Gulf Construction Online - Saudi firm to invest in Dubai aqua park

UAE Focus

The residential component

Saudi firm to invest in Dubai aqua park

01 October 2005

Saudi Arabia’s Al Sharq Group is to invest Dh7 billion ($1.9 billion) in developing a 8 million sq ft project in Dubailand, which will comprise the largest and most diverse theme park resort in the Middle East, as well as a residential community.

Construction work on the development named Aqua Dunya – a project equivalent in size to 150 football fields – will begin in January 2006.
The project will rise from the middle of the UAE desert by early 2008, according to the owner/developer.
The world’s largest cruise ship, The Desert Pearl, inspired by an Arabian sea faring tale, serves as the centrepiece of the theme park resort, and beckons visitors to join its imaginary voyage to exotic far-off lands.
Anchored at its own Dubailand oasis, the “ship” contains a climate-controlled indoor element of the theme park and an authentic 330-stateroom luxury hotel.
When it opens, the resort and residential community will include the Aqua Dunya theme park, the Desert Pearl Hotel, a traditional suq and port district, a conference centre, 170 vacation apartments, and 3,400 residential apartments offered for sale.
The theme park will open with more than 36 wet and dry rides and attractions, and three exotic adventure islands, offering a one-of-a-kind family entertainment experience for residents and international visitors.
Future development will include a second theme park, two more themed resort hotels, a golf course, and expansions to the Aqua Dunya theme park.
The theme park, the flagship hotel, the suq and port, and the vacation apartments will be managed by Jumeirah, the hospitality management arm of Dubai Holding.
With 1.3 million theme park visitors expected in its first year, and 3 million annually at full build-out, Aqua Dunya is expected to raise the international bar for the theme park experience, officials from Al Sharq Development said.
The Aqua Dunya development marks the first UAE mega-project for Al Sharq Development, a UAE subsidiary of the Saudi-based Al Sharq group of companies. Al Sharq Development is tasked with the development of Aqua Dunya and several other high-profile real estate development concepts.
“Aqua Dunya will set new standards for international family entertainment in the Middle East by using the art of Arabic story-telling to transport our guests on a fantastic fantasy adventure,” said Steven Tight, chief executive officer for Aqua Dunya. Tight, who joined Al Sharq Development this January, brings his 17 years of international theme park development experience with the Walt Disney Company to the Aqua Dunya project.
The Desert Pearl, one of the grandest ships of its time, travelled the world for several years before returning to anchor in the oasis where it was covered by the desert’s shifting sands, until the Aqua Dunya team discovered it deep within the UAE desert.
Restored to its former glory, the modern-day Desert Pearl is 407 m long and 95 m from water line to top of its eight masts, and is the focal point of the Aqua Dunya theme park.
The hotel within the ship has an authentic turn-of-the-century design and interiors.
The Aqua Dunya project, one of the 19 confirmed projects for Dubailand, is among one of the first 10 projects that will coincide with Dubailand's Phase 1 grand opening in early 2008.
Dubailand is being developed as an integrated destination devoted to offering the best in terms of tourism, leisure, entertainment and lifestyle. Spread over 3 billion sq ft, Dubailand will be the largest and most unique projects of its kind in the region.