Madame Tussauds opens museum in Dubai

The famous London wax museum Madame Tussauds opened its first branch in the Arab world this week, in Dubai.

The brand, which originated in London where it has 250 wax sculptures that attract millions of visitors each year, also has smaller branches in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The Dubai branch features 60 sculptures of "world stars," including soccer sensation Lionel Messi and pop singer Rihanna.

And about 15 were from the region, including Lebanese pop stars Nancy Ajram and Maya Diab.

Dubai is counting on the six-month Expo 2020 to attract millions of visitors and boost its pandemic-hit economy.