Madame Tussauds to open in Dubai in 2020

Rumours about the popular waxwork museum franchise opening an attraction in the Middle East have been circulating since 2008, but it seems this is finally a reality

BAD: A wax figure of Selena Gomez arrives at the 2011 holiday scene unveiling at Madame Tussauds on November 17, 2011 in New York City. Film Magic

GOOD: Madame Tussauds unveils its new Ryan Gosling wax figure at Madame Tussauds on July 23, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images

BAD: Ariana Grande has criticised her waxwork double at Madame Tussauds London. Instagram / Pop Crave

GOOD: Wax figures of the members of English-Irish boy band One Direction displayed at the Madame Tussauds museum in Tokyo on February 11, 2014. The wax figures of the pop group will stay in Tokyo until May 12, 2014. AFP

BAD: A wax figure of singer Taylor Swift is on display during the launch of an interactive music experience exhibition at Madame Tussauds in New York, February 19, 2014. AFP

BAD: Lindsay Lohan wax figure during Advanced Screening of Uncovered: The Hidden Lives of Miss USA at Madame Tussauds in New York, New York, United States. Wire Image

GOOD: British actress Helen Mirren, the real Mirren is second from right, FYI, poses with three waxwork models of herself, at the Madame Tussauds attraction in London on July 30, 2015. The models depict Mirren as herself attending a red carpet event, playing the role of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in the film 'The Queen', and as the character Jane Tennison from the television show 'Prime Suspect' AFP

BAD: Madame Tussaud's Museum wax figures of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles in Hong Kong. Getty Images

GOOD: A wax figure of British singer Adele is unveiled for it's US debut during the launch of an interactive music experience exhibition at Madame Tussauds in New York, February 19, 2014. AFP

BAD: A wax figure of actress Salma Hayek is displayed at Madame Tussauds on January 6, 2014 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images

GOOD: The wax figure of US actress Sandra Bullock during an its unveiling at Madame Tussauds in New York's Times Square July 23, 2014. AFP

BAD: Jennifer Aniston at Madame Tussauds New York City. Getty Images

GOOD: A wax figure of actress Emma Watson is unveiled at Madame Tussauds on March 26, 2013 in London, England. Getty Images

BAD: Actor Robert Pattinson's wax figure is unveiled at Madame Tussauds on April 22, 2011 in Washington, DC. WireImage

BAD: The Beyonce statue at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Amsterdam. Getty Images

GOOD: The new Kendall Jenner wax figure is displayed as part of the London Fashion Week experience exhibit at Madame Tussauds on February 23, 2016 in London, England. Getty Images

BAD: An actor with a realistic silicon mask of US president Donald Trump poses at the Madame Tussauds museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The mask was created for Madame Tussauds to entertain visitors during the holidays. AFP

GOOD: The new wax figure of British actor Benedict Cumberbatch as it was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in central London on October 21, 2014. Dressed in a dark suit the figure of Cumberbatch was been modelled to be "premiere ready". AFP

If getting a selfie with Kim Kardashian in real life is a far-fetched pipe dream, taking a snap with a waxwork double isn't a bad second best, and Madame Tussauds is certainly the best place to do it.

The waxwork museum, which already has venues in Sydney, London, New York City and Beijing, to name just four, but the long-awaited Dubai opening will be the first in the Middle East.

Click through the gallery above to see some of the best and worst Madame Tussauds waxwork doubles from museums around the world. 

The museum is set to open on Dubai's Bluewater Island later this year.

The project was first announced in 2008 and confirmed in 2016, but its opening has been delayed until 2020.

In 2016 The National reported that waxwork museum will be owned and operated by Merlin.

Keep an eye on madametussauds.com for information about the grand opening.

Just this week, Thank U, Next singer, Ariana Grande has been vocally disappointed by her wax double.

Madame Tussauds London unveiled its Grande statue and when pop culture news site, Pop Crave, shared a photo of the work, Grande commented: "I just wanna talk," implying she isn't happy with the finished result.

Fans have also voiced their criticism of the waxwork.

"I look more like Ariana Grande than this wax figure of Ariana Grande," one fan wrote on Instagram.

Another added: "It's not her face. She deserves more respect you know. She's the best pop female singer in the world and all you can do was this."

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton simply commented: "Hmmmmmmm".