Qatar Considers Building Underwater Atlantis-Style Theme Park

Resort developers in Qatar are currently in talks with an American company to open an underwater Atlantis-style theme park here, an artificial reef developer has announced.

Los Angeles-based Reef Worlds was quoted in local media today as saying they have entered discussions with two developers in Qatar. The names of the waterfront developers were not revealed, nor was the proposed location of the park.

The company said establishing artificial reefs was one way of expanding the US$3 billion global snorkel and dive market. The Doha project would be part of a wider push by Reef Worlds to establish similar parks in the Gulf, including in Dubai.

Though no potential sites for the park were discussed, it could possibly be part of a new waterfront project outside of Doha, called the Seef Lusail development, which has been described by master planners DP Architects as an “all-seasons playground.”

That project – which has not set a completion date – is expected to include entertainment, recreational and cultural attractions in addition to shops and hotels.
Few details

According to the company, the reef sites are created by a team of Hollywood designers to look like ancient Lost Cities and help to rebuild regional reef habitat.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles-based company announced plans to build Pearl of Dubai, which it billed as the world’s largest sustainable underwater tourism site.

Qatar’s first theme park, the Aqua Park on Salwa Road, opened in 2010 and has 15 water attractions. The facility is popular with families, but is often compared to other, more elaborate water parks in Dubai and elsewhere in the region.

There are a number of new theme parks slated to open in Qatar in the coming years, part of Qatar’s attempt to enhance its offering to international tourists.

Source: Doha News