. Meanwhile, the theater will have the capacity for 1,700 people and host Cirque du Soleil shows.
Altogether, Marsa Al Arab will add 1.4 miles of beach to Dubai's coastline.
Work is expected to begin next month, and the new attraction should be completed by late 2020. Marsa Al Arab is one of many ambitious projects the destination has undertaken in an effort to ramp up its appeal ahead of the World Expo 2020.
"The launch of this new and ambitious project is in line with the directives of the visionary leadership to provide the finest and rewarding tourism experiences for visitors to Dubai," Dubai Holding chairman Abdulla Al Habbai said via the Times.
Dubai Holding is managing Marsa Al Arab.
"The project will support Emiratisation in the tourism sector by providing new job opportunities and encouraging Emiratis to commit their innovative and creative ideas to this vital sector," Al Habbai added.
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If ultimately completed, the Marsa Al Arab project could join a slew of other exciting developments in Dubai, including the world's first rotating hotel along with a 1,000-foot-tall base jumping and rock climbing tower.
Having hosted 4.6 million tourists during the first quarter of 2017, according to Dubai Tourism data, the destination appears well on its way to reaching its goal by the end of the decade.
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