The aqua park expects around 700 visitors a day in the first six months of its opening

By Sarmad Qazi
Staff Reporter

Qatar’s first aqua park, a 100,000sqm leisure and entertainment complex off the Salwa Road, will have a soft opening for public in the first week of August, Gulf Times has learnt.

“The soft opening will allow the public to start using the various rides and facilities at the world-class aqua park in August. An official opening will be held during the Eid-ul-Fitr,” an official of the developer, Hala Group Enterprises, said.

Located 16km from the Industrial Area roundabout on the Salwa Road, the water park’s first phase was earlier scheduled to open in April. “The park is ready and testing and commissioning of the rides have been completed. The delay in opening is due to issues beyond our control, such as getting electricity connection,” the official said. “Pre-opening response from the public had been immense and we were also forced to add more wet slides and kiosks as well as a boomerango (a tube ride where people accelerate down a steep chute before travelling high up the opposite wall, experiencing momentary weightlessness, before sliding back down up and over a hump and finishing into a splash pool),” the official added. The park, concept and construction of which is being provided by Cyprus-based Aqua Masters, features a giant “wave pool”, a “lazy river”, an “activity pool”, a multiple slides complex, a family pool, an exotic village and a “dry” corner in the first phase. The first phase covers an area of 50,000sqm. Its parking area can accommodate 400 cars.

In later phases, more rides and features such as go-carts will be included. A 1,500sqm pool area will serve children of 1-10 years. Water slides range from 14m to 20m in height and include four main slides. “Services include toilets, changing rooms, restaurants, a coffee shop, a sports court with a capacity of 3,000 visitors. Close to 700 visitors are expected a day in the first six months of the opening,” the official said. Adjacent to the aqua park will be a 300,000sqm resort as well as a shopping complex, currently under construction and expected to be completed in June 2011. The developer signed an agreement with Kuwait-based Al Jazeera Entertainment Enterprises Company last December to manage the park for five years. Upon opening, the business hours of the park will be 10am–10pm seven days a week. Fridays will be earmarked for families. There will also be a ladies’ day on Tuesdays.