Abu Dhabi will host MEAAPLE event
A new amusement industry trade show has been announced for the Middle East. CMP International (CMPi), owner of the UK’s Leisure Industry Week, plans to stage a new event starting 2009 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Middle East Amusements, Attractions, Parks, Leisure and Entertainment (MEAAPLE) will target all those involved in the development, operation management and maintenance of amusements, attractions, theme parks and leisure and entertainment facilities across the Middle East.
The event will take place within the new Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), in which CMPi is a partner, in February of 2009, exact dates to be confirmed.
The number of themed entertainment projects being developed in the Middle East continues to grow at a frenetic rate. Current estimates suggest that over the next 20 years, upwards of US$3 trillion is going directly into leisure and tourism and indirectly into the supporting infrastructure in the region.
Some of the major amusement developments in the Middle East include the US$3 billion Attractions and Experience World at Dubailand, Entertainment City in Qatar, Iceberg Towers in Bahrain, and the Warner Bros and Ferrari theme parks in Abu Dhabi. Many cite this latter Emirate in particular as the next big destination, watching and learning from the mistakes of Dubai.
