In February, UNESCO released a statement about the 75-hectare amusement park, expressing concern about the construction so close to a heritage site. “The proximity of the project to the protected buffer zones of the site, as well as the scale, scope and concept of the planned activities, could indeed have an impact on the outstanding universal value for which Angkor was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List,” said UNESCO in a statement.

In November 2020, NagaCorp stated it was granted a 50-year lease on a plot of development land about 500 meters south of the outer restricted zone of Angkor Wat. The non-gaming resort was supposed to have a water park, cultural and hi-tech attractions, hotels and meeting spaces.

“The vision is principally aiming at promoting Angkor Wat Siem Reap and NagaWorld Phnom Penh as the twin tourism icons of Cambodia by leveraging on development of the land lease in Siem Reap into a comprehensive non-gaming, integrated world-class resort,” said the company at the time, “so that overseas visitors to Cambodia can enjoy and experience the world famous ancient temples of Angkor Wat and the sophisticated NagaWorld complex at the same time with the most competitive price.”