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A WATER park costing $50 million (BD18.85 million) is to open in the Bahraini desert in August creating 150 jobs and is set to attract 300,000 visitors a year.
It will be called Lost Paradise of Dilmun – to highlight the country’s ancient civilisation – and will feature 500 sculptures.
Details were announced at last week’s Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE) 2007 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, where the project had a stand.
The project’s finance and administration manager Derek Walsh said the park was “virtually constructed and complete”.
“This is a completely new project for Bahrain, it is something very different which hasn’t existed before,” he said.
“I think it is going to be a unique attraction and people are going to come, I hope, in droves.
“We are filling the water now and ordering the equipment and hiring the staff we will need.“
The park is part of the high-profile Al Areen development which includes a wildlife sanctuary and the Banyan Tree Desert Spa resort.
The aim is attract up to 5,000 visitors at any one time.
General manager Paul Blunt said: “Each aspect of the park is based on the history of the Dilmun period, reflected by unique stone sculptures and architecture that encompasses the theme.”
The water park is being operated by Malaysia’s Sim Leisure Consultants, a world leader in leisure parks management.
The Lost Paradise of Dilmun aims to combine both history and entertainment and will be designed to carry the guests of the water park back to Bahrain‘s ancient past.
Sim Choo Kheng, managing director of Sim Leisure Consultants, says: “The water park and its integrated landscaping have been designed to enhance the contours of the existing hilly terrain adjacent to the Al Areen Wildlife Sanctuary, infusing them with historically symbolic structures and motifs.
“The differentiating components of the water park will include a 300-metre-long lazy river encircling a giant wave pool that features a sandy shore.
“In addition to its natural appeal, the lazy river will also act as a navigation path through the entire water park. It will flow through a series of themed secret tunnels lined with wall paintings, ancient artifacts, treasures and the accompaniment of state-of-the-art sound and visual effects.
“Over 14 slides and attractions are blended seamlessly to create a desert oasis and garden of paradise for guests to enjoy – besides spa pools, interactive children’s wet play area and a family raft ride the park will also feature the Gulf regions’ largest wave pool, the first in the area with a natural sandy beach.”
● Dilmun is an ancient civilisation usually associated with archaeological sites on the islands of Bahrain and the nearby coast. Because of its location along the sea trade routes linking Mesopotamia with the Indus Valley Civilisation, Dilmun developed in the Bronze Age, from ca. 3000 BC, into one of the greatest entrepôts of trade of the ancient world.
By Shilpa chandran
