Dubai’s Atlantis Aquaventure has set a new Guinness World Record for the most water slides in a water park, with 50.
To achieve the accolade, the popular attraction was put under close scrutiny. Each slide in the park was tested, documented and captured on film for the adjudicators to verify.
“Dubai always competes against itself, and is constantly surprising us with its innovation, creativity and determination to maintain its global position as a leading entertainment provider,” said Alwaleed Osman, official adjudicator at Guinness World Records. “Atlantis Aquaventure is an ‘Officially Amazing’ addition to the countless number of world records scene in the city.”
Spanning 22.5 hectares, Atlantis Aquaventure has three themed towers set on 1 kilometre of beachfront, and more than 105 attractions and experiences for visitors to enjoy. While the previous Guinness World Records titleholder had 41 waterslides.
Among these are Odyssey of Terror, the world’s tallest water slide, which includes a final drop where riders experience near weightlessness as they freefall down a curved wall. Shockwave combines speed, power and a rafting adventure as users are blasted 449 metres through a series of dark tunnels. And Zoomerango includes mega-drop plummets and vertical zooms, including a 14-metre high vertical wall.
Leap of Faith includes a near-vertical drop from a nine-story height, while its so-called “scarier sister” Blackout involves thrilling velocities from start to finish. The Vortex twister features back-to-back turns, curves, drops and 360-degree loops, ending with a plummet into the lagoon.
The park is also home to the River Rapids and Raging Rapids, which add an adrenaline-infused rush to the traditional lazy river experience. The Immortal Falls, meanwhile, offer Dubai’s first cliff jumping experience.
Last month, Atlantis Aquaventure launched a new range of watersports products with Hydrosports, including e-hydrofoil boards, hoverboards and jet skis.
Ten of Atlantis Aquaventure’s most experienced lifeguards were on hand to receive the official Guinness World Records certificate, alongside Sascha Triemer, vice president of marine and water park at Atlantis Dubai.
“Today, as we celebrate this exciting milestone for Atlantis Aquaventure, we acknowledge what it takes to run a world’s leading water park and the people who make the magic happen,” said Timothy Kelly, executive vice president and managing director, Atlantis Resorts and Residences.
“This wouldn’t be possible without our team of more than 500 lifeguards who protect the safety of our guests every single day so that they can relax and enjoy extraordinary record-breaking experiences.”
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
