Dubai is now home to a unique floating park promoters claim is the biggest of its kind in the world.
Located in the sea 150 metres off the shores of Jumeirah Beach Residence, the Beach Water Park opened in April, its inflated playground offering a host of water activities like slides, trampolines, jumping cushions and climbing walls for both children and adults.
Angela Cid, the Spanish business development manager at Arabian Water Parks which runs the facility, told XPRESS: "The park floats just off the beach. It is 55 metres long and can hold 150 people at a time. It's the biggest of its kind in the world. It has been designed and built to the highest of safety and quality standards, with 13 professional safety guards monitoring it very closely.”
To gain entry into the bouncy park, one has to be swim out from the JBR beach. "We have our kiosk at the beach where visitors can buy their tickets, get their wristbands and life jackets before swimming out to the park.”
At Dh50 an hour for a child and Dh60 an adult, the park has had many takers since it was launched. "We also offer a day pass for Dh195. The park has been extremely popular. Interestingly, over 60 per cent of our visitors have been adults so far,” said Cid, adding that get-togethers, events and birthday parties can also organised.
She said the appeal of the park lies in its innovative and fun-filled packages, its different sections allowing for a range of activities. They include an action tower, balance beam, bouncer, bridge, cliff, deck, double rocker, flipper, roller pond, slide, swing, trampoline and spinner. No matter where you are bouncing around, the probability of falling into the water just adds to the fun. "That's why it's important that everyone knows how to swim and follows our safety guidelines. They need to be sensible about jumping. We do not take children younger than six,” said Cid.
She said the park makes safety its top priority. "The U.A.E. is one of the most exciting beach holiday destinations and our park is a major draw for both tourists and residents. It provides great value and a good environment for relaxing, sunbathing and indulging in a range of beach and water sports activities.” The park was open from 9am-7pm in summer with a break from noon to 3pm. From September 15 it will be open 8.30am-6.30pm without a break.