5 Best Theme Parks in the UAE

Do you love theme parks? If so, you’d be absolutely thrilled with the United Arab Emirates. This country on the Arabian Gulf coast, bordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman, is maybe 80% desert, but it has some of the world’s biggest and most magnificent theme parks.

If you’re ever in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, take the time to visit the best theme parks in the UAE. It will be more than worth it, and you can check some items off your theme park bucket list. Start with the following Yas Island Abu Dhabi theme parks.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s most iconic theme parks. Its appeal starts with the big, vibrant red roof, inspired by the classic double-curve side profile of the Ferrari GT body, that showcases the largest Ferrari logo ever made and displayed anywhere.

Tip:  When you visit Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, find a good vantage point from which you can see the entire roof. Once in the park, sign up for the Roof Walk experience for a much closer encounter.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is where you go for stimulating roller coaster rides, including the Formula Rossa – the world’s fastest roller coaster, which accelerates from 0 to 240 kilometers per hour (or 149 miles per hour) in less than five seconds. You should also try the Flying Aces, the world’s tallest non-inverted roller coaster loop, go on the Fiorano GT Challenge to experience the thrill of racing friends on a Ferrari F430 Spider, and experience a zero-gravity fall on the Turbo Track. There’s also Mission Ferrari, an immersive 5D mega-coaster ride with high-speed launches, backward inverted loops, and sideways coaster drops.

Trivia: Did you know that Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is the first Ferrari-themed amusement park in the world? It is also a “mostly indoor theme park.” Most rides and attractions can be found inside the park’s cool, air-conditioned interiors, but Formula Rossa, Flying Aces and Fiorano GT Challenge are outside. You also need to go outside for part of Turbo Track when the coaster briefly breaches the park’s red roof.

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi is a water park that offers an exhilarating range of rides, slides, and attractions, including immersive underwater virtual reality experiences that include:

• • Ocean diving to visit shipwrecks, underwater coves, and submarines
  • Weightless skydiving and gliding over mountains, waterfalls and canyons
  • Exploring an abandoned space station
  • Swimming with sea creatures and a magical waterscape as you journey to Lost City under the guidance of a friendly seal

The water park has a massive wave pool, the AMWAJ,  with a beach (Amwaj Beach) and cabanas (Al Waha cabanas) where you can relax with friends and family. Float down a lazy river (Al Raha River) and let the current take you where it will, or experience 5D adventures in a cinema that floods with water.

One of the park’s crown jewels is the Dawwama, a tornado water slide that’s as exhilarating as it is massive, propelling you and your friends through a spinning funnel of fun. Then there’s Bandit Bomber, a 550-meter-long suspended roller coaster with exciting drops and turns and water and laser effects. Thrilling water slides include the SEBAG, Jebel Drop, Liwa Loop, and Hamlool’s Humps.

For the little ones, there’s Cannon Point with water cannons and Water Wars for fun balloon fights. Meanwhile, Yas Waterworld’s ladies’ night in Abu Dhabi is the girls’ chance to have the park all to themselves.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, with an area of 1.615 million square feet, is the largest indoor theme park in the world. It brings to life popular Warner Bros. characters and stories across six immersive lands:

• Warner Bros. Plaza
• Metropolis
• Gotham City
• Cartoon Junction
• Bedrock
• Dynamite Gulch

Soon, there’ll be a Harry Potter-themed land, too.

The park features a range of interactive, family-friendly attractions, live entertainment and state-of-the-art 3D, 4D, and 5D rides, including the high-tech flight simulator ride Batman: Knight Flight and Justice League: Warworld Attacks. Rides to try include:

• Scarecrow Scare Raid
• The Riddler Revolution
• Tom and Jerry: Swiss Cheese Spin
• Fast and Furry-ous

You can walk around the park to meet your favorite TV, comic and film characters and shop and eat at many of its stores and dining outlets. For the best value, watch out for theme park deals.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s largest aquarium, the Endless Ocean aquarium, with 25 million liters (6.6 million gallons) of saltwater and 68,000 marine animals. It has eight realms:

• Abu Dhabi Ocean
• Antarctica
• Arctic
• Endless Ocean
• MicroOcean
• One Ocean
• Rocky Point
• Tropical Ocean

Every realm has a distinct theme. Abu Dhabi Ocean provides insight into the marine ecosystem of the Arabian Gulf and the Bedouin pearl-diving history and legacy. Arctic Ocean simulates the freezing conditions of the Arctic region and offers close encounters with walruses, puffins, sea otters, and other polar ocean creatures. Meanwhile, Rocky Point mimics the natural habitat of sea lions and seals.

There’s so much to do and experience at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, including the following SeaWorld expeditions:

• Dolphin Encounter
• SeaDive
• Seal and Sea Lion Encounter
• Sea Otter Encounter
• SeaVenture
• Walrus Encounter

There are also interactive experiences and rides, including the one-of-a-kind Manta Coaster, which has 17 airtime moments and a zero-gravity flip. There are live performances, costumed characters, interactive exhibits, and educational sessions on marine life conservation.

Trivia: There are no Orcas or killer whales at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.

CLYMB Abu Dhabi is a unique indoor park with two attractions: indoor skydiving and indoor wall climbing. It’s worth visiting just for the fact that it houses:

• The largest indoor skydiving flight chamber in the world: 9.7 m (32 ft) wide and 32 m (104 ft) tall with 16 fans.
• The region’s tallest indoor climbing wall: the 42-meter (138-foot) tall The SUMMYT, one of the five indoor climbing walls at the park

CLYMB Abu Dhabi offers thrills to both beginner and expert adventurers. Children as young as three can skydive, and children at least four years old can climb. Watch out for skydiving offers and go with friends and family.

While in Abu Dhabi, make a side trip to Abu Dhabi’s Qasr Al Watan, or “Palace of the Nation.” 

Qasr Al Watan is not a theme park, but it’s worth a visit. This architectural masterpiece will transport you to another world through its many halls and rooms (including an impressive banquet hall), stunning artworks, and the Palace in Motion show.

The UAE is home to some of the world’s best amusement parks.  The capital, Abu Dhabi, has more than its fair share, including Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, etc. So, make sure to drop by these places on your next visit.