Ain Dubai officially open: 5 astounding facts about the world's largest observation wheel

First announced in February 2013, Ain Dubai, welcomed its first guests to view some of the most spectacular landmarks in the country.

Ain Dubai is epitome of Dubai's continued commitment to developing the emirate’s offerings as a tourism and lifestyle destination and enriching the quality of life of people who live in Dubai.

Here are some astounding facts about Ain Dubai.

Observation Cabins

The observation cabins of Ain Dubai, provide visitors the perfect vantage point for 360-degree views of Dubai - over the waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Passengers can board into one of 48 luxurious cabins, each able to carry up to 40 guests. So at any one time, there can be up to 1,750 people on the wheel.

One complete rotation of the wheel takes 38 minutes and it’s as steady as a rock. If you find this hard to believe, watch Sheikh Hamdan, Crown Prince of Dubai, sipping a beverage perched on top of a cabin.

World's largest and tallest observation wheel

At 250 metres, it’s almost twice the height of the London Eye.

With the arrival of Ain Dubai, the London Eye at a mere 135 metres is pushed down to fifth place on a list of the world’s tallest wheels.

The current tallest – Las Vegas’ High Roller – stands at a height of 167.5 metres, with the Singapore Flyer reaching a height of 165 metres and China’s Star of Nanchang standing at 160 metres tall.

Over 10 key countries came together to build it

Building a marvel of engineering was a global effort.

More than 10 countries have come together to create Ain Dubai, with the steel wheel structure produced across the UAE, South Korea and Germany.

The UK, France and Netherlands provided key engineering and project management expertise.

Two largest cranes in the world

Standing at over 250 metres, Ain Dubai was built by the two largest cranes in the world.

Mammoet was awarded the heavy lifting contract to install the key structural elements of the wheel. Mammoet proposed installing the largest elements, the legs and spindle, directly from the barge they arrived on onto foundations with two of their super heavy lift cranes.

For the installation, Mammoet paired the world’s biggest crane – PTC 200-DS – a 5000t ring crane, with a 3000t crawler crane.

11,200 tonnes of steel used

Ain Dubai’s key components were assembled using two of the world's largest cranes, and the structure used 11,200 tonnes of steel in its construction, 33 percent more than the amount used to build the Eiffel Tower.

The attraction joins Dubai Holding’s extensive entertainment portfolio, which includes Dubai Parks and Resorts, Global Village, Coca-Cola Arena, Roxy Cinemas, leading waterparks and much more.

Ain Dubai sits at the heart of the unique, must-visit lifestyle destination, Bluewaters, where the charm and exclusivity of island living meets the exuberance of a sophisticated urban lifestyle.

The landmark entertainment venue delivers extraordinary and customisable one-of-a-kind experiences for every occasion.