| Bluewaters Island | |
| Location: | Jumeirah Beach Residence coastline, near Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Status: | Complete |
| Start Date: | April 2013[1] |
| Cost: | AED 6 billion |
| Est Completion: | Q1 2018 |
| Coordinates: | 25.0798°N 55.1221°W |
Bluewaters Island is an artificial island off the Jumeirah Beach Residence coastline, near Dubai Marina, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The project was approved by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and unveiled on February 13, 2013.[1] [2] It is built on reclaimed land by Meraas Holding, with dredging work conducted by Van Oord,[3] the Dutch firm known for its work on Palm Jumeirah, at an estimated cost AED 6 billion (1.6 billion USD, including the Ain Dubai, formerly the Dubai Eye).[4] Construction was originally due to start in April 2013,[1] but actually began on May 20, 2013.[4] It opened in November 2018.[5]
The island includes entertainment, hospitality, residential, and retail zones, and is forecast to attract more than three million visitors annually.[1] [2]
The island is home to Banyan Tree Dubai, formerly Caesars Palace Dubai, a five-star resort which re-opened under the new flag in November 2023 https://nearfarmag.com/banyan-tree-dubai-takes-over-caesars-palace/. Bluewaters also has around 200 beverage and retail and food outlets in the ground level of residential buildings and entertainment section of the island.[6] The total number of residential buildings on the island is 10. Each of these is considered mid-rise and features 15 storeys or fewer.[7]
See main article: Ain Dubai. Bluewaters Island will feature the AED 1 billion ($274m[4]) Ain Dubai (formerly the Dubai Eye), a 2740NaN0 tall giant Ferris wheel. It is 85.40NaN0 the world's tallest Ferris wheel, taller than the previous worlds tallest Ferris wheel,167.6m (549.9feet) High Roller, which opened in Las Vegas in March 2014,[8] and 177.50NaN0 taller than the 225.5m (739.8feet) New York Wheel planned for Staten Island.[9] [10]
Design and construction are being undertaken by Hyundai Contracting and Starneth Engineering.[11] Construction started in May 2015.[12]
The wheel will be able to carry up to 1,400 passengers, in its 48 capsules, and provide views of Dubai Marina and landmarks such as Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah.[1] Its base will serve as an entertainment zone, and an 89m² LED screen will be mounted on the wheel creating an electronic platform for broadcasting, advertisements, and other information.[1] [13] The first passenger capsule was installed on August 21, 2020.[14]
Ain Dubai has not been operational since March 2022, and the operators announced it would remain "closed indefinitely", without any further explanation.[15] However, the LED displays on the structure continue to be illuminated at night and are visible from miles away.[16]
See main article: Madame Tussauds Dubai. The first Madame Tussauds in the Middle East opened in Dubai in September 2021. The wax figures are featured in a theme settings such of Music Party, Fashion, Leaders, Bollywood, Film, Sport and Media, Is features over 90 wax models.
Notable waxwork in the museum include Emirati first leaders Sheikh Zayed and Emirati second leaders Sheikh Khalifa, as well as global celebrities like Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Maria Sharapova, Angelina Jolie, Aishwarya Rai, Ranveer Singh, Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Shahid Kapoor, Shawn Mendes and Justin Timberlake. In 2022, a figure of the flight attendant for Emirates, was added and is the second figure to be made of the icon. A year later, the waxwork Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin was also added.