Gulf Construction Online - Water park takes on legendary theme

Bahrain Review

First-class attraction ... a model of the park.

Water park takes on legendary theme

01 January 2003

The Durrat Al Bahrain Aqua Park, which is expected to open during the summer, is being enhanced so that it conforms to a special theme while the construction area is being expanded.

The BD6 million ($15.9 million) park was earlier scheduled to open in July in time for the two-month Bahrain Summer Festival but was completed in November.

The management has now decided to add a theme to the park and a Spanish firm has been engaged in the design work, according to a spokesman of Durrat Al Khaleej Bahrain.

The theme is based on Old Bahrain and the era of Gilgamesh, the legendary Babylonian king, combined with a concept of a jungle, he adds.

The park was designed by Canadian-based White Water and has been built by Bahrain-based Fast Contracting Company.

The 50,000-sq m facility is the first of many attractions being planned for the 20-sq-km mega resort being built on the southern tip of the island, about 35 km south of the Askar Roundabout. The park is said to have already received an initial Class A rating from the US-based World Water Park Association (WWPA).

'What this means is that the facility meets all world-class standards as a first-class tourist attraction," says park manager Sim Chookheng.

'It will be an important designation when Durrat Al Bahrain, and Bahrain itself, is being promoted in the global arena as a tourist destination.'

The park will accommodate around 4,000 people at a time and will feature nine different activities are available within the park:

* Wave Pools: there are two wave pools located adjacent to each other - the first of their kind in Bahrain. Here guests can experience the fun of swimming against the ocean waves, or lazing on the beach splashed by the 1-metre waves.

* Children's play area (two areas) - this Caribbean-themed Family Adventure pools are specially created for toddlers and children

* High thrills slides (4 slides)- the tallest is a steep drop from 17 m, launching guests up to a speed of 50 km/h;

* Inner tube slides - the complex has four different 'tubular' and 'open' slides that will carry guests through twist and turns on special inflatable tubes down to the splashdown pool below;

* Lazy River - 500 m long;

* Surfers' Paradise - a surf simulator where guests can surf with a surfboard.

* Adult pool with interactive games;

* Bumper boats;

* Beach volleyball and soccer.

With the expansion a further two rides are expected to be added.

The park will also have a Jacuzzi, two restaurants and a number of kiosks.