Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008 | 4:10 p.m.
The company that helped Las Vegas establish itself as a hip destination for the beautiful, young and moneyed will soon be doing the same thing in Dubai – the Arab version of Las Vegas, only with more high-rises, more money and no gambling.
Light Group, which created nightclubs and restaurants at MGM Mirage properties including Bellagio and Mandalay Bay, is partnering with Dubai-based developers Zabeel Investments to build a Light Group-managed hotel and multiple restaurants in the Arab emirate.
Which raises the obvious question: How will its glamorous designs, with go-go dancers and cocktail servers in lace-up leather, translate to the Arab world, where gambling is forbidden, drinking is discouraged and skin is definitely not in?
Dubai, which hopes to build more than 30 luxury hotels over the next few years, is a secular, multicultural and pro-business oasis in the Middle East. It's enough to make even the most jaded casino executive gape in wonder.
Light Group partner Andrew Sasson acknowledges that the company's Dubai nightlife might be "toned down" so as not to offend their Arab hosts.
"They're more conservative and cautious," he said.
While he wouldn't say how much his Dubai partners hope to spend on new projects, Sasson is giddy with the possibilities.
Light Group's projects in Dubai could exceed the scope and ambition of its Vegas operations, he said.
"The sky's the limit in Dubai," he said. "It's amazing that they have achieved so much in such a short period of time and with such creativity."
Zabeel, which owns a stake in several major companies including Sony Corp. and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., a maker of civilian and military aircraft, manages about $4.1 billion in real estate.
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