Dubai Holding, a leading developer in the emirates, and Universal Studios have scrapped the plans to build a massive 7 million sq ft theme park in Dubailand, said a report.

The construction work on the project started in 2008, but got stalled as a result of the global financial crisis, reported  Zawya.

Dubai Holding confirmed that it was no longer in talks with the American theme park operator to build the attraction.

The 7 million sq ft Universal Studios Dubailand theme park broke ground in July 2008 and was originally scheduled for completion in December 2010.

The masterplan, which was due to include nearly 20 separate theme park attractions and be twice the size of the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, stalled in the midst of the slowdown in the Dubai property market in 2009 and the Universal Studios Dubailand opening date was pushed back to 2015, said the report.

Dubai Holding said it was focusing on its other developments including the mega-project Jumeirah Central, which will be the future all-season, transit orientated urban centre besides the Mall of the World, a major retail and leisure destination and its existing tourism offering, such as Global Village, which attracts more than five million visitors each year.