Wild Wadi Waterpark Royal Falcon Gate

Why is it significant?

Pause before the dramatic stone canyon entrance of Wild Wadi Waterpark along Jumeirah Street. Opened in 1999 alongside Burj Al Arab, this pioneering twelve-acre water adventure park was the first of its kind in the entire Middle East.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Pause before the dramatic stone canyon entrance of Wild Wadi Waterpark along Jumeirah Street. Opened in 1999 alongside Burj Al Arab, this pioneering twelve-acre water adventure park was the first of its kind in the entire Middle East. The entire park was themed around the rich comedic folklore of Juha, a beloved mythological traveler and philosopher from classic Arabian folklore who sailed the high seas with Sinbad. Artificial sandstone cliffs, simulated flash-flood waterfalls, and ancient shipwreck timbers frame the entrance, echoing the wild wadis and dry river valleys of the Hajar Mountains. Towering date palms and flowering desert shrubs line the entrance canyon, where misting fans keep waiting guests refreshed in the desert warmth.

The park's engineering made international headlines when it introduced Master Blaster water roller coasters that use high-powered water jets to blast riders uphill. Its signature slide, the Jumeirah Sceirah, drops riders through a trapdoor at an eighty-degree angle, reaching speeds of eighty kilometers per hour in thrilling near-freefall. A massive sixteen-meter artificial waterfall at the entrance erupts every ten minutes, simulating a sudden desert flash flood tumbling down rugged mountain boulders. The water is maintained at a comfortable twenty-eight degrees Celsius year-round, ensuring an exhilarating aquatic experience in every season.

Wild Wadi was conceived by the Jumeirah Group as a family-friendly entertainment counterpart to the ultra-luxury hotels along the beachfront. The park utilizes advanced environmental water filtration systems that recirculate and purify millions of gallons of water with minimal waste. The park's whimsical Arabian architecture features mock adobe watchtowers, weathered dhow masts, and winding water flumes that weave through tropical palm gardens.

Above the main gate, look for the carved wooden falcon statue: in Bedouin folklore, the falcon served as Juha's faithful scout, warning him of desert storms.

Continue east on Jumeirah Street for two minutes until you stand before the sweeping ocean wave of Jumeirah Beach Hotel.