Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is branching away from its usual western-oriented based tourist attractions, after it was announced that the city will be home to a US$7.3m (£4.7m, €5.5m) Quran themed park.

The new attraction, which will include a garden with plants mentioned in the Islamic holy book and an air-conditioned tunnel depicting events from the Quran, will be a far stretch from the other ambitious projects currently in development including the world's largest Ferris wheel and an Angry Birds theme park.

Dubai's director of projects, Mohammed Noor Mashroom, has said that the park should be ready by September 2014.

A Saudi cleric recently sparked controversy when he issued a fatwa (religious edict) on his Twitter account, barring travel to Dubai because of the spread of "immoralities" there, which was later retracted after an outcry on social media.