Lego models recreating the Dubai skyline and India's iconic Taj Mahal are just some of the sights wowing visitors at Legoland Dubai. The recently-opened Lego-inspired theme park is the latest addition to the Dubai Parks and Resorts complex, which spans a whopping 2.8 million square metres on the edge of the city.
A giant human-sized Lego character in a period costume waves at visitors inside the newly opened Legoland Dubai.
The long-awaited Lego theme park features 15,000 Lego model structures. Altogether, the park is made up of a whopping 60 million Lego blocks.
Theme park artists used lego blocks to recreate some of Dubai's most iconic landmarks, along with a Lego version of the Taj Mahal.
The theme park is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, an attraction complex that cost three billion US dollars.
"So we're very excited we have the public opening of Dubai Legoland today. Legoland is an awesome experience we have over forty rides, shows and attractions. There's an indoor Miniland, the first ever in the world, where we built an air conditioned mini-land dome in a Legoland park so there are a lot of things for families with children 2-12 to do, it's a full day experience for the whole family," said Siegfried Boerst, general manager of Legoland Dubai.
A 17-metre tall replica of the Burj Khalifa stands at the centre of Miniland, made of 439,000 Lego blocks. It took over 5,000 hours to construct.
Boerst says he hopes the intricacy as well as the scale of the models will appeal to children.
"So when we build a Miniland we always choose models from the region, so here obviously you see Sheikh Zayed Road with the Burj Khalifa, the tallest Lego model ever built in a Miniland, and you see it's all animated so we're trying to educate the children and have fun that they look at all the small details as well," said Siegfried Boerst.
Children have the opportunity to ride in Lego model planes, test their driving skills at a replica "driving school", indulge in a Medieval themed world, and build and test their own Lego creations.
"All the different sets that they have, we can build in different worlds and stuff, so when you buy a different set, you can build a different world and connect two worlds together to make one big one you know? It's like that," said eight year old visitor Jack Guzman.
The Dubai Parks and Resorts complex is by no means complete.
Alongside the new Legoland, the complex is set to include a movie-themed Motiongate park, a Bollywood park, a hotel and shopping district and even a Six Flags amusement park by late 2019.
