New Dubai Sphere: MGM's $2 Billion Attraction

Another 'Sphere' is coming to Earth, this time in Dubai. MGM Resorts is building its own 'Dubai Sphere,' which CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle promises will be 'as impressive as the Las Vegas Sphere.'

MGM Resorts' $2 billion project in Dubai has been in the works since 2017. The emirate's ruler announced and approved the project, but there has been little progress over the years. Only this year was the construction contract awarded for the development, which includes three MGM Resorts brands: MGM, Bellagio, and Aria, with a Sphere at the center.

Hornbuckle stated on stage at the Skift Global Forum on Thursday: '[In Dubai] there will be three properties on a big podium, and a sphere in the middle. It won't be anywhere near the size of the Las Vegas Sphere, but it will be just as impressive. There's a 300-seat mini auditorium and the visual things you obviously do within a sphere.'

'It will also feature a show that tells the history of Dubai. When I first went there, I thought [of Dubai] as Las Vegas on steroids,' Hornbuckle said. 'In 1985, it was still desert, and literally, 35 years later, it's this 'megatropolis' of three million people. We're going to tell that story.'

The Dubai version of the sphere would be smaller in terms of capacity than the Sin City location. Initially, the Dubai Sphere was planned to be part of a 110-meter entertainment tower located in the center of the complex, offering 3D light and sound effects for up to 300 guests at a time. The Las Vegas Sphere stands 112 meters tall but is much larger, with 18,600 seats.

Hornbuckle clarified that the Dubai Sphere is not part of Sphere Entertainment, the team behind the Las Vegas Sphere. Currently, MGM is constructing the site by itself but would be open to bringing in a partner later on.

Sphere Entertainment executives have previously said they would license a smaller venue if it helped with global expansion. MSG Executive Chairman and CEO Dolan told Variety last year that 'building more Spheres around the world is definitely a big part of the business plan.' 'Different sizes, by the way – probably not larger than Las Vegas but we've gone through architectural design and drawings for smaller Spheres for smaller markets.'

Progress in Dubai There's no opening date for the MGM Resorts Dubai project, but Hornbuckle said on stage that progress has been made. Currently, it's a non-gaming complex, but those plans could change. Speaking about the potential for a casino license in Dubai, he said the cultural shift in the country has already taken place.

'Once you get there, and gaming becomes socially accepted – not for the Emirates' residents, by the way – but 80-90% of the [UAE] population isn't Emirati. India is a huge market, the rest of the Middle East could also be huge, China will continue to come to Dubai, so we're excited about the possibilities and hope to be there.'

'Ultimately, we embarked on a non-gaming hotel project in Dubai – a big one – over $2 billion in MGM, Bellagio, and Aria. There are numerous places where Dubai actually wants gaming.'

MGM spokesperson clarified after Hornbuckle's remarks: 'There is no statement or announcement about gaming [for Dubai], we just hope that as the region opens up to gaming, there will be opportunities, but so far we've only applied for a gaming license in Abu Dhabi.'

Wasl is MGM's partner in Dubai, a significant hotel owner and developer in the city with close ties to the government. Hornbuckle stated this week that the group has applied for a casino license in Abu Dhabi.