The planned SR11 trillion Middle East spending on theme parks and other leisure and tourism projects in the next 20 years will boost outdoor living, and sales of garden and landscaping product and services according to recent reports. Underscoring the heightened demand for this industry with the support of RTA (Roads & Transport Authority of Dubai), was the Garden and Landscaping Middle East exhibition which was concluded on Tuesday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. “Current estimates put the region's attractions, entertainment, and leisure segment at SR36 billion ($10 billion), with yearly growth at 20-25 percent,” said Eckhard Pruy, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “The annual growth rate for the amusement sector in Middle East, Europe and Africa region is slated to be over 5 percent to 2011, with much of that growth predicted to come from the Middle East.” This massive spending on theme parks would boost demand for gardening equipment and products, as well as services of landscaping design companies, and landscaped artists is set to dramatically increase over the years in the Middle East, as the planned international franchises of theme parks come on stream. Upcoming attractions in the region include Dubailand, Restless Planet and Universal Studios Dubailand, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, Entertainment City in Qatar, Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, the Warner Bros-themed park in Abu Dhabi, the Marvel Entertainment Theme Park in Dubai, the WOW RAK theme park complex in Ras Al Khaimah, and the Paramount Pictures-branded theme park in Dubai. Dubailand, a $64 billion tourism, leisure and entertainment project being built in the emirate. __
