Dubailand, HIT Entertainment in Alliance for New Theme Park

LONDON/DUBAI, February 21:
Dubailand, a member of Tatweer, has formed an alliance with HIT Entertainment
to develop a diverse portfolio of family entertainment projects in Dubai, including
a “Little Big Club” theme park designed around characters such as Barney, Pingu,
Bob the Builder and Thomas
& Friends.

The 25,000 square feet
indoor/outdoor “Little Big Club” project will be located in the Global Village
at Dubailand, a tourism, leisure and entertainment destination in Dubai. The
project represents a multimillion dirham (AED) investment in the permanent
Global Village, which is set to open its doors in the last quarter of 2008.

The “Little Big Club” is
designed around Barney, Pingu, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends with themed rides and indoor and outdoor
play-centers. The “Little Big Club” will also feature party and educational
function spaces and a theatre that will present mini live shows and screen the
most popular television shows produced by HIT Entertainment, as well as
first-run productions.

Dubailand and HIT
Entertainment will also work together to develop new concepts, including live
shows and a diverse mix of music and entertainment, themed restaurants and
retail outlets that will be open all year round.

The HIT Entertainment
“Little Big Club” in the Global Village at Dubailand will be brought to life by
RMA, the U.K.-based theme park designers. RMA will design the park layout,
rides and project-manage all architectural, scenic and technical aspects of the
club.

Mohammed Al Habbai, the
CEO of Dubailand, said: “The alliance with HIT Entertainment is a continuation
of our strategy of bringing the world’s most prestigious names in the leisure
and entertainment industries to Dubailand. HIT Entertainment joins an
illustrious portfolio of Tatweer-owned investments formed by Bawadi, The Tiger
Woods Dubai, Universal Studios Dubailand and Dreamworks Animation Park, in
addition to Dubailand itself and the Global Village.”

Bruce Steinberg, the CEO of HIT Entertainment, added: “We are thrilled to be
launching the world’s first HIT Entertainment ‘Little Big Club’ attraction in
Dubai and view it as tremendous opportunity to be working with Dubailand, a
world-class development company.”

Continued Steinberg: “Barney, Pingu,
Bob the Builder and Thomas
& Friends are brands that are
loved by children and trusted by parents. With the launch of our new ‘Little
Big Club’, children and families will be able to experience their favorite
brands in a new and unique way. This project represents an important strategic
direction for the company and ushers in a new era for our live events and
attractions business.”

—By Irene Lew