Chekov, Set The Enterprise's Course for ... Jordan?

[Greg Tito]

Chekov, Set The Enterprise's Course for ... Jordan?

King Abdullah II of Jordan is spearheading a $1.5 billion US project to build a Star Trek-themed attraction in his country.

As far as ideas for theme parks go, a place where Trekkies can experience what it may be like living in the 23rd century (24th if you're a TNG fan) is a pretty good bet. You might think that Paramount Studios, which owns the Star Trek license, would build such an attraction in California or Florida to attract a Western audience, but that's what a lame 21st century plebian would believe. In the future, the nation of Jordan stuck between Iraq and Israel in the Middle East is the "Crossroads of Civilization" that will host the world's largest Star Trek ride. Why has Jordan's King Abdullah II Fund for Development pledged a large part of the project's current budget of $1.5 billion? Because the current King Abdullah II is a huge Trekkie.

"They have a group of investors. The main Jordanian investor is the King Abdullah Fund," said Randa Ayoubi, from animation company Rubicon that will handle the "entertainment" aspects of the park. "There are many American and investors from the Gulf."

The 74-hectare park (roughly 180 acres) will boast 4 hotels and 17 rides or attractions. One of those will be a "space-flight" Star Trek adventure licensed from CBS and creatively developed by Paramount Recreation. The whole resort will not be Star Trek-based but the theme sets the small Muslim nation as a crossroads of civilizations, including ones from the future.

King Abdullah is very excited about the project, not only as a way to boost tourism to the Middle East after the political uprisings off the last few years, but also because of his Star Trek fandom. Just how much of a fan is he? Well, when he was just the Prince of Jordan back in 1996, Abdullah II actually appeared in the Voyager episode "Investigations" in a non-speaking role.

Now, visitors of his country will boldly go where no nation has gone before. To the future.

Source: The National [http://www.thenational.ae/business/travel-tourism/jordan-theme-park-treks-ahead]

Image from Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Investigations" © 1996 Paramount Pictures.

Permalink

 

[FalloutJack]

I...find this strangely amusing and was not even aware that he'd been in an episode. Unfortunately, it may be some time before I see Jordan. Nevertheless, you got my attention.

 

[JWAN]

sweet. We found a new way to get international funds circulating again.

 

[BgRdMchne]

Yay!

Middle Eastern leaders are throwing away money on their egos again. Maybe this is a sign of an economic recovery. (I think someone is also building the world's tallest building again in the Middle East.)

 

[scnj]

Wasn't Sulu the pilot?

 

[Angel Molina]

Wow, this just goes to show what is expected to come as the world keeps gearing towards globalization... That said, I've never really seen much of star trek. I saw one episode were they toss a capsule (with a dead body inside of it) and then launch it out of space like some sort of viking funeral cross-over. But then the capsule just explodes and an entire planet just materializes, it was awesome.... But I don't remember much apart from that. Wish I could...

 

[Twilight_guy]

Hello I am a Jordan prince. I need you to send me 1 million dollars to help build a Star Trek Theme park. I predict it will make millions of dollars and when it is complete I can easily send you back your money...

This sounds interesting. I'm not sure if it will boost tourism in a place like Jordan (I'm certainly not going to fly over there) but it will be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[Woodsey]

Star Trek? Ha! Those guys are fucking nerds.

Anyway, anyone interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic should join our Escapist user group.

 

[ElNeroDiablo]

Wow, this just goes to show what is expected to come as the world keeps gearing towards globalization... That said, I've never really seen much of star trek. I saw one episode were they toss a capsule (with a dead body inside of it) and then launch it out of space like some sort of viking funeral cross-over. But then the capsule just explodes and an entire planet just materializes, it was awesome.... But I don't remember much apart from that. Wish I could...

Trek II: Wrath of Khan. The second of the 11(so far) Trek Movies and second (of 6) Original Series movie.

 

[Greg Tito]

Wow, this just goes to show what is expected to come as the world keeps gearing towards globalization... That said, I've never really seen much of star trek. I saw one episode were they toss a capsule (with a dead body inside of it) and then launch it out of space like some sort of viking funeral cross-over. But then the capsule just explodes and an entire planet just materializes, it was awesome.... But I remember much apart from that. Wish I could...

Are you talking about Star Trek II?

 

[Angel Molina]

But I don't remember much apart from that. Wish I could...

Are you talking about Star Trek II?

I have absolutely no clue... when you're a 5 years-old, you might as well throw out any sense of continuity out the window. Either way, you're probably right, but again I wouldn't know.

Edit: However, I do remember that the body in the capsule belonged to a character named Spock (or at least I think so, it was one of those people with pointy ears) and that the planet was growing/evolving at an extremely fast rate. When the crew of the ship (the Enterprise) went down to investigate the planet, they found the capsule (empty!) and not long after that they found the character was resurrected somehow. The downside was that just like the planet, the character was aging at an extremely accelerated pace... I don't remember the ending.

Also, when I told my science teacher about it a few years ago I think she told me the title, which was something like "Project Genesis".

 

[iniudan]

But I don't remember much apart from that. Wish I could...

Are you talking about Star Trek II?

I have absolutely no clue... when you're a 5 years-old, you might as well throw out any sense of continuity out the window. Either way, you're probably right, but again I wouldn't know.

Edit: However, I do remember that the body in the capsule belonged to a character named Spock (or at least I think so, it was one of those people with pointy ears) and that the planet was growing/evolving at an extremely fast rate. When the crew of the ship (the Enterprise) went down to investigate the planet, they found the capsule (empty!) and not long after that they found the character was resurrected somehow. The downside was that just like the planet, the character was aging at an extremely accelerated pace... I don't remember the ending.

Also, when I told my science teacher about it a few years ago I think she told me the title, which was something like "Project Genesis".

Ok confirm now, it was Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock, the capsule scene is the end of the second movie, but they also show it at start of the third, but other event you describe are event of the third.

 

[TConti]

Everybody come to Cowboy Planet Episode Land!

 

[alrekr]

Star Trek? Ha! Those guys are fucking nerds.

Anyway, anyone interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic should join our Escapist user group.

You don't say, who would have thought nerds might be present in a news story on the Escapist. I thought this was a website populated by jocks and prom queens

[/sarcasm]

Also that post does seem a tad like spam...

OT: Dammit when read the title I thought the whole theme park would be Trekkie themed; sigh I can only dream.

 

[HerbertTheHamster]

Star Trek? Ha! Those guys are fucking nerds.

Anyway, anyone interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic should join our Escapist user group.

geeks, get it right people

... seems an odd place to make a theme park, the king is probably going to be one of the very few visitors

 

[Woodsey]

Star Trek? Ha! Those guys are fucking nerds.

Anyway, anyone interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic should join our Escapist user group.

You don't say, who would have thought nerds might be present in a news story on the Escapist. I thought this was a website populated by jocks and prom queens

[/sarcasm]

Also that post does seem a tad like spam...

If can hear that WHOOOOOOSH!-ing sound going over your head, its my post.

 

[alrekr]

Star Trek? Ha! Those guys are fucking nerds.

Anyway, anyone interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic should join our Escapist user group.

You don't say, who would have thought nerds might be present in a news story on the Escapist. I thought this was a website populated by jocks and prom queens

[/sarcasm]

Also that post does seem a tad like spam...

If can hear that WHOOOOOOSH!-ing sound going over your head, its my post.

I'm sorry I thought that was the sound of your post crashing and burning...

In all seriousness I suspect our posts are both as successful as the Hindenburg

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Wasn't Sulu the pilot?

I think Sulu was the Pilot, Chekov was the navigator.

Although, he may have been the combatant, I keep hearing about Chekov's gun.

[sub]If you get that, you are a nerd. [/sub]

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Wasn't Sulu the pilot?

I think Sulu was the Pilot, Chekov was the navigator.

Although, he may have been the combatant, I keep hearing about Chekov's gun.

[sub]If you get that, you are a nerd. [/sub]

HA-HAAA! Though, now that you mention it, clearly it is important. An innocuous thing like a theme park in the middle east will clearly play a bigger role in the future! That or leave a giant gaping hole for future historians, who might oft wonder why there was one there at all, an odd, out of place and seemingly purposeless monument to someone/something long gone...