parkworld-online.com @ParkWorldMag
ParkWord April 2014
Hello to you if you picked up this magazine at DEAL in Dubai. Now in its 20th year, the trade show
remains the premier annual event for the attractions industry in the Middle East. So how has the industry developed locally in the United Arab Emirates during the lifetime of DEAL? Family entertainment centres remain ubiquitous, anchored almost always to shopping malls. Retail therapy for the parents, rides for the kids? Such developments certainly do act as “one stop shops”, which is why many of the FECs also include kids’ hairdressers! Then there’s the larger standalone – but still undercover – theme parks such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s upcoming IMG Worlds of Adventure. The fact that the World Waterpark Association has staged several symposiums and seminars in partnership with DEAL over the years highlights the importance of the waterparks to the region, with operations such as Wild Wadi, Aquaventure at Atlantis and Yas Island Waterpark achieving attendance figures and admission charges that would be the envy of most of their contemporaries elsewhere in the world. Less expensive, but still worthy of note, are the new Al Montazah waterpark in Sharjah (see page 26) and the gargantuan Ice Land in Ras al Khaimah. The appeal of such facilities needs little explaining; who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by water in this desert climate?
The one ‘dry spot’, so to speak, remains outdoor parks, though they do
exist. Witness, for example, Dubai’s long-running Wonderland or Al Montazah’s small amusement area, which has existed since the venue’s former identity as Al Jazeera Park. Companies such as Freij Entertainment and various overseas operators can also be found in the UAE on a regular basis providing rides in support of various events. With their bright lights and loud music, such presentations are naturally suited to operating after dark, but they also open late because of the heat – and that of course is why outdoor parks are relatively few and far between. It will be interesting to see what mix of indoor and outdoor activities will be featured at upcoming projects such as Legoland Dubai and others.
It’s great to see a diverse range of attractions developing in this particular corner of the Middle East which, given its relatively small population and antisocial (antihuman) weather conditions, is nothing short of remarkable. That wasn’t a mirage you saw in the desert; it was a waterpark my friend.
Owen Ralph – Editor
Editor: Owen Ralph (+44 161 438 2934)
parkworld@btopenworld.com
North American Editor: Paul Ruben (+1 585 381 1012)
parkw@rochester.rr.com
Contributor this issue: Jack Samuels, Matteo Crepaldi
Sales Manager: Mark Burgess (+44 1622 699124)
parkworld@datateam.co.uk
Publication Manager: Jacqui Hunter (+44 1622 699106)
jhunter@datateam.co.uk
Publishing Director: Paul Ryder
pryder@datateam.co.uk Managing Director: Parvez Kayani
p.kayani@datateam.co.uk Publication Secretary:
APRIL 2014 ISSN 1462-4796
Jennifer York (+44 1622 699109)
parkworld@datateam.co.uk
© Copyright 2014. All materials in this publication remain the copyright of Datateam Business Media and no part of it may be reproduced without the written permission of the proprietors. A request to insert an advertisement is deemed to be an acceptance of Datateam Business Media Ltd’s conditions of trading, copies of which are available on request.
Head Office: Datateam Business Media Ltd London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY, UK Tel: +44 1622 687031
datateam.co.uk
Member of:
Annual subscription (11 issues): UK £67, overseas £161 +44 1825 765 250 •
datateam@capsule-group.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52