Dubai – Imagine finding, in the same place, Queen Elizabeth II, Will Smith, Rihanna, Xi Jinping, Lady Gaga, and Cristiano Ronaldo. This is just a tiny part of the experience Madame Tussaud’s newest wax museum in Dubai offers visitors.
The first in the Arab world is located in the Bluewaters district and opened its doors on October 14, less than a month ago. ANBA had access and brought in this article some of the experiences of the visit.
“We chose Dubai to open the first Madame Tussaud’s in the Middle East as it is a global tourist destination, it is very central, and so we were able to reach tourists from different regions, mainly from Europe and Asia,” said the attraction’s general manager, Sanaz Kollsrud, to ANBA. The first conversations about it took place in 2019. It took two years of construction of the site and 18 months between research with the local public and the development of the wax figures until the opening.
The museum has 60 wax figures divided into seven main themes. They are Leaders and Royalty, Fashion, Film, Media, Bollywood, Sports, and Music (A-list Music Party). Kollsrud mentioned all the statues were made for the museum, but most were already molded and just updated. There are no statues borrowed from other Madame Tussaud’s.
“For Dubai, we created 16 Arab figures from scratch,” said the manager. Among them are Lebanese singers Nancy Ajram and Maya Diab, Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab, Saudi footballer Yasser Al-Qathani and UAE-born Yemeni singer Balqees Fathi.
On the catwalk, photos are guaranteed with Cara Delevingne, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and the dreaded Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
On the movie screen, visitors can have breakfast with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, take fun pictures with Jackie Chan in a fighting position, Tom Cruise on a motorcycle, as well as Vin Diesel with the backdrop of his millionaire franchise, Fast and Furious, and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.
Lewis Hamilton, Lionel Messi, Muhammad Ali, and Emirati weightlifter Amna Al Haddad are among the athletes. The Bollywood room refers to the largest population of expatriates in the UAE, Indians.
The visit ends in a huge party featuring music personalities like Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber.
To make a wax figure, the personality to be reproduced needs to take about 200 measurements from head to toe; the statue production process takes four to seven months and involves around twenty professionals, such as sculptors, painters, makeup artists, and hairdressers.
Each strand of hair is inserted into the mannequin individually in a process that takes about four to six weeks, always using natural hair. The wax skin is then painted.
“We are the only wax museum in the region, and we offer an experience with world-famous stars and celebrities. Visitors can have a ‘red carpet’ experience and be close to local and international personalities,” said Kollsrud.
According to her, since the opening, the reception by the public has been incredibly positive. “Visitors are enjoying the attraction and the selection we made,” she said.
Along the rooms, several interactive experiences and spaces for pictures can be purchased at the end of the tour for AED 100. The visit takes about an hour. Adults pay AED 135, and children up to three years old, AED 110. Visitors can purchase tickets through the website or directly at the box office.
Madame Tussaud’s is based in London and dates back over 200 years. Today, it has 25 museums worldwide, between Europe, the United States, Australia, Asia, and now, in the Arab world. Queen Elizabeth II is the personality with the most wax figures in the world. The most recent is in Dubai.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
