Saudi Arabia recently unveiled its plans to launch an amusement park on an old oil rig. The one-of-a-kind park promises 70 adrenaline-filled activities and is set to host 10,000 people per day by 2032.
But, what about an amusement park that was funded with $55 billion, yet has never seen a single guest enter its gates?
Initially, in 2003, United Arab Emirates's most ambitious project intended to be twice the size of Walt Disney World Resort and was launched as a rival to its American counterparts.
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The 107 square metre project, called Dubailand, began as 45 'mega projects' and 200 sub-projects, divided into six zones: Attractions and Experience World, Sports and Outdoor World, Eco-Tourism World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Retail and Entertainment World, and Downtown.
Another highlight was its Sahara Kingdom theme park, set to feature both physical and virtual reality rides, a gaming zone, an IMAX theatre, and luxurious accommodations including four hotels.
However, the global financial crisis in 2008 brought all progress of the park to a halt, including the granted permission of the Great Dubai Wheel.
The financial meltdown also led to layoffs of all the staff and contributing workforce.
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What's even crazier is big names like Lego, Universal Studios, DreamWorks, and Marvel were all set to be involved in the project planning their own unique area of the park - yet nothing came of it.
Fortunately, the park has not been left abandoned.
Come 2013, despite some of the projects still being cancelled, $55 billion had been raised to bring the project back to life.
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Dubai Miracle Gardens opened at the beginning of March and its adjacent 2,600 square-metre Dubai Butterfly Garden opened in 2015.
Furthermore, in 2016, Legoland Dubai opened at Dubai Parks and Resorts just 35 km from Dubailand and Universal plans to open its fourth mega theme park in Dubailand in 2025.
And, DreamWorks announced plans in January 2008 to build a theme park in the entertainment complex.
Yet, this is not the first time a UAR project has collapsed as a result of the 2008 financial crash.
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Billions of dollars were invested into man-made islands, called the World Islands project, designed as an exclusive getaway for the super-rich now stands as a ghost island.