Ain Dubai Waterfront Plaza

Why is it significant?

Conclude your coastal journey directly beneath the monumental steel arches of Ain Dubai on the western rim of Bluewaters Island. Towering an astonishing 250 meters, or 820 feet, into the sky, this is the largest and tallest observation wheel ever constructed in human history.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Conclude your coastal journey directly beneath the monumental steel arches of Ain Dubai on the western rim of Bluewaters Island. Towering an astonishing 250 meters, or 820 feet, into the sky, this is the largest and tallest observation wheel ever constructed in human history. It stands nearly twice the height of the London Eye, dwarfing the previous world record holder, the High Roller in Las Vegas, by over eighty meters. Looking straight up between its four massive supporting legs, the sheer scale of the engineering leaves visitors utterly spellbound against the backdrop of the open Arabian Gulf.

The construction figures sound like science fiction: the wheel contains more than eleven thousand tons of steel, equivalent to the weight of thirty-three Airbus A380 aircraft. Its central hub and spindle weigh eighteen hundred tons and measure nearly forty meters in length, hoisted into place using the world's largest offshore crane barge. Forty-eight air-conditioned glass passenger cabins, each capable of holding forty guests, can carry up to seventeen hundred and fifty passengers simultaneously on a single thirty-eight-minute rotation.

The Arabic name 'Ain Dubai' translates to 'The Eye of Dubai', symbolizing visionary foresight and panoramic perspective over the emirate's destiny. From the apex of the wheel, passengers can look out across the entire city: the towers of Dubai Marina, the Palm Jumeirah archipelago, Burj Al Arab, and Burj Khalifa seventy miles in the distance. Standing here at the water's edge with the Gulf breeze in your face, you witness the ultimate manifestation of Dubai's daring ambition to push the limits of human possibility.

Each spoke cable supporting the rim is tensioned with five million newtons of force, thicker than the transatlantic communication cables that link continents beneath the ocean.

This concludes our walk along Dubai Marina, JBR, and Bluewaters Island; enjoy the island's coastal dining or stroll back across the bridge at sunset.