Madame Tussauds to open in Dubai this year

Our Correspondent

The world-famous wax museum Madame Tussauds is set to open in Dubai later in 2021. Although it was expected to open in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had put a spoke on plans.

The attraction will be located in the Bluewaters island in Dubai, next to Ain Dubai, the world’s largest Ferris wheel. The UAE venue will have seven themed rooms.

Visitors can stand close and take pictures with 60 celebrities, including wax figures from the Middle East region. Members of the UAE royal family will also figure in the list.

The announcement of its opening was made Merlin Entertainments Ltd (Merlin), the second largest attraction operator in the world. First announced in 2008, and confirmed in 2016, the project got pushed to 2020 and now 2021.

Madame Tussauds was first opened in 1835 in London by sculptor Marie Tussaud. It has venues worldwide, including in New York City, Sydney, Beijing and Istanbul.

Sanaz Kollsrud, general manager of Madame Tussauds Dubai, said: “This will be the 25th edition of our wax attraction and will be a first in the GCC.”

To create a single lifelike figure, an artist takes 12 weeks in all. He needs to document 500 precise body measurements, insert real hair strand by strand, apply countless layers of paints to build up the skin tones, and so on during this period.

This entire process helps to achieve the uncanny resemblance to the original person. The time and craftsmanship is also reflected in the value of the figure, which can cost up to a whopping Dh700,000 depending on the detail required.

Visit www.madametussauds.com for more information.