Dubai - Zabeel Park, the first technology-based theme park in the Gulf, is expected to boost domestic and international tourism in Dubai, said Mattar Al Tayer, Deputy Director General of Dubai Municipality while making an inspection tour of the Dh200 million project's worksite along with senior officials of the municipality.
Works of the project have already been completed and the park will play host to one of the largest festive occasions of the emirate on its opening day later this year.
The General Projects Department of Dubai Municipality completed the construction work of the park in record eighteen months. The park, located between Dubai Trade Centre and Al Karama, is spread across an area of 51 hectares and comprises a number of provisions including food courts, a cricket pitch, amphitheatre, exhibition centres and special facilities for boating inside the lake.
"Zabeel Park will become a major tourist attraction in Dubai once it is inaugurated. The park has something to offer to each visitor," Al Tayer said, adding that there was plenty of playing area for children in the form of tot lots, while adults could spend their time sitting in the lakeside restaurants and enjoying the scenic beauty of the park.
The park has been divided into three zones of 281,000 square metres, 162,000 square metres and 22,000 square metres to distinguish one zone from the other. All these zones are connected by a road train.
The main attraction of the park will be a 'Mega Bowl', which will be used for organising multi-purpose activities including weddings, parties, birthday functions and other events associated with colleges and business establishments. Apart from functions, Mega Bowl will be used to conduct exhibitions and shows from time to time. The terraced seating arrangements in the Mega Bowl will accommodate 2,000 people at a time.
A mini cricket field to play cricket matches also forms part of the Zabeel Park. Though not as big as a cricket ground, the mini cricket field with a standard pitch and lush green outfield promises to provide plenty of entertainment to the cricket-crazy expatriates from the Indian sub-continent.
The other important features of the park include a jogging track of 4.3 kilometres surrounding the park with soft and hard landscaping of approximate 12 metres width. The track will prove a boon to the morning walkers from the surrounding localities of Karama and Shaikh Zayed Road. A number of date palm trees along with water fountains will dot the lush green park in the heart of the city. The park also has three sister-city monuments in the form of Geneva and Gold Coast, Istanbul and Osaka. The city monuments were incorporated in the park as part of sister-city agreements between Dubai Municipality and the cities of Geneva, Istanbul and Osaka.
© Khaleej Times 2005
