Ain Dubai to close for seven weeks until end of Ramadan

The Bluewaters Island attraction to close for ‘enhancements’

A bystander at Ain Dubai for the attraction's official opening on Bluewaters Island on Thursday, October 21. All photos: Christopher Whiteoak / The National

Guests step off the cabin after the first ride on Ain Dubai

There was a jubilant atmosphere on Bluewaters Island on Thursday as the world's largest and tallest observation wheel opened to the public

'The National' reporter Janice Rodrigues at Ain Dubai on opening day

The wheel stands at 250 metres tall

Tickets for the first day were completely sold out, as were tickets for the sunset slot on Friday

A single rotation takes about 38 minutes and guests can see Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction's 48 cabins

For safety reasons, Ain Dubai has kept a maximum capacity of 10 people per cabin

Tickets from Dh130 for adults and Dh100 for children

Sajan Antonie, 44, at the official opening of Ain Dubai

Filipa Gameiro, 30, and Jose Nuno, 28, on an Ain Dubai cabin for the first ride

Guests step aboard a cabin for the first ride on Ain Dubai

A view from the cabin of Ain Dubai

Inside one of the cabins

The view from the top

Guests can view Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction's 48 cabins

Taking photos of the view

An illustration of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on the ground beneath Ain Dubai

Views of the Dubai skyline

Views from the top

One of the youngest guests to ride first on Ain Dubai

The wheel towers 250 metres above the ground

Inside the cabin

Setting off for the first ride

A DJ booth is seen in one of the Ain Dubai capsule pods. Photo: Thoraya Abdullahi / The National

A DJ booth is seen in one of the Ain Dubai capsule pods. Photo: Thoraya Abdullahi / The National

Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel, will close from Monday until Eid Al Fitr to allow for “enhancements”.

The Bluewaters Island attraction has established itself as part of Dubai‘s skyline since it opened in October last year.

Standing at more than 250 metres tall – about twice the height of the London Eye – the wheel offers views of landmarks including Burj Al Arab and The Palm Jumeirah from its 48 cabins.

Hundreds of thousands of people have visited the attraction since it opened, the attraction’s website said.

The landmark will remain closed for about seven weeks as it undergoes improvements to “introduce new and exciting offerings”.

“For periodic enhancements, Ain Dubai will be closed from today and throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan,” it said.

“Over the coming weeks and as part of our commitment to continuously develop the unrivalled guest experience, we will work closely with our customer team and key partners to introduce new and exciting offerings bound to wow visitors.

“We look forward to welcoming our visitors back for our planned reopening, scheduled for the Eid Al Fitr holiday weekend.”

Spectacular photos of Ain Dubai taken over a nine-month period