Several thousand, turban-clad customers trek meandering streets as a cool sea breeze wafts through their nostrils. Looming ahead of the strolling shoppers is a key feature of this kingdom -- the sultan's palace, which beckons like some oasis with all of its gold and glitter.

A scene from "The Arabian Nights," perhaps -- but this one actually is from the Mojave Desert and the 21st-century American West, not some ancient Sahara. The turbans are complimentary -- as are temporary tattoos -- as the first several thousand customers are welcomed to Las Vegas' newest, themed megaresort: The Aladdin.

Opened in August, the Aladdin is the crescendo in a $5 billion building boom that began with the opening of the Bellagio in 1998, followed by the openings of Mandalay Bay, the Venetian and Paris, Paris, all in 1999. And the wave's not waning: Gaming pioneer Steve Wynn, who has been a key figure in the Las Vegas theming trend, recently bought and closed the Desert Inn with plans to redevelop it into a new resort. MGM Mirage plans a Gen-X-themed hotel-casino, and the New Frontier and Stardust have hinted that they will follow Wynn in the redeveloping trend.

That trend has been sparked by the Aladdin, whose forebear was imploded in April 1998 to make way for its $1.4-billion replacement in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The Aladdin's shopping complex -- the Desert Passage -- features more than 130 sites, plus 21 restaurants and a revamped, 7,000-seat Theatre for the Performing Arts. It also sports a 100,000-square-foot main casino, 2,567 spacious guest rooms and a high rollers' London Club, billed as Las Vegas' only European-style luxury gaming salon.

Just as impressive are the features that keep with the theme of "1,001 Arabian Nights." The Aladdin's developers needed to keep up with the Joneses, which in its case would be the Bellagio with its most impressive water and light shows just across the street and Paris Las Vegas with its half-scale Eiffel Tower right next door. Rubbing their lamps, the Aladdin developers produced:

• A 15-story cascade of water on the outer facade.
• The world's largest indoor light board, which creates a 130-foot "Enchanted Garden" with a constantly changing display of vibrant blooming flowers.
• A 35-foot-tall magic lamp that towers over the casino floor.
• The talon and nest of a giant Roc Bird, reminiscent of the tales of Sinbad the Sailor.
• Giant, winged horses from the "Tale of the Ebony Horse," marking the entrance to the Aladdin Race and Sports Book.

Desert Passage -- More than a Mall This is no regular mall; instead, Desert Passage transports you into the earthy, open-air marketplaces of Morocco, Arabia and India.

The Desert Passage shopping mall encompasses a half-million square feet of space. It takes visitors on an exotic, simulated journey that starts in Morocco in North Africa, traverses the Arabian Sea and ventures into India -- the same route traders used for centuries. In addition to exotic fragrances of manufactured breezes and the gilded sultan's palace, the Passage features a Lost City that's patterned off "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and a harbor replete with a looming freighter and water that laps at the dock. A storm threatens the freighter, with artificial fog and occasional claps of thunder converging to inspire the shopping senses.

And the sound effects do work.

"The thunder and lightning are really realistic and has caused some of them to jump," said Sue Gorniak, the Aladdin's retail marketing director, of some of the earliest shoppers. "We in the desert know it can't be real -- it has to be a special effect. Not just children but adults as well will put out their hands to see if it's really raining."

Magic Moments Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" fame was on hand for the opening of Aladdin and Desert Passage. Eden "blinked" the doors open before a crowd of 30,000.

In keeping with the "Arabian Nights" theme, the Aladdin put certain restrictions on its Desert Passage retailers. Developers wouldn't allow oversized display windows, flamboyant signage or metal accordion-style security gates. Instead, the stores' frontages feature smaller arched windows, wrought-iron gates and tiled accents.

Some potential retailers balked at the restrictions at first, but they soon relented. High-profile shops at Desert Passage include Tommy Bahama, Jhane Barnes, Hugo Boss, Clinique and Z Galleries.

Diverse dining options at the New Passage include The Blue Note Jazz Club, which, like its New York Village counterpart, will present top-flight blues and jazz artists. Or, visitors can try: Commander's Palace, a New Orleans landmark since 1880; the Anasazi, a fine-dining award winner that features cowboy cuisine with a mix of Native American and northern New Mexico dishes, and Bice, which offers authentic Italian food and already boasts a presence in major international cities.

Theming was the trend in the megaresort building boom that changed the Las Vegas landscape in the 1990s. The Aladdin continued the trend with "Arabian Nights," but, ironically, it appears to be the harbinger of another with its decision to implode and rebuild. The trend for the early 21st century appears to be redevelop, as evidenced by Wynn's plans for the Desert Inn as well as the similar desires of the New Frontier and Stardust.

Wynn, no doubt, will grasp the newest trend in a grand way. The Desert Inn with its 220 acres grasps more Strip frontage than a couple of former Wynn projects, Treasure Island and the Mirage, combined.

Wynn has hinted that the Desert Inn project will sport two mammoth resort towers, with light and water serving as the dominant features, and that a giant lake will replace what now is the Strip's only remaining 18-hole golf course. High-end condominiums and an office complex are on the Wynn drawing board, too.

"We've got a lot of planning to do," Wynn told the Nevada Gaming Commission after he bought the Desert Inn this past spring.

"This stage will have all kinds of components before it's over."