What goes around comes around for first visitors on Ain Dubai
▶ Palestinian photographer Ahmad Alnaji tells Razmig Bedirian how he shot the landmark over nine months
Ain Dubai, the largest and tallest observation wheel in the world, opened to the public on Thursday.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, chairman of Dubai Media Council, launched the much-anticipated attraction.
Sheikh Ahmed said Dubai remained committed to developing the emirate’s offerings as a tourism and lifestyle destination.
He said Ain Dubai would offer a unique experience to visitors and reflected the emirate’s aspiration to achieve excellence in all sectors.
The wheel is 250 metres tall, and its opening brought a jubilant atmosphere on Bluewaters Island on Thursday.
The day was a UAE holiday to mark the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday, so people of all backgrounds were free to gather and see the moment the wheel began turning.
Earlier on Thursday, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai posted a video to social media of himself standing on top of the wheel as it prepared to open.
The first official ride began at 1.30pm.
Matteo Cesari, 26, a UAE resident from Rome, was among the first to step on to the wheel, having won a competition.
“The cabin is impressive, so quiet, really loved it,” he said.
“You can see things of Dubai from here that you wouldn’t be able to see from the rooftop of any building.
“The whole experience went by quite fast but was amazing. [From] the quality of the cabin to the details, to the team – it was quite cool.”
His favourite part, he said, was when he got right to the top.
“That’s when you get rid of the view of the front cabins and have a clear view … Caesars Palace
Bluewaters, Cove Beach, Jebel Ali, JLT. It’s a clear day, it’s amazing. You get a lot, especially right at the top.”
When asked about whether it was important to be among the first to be on the wheel, Mr Cesari paused.
“I think it’s something to take note of in your life … It’s one of the main attractions of Dubai.”
Sajan Antony, 44, is a UAE resident and another of the first to experience the wheel. He told The National he has already experienced the London Eye, the Melbourne Star and the Singapore Flyer, but Ain Dubai has been his favourite so far.
Being one of the first people on the wheel happened by chance.
“We planned to go tomorrow but were able to get a slot today, and then it happened to fall on a holiday too, so it all worked out,” Mr Antony said.
He said they tried to get an evening slot but it was booked up: “I think the view will be even better at night.”
A single rotation takes about 38 minutes, during which guests can view Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction’s 48 cabins. For safety reasons, Ain Dubai has set a maximum capacity of 10 to 12 people in each cabin.
Tickets for the first day were sold out, as were tickets for the sunset slot on Friday, said Ron Drake, Ain Dubai’s general manager.
“Open both day and night, visitors can experience two very different sides of Dubai – gazing at sunset’s golden rays glittering across the skyscrapers or watching Dubai’s spectacular neon lights switch on as darkness falls.
“However, I can safely say that so far our most popular spot is without a doubt our sunset slot. This has been sold out for today and tomorrow, and almost completely sold out for the next week,” Mr Drake said.
“We’ve been blown away by the reaction from customers since tickets went on sale. Many of the products sold out well ahead of today.”
To add to the celebratory spirit, an action-packed twoday opening extravaganza was planned for Thursday and Friday at Ain Dubai Plaza, free for all to enjoy. Weekend visitors will find family entertainment, activities, 12 food stations and more.
Mr Drake expected more demand in the coming months, coinciding with Dubai’s busy tourist season.
Although the observation cabins are popular for those who want to experience the view, Ain Dubai is also offering a variety of packages, from social experiences with VIP treatment to private cabins that can be booked for events such as birthdays or weddings.
Ain Dubai is open daily. The price is Dh130 for adults and Dh100 for children.
When Ahmad Alnaji set out to photograph Ain Dubai he wanted to communicate not only the sheer size of the observation wheel, but also its other-worldliness.
One of his photographs shows the structure standing as a solitary presence above sunlit clouds, looming over the fog in a neat white arc. The photo was taken some time after the observation pods were fitted on to the wheel late last year and captures the serene landscape that could be seen from the top of the 250-metre-tall structure.
Ain Dubai, which opened on Thursday, has long been publicised for its record-breaking size. Knowing it’s the world’s tallest and largest observation wheel is one thing. Actually seeing its windowed pods peering over an endless wash of clouds is an entirely visceral way of grasping that fact.
The photograph is one in a series that documents the structure over a nine-month period. The images capture the attraction in the midst of photogenic weather as well as during key moments, such as New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“The photographs can tell you two things about Ain Dubai,” Alnaji, 23, says. “Most importantly, the height of it. Even if you see it in person, it’s hard to imagine how huge this thing is. Another is its
stunning location. It’s in the middle of the sea. You can see boats, and the Moon’s reflections on the waters.”
Alnaji’s photographs of Bluewaters Island show Ain Dubai dwarfing the beachside cluster of commercial, hospital and residential towers. However, what gives a pretty good impression of its size are the photographs captured in fog that isolate and accentuate the wheel’s enormity, albeit with some poetic licence.
One image shows the wheel with fog up to its midsection, while far down below, two boats draw lines along a patch of the Arabian Gulf’s waters. The boats’ frothy trails are more apparent than their pinprick forms. “Next to the wheel, they look like toys,” Alnaji says.
But a photograph can only be as good as its vantage point. To take an image looking down at the world’s tallest observation wheel meant having to be somewhere even higher up. Alnaji knew of such a place because he used to live in it.
Up until last year, he lived on the 90th floor of Princess Tower, Dubai’s tallest residential building. The apartment’s balcony, he says, is one of his favourite shooting spots and offers an unobstructed view of Ain Dubai. Luckily, Alnaji is friends with the current tenants, who let him come and go as he pleased.
“I used to wake my friends up at like 5 in the morning, saying I was coming upstairs,” he says. “I’d also stay awake all
night on that balcony, taking pictures and getting some work done, while waiting for the Moon to come. It was tiring, but great.”
Alnaji began photographing Ain Dubai as early as last summer. He took countless images of the observation wheel, but started again once the pods were in place.
“Around November [last year], when the cabins were installed, I decided to start the project. We began on New Year’s Eve to photograph the fireworks.”
Not all of the images in the photo series were captured from Alnaji’s view from Princess Tower. He also took to the skies via a drone and photographed Ain Dubai from the rooftop of Caesars
Palace at Bluewaters Island, situated at the foot of the observation wheel.
The Ain Dubai project is Alnaji’s latest effort in capturing the city’s architecture. Last year, he released a time-lapse video documenting the city from his 90th-floor balcony during a thunderstorm. The project came about during the thick of the pandemic, as stayat-home measures were put in place across the city.
Palestinian-born and raised in the UAE, Alnaji’s interest in Dubai’s cityscapes stems from seeing their transformation first-hand while growing up.
“I’ve lived here all my life,” he says. “From the early days of my childhood, I got attached to the city’s architecture and construction.”
While photography has been a running passion of his since he was young, Alnaji began to take photography more seriously in the past few years, accepting freelance projects and working professionally as an aerial and cityscape photographer. He is now looking at the site of Expo 2020 Dubai as the inspiration for his next project.
“There is a lot of work to do there,” he says. “Every pavilion is a story in itself.
“I want to take more than just photographs. I want the work to express a message. To create artworks through photography.”
I’ve lived here all my life. From the early days of my childhood, I got attached to the city’s architecture and construction