Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park with more than 20 Ferrari-inspired rides and attractions. Located in Yas Island, it is one spectacular air-conditioned space open all year round for the whole family. Since it was opened on Nov. 4, 2010, it has been a main attraction for Saudi families who visit the United Arab Emirates.

“Since the beginning of the year, the park has received a large number of visitors coming from Saudi Arabia, most of them families, who by far surpassed their counterparts from other countries,” said the manager of the park, Andy Keeling.

He said the number of visitors from Saudi Arabia hiked, especially during school spring break vacation two months ago.

“The deep-rooted name of Ferrari and the family ambience makes the park an exciting place to visit,” he added.

“This is a unique park. We loved it very much,” said Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi tourist. He told Arab News that he came from Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi specially to visit the park. “I read about the park in the newspapers then I visited it on the Internet. I bought the tickets online and came to the UAE with my family. We enjoyed our visit to the park.”

One of the numerous amusement games in the park is Scuderia Challenge, an art simulator, which gives you a true feeling of driving a Ferrari car. It gives the drivers a real taste of the Formula 1 racing experience. It also has the Fiorano GT Challenge. This exciting dueling coaster sends two trains of three Ferrari F430 Spider carriages careening along parallel tracks in a high-octane race to the finish line. It is one of the most favored games by Saudis.

One of the most thrilling games in the park is the G-Force, an enormous crystal funnel at the very heart of the park. Passengers are strapped into Ferrari-style seats and blasted through the roof to a height of 62 meters with the same g-force an F1 team driver feels at high speed on the track.

The Formula Rossa is the world’s fastest roller coaster. Passengers can take their seats in a Ferrari F1 carriage, which rockets along the tracks reaching 100 km/h in less than two seconds and accelerates to 240 km/h. It is one of the most famous games in the park.

“At the beginning, I was scared to ride Formula Rossa, but when the ride ended, I felt the urge to go and do it again. It is simply fabulous,” said Mahir Abdullah, another Saudi tourist.

According to Keeling, Saudi families who come with their kids are the greatest admirers of the park. “Many Saudi families come to the UAE specially to see Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, which has become a spectacular monument in the country. It is the first entertainment park for the whole family in the region and has games that are suitable for all ages,” he said. Keeling said visitors will have an opportunity to see the unique collection consisting of 30 classic and modern Ferrari cars in the Galleria Ferrari. They will also enjoy the “Italian Magic,” which suits all members of the family, he added.

Visitors will be spellbound by the state-of-the-art technology in the park. They will particularly admire the Speed Magic where passengers will travel through real-life extremes in temperature, moisture, light and movement that heighten the senses in an interactive journey through a fantasy ecosystem. The youngsters will follow suit of “Nello,” the mischievous animated Italian character from another world.

The Racing Legends is an inspiring journey that takes guests through great moments in Ferrari racing history.

Keeling said there are two Ferrari shops in the park for visitors who like to collect souvenirs. He added that there are also malls, restaurants and other facilities.

The enclosed area of the park accessible to the public is 86,000 square meters, which is equivalent to 2,500 hectares, can fit seven football fields, while the landscaped area around the main building is more than 450,000 sqm. The city, owned by the Abu Dhabi government, has been developed by the UAE ALDAR company, and is being managed by Farah Leisure parks Management, a joint venture between ALDAR Properties and ProFun Management Group. Construction work on the park started in November 2007 and took three years to complete.

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Source: arabnews.com

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, last Tuesday, December 30th officially inaugurated Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Ferrari theme park, on Yas Island.

Pressing a button in the shape of the iconic Ferrari World Abu Dhabi roof structure, HH Sheikh Mohammed paid tribute to the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “who is keen on turning the UAE into a global magnet of sports and recreational tourism through a diverse portfolio of projects that will have substantial impact on the national economy and social development.”

“The ambitious development projects in progress in Abu Dhabi will help position the Emirate prominently on the global map as a sought after tourist destination. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a quality addition to our tourism industry which is one of the pillars of our national economy,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

Hosted by Aldar Properties and Ferrari SpA, the event attracted 2000 VIP guests including HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region; Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister; Sheikh Dr HH Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council;HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Finance Department; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council; Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority; Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi, Secretary General of the Executive Council; and senior government officials.

Guests including Mr Franco Frattini, Italian Foreign Minister; Giorgio Starace, Italian Ambassador to the UAE; Mr Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Ferrari; and Ferrari Formula 1 team drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were treated to a spectacular show to celebrate the achievement of Aldar and Ferrari in delivering the world’s largest indoor theme park.

The show – titled Power meets Elegance – was inspired by the history of Abu Dhabi and the story of Ferrari. Seen through the eyes of a young boy, the vision-like story weaves these two strands together to the fulfilment of the dream of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The two cultures are blended together through an incredible mix of live action, acrobatics, advanced film projection techniques and original music.

The show starts with an incredible aerial dance of the traditional UAE pearl divers surrounded by a 3D marine world projection. The atmosphere then escalates into a magnificent dance of flying dancers and Ferrari engine pistons arriving to the first climax when Puccini’s “un bel di” is sung by an opera singer.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan launched the grand finale which explodes with an incredible series of gigantic projections, flying pearl divers, live orchestra and a unique and amazing firework display that enhances to the rhythm of the music the whole Ferrari World Abu Dhabi building.

Following the spectacular show, HH Sheikh Mohammed toured the park, intermingling with the guests and congratulating the developers for what he termed as an outstanding achievement.

A record number of more than 140 Ferraris travelled across the United Arab Emirates to join the event guided to Yas Island by Abu Dhabi Police. Ferrari Middle East & Africa in association with Al Tayer Motors, the officialFerrari importer for the UAE, and the Emirates’ Ferrari Owners’ Club organized the event as a tribute to the grand opening of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has already captured the imagination of thousands of visitors from around the globe with a range of unique and thrilling attractions including Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, and Speed of Magic, the region’s first four dimensional fantasy ride.

Ahmed Al Sayegh, Chairman of Aldar Properties:

“We are indeed privileged by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s presence at inauguration of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, an achievement that coincides with our celebration of the UAE National Day.It also gives us great pleasure to welcome His Excellency Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister and the distinguished guests to the grand opening. Aldar’s work with Ferrari was a meeting of minds with a clear vision to create an experience that is unique, fun and inspirational.”

“This unique new attraction at the heart of Yas Island is creating excitement, not just here in Abu Dhabi, but around the world. With more than 500 million people watching the final race in this year’s Formula 1 season only three weeks ago, the eyes of the world will instantly recognize this amazing structure. Yas Island is an integral part of the government’s ambitious strategy to develop tourism in the Emirate. We are extremely proud at Aldar to be able to contribute to this strong vision through our development work here, and across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Ferrari: “I would like to thank all those who made this dream a reality, and in particular our partners and the leadership of Abu Dhabi. The park just 4 years ago was a project, an idea, maybe even a too ambitious idea, and it is now a fantastic reality.”

“We are very proud of our partners Aldar who share with Ferrari the same passion, the same vision, the same will to go beyond. This park combines innovative technology and tradition; it is dedicated not only to Ferrari fans and car enthusiastic, but to the whole family. It has the real touch of Ferrari: how things really are for us, with our exclusive GT road cars and racing cars, but also our history and our cultural background.”

“Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a symbol, built actively on the heritage that Italy represents for the world. But I also like to think that this Ferrari Theme park can be a small contribution to reinforcing the bridge between our two cultures.”

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Source: youtube.com, ameinfo.com and timesofmalta.com

Ferrari World Theme Park

The world’s first Ferrari theme park, inspired by the luxury Italian sports car and racing teams, opened its gates in Abu Dhabi about a month ago for a sneak preview before its official opening in October.

What currently looks like a big construction site will become Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in just over three months, home to 20 Ferrari-inspired attractions including rides, a 4D fantasy adventure, a racing academy, children’s play area, restaurants offering Italian cuisines and various shops.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, described as the world’s biggest indoor theme park, will be home to the world’s fastest rollercoaster ride which developers say will reach a speed of 149mph (240 km/h), giving its riders the sensation of being in a Formula One car.

The park’s manager Andy Keeling said he expects the park on Yas Island will attract a variety of visitors and not just fans of Ferrari, particularly as it is the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates.

“We give you the brand and our interpretation of the brand Ferrari, but we are not going to give it a Ferrari price tag. We are going to give it a very affordable price tag,” Keeling said.

Currently, the most visible element of the park is its 200,000 square meter, sleek red roof, which is inspired by the double curve side profile of the Ferrari GT car body and carries the largest Ferrari logo created.

The theme park, being built by Abu Dhabi property developer Aldar Properties and to be managed by a joint venture of Aldar and international leisure company ProFun Management Group, is due to open to the public on October 28, 2010.

The theme park is located next to the Yas Marina circuit that hosts the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix on November 14, 2010.

Abu Dhabi’s government-owned investment fund Mubadala has a five percent stake in Ferrari whose Formula One team has won more championships and races than any rivals.

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Source: reuters.com