In Dubai, which already has the tallest building in the world and other architectural marvels, businessman Michael Henderson wants to erect a 274-meter (900-foot) facsimile of the moon atop a 30-meter (100-foot) structure
Henderson’s MOON concept might sound fantastical, but it would fit right in in the futuristic city-state.
The moon-shaped mega-resort, which includes a nightclub and wellness centre, is expected to cost around the equivalent of £4.28 billion and is designed to host a staggering 2.5 million visitors annually.
Its enormous size—the sphere’s proposed circumference is 622-meters—means it might be able to generate more than £1.5 billion in only one year.
Henderson and others argue that his proposal, supported by Moon World Resorts Inc., where he is a co-founder, would not be so far-fetched, despite the fact that several large projects in the same city failed during a previous boom-and-bust cycle.
“We have the biggest “brand” in the world,’ Henderson said, claiming that the moon itself was his brand. “Eight billion people know our brand, and we haven’t even started yet.”
Henderson’s plan calls for building a destination resort inside the spherical structure, complete with a 4,000-room hotel, a 10,000-person arena, and a “lunar colony” that would let visitors experience walking on the moon.
The MOON would shine at night, perched on a circular structure that resembled a pedestal. Henderson spoke about the endeavour earlier in May in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market.
In an earlier statement, Henderson and co-founder Sandra G Matthews said Moon Dubai will ‘significantly impact every aspect of the UAE’s economy, including tourism’.
Also targeted are “transportation, commercial and residential real estate, infrastructure, financial services, aviation and space, energy, MICE, agriculture, technology and of course education.”
“[It] will be the largest and most successful modern-day tourism project in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, doubling annual tourism visitations to Dubai based on its global appeal, brand awareness and unique multiple integrated offerings,” the founders continued.
According to Middle East specialist and author of the recently released book “From Sheikhs to Sultanism,” Christopher Davidson, the MOON could easily fit into “the legitimacy formula of Dubai’s ruling elite.” Dubai is home to the UAE’s space facility, which has attempted to land a rover on the moon and sent a mission to Mars.
“They can be seen as a non-democratic elite but nonetheless believe strongly in science and progress — and that’s ultimately very legitimising and a megaproject like this would seem to tick all of those boxes,” Davidson said.
Henderson’s proposal would go further than other globe-shaped initiatives, such the $2.3 billion MSG Sphere, a dome covered in LED screens that is scheduled to debut in Las Vegas later this year.
His building would be completely spherical and could be lit like a full, half, or crescent moon.
“It’s hard to please everybody,” Henderson acknowledged. “You might need dark curtains.”
