Dubai's Aquaventure and Wild Wadi have both been ranked among the world's top water parks.
Both made it into a list of the top 20 worldwide, compiled by AECOM and the Themed Entertainment Association.
Aquaventure, which is part of the Atlantis resort on the Palm Jumeirah, came in at ninth position, with just over 1 million visitors last year, beating out many large waterparks in the US.
Wild Wadi, which is part of Jumeirah Group, was in 17th place with 690,000 visitors.
Water parks are "a natural leisure solution for a region with baking hot weather", said David Camp, the director of AECOM's economics practice in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
"Dubai benefits from being a year-round business operation. The two Dubai parks are both [connected to] hotels, so a large proportion of their visitors are actually hotel guests."
But it has nonetheless been a challenging period. "As you know, 2009 was a difficult year for the whole world and it was for us as well," said Scott Deisley, the vice president of Aquaventure at Atlantis, The Palm.
This year, business is looking better for Aquaventure, with Dubai enjoying an increase in tourism from markets such as China and India, he said, and with visitor numbers at the park up by about 17 per cent this year so far compared with the same period last year.
In Abu Dhabi, a water park with 40 rides and attractions is scheduled to open on Yas Island in the first quarter of 2013.
The findings were part of an annual report on attendance at theme parks globally.
The industry, which suffered during the downturn, is recovering in terms of visitor numbers in the US and Europe, the report reveals.
Asia, in particular China, is continuing to show the most growth and potential for the industry, it stated.
Several theme parks that were planned as part of the sprawling Dubailand development, including Universal Studios and Six Flags, have been put on hold or scrapped.
There were also plans for what was scheduled to become the world's largest water park, Aqua Dunya, to be built in Dubailand, and which was to have included the world's largest cruise ship.
"The Middle East has lost its industry boom status but there are some bright spots," the report stated, adding that the Ferrari World theme park was one example.
"But aside from that, theme park development in the Middle East is largely dormant," Mr Camp said.
Ferrari World has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors since it opened last November, according to its management.
The attraction, estimated to be worth Dh4 billion (US$1.08bn), is the world's largest indoor theme park and boasts the fastest roller coaster in the world.
"Ferrari World bears watching as a new kind of corporate branding venture," according to the report.
"This ambitious undertaking was one of the few Mideast themed entertainment projects to actually reach opening day."
rbundhun@thenational.ae
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
Company%20Profile
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'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
