Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 2013-06-24

Dubai has added a site honoring the Holy Qur’an to its top ambitions such as building the world’s largest Ferris wheel and bidding for an Angry Birds theme park.

The estimated $ 7.3 million project will include a garden with plants mentioned in the holy book and an air-conditioned tunnel depicting events from the Qur’an. Dubai media quoted the city’s director of projects, Mohammed Noor Mashroom, as saying the park should be ready in September 2014.

According to Dubai Municipality the new item will be in Al-Khawaneej. The theme park has been specially designed in the Islamic perspective to introduce the miracles of Qur’an through a variety of surprises for the visitors.

The park will include all available plants mentioned in the Qur’an, along with facilities such as main entrance, administration building, Islamic garden, play areas, Umrah corner, outside theater, areas for miracles of the Qur’an, fountains, bathrooms, desert garden and palm oasis. It will also have a lake, running track, cycling track and sandy walking track.

It’s a departure from Dubai’s emphasis on Western-style tourism, which draws millions of visitors from around the Muslim world but has its detractors.

A Saudi cleric issued a religious edict saying it was a “sin” for Saudi women to visit Dubai, but later retracted the opinion after outcry.