1. Six Flags Dubailand

Six Flags, the North American chain of regional theme parks, has dabbled with overseas projects on several occasions in the past. By far the most ambitious, though, was the park that it planned to build as part of the Dubailand project - designed to create a world-leading tourist destination in the Emirate that would outstrip even Walt Disney World.

This was not to be your average, run-of-the-mill Six Flags park, filled with off-the-shelf thrill rides and cloned roller coasters. No, this was to be a Six Flags park on steroids - a heavily-themed wonderland packed with every type of ride imaginable. Surprisingly, the firm had engaged the Goddard Group (yes - the same Gary Goddard that dreamt up the Starship Enterprise attraction) to produce some concept designs. And they look AMAZING.

Typically for a Six Flags park, the headline rides would be roller coasters. But not just any roller coasters. A stunning-looking wooden roller coaster would act as the park's icon, towering over the entrance to the "Kingdom of Thrills". Elsewhere, a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster would twist and turn its way over the park.

The fun would start on the way to the parking lot. Guests would drive over Roller Coaster Road, complete with a series of "airtime" hills.

There was even to be a Disney-style icon at the park's heart - a spinning sculpture made up of six colorful towers.

Even the ticketing office was to be somewhat spectacular, as shown in the artwork above. There appears to be an Intamin coaster swooping by in the background.

Unfortunately, the ambitious plans for Dubailand were scaled back drastically following the 2008 financial crisis. Even though elemetns of it have been revived, it seems unlikely that anything remotely on the scale of the original plans will be put in place. If we do ever see a Six Flags Dubailand, it's unlikely it will look anything like the artwork above.