Dubai Sphere: MGM shares plans for $2 billion Las Vegas Sphere – inspired venue

MGM Resorts was founded in 1986 in Las Vegas and it is an American entertainment and hospitality company. They operate luxury hotels, casinos, and resorts which are filled with unimaginable entertainment, hospitality  and dining experiences. They extended their legacies in the following countries including the United States, Macau, China, and Dubai (future plans). In Dubai, they have planned to invest $2 billion for the commencement of the Dubai Sphere which got its inspiration from the Las Vegas Sphere. They shared their remarks about the immersive investment in the entertainment technologies which includes Sphere venues with 3D and 4D experiences. They target both leisure and business travellers.

MGM Resorts CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle said that the Dubai Sphere will be equally compelling as the Sphere in Las Vegas which was opened last year at Skift Forum. The approval for the construction of the sphere was cleared in 2017 by the UAE’s ruler. The hospitality, entertainment and the whole experience in Dubai Sphere will be the same as the Sphere in Las Vegas(LV). But the capacity of Dubai Sphere will be 300 seats which is not equal to the venue in LV which holds 18,600. The construction of Dubai Sphere is taking place under MGM Resorts independently. 

“There will be three properties sitting on a large podium and in the middle of it is a sphere. Not as big as the sphere in Las Vegas by any stretch but equally compelling. It has 300 seats with a mini showroom and the visual things you’d obviously do inside a sphere.

Once you get there and gaming is socially accepted – not for Emiratis by the way – but 80-90% of the [UAE] population are non-Emirati. India is a massive market, the rest of the Middle East could be massive, China will continue to come to Dubai, so we’re excited by what it presents and we hope to be there. We ended up in Dubai with a non-gaming hotel project.” said Bill Hornbuckle

“In 1985 it was desert and literally 35 years later it’s this ‘megatropolis’ with three million people. We’re going to tell that story.” Hornbuckle added