CO ARMAGH firm Deluxe has been tasked with helping bring the magic of Hollywood to life in the Middle Eastern 'playground' of Dubai.
The Portadown-based bespoke joinery manufacturers have been contracted to create sets, props and special effects for attractions based around Holywood movies in the Motiongate theme park due to open in the United Arab Emirates city next October.
Designers, along with carpenters, sculptors and scenic artists from the company's 'theming' division, are combining their skills to recreate scenes from Sony Picture Studios films including 'Hotel Transylvania', 'Ghostbusters', 'The Green Hornet', 'Underworld' and 'Zombieland'.
One of the highlights is a "frenzied ride" based on animated hit 'Hotel Transylvania' during which enthusiasts will be taken on a monster-filled journey through the castle with Dracula and daughter Mavis.
Deluxe managing director Colm O'Farrell - who started his career in the early 1990s helping theme Disneyland Paris - said the company was "thrilled" to be part of Motiongate TMDubai.
"This is another great vote of confidence in the quality of workmanship and productivity from the Northern Ireland workforce following Deluxe's award-winning creation of giant sets for Disney's latest Ratatouille attraction in Paris last year," he said.
Deluxe business development manager Richard Hill added: "We have proven that we can export creative excellence to far away shores and I am enthusiastic that the breath-taking scale of Dubai Parks and Resorts’ Motiongate development signals the start of a major growth in the leisure and entertainment sector in the Middle East.
"The UAE has been a relatively accessible market for Deluxe in terms of construction regulations, freight logistics and frequent direct flights from UK and Ireland to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
"With its central location and scale of development including hosting the 2020 World Expo, UAE will certainly grow to rival Florida as a major tourist entertainment destination."
When complete, MotiongateTM Dubai will have 27 themed rides in total, 21 of which will be indoor, spread across five zones - DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Sony Picture Studios, Smurfs Village and Studio Central.
