Baghdad to have its own 'Disneyland'

BAGHDAD will soon have its own multi-million dollar amusement park designed by the same company that built Disneyland.
Land in the war-ravaged city has already been brought by US-based company C3 for the $A525 million construction of the Baghdad Zoo and Entertainment Experience amusement park, UK newspaper The Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the purchased 20 hectare block of land that sits outside the Green Zone used to be the Baghdad Zoo, which was looted of most of its animals following the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Despite insurgent attacks and looting shutting down the cinemas and playgrounds in the capital, C3 chairman Llewellyn Werner said Iraq was ready for a fun park.

“I think people will embrace it – they’ll see it as an opportunity for their children regardless if they’re Shia and Sunni,” Mr Werner said.

“They’ll say their kids deserve a place to play and they’ll leave it alone.”

A spokesman for the Baghdad municipal government, Ali al-Dabbagh, said entry into the park would be strictly controlled.

“There is a shortage of entertainment in the city. Cinemas can’t open, playgrounds can’t open,” Mr al-Dabbagh said.

“The fun park is badly needed for Baghdad.”

The first stage of the project, the construction of a skate park, will be completed by July.

The bulk of the construction for the park, which will be designed by Disneyland’s developer Ride and Show Engineering, will happen after the completion of the skate park.