The world’s second Sphere will be built in the UAE capital after the first opened in Las Vegas

By The Associated Press on October 15, 2024.

FILE - Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, drives past the Sphere during the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, on Nov. 18, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The world’s second Sphere will be built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates after the opening of the first in Las Vegas.

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and Sphere Entertainment Co. announced the plan late Tuesday to bring a Sphere to the Middle East.

The announcement offered no financing information, nor did it say where the Sphere would be built in the Emirati capital. Officials with the Sphere and Abu Dhabi’s government did not immediately respond to questions about the project Wednesday.

The massive $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere opened in 2023 as the gambling capital’s most expensive entertainment venue. A high-resolution LED screen wraps halfway around the 17,500-seat audience. It has hosted concerts and sporting events.

Abu Dhabi has been trying to differentiate itself as a travel destination from neighboring Dubai in the UAE, an energy-rich federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE is also preparing to open the first casino in the country.

However, some projects in the UAE have failed to be built or been delayed for years after being announced in economic downturns.