Ready to Thrill

The latest additions at the Atlantis Aquaventure waterpark on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai (top) and the concept for Six Flags Qiddiya (below).

Asia’s theme parks are continuing to expand 2021. Nigel Benton reports

With operational theme parks across Asia closed for a large part of 2020, many locations made the most of the year with work on new attractions while under development resorts moved forward with their plans.

Work on Saudi Arabia’s Six Flags theme park at the Qiddiya giga-project saw the commencement on the construction on what will be the world’s fastest rollercoaster.

When it opens as Six Flags Qiddiya’s flagship attraction in 2023, the Falcon’s Flight coaster will send riders down a 160-metre vertical cliff, through an illuminated tunnel, and around a series of corkscrews and inversions - at a reported top speed of 250 kilometres per hour.

It will take the accolade away from the Formula Rossa rollercoaster at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi which accelerates guests to a speed of 240 km/h.

With former Disney executive Phillipe Gas, appointed Qiddiya Chief Executive in November last year, the development’s building program has been largely unaffected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Taking on the role, Gas advised “Qiddiya is a once-ina-lifetime chance to develop an unforgettable offering that will transform entertainment for an entire region and create cherished memories for current and future generations.”

With Saudi Arabia opening its borders to international visitors in 2019, the Kingdom has moved to develop a cruise industry, attracting international sporting events and luxury hotel brands to build projects among its stunning natural landscapes as well as revising rules such as strict dress codes that could make foreign visitors feel unwelcome.

With Dubai an established tourism destination and the delayed Expo 2020 to now open from October, DXB Entertainments’ Dubai Parks and Resorts has relaunched Bollywood Parks Dubai.

Opened at the end of January with nine new rides, an authentic Bollywood themed shopping experience at the Bollywood Souq Bazaar and new Indian food and beverage offerings, the park has introduced the world’s tallest swing ride, the Bollywood Skyflyer, standing 140 metres tall and the Wheel of Stars, a 55-metre-high observation wheel.

Bollywood Parks Dubai General Manager, Milton D’Souza told CNN “we used the time to create and build a brand-new area in the park that we call the Mela Zone, which is home to

The entrance to Bollywood Parks Dubai.

Motiongate Dubai.

the majority of the nine new rides at Bollywood Parks Dubai.”

In 2019, the three theme parks at Dubai Parks and Resorts - which also includes Motiongate Dubai and Legoland Dubai - attracted 2.6 million visitors and D’Souza hopes the new additions will encourage more guests to visit the theme park as Dubai once again opens up to tourism.

Aiming to further enhance visits, D’Souza adds that later this year Bollywood Parks Dubai plans to open the Bombay Express - the region’s first wooden rollercoaster.

Commenting on the re-opening and the launch of the new rides and attractions at Bollywood Parks Dubai, Ahmad Hussain Bin Essa, DXB Entertainments’ Chief Operating Officer, added “after extensive enhancements, the park has a whole new offering for 2021 that includes new food and beverage outlets, shopping experiences and world-record holding rides.

“The addition of the nine new and exciting rides will make the Bollywood Parks Dubai experience a day out like no other.

“Each new ride has been designed to give our guests an authentic and immersive experience which will transport them to the very heart of India, without having to leave Dubai.”

While ready to welcome visitors, during March DXB Entertainments also won approval from its shareholders to transfer AED4.3 billion (US$1.17 billion) debt to UAE developer Meraas Leisure and Entertainment in exchange for 53 billion ordinary shares.

Founded in 2007, and listed to capitalise on Dubai’s booming tourism sector in 2014, DXB has struggled to hit targets for visitor numbers with its troubles increased by lockdowns put in place to combat the Coronavirus during 2020.

In late December 2020, its majority shareholder, statecontrolled Meraas Holding, offered to acquire DXB’s debt and convert it into new DXB Entertainments shares, boosting its ownership to more than 90%.

Having not posted a profit since listing, in November last year the company advised that its accumulated losses (as of the end of September 2020) stood at 78% of capital.

In urging other shareholders – who include Qatar’s sovereign fund and the Kuwait Investment - to accept the offer, DXB’s board said in view of the company’s current cash position and liabilities, and near term general economic conditions, the terms of the offer were “fair and reasonable”.

DXB Entertainments has projects in attractions, entertainment, hospitality and retail in Dubai. Its entertainment portfolio includes the Coca-Cola Arena, Laguna Waterpark, The Green Planet, Dubai Safari, Hub Zero, Hawa Hawa, Mattel Play! Town, Splash Pad, and Ain Dubai (which is set to take the title of world’s tallest Ferris wheel when it opens later this year).

A separate Dubai development has seen what its owners say is the “biggest waterpark expansion in history” at the Atlantis Aquaventure waterpark on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

The massive ‘Phase 3’ extension at the Middle East’s largest waterpark sees it now offer 79 rides, with ProSlide Technology Inc. having installed 17 water rides including two state-of-the-art water park towers with multiple RallyRACERTM mat racers, a new WaterKINGDOM featuring the world’s first KidzADVENTURE TowerTM, and multiple ProSlide Water Coasters, including the world’s longest family rafting Water Coaster.

In Dubai’s neighbouring Emirate, construction of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the latest attraction on Yas Island, is on target to be finished in 2022.

In China, the largest opening of the year is seeing Universal Beijing Resort moving ahead in preparation for the highly anticipated grand opening in May this year.

First conceived over a decade ago, the collaboration between Universal and local partners, including the Beijing Tourism Group has involved over 500 designers and artists, more than 500 suppliers and global partners, and over 100,000 construction workers.

With the major phase of construction ended, Universal Beijing Resort is currently testing its rides, putting detail into its seven themed lands and completing staff recruitment and training.

In Australia, Gold Coast theme park Sea World opened its $50 million New Atlantis precinct, in which the first ride, Vortex, opened before Christmas.

The other attractions in the new precinct - The Leviathan a wooden rollercoaster and the Trident tower - are set to open in June.

At Dreamworld, its new triple launch rollercoaster, branded as the Steel Taipan is also scheduled to open this year. Nigel Benton is Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management

Universal Beijing Resort is set to open in May. The concept for Sea World’s Leviathan wooden rollercoaster.