Shah Rukh Khan, unofficial brand ambassador of the Dubai Tourism Development Company, has joined hands with top emirates developers to build the stadium as part of an entertainment complex in the desert city, which is reeling under a debt crisis and is swamped by crumbling real estate projects.

The project, called Dubailand, is spread over 278sqkm and is owned by a wing of Dubai Holding, a state-owned company with diverse interests. Dubailand includes some 45 projects, among them theme parks, luxury hotels and stadiums.
The actor is already developing a $2.2-billion beachfront residential project at Ras Al Khaimah — an adjoining emirate — called the Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard.

“The fate of that residential project hangs in the balance after the Dubai debacle, but SRK is moving full steam with the stadium,” said a source aware of the project details.

“Shah Rukh is immensely popular in the UAE and he wants to give something back to them. His project, among other things, involves a state-of-the-art sports training and coaching facility for the poor and underprivileged people in the emirates who cannot bear the expenses,” said the source.

Shah Rukh is a keen sports follower, and owns the Kolkata Knight Riders team in the Indian Premier League. The team, which has had a poor run on the cricket field, has been a brand success because of Shah Rukh.

The actor’s brand value will also help the stadium, expected to be operational by 2013 and set to have facilities to host international cricket matches as well as other global sporting events. The AED (Arab Emirates Dirham) 360 million (Rs 455 crore) project will include an adjoining enclosed multi-purpose arena for sports, art, special events and exhibitions.

The actor, the source said, also plans to hold his Bollywood stage shows in the emirates at this venue.

Source: www.telegraphindia.com

Popularity: 2% [?]