Dubai backs plans for world's biggest Ferris wheel
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The Dubai skyline is seen in the background as children ride on a Ferris wheel at the Safa park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai's ruler has approval a $1.6 billion island development project that would be home to what's billed as the world's biggest Ferris wheel.
The project reflects a renewed appetite in Dubai for extravagance as the economy rebounds from a debt-driven slump during the past three years.
The official WAM news agency said Wednesday that the Ferris wheel — dubbed the Dubai Eye — will stand 210 meters (688 feet), exceeding the London Eye's 135 meters (443 feet). Construction is set to begin this year.
Dubai has proposed a series of mega projects reminiscent of its boom years before the downturn hit in 2009. The projects include theme parks and a satellite city named for Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashin Al Maktoum.
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The Dubai skyline is seen in the background as children ride on a Ferris wheel at the Safa park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
