AHMAD BIN MOHAMMAD OPENS LATEST TOURIST ATTRACTION

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, yesterday opened Ain Dubai, the world’s largest and tallest observation wheel.

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad was accompanied at the opening by Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs. The landmark project is the latest addition to Dubai Holding’s diverse entertainment portfolio.

Speaking on the occasion,

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad emphasised Dubai’s continued commitment to developing the emirate as a tourism and lifestyle destination and enriching the quality of life of people who live in Dubai.

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad was welcomed by Amit Kaushal, Dubai Holding’s chief executive officer, and key senior representatives from the group.

During the opening, which was also attended by Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad was briefed on the key features of the new attraction.

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad also watched a short film documenting various phases of construction of Ain Dubai, which took nine million man-hours to build. He was shown around the observation cabins, which provide visitors a 360-degree view of Dubai over the waters of the Arabian Gulf.

The 48 passenger cabins circling the enormous circumference of the wheel have the capacity to carry more than 1,750 visitors at once. One complete rotation of the wheel takes 38 minutes.

More than ten countries came together in the making of Ain Dubai, an engineering marvel whose key components were assembled using two of the world’s largest cranes, with the structure using 11,200 tonnes of steel — 33 per cent more than the amount used to build the Eiffel Tower.