Dubai is building a gigantic US$5 billion moon-shaped mega-resort, just because

Moon World Resort

You no longer have to work for NASA to visit the moon

With enough money, it’s possible to do almost anything in Dubai—and now you can add another to the list—walking on the moon, or at the very least, booking a luxe room there. This week, Canadian architectural company Moon World Resorts announced plans to construct a US$5 billion resort that resembles Earth’s orbital cousin.

The project is meant to help visitors who don’t have connections to Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk experience space tourism. The area around the resort’s lunar surface, dubbed the “lunar colony”, is designed to evoke the sensation of being on (or at least very close to) the surface of the Moon. In addition, visitors can plan to book one of 300 private boutique residences, known as sky villas, which will be housed in the main building’s disc-shaped superstructure. Purchase a villa and you can access the private members’ club on the property.

Moon World Resort
A rendering of Dubai’s forthcoming Moon World Resort at night

“Moon Dubai will significantly impact every aspect of the UAE’s economy, including tourism, transportation, commercial and residential real estate, infrastructure, financial services, aviation and space, energy, MICE, agriculture, technology and of course education,” says co-founders Sandra G. Matthews and Michael R. Henderson, in a press statement according to Arabian Business.

“[It] will be the largest and most successful modern-day tourism project in the MENA region, doubling annual tourism visitations to Dubai based on its global appeal, brand awareness and unique multiple integrated offerings.”

Guests can take advantage of the on-site nightclub, event centre, public lounge, spa centre and even an in-house “moon shuttle” that takes you around the property. There are also plans for the structure to serve as a hub for space agencies and its astronauts planning their future missions into space.

The overall construction is scheduled to be built over two years and will be over 224 metres in height at completion. When the project is complete, it is expected to comfortably accommodate at least 2.5 million visitors.

Ready to moonwalk your way to your next vacation?

Moon World Resorts

This story was first published on Robb Report USA