And you thought space was the final frontier.
Turns out that this brave new world we’re always hearing so much about is actually in Jordan. The reason? King Abdullah II is a massive Star Trek fan and in 2014, a theme park called the Red Sea Astrarium, which is based on the cult show (though “cult” barely does it justice) in the coastal town of Aqaba will open for business.
One of the perks of being a king must be that you can get pet projects off the ground, or in the words of one Star Trek captain, “Make it so.” And Abdullah II’s Fund for Development makes him the majority local investor of the $1.5 billion project, according to The National, which is an Abu Dhabi-based newspaper.
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Sensibly, the park isn’t just about the Trek universe, as there will also be hotels, theaters, fine dining and shopping on site as well as the chance to learn about Jordan’s history and what it’s doing in terms of harnessing green energy (which sounds like it could be a Trek plot in its own right).
But the centerpiece is still surely the Star Trek-themed “space-flight adventure” which will be created under license from CBS Consumer Products. And in the words this time of the developer, Rubicon Group Holding, “it will deliver a variety of multi-sensory futuristic experiences, culminating with a state-of-the art space-flight adventure that takes real-time immersive entertainment experiences to bold new heights.”
King Abdullah II is a well known “Trekkie” and it’s even been reported that he once made a cameo on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager back in 1995, when he was still a prince. That’s certainly a nice perk, but can’t compare with having your own theme park. Will it “Live long and prosper?” That well known constant in the Star Trek universe, time, will tell. (via MSNBC)
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Glen Levy is an Executive Producer at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @glenjl. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.