Ain Dubai Observation Wheel
Ain Dubai Observation Wheel Overview
The giant observation wheel Ain Dubai, previously known as "Dubai-I", was officially inaugurated on 21 October 2021. It was constructed on Bluewaters Island by Meeras Holding. At a height of over 250 metres it is the world's largest Ferris wheel, 83 metres taller than the High Roller in Las Vegas and 115 metres taller than the London Eye.
The name 'Ain', which means 'eye' in Arabic, was given to the project because it provides visitors with a bird's eye view of Dubai's skyline.
Around the rim of the wheel there are 48 luxury observation cabins capable of holding more than 1,750 visitors who are able to look out over Dubai's iconic landmarks such as Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa.
250 metres: height of Ain Dubai, making it the world’s tallest observation wheel.
38 minutes: duration of one rotation of the wheel.
5 tonnes: the weight of each permanent spoke cable that holds the wheel rim in place.
1 football pitch: length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional football pitch.
2,400 kilometres: distance of all the cable wires housed inside the spoke cables if they were joined end to end, equal to the distance from Dubai to Cairo.
16 Airbus A380s: the equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
167 metres: height of world’s second tallest observation wheel – the High Roller in Las Vegas.
135 metres: height of world’s third tallest observation wheel – the London Eye.
126 metres: length of the legs that support the structure.
15 London buses can fit inside each leg.
11,200 tonnes: steel used in the construction of Ain Dubai.
33% more steel: than iron used on The Eiffel Tower.
More than ten countries: involved in the making of Ain Dubai.
9,000,000 man-hours: time taken to build Ain Dubai.
2: number of the world's largest cranes used to assemble key components.
- The project was launched in 2013.
- The estimated handover date was 2017 which was later revised to 2020.
- The project was completed by October 2021.
- The architect of the project was Snohetta.
- Other companies involved with Ain Dubai Observation Wheel include Meraas Holding, POMA, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Ain Dubai Observation Wheel Dining and Nightlife Offers
We've partnered with LadiesNightDubai.com and BrunchCrunch.ae to give an overview of the current Ladies Nights and Brunch offers in the vicinity of Ain Dubai Observation Wheel.
You can find full Ladies Night and Ladies Day offers including contact details and booking info at https://ladiesnightdubai.com
For full Dubai Brunch listings including prices, contact and booking information please visit https://brunchcrunch.ae
Construction History
The 6.25-metre diameter spindle is made of steel, similar to that used for nuclear plants. It was manufactured and assembled in the UAE and shipped to Bluewaters Island since it could not be transported on land.
The assembled hub and spindle is approximately 40 metres long and 20 metres high and weighs a massive 1,805 tonnes, equivalent to four A380 aircraft. It was lifted into place on top of the 126 metre-high legs at the end of May 2016 by two of the world's largest cranes, each comprising a 180 metre-long boom and capable of lifting loads of over 3,000 tonnes each.
The process of welding the spindle's A-frames to the four legs took approximately four weeks with the cranes continuing to support the weight of the unit for the first two weeks of the operation.
During construction the rim of the wheel was supported by temporary steel braces weighing over 5,000 tonnes. These have been removednow that the outer rim has been connected to the hub via 192 permanent spoke cables so that it now resembles a gigantic bicycle wheel.
The original completion date was the end of 2018, but was missed. In April 2019 Meraas confirmed that Ain Dubai will be completed in time for the Expo 2020 Dubai celebrations.
Ain Dubai Observation Wheel in the News
Construction Business News, 3rd Jan 2022
Dubai Media Office, 21st Oct 2021
Dubai Media Office, 21st Oct 2021
ME Construction News, 17th Oct 2021
ME Construction News, 10th Oct 2021
Dubai Media Office, 24th Aug 2021
Design Stage
We do our best to keep the data accurate. If you notice any mistakes on the page or have additional information you can notify us here:
