Abu Dhabi will play host to a US$340m (263m euro, £212m) sculpture constructed entirely from oil barrels.

The Mastaba, set to be the world's biggest permanent sculpture, will be 150m (492ft) high and 225m (738ft) wide with 60-degree slanted walls.

The attraction, created by Bulgarian-born artist Christo, is to be erected in Al Gharbia, 160km (100miles) south of the city of Abu Dhabi.

The Mastaba will be made from 410,000 multi-coloured barrels to form a mosaic of bright sparkling colours, echoing Islamic architecture.

Construction on the sculpture, which will also include an art campus, luxury hotel and restaurant, is expected to take 30 months.

Christo said: "When the sun rises, the vertical wall will become almost full of gold."

The project will be independently funded through sales of Christo's work and investors.

Design partnership Christo and Jeanne Claude first conceived the idea more than 30 years ago and the Mastaba will be their only permanent large-scale work.