It’s the most-talked about club opening in the UAE for some time, but when What’s On caught up with the tight-lipped team at Pacha, they refused to be drawn on the DJs likely to be gracing the decks at the new outpost of the legendary club.

But Pacha’s Marta Planells, who has moved to Dubai to oversee the launch, did set tongues wagging when she told What’s On the venue would be ‘very connected’ with its sister on the White Isle in terms of the DJ line-up.

“We have to keep some things secret, but the music will be very connected with Ibiza,” she said. “We want to give people in Dubai the full Pacha experience.”

Given that the original Pacha has played host to everyone from Roger Sanchez and David Guetta to Erick Morillo, we think it’s safe to say Dubai’s dance music fans have reason to be excited.

The venue – the first global franchise to share the full Pacha Ibiza title – is set to open at Madinat Jumeirah early in 2014. It is expected to be spread across three-stories and 27,000 sq ft, including a restaurant, cabaret space and lounge.

The original club launched in the Balearics in 1967 and has since been franchised to more than 20 different locations, including London, Brazil, Russia and Egypt.