The highlight of the alliance will be the creation of the world's first Hit Entertainment "Little Big Club" in Dubai. The 25,000-square foot indoor/outdoor project represents a multi-million AED investment within the permanent Global Village which is set to open its doors in the last quarter of 2008.

The venture will offer young children and their families a unique, fully immersive, secure and interactive experience. The "Little Big Club" is designed around the globally popular characters Barney, Pingu, Bob the Builder, and Thomas and Friends with themed rides and indoor and outdoor play-centres.

The "Little Big Club" will also feature party and educational function spaces and a theatre that will present mini live shows as well as screening the most popular television shows produced by Hit Entertainment as well as first run productions.

Dubailand CEO Mohammed Al Habbai said, "The alliance with Hit Entertainment is a continuation of our strategy of bringing the world's most prestigious names in the leisure and entertainment industries to Dubailand. Hit Entertainment joins an illustrious portfolio of Tatweer-owned investments formed by Bawadi, The Tiger Woods Dubai, Universal Studios Dubailand and Dreamworks Animation Park, in addition to Dubailand itself and the Global Village."

Hit Entertainment CEO Bruce Steinberg said, "We are thrilled to be launching the world's first Hit Entertainment 'Little Big Club' attraction in Dubai and view it as tremendous opportunity to be working with Dubailand, a world-class development company.

"Barney, Pingu, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends are brands that are loved by children and trusted by parents. With the launch of our new 'Little Big Club', children and families will be able to experience their favourite brands in a new and unique way. This project represents an important strategic direction for the company, and ushers in a new era for our live events and attractions business."

Dubailand Global Village CEO Abdul Redha Bin Redha said, "Hit Entertainment will significantly contribute to the reputation of the Global Village brand. As one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights owners, the addition of the HIT Entertainment 'Little Big Club' will add significant value to our offering, providing an enhanced experience to all Global Village guests."

Dubailand and Hit Entertainment will also work together to develop new concepts, including live shows and a diverse mix of music and entertainment, themed restaurants and retail outlets that will be open all year round, providing unique experiences to Global Village visitors.

The Hit Entertainment "Little Big Club" in the Global Village at Dubailand will be brought to life by RMA the UK-based theme park designers. RMA will design the park layout, rides and project-manage all architectural, scenic and technical aspects of the club.

Dubailand is a three-billion square foot development. It includes several other projects that are under advanced stages of implementation such as Dubai Sports City, Motor City, Falcon City, Dubai Heritage Vision and Al Barari. The Polo and Equestrian Club and City of Arabia are currently in the initial stages of infrastructure work.