MARKET REPORT: MIDDLE EAST
and IMG Worlds of Adventure is not in doubt, so what factors are impacting their performance? Firstly, the very concept of theme parks is new to the market and to the people, and the concept of indoor theme parks, in particular, is a new concept worldwide. Like any creative process, this has its risks.
Note of caution aside, the UAE has seen some great new additions to its ever- growing array of world-class visitor attractions open in the last twelve months. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, Dubai Safari, the Dubai Frame and Franco Dragone’s La Perle are four of the most noteworthy. At the other end of the scale Orbi, a joint BBC Wildlife and Sega concept that opened at Mirdif City Centre in 2017, OliOli, a standalone children’s educational play centre that opened recently in Al Quoz Industrial Park, and the VR Park that opened in February 2018 at The Dubai Mall, replacing Sega Republic, are also all great new additions. Also due to open in 2018 are Warner Bros’ World on Yas Island, Clymb on Yas Island, a new water park at
La Mer in Dubai and the 225m diameter Dubai Eye at Bluewaters.
The water park at La Mer is notable for being just one part of an extensive urban beach-front entertainment development that has recently opened and is already proving to be extremely popular. Work on Yas Bay, another lifestyle waterfront development, is also now underway and will significantly add to the critical mass and on-going development of Yas Island as a destination, as will the 1,200-room Warner Bros’ themed family hotel once construction starts, which is expected to follow the opening of the park in May 2018.
Other future projects, such as the Six Flags park at Dubai Parks & Resorts, due to open in 2019, have now started ground works on site, but the indoor snow play centre previously announced for Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi has yet to see construction start A 2020 opening is now being mooted.
One of the surprising announcements in 2017 is that even the 67 hectares
SeaWorld park being developed on Yas Island will be indoor. There have been no recent announcements on the progress of park, however, but given that it is not due to open until 2022 this is hardly surprising. IMG’s proposed second indoor theme park, World of Legends, is also understood to still be in the design stage but is expected to open around 2020. Its not all just about Dubai and Abu Dhabi, however, as Ras Al Khaimah recently opened the world’s longest zipline at Jebel Al Jais, the UAE’s highest mountain – a staggering 2.83 km long with speeds up to 150 km/hour!
The most notable new announcement in 2017, however, is Marsa Al Arab which will see two new islands created next to the Burj Al Arab, the first phase of which is due to open in 2020.
Wild Wadi Water Park will be relocated to the entertainment-focused island to support visitor numbers to the new resort, which will be managed by Jumeirah Group. With the relocation, the water park will double its size and feature new rides.
VR Park, by Emaar Entertainment, The Dubai Mall
PARK WORLD Handbook & Buyers Guide 2018
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