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(31 Oct 2016) LEAD IN: The first in a three billion US dollar complex of amusement parks has opened in Dubai. Legoland features models of Middle East landmarks such as the pyramids and Dubai's Burj Khalifa tower. STORY-LINE: Music, cascading ribbons and a giant, walking Lego brick. This is the grand opening of Legoland Dubai, the first in an ambitious complex of amusement parks planned for the emirate. The rest of the three billion US dollar Parks & Resorts is still under construction along the highway connecting Dubai to the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi. "A lot of things are happening already, we are not on our own," explains Legoland Dubai general manager Siegfried Boerst. "So there's Dubai Parks and Resorts, there's Motiongate, Bollywood Dubai, the Legoland waterpark that is opening soon, and Riverland. So there's a lot for families to do here in Dubai Parks and Resorts. So it's not that we're in the desert anymore." Dubai Parks & Resorts is planning a series of attractions over 25 square kilometres (9.5 square miles). Here at Miniland inside Legoland over 60 million Lego bricks can be seen in models of Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Dubai Creek and even a version of India's Taj Mahal. There's also 17-metre-tall replica of the Burj Khalifa made of 439,000 Lego bricks, which took over 5,000 hours to construct. The amusement park also includes over 40 Lego themed rides, shows and attractions along with places for children to build and race cars or take classes to build robotics. Dubai planners envision 25 million people visiting the area as part of the 2020 World Expo in four years' time. They also hope to eventually handle over 200 million passengers a year at the nearby Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. They also intend to extend Dubai's driverless metro into the dunes, far past its current terminus near the massive Jebel Ali Port. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3e980b4ff69fda7056fc770b397e50fe Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork