Dubai Is Getting a $5 Billion Man-Made Moon

Reaching the moon is a dream that many people have. But while going on a trip into space to reach the real moon is not as easy as we’d like, people who visit Dubai might be able to get closer to it in a different way.

A Canadian entrepreneur came up with a proposal to create a man-made moon on top of a 30-meter building in Dubai. The moon replica would be 274 meters (900 feet) high and glow at night.

This endeavour might attract more people to an already popular destination. The moon will be more than just something beautiful to look at. It will include a nightclub, wellness centre, space tourism, and more.

How Dubai Changed Since 2009

Back in 2009, Dubai was affected by the financial crisis. Because of this, two man-made archipelagos, respectively Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali, remained unfinished. As a result, Abu Dhabi had to provide Dubai with a bailout of $20 billion.

Nowadays, Dubai is at a different level. 15 years later, it is a thriving destination. Rents are going up, while residential sales are growing in numbers.

“Dubai is in a completely different world compared to 2009,” said the Allsopp & Allsopp CEO, Lewis Allsopp. Launched products are “selling out on the spot.”

The Moon Project – What Will It Provide?

The man-made moon project, which is simply called MOON, is a proposal by Michael Henderson. On top of looking stunning and completely shifting the skyscraper-filled skyline of Dubai, it will also become a type of real moon that billionaire space tourists from our world can visit.

The project is worth $5 billion and will see the moon’s replica sit on top of a 30-meter or 100-foot building.

This moon will have an arena able to hold 10,000 people, a 4,000-room hotel, a destination resort, and more. It might even include a casino, although gambling is on shaky ground in the UAE.

According to Christopher Davidson, the writer of “From Sheikhs to Sultanism”, the MOON could fit well into the “legitimacy formula of Dubai’s ruling elite”.

“They can be seen as a non-democratic elite but nonetheless believe strongly in science and progress — and that’s ultimately very legitimizing and a megaproject like this would seem to tick all of those boxes,” Christopher Davidson said.

Brightness Issues with Neighbors

While the idea of an artificial moon in Dubai sounds amazing, not everyone might be thrilled about it. Since the MOON will be illuminated either full, half, or crescent, people who live nearby might find it too bright.

For instance, in London, there were plans to make another MSG sphere. People protested due to the light pollution, which led to the plans being disrupted.

Henderson argues that pleasing everyone is difficult and mentions that some individuals might need dark curtains.

After this project, Moon World Resorts hopes to license three more Moon Resorts in other parts of the world. These include Asia, Europe, and North America.