As Dubai prepares to go head-to-head with Orlando for the title of attractions capital of the world, the city’s multi-billion dollar Dubai Parks and Resorts development has announced that it will officially open to the public on 31 October.

The unique destination, which features three major theme parks and will later gain a fourth under the Six Flags umbrella, will be at the heart of what has been dubbed ‘Orlando 2.0’, with other major developments including a Fox theme park to open in 2018 and IMG Worlds of Adventure, which opens on 15 August.

“Just like Orlando, which is a destination city for theme parks, that’s what is going to end up happening here in Dubai,” said Matthew Priddy, chief technical officer for the US$2.9bn (€2.6bn, £2.2bn) Dubai Parks and Resorts development, speaking to Attractions Management earlier in the year.

“I can think of half-a-dozen theme park projects under development in the area, not to mention the 2020 Expo,” he continued. “We look at those projects as complementary as they make people looking for that destination stay maybe a week as opposed to a couple of days. When that critical mass is in play then you’re going to have a regionally beneficial development from a both tourist and economical standpoint.”

Incorporating Bollywood Parks Dubai, Motiongate Dubai, and Legoland Dubai, the theme park resort will also feature a themed retail, dining, and entertainment experience known as Riverland Dubai and a Polynesian-themed family resort by the Marriott Autograph Collection.

The resort will be the largest in the Gulf region, using world class ride developers for its parks, including Mack, Gerstlauer, ETF, Zamperla, S&M, Dynamic Attractions, Holovis and Simworx.

“This has been a long-time coming and I can’t say enough about how excited we are to welcome our guests,” said Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, CEO of Dubai Parks and Resorts. “Nothing of this magnitude has ever been done before, and we look forward to offering our guests unforgettable rides, attractions and experiences. As the largest entertainment destination in the region, Dubai Parks and Resorts will create jobs in Dubai, support the UAE’s tourism vision and help to grow the leisure industry in the region.”