Work to begin on the AED 250 Million Great Dubai Wheel project

Dubai Municipality has approved the master plan of the AED 250 million Great Dubai Wheel project.

http://www.ameinfo.com/images/news/6/30226-GreatDubaiWheelProject.jpg
Dubai Municipality Approves Master Plan of 185-metre Observation Wheel

Work will begin shortly on the 185-metre Observation Wheel, one of Dubailand's landmark tourist attractions, which will welcome its first visitors in early 2009 and provide a breathtaking panoramic view of Dubai and beyond.

Salem bin Dasmal, CEO, Dubailand said: 'I am confident that the Great Dubai Wheel will add a unique architectural landmark to the Dubai skyline, and enhance the Dubailand experience several times over.

'The Great Wheel Corporation has a proven track record in developing these remarkable attractions around the world, and I am glad Dubailand is the destination for their masterpiece in Dubai.'

The scheme's master plan was presented to Dubailand and Dubai Municipality by Great Wheel Corporation, a fast growing company in developing, financing, building and operating Great Wheels. Currently, the group is working on various sites around the world.

Leon Heijkoop, representative of the Great Wheel Corporation in Dubai said: 'Gaining the approval of Dubailand and Dubai Municipality is crucial to the development of the Great Dubai Wheel, and we are grateful to both for their unstinted support through every phase of the project to date.'

Heijkoop added that the master plan was prepared by a team of international experts with the support of Dubailand's project consultants.

Florian Bollen, Chairman of the Great Wheel Corporation, said: 'Evidence from destinations that already have the Great Wheel suggests that they are a very popular way of seeing the cityscape from a different perspective. The Great Dubai Wheel will be one of the most attractive locations in Dubai to visit - a place for families and friends, as well as for tourists to enjoy stunning views during a 30 minute fantastic experience.'

The Great Dubai Wheel is expected to attract 2 million visitors each year to Dubailand and further boost the region's image as a tourist destination.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5276/whyy3.jpg

that are great news, a new record for Dubai is coming :okay:

after all these rumours it finally has been announced
great to see such an addition

perfect to have it approved.. tooks so long.
didn't we have a thread already? for the one in AD which was relocated?

anyway, this was important for Dubailand

How far is this wheel from SZR.

there was a talkshow with the manager of the company hu is making it. it was on the business breakfast on dubai eye..

um, basicaly he said that it wud be the second largest weel in the world since they promised the largest wheel in beijing for the olympics.also, tickets will be around 65 per person and it will take half an hour for a whole round. theyre also planning to make 500 dirhams per day so that they can repay the loan in 3 years.

thats all i remember

500 dirhams per day. they expect 8 people per day? not bad. ;)

anyway it sucks we won't get the world's largest.. i mean.. beijing.. that won't be ready in 2008 anyway ;)

Awesome thing. Taller than anything Birmingham has :( But I have a feeling that wheels do actualy make something appear tacky. But this seems to have the right feeling, jsut like the London Eye,

Would have been better built in Creek Park or somewhere on creek especially with nature reserve close by would have made for even spectacular views of sea etc.

I think dubailand is a bit far into desert for real spectacular views of nature

That design i found about 1,5 years ago in connestion with the catchwork Dubailan on google.What has happened with that design?

[IMG]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/5117/dubaibigwheeltb7.th.jpg (http://img64.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dubaibigwheeltb7.jpg)

OMG, stunning design :eek2:.

Would have been better built in Creek Park or somewhere on creek especially with nature reserve close by would have made for even spectacular views of sea etc.

I think dubailand is a bit far into desert for real spectacular views of nature

That's what I was thinking too. Somewhere where you'd get some interesting views would be way better than seeing just desert and houses.
Also they could come up with a better name, maybe "dubeye" or something like that :D

um, basicaly he said that it wud be the second largest weel in the world since they promised the largest wheel in beijing for the olympics.

today's GN reports that Dubai Wheel will be the 'world's tallest observation wheel'... dont know if they are just playing with words or if it's just pulicity 'dubai is the greatest' hype bs

Trio chase the Great Dubai Wheel project

http://www.itp.net/pictures/news/140p4200.gif
The US $68 million deal will see a 208m-tall wheel built in Dubailand.

Three contractors are bidding to build the US $68 million (AED250 million) Great Dubai Wheel in Dubailand. The project is being promoted by the Great Wheel Corporation – a company backed by Hollandia, the Dutch contractor that built the London Eye. Standing 208m tall and weighing in at 2,800 tonnes, it will be even bigger than the London Eye.

Spokesman Leon Heijkoop, said: “We are in the middle of the tendering process and we have spoken to several contractors. The difficulty is that this contract will involve very different disciplines.”

Dubai Municipality approved the project this week, allowing construction work to start in November, subject to the appointment of a contractor. Two local firms and one international company are currently in the running for the job.

Salem Bin Dasmal, CEO, Dubailand, said: “The Great Wheel Corporation has a proven track record in developing these remarkable attractions around the world and I am glad Dubailand is the destination for their masterpiece in Dubai.”

The observation wheel is set to attract its first visitors in early 2009 and is expected to attract up to two million visitors each year.

Last year Construction Week revealed how another company had hoped to build a similar observation wheel project in Dubai. US firm Voyager Entertainment International came to the emirate in April 2005 to promote its $150 million project, billed as the biggest observation wheel in the world.

It claimed that it had signed an agreement with an international investment bank called Allied Investment House (AIH) with global operations. But CW eventually traced AIH to a serviced office suite in Dubai’s Fairmont Hotel – rented by the day.

so is the height 185m or 208m?

i guess it is 208m.

The Beijing wheel is 208m

so this one will be 208 as well, they won't complain and both have the tallest ;)


btw location opposite Dubai Autodrome, where Umm Suqeim Road and Emirates Road meet.

would be better if it was located beside the creek :bash:

^^ i agree

this thing needs a better location

it would be better if they put this wheel in maktoum..lol

Singapore is also now constructing a giant wheel at 170 or 178m that will be completed in 2008 and will be the world's tallest wheel until this one comes up :eek:

Melbourne is also building a wheel 10m shorter than the London Eye. Somehow with so many popping up I think London's will be most famous.

source: The Great wheel Corporation (http://www.greatwheel.com/)

Dubai 185 m (completion: 1.10.2008)
Beijing 208 m (completion: 1.08.2008)

i never knew berlin would get one..

rather disappointing Dubai won't have the tallest..

^^ enough with the "est" things for Dubai, lets give others the chance :lol:

wow, 208m!! that's a lot.

las vegas is planning for a big wheel too...take a look at my avatar picture.

also over 200m?

dubai wheel rocks

http://www.bncnetwork.net/linx/imgs/content/projpics/PRJAE0509464.jpg
Dubai Wheel (Dubailand)

I found this on www.bncnetwork.net

wow!

^^ that's actually the old render for the proposed wheel in abu dhabi... not the right design

from where can i get the right design.

http://i13.tinypic.com/2ytqkue.jpg

THAT'S A GREAT WHEEL.
HERE IN LAS VEGAS WE ARE ALSO GETTING A WHEEL.

I BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.

600FT. HIGH
30 ORBITORS

LAS VEGAS WHEEL ( V2 )

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/4586/vvac6.jpg

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/3406/vv2tw9.jpg

ORBITOR

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/4364/orej1.jpg

nice capsules...

looks much better as the dubai-wheel in flo's pic

Yes the Dubai wheel is dissapointing compared to the Vegas wheel.:ohno:

The should call the Dubai wheel "What Next, The Wheel?".

GREAT DUBAI WHEEL

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/6848/imresolt112cv9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

very cheap.

^^ yes, but i think it is an initial concept. I am sure it will be way better than this one, this is Dubai you know.

Yes you're right. This one looks far too small to go public with. It looks like its sat on top of a table.

I hope that was just a bad concept model, it makes me ashamed of Dubai.


Is this the real render?

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/6320/dubaieyevoyagerobservatal7.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5276/whyy3.jpg

It would be interesting to see how they will control the HVAC system at the center of the building-base where the capsules will return to load and unload the passengers.. As shown in the pic, it's wide open... I think the previous design looked better, but this one is nice as well.

^^ Yeah that design isn't bad NEWUSER, I do like the way it's incorporated into the dome like that....but this design below is just awesome!!! I sure hope this is the one they eventually build! :banana: After all, this is Dubai we're talking about here so it's gotta be BIGGER and BETTER than anything anywhere!!!:yes: :lol:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/746/dubaieyevoyagerobservathp5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Has anyone here been on the 'Eye of the Emirates at Sharjah's Qanat Al Qasba? it's fun but bigger would be better. :)

I did a few years ago, with my ex-girlfriend. It's funny, that's exactly what she said too. But that was a few days after. Which I remember thinking was a strange thing to say, as we weren't even discussing the Sharjah wheel at the time.

Is this the real render?

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/6320/dubaieyevoyagerobservatal7.jpg

this is a proposal for Las Vegas

^^ It's good to see they're gona call it Dubai Eye. At last, the Americans are slowly accepting Dubai as its ultimate leader and eventual Ruler.

^^ :nuts: :lol:

Yes you're right. This one looks far too small to go public with. It looks like its sat on top of a table.

Eric Zoolander's Wheel of Dubai

here in guadalajara, mexico they open the dubai discotheque and its very fashion and cool :D:D i want to go

here in guadalajara, mexico they open the dubai discotheque and its very fashion and cool :D:D i want to go

Is that on Avenida Patria?

yessssssssssss^^:):):):dance: how did you know????:D

^^ A friend of mine was travelling through Mexico just recently and he told me about it. I didn't remember whether it was in Acapulco or Guadalajara, until I saw your post! But I did remember Avenida Patria!:) Have you checked it out yet?

GO DUBAI!!! :dance2: :dance2:

no, my brother went yesterday and he told me that its really cool!!!! very nice, but so expensive:D:D

^^ Sounds really nice. Did your brother tell you if it has a real Dubai theme?

GO :dance: Carlscrapers!

:lol: :lol:

yes!!!! jajaja its arab style:):) really nice:D:D:D:dance: i want to go!!

^^ Next time I'm in your part of the world I'll definitely check it out for myself!!!:D :D

:banana: :banana: :banana:

that wheel is just out of this world!!!!!! amazing.

that wheel is just out of this world!!!!!! amazing.

Oh yes, the WHEEL, I almost forgot what we are talking about here!:lol: :lol:

Yeah it is awesome alright! Hopefully they will stick with the original design - that's just spectacular!!!

does anybody know if this one will be build now? no news a quite while ago now

Yesterday, Yahoo! reported Beijing, China's getting the world's largest wheel. The story went as far as to mention London and Singapore but no hint of Dubai...

Yep, no news here for quite a long time...

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/1249/dubailandwheelmu5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Work on 'Great Wheel of China' begins
Monday, 5 November 2007 13:16

China has begun work on the world's highest and largest big wheel. The Beijing Great Wheel will tower 208m when it is finished in 2009 and is being called a new icon for the city.

The giant ferris wheel will have 48 air conditioned observation capsules, each of which can carry up to 40 passengers. On a good day the Great Wall of China is expected to be visible in the mountains to Beijing's north.

The wheel will stand in Beijing's Chaoyang Park, where beach volleyball events will take place at next year's Olympics.

The project will cost the equivalent of €200 million and tickets will cost around €9.

The chief executive of the Great Wheel Corp has said that he is not worried that Beijing's notorious smog will spoil the view.

Yep, no news here for quite a long time...

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/1249/dubailandwheelmu5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

:nuts: anyone know for sure if this is going to get built???

i think this one is dead..

but hey, in the meantime there's always Eye of the Emirates at Sharjah's Qanat Al Qasbah. ;) :)

it'll born again ....so let us wait n see what goin on ........

Considering the way Dubai works, you're probably right about that bizzy.

agree, that project is not dead...i'm very sure.

What is the matter with Dubai? First it is off to a good start by building a tall luxury hotel and then the soon-to-be tallest tower in the world. Building such projects are a beginning for a city that has aspirations to becoming "world class" ...
but ...
now a giant Ferris Wheel and amusement park???

C'mon guys, did it ever occur to you that maybe a fine arts museum,a superb library and archives, an opera house, a symphony hall, a science museum, a couple of distinguished universities might add a little more prestige to your "desert town with a cluster of high rise buildings"????:ohno:

Do the rulers of Dubai really think they can compete with the likes of Paris, London, Rome, New York, Washington, Sydney, Hong Kong, Beijing or Bangkok by building a really tall apartment building, a fancy hotel, and a dozen tall buildings????? :gaah: :hammer:

Not sure this is the right thread, but:

http://www.gelderlander.nl/nijmegen/article2361957.ece

"Ontwerp Haskoning wint
door Wim van de Louw

22 dec 2007, 03:02 - NIJMEGEN - Het Nijmeegse bedrijf Royal Haskoning heeft het winnende ontwerp gemaakt voor The wheel of Dubai, een enorm ronddraaiend wiel van 180 meter hoog.

Slideshow image
http://www.gelderlander.nl/multimedia/archive/00629/DG_3189817_3189817-_629575b.jpg
The wheel of Dubai, een ontwerp van de architecten Syb van Breda en Alessandro di Santi van het bureau Royal Haskoning. illustratie Royal Haskoning

Ontwerpers uit de hele wereld waagden zich aan de prijsvraag die was uitgeschreven door de Great Wheel Corporation. Het architectenteam onder leiding van Syb van Breda en Alessandro de Santis van Royal Haskoning uit Nijmegen won de wedstrijd. Het wiel heeft 24 capsules met elk 16 kamers en zwembaden.
In 6 uur maakt het volledige hotel een omwenteling. Bijzonder aan het ontwerp is dat de beide ringen van het hotel parallel aan elkaar draaien.

De buitenste ring draait in 30 minuten rond. Hierin bevinden zich 36 zogenoemde zichtkamers. De binnenste ring draait in 6 uur rond. Deze ring is trillingvrij. Hierin bevinden zich de hotelkamers, zwembad en andere denkbare hotelfaciliteiten. Ook in andere steden, onder andere Londen en Beijing, worden wheels of eyes gerealiseerd.

Royal Haskoning werkt al sinds 2000 aan verschillende projecten in Dubai, waaronder de kunstmatige eilandprojecten Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Jumeirah en De Wereld."


In short: the dutch company Royal Haskoning from Nijmegen has won a design contest for 'The wheel of dubai'.

The wheel will have two rings, the inner ring is a hotel, consisting of 24 capsules including swimming pools and all other imaginable hotelfacilities. Here one revolution takes 6 hours.
The outer ring is the observation wheel, rotating in 30 minutes, and will have 36 passenger capsules.
:)

Not sure if 'The wheel of Dubai' is the same as the 'Great Dubai Wheel' though.

wow royal Haskoning is one of my favorite ones... PJA, Dubai Eye and now this one!

Wow It looks great


Dutch; Het ziet er prachtig uit.. Ben benieuwd:banana:^^

nice design but i expected something different ^^. most of all a taller wheel :)

WoW a center less weel its missing somthing..... maybe.... a roller coaster ! going through it :D

Interesting design... I'd like to see some interior renders for this.

I am not understanding this, I have saw three diffrent designs for this on this thread, which one is being built. And when will construction start, Oh God Dubailand Forums is very confusing, each thread should have at the end of it the status of the proposal.

Anyway from the designs I have seen so far I do not like the cheap one with the red domed base, the other two look preety cool, esspecially the most recent one. My jaw dropped when I saw that.

Any new things happened?

It's a long time quit.

http://www.royalhaskoningarchitecten.com/assets/projecten/KunstwerkenConstructies/WheelDubai/2.jpg
http://www.royalhaskoningarchitecten.com/assets/projecten/KunstwerkenConstructies/WheelDubai/3.jpg

http://www.royalhaskoningarchitecten.com/assets/projecten/KunstwerkenConstructies/WheelDubai/4.jpg

http://www.royalhaskoningarchitecten.com/assets/projecten/KunstwerkenConstructies/WheelDubai/1.jpg

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow

best design for a wheel i've ever seen :cheers:, but should be bigger :D

Thats stunning, never seen anything like it ever

so guyz whts the status of this.....is this completed??????????????

The correct question would be... when will this start? If at all?

The correct question would be... when will this start? If at all?

yeah...but all the report says that this would b ready by 2009.:)

... with many other projects and Dubailand opening in 2010. I think we all know how will that date turn out...

Wauw, Designed by the dutch, i think, if it is going to be build, i really want to stay a few days there! :P

Nice Pictures!

Well I would say it looks like a giant ball bearing, sorry, roller-bearing.

The view from the cabins is pretty much obstructed by the trusses and beams etc. in every direction. People will cram to the side windows th catch a glimps. Cannot be a real joy to ride it.

View fail big time ....

well...if this IS true...then it mite be good...cuz Dubailand NOW...wuld not be the best place for it...somewhere along the creek wuld be MUCH MUCH better!

Dubai’s answer to London Eye scrapped, search on for stand-in
By Shane McGinley
Thursday, 5 January 2012 8:22 AM

The $68m wheel was intended to be taller than the London Eye

Dubailand, the stalled real estate and tourism resort, has ditched plans to build a 185m Ferris wheel set to rival the London Eye in the latest setback to the troubled multibillion-dollar project.

The Great Dubai Wheel, an AED250m ($68m) observation wheel, was set to be a leading tourist attraction within Dubailand’s Arjan development, but was scrapped amid a wider revamp of the project.

“Originally the brochure said it was included,” said Ashok Galgotia, CEO of Triveni Builders and Promoters, the subcontractors that last week handed over the first units at Arjan.

“But we were told [the Great Dubai Wheel] would not be coming and it would be something else. They are negotiating [to find a replacement] attraction.”
Click here to find out more!

A planned open-air amphitheatre in the development was also unlikely to go ahead, he added.

Dubailand was one of the Gulf emirate’s most ambitious developments, backed by Dubai Properties Group and announced at the height of the real estate bubble. The resort was originally to be twice the size of Walt Disney World, and was reportedly worth AED335bn at its peak.

The project involved dozens of developers and sub-developers and was to feature seven themed areas, residential developments and what was planned to be the world’s largest shopping centre in Mall of Arabia.

But the development was placed on hold after the financial crisis triggered the collapse of Dubai’s real estate market in late-2008, wiping more than 60 percent off the value of homes.

DPG said in October it was in talks to renegotiate four projects in the mega-resort, which once boasted tie-ups with Universal Studios and Legoland, and expected to announce the new deals in the second or third quarter of 2012.

“We are in discussions with the others that have struggled during the crisis and that struggle was mostly related to the financial problems,” Khalid Al Malik, CEO of DPG, told Arabian Business.

“Now we are actually in serious negotiations to bring them back and assist… these projects to come back.”

The Great Dubai Wheel was given the green light in 2006, and was originally designed to include 30 transparent capsules offering views of up to 50km across Dubai.

The tourist attraction was to have been developed by the Great Wheel Corporation, a Singapore-based company with projects underway in Beijing, Orlando and Berlin.

The company no longer includes details of the Dubai wheel on its website, showing only a link dated 2007 that states ‘Dubai in progress’.

Business Monitor International in May 2011 warned that Dubailand should be scaled down significantly in order to fit in with the “harsh realities” of the emirate’s beleaguered real estate market.

“With….demand for new projects still weak, we believe a significant scaling down of Dubailand's ambitions is needed if it is to fit the economic realities facing Dubai in 2011,” the consultancy said.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-s-answer-london-eye-scrapped-search-on-for-stand-in-438572.html

R

^^ I think that Dubailand should be built on the Palm Jebel Ali, which will make it more of a unique destination, rather than a theme park in the desert.... Also, the Palm Jebel Ali could have it's own runway/terminal for Dubailand.

With regards to the "Dubai Eye", I always thought Dubailand was the wrong place for it. What are people expected to look at when they get to the top?? A much better location would be wither along the Creek somewhere, or perhaps somewhere along Jumeirah Beach, in either Jumeirah 1 or 2. Alternatively, if Dubailand were moved to the Palm Jebel Ali, the crecent there would make for an excellent location :)

^^ I think that Dubailand should be built on the Palm Jebel Ali, which will make it more of a unique destination, rather than a theme park in the desert.... Also, the Palm Jebel Ali could have it's own runway/terminal for Dubailand.

With regards to the "Dubai Eye", I always thought Dubailand was the wrong place for it. What are people expected to look at when they get to the top?? A much better location would be wither along the Creek somewhere, or perhaps somewhere along Jumeirah Beach, in either Jumeirah 1 or 2. Alternatively, if Dubailand were moved to the Palm Jebel Ali, the crecent there would make for an excellent location :)

I would agree with the Dubai Guys that the "Great Dubai Wheel" would be better situated on or near the Creek. Better views from there and also as it would be seen from the airport it would give a great first impression of Dubai.

^^ I second that idea! :cheers:

this culd EASILY go on seef street! PLENTY of space to put it there and have a car park as well...it wuld give that area a MUCH needed boost in terms of attracting MORE ppl...

R

^^^^

As this is now definitely not going to be built in DubaiLand, it is availalble to be built elsewhere. So, all it needs is the financial backing and a decision on the best location!

Any takers?

Given the queues generated by things like the London Eye itself and 'At The Top', this would be an excellent addition to Dubai's list of attractions. I think Seef Street is the best place for it :)

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/incoming/article439029.ece/ALTERNATES/gallerySize/Wheel-1.gif
Dubailand, the stalled real estate and tourism resort, has ditched plans to build a 185m Ferris wheel set to rival
the London Eye in the latest setback to the troubled multibillion-dollar project

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/incoming/article439030.ece/ALTERNATES/gallerySize/Wheel-2.gif
The Great Dubai Wheel, an AED250m ($68m) observation wheel, was set to be a leading tourist attraction within
Dubailand’s Arjan development, but was scrapped amid a wider revamp of the project

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/incoming/article439031.ece/ALTERNATES/gallerySize/Wheel-3.gif
'Originally the brochure said it was included,’ said Ashok Galgotia, CEO of Triveni Builders and Promoters, the
subcontractors that last week handed over the first units at Arjan’

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/incoming/article439032.ece/ALTERNATES/gallerySize/Wheel-4.gif
‘But we were told [the Great Dubai Wheel] would not be coming and it would be something else. They are
negotiating [to find a replacement] attraction’

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/incoming/article439034.ece/ALTERNATES/gallerySize/Wheel-6.gif
Dubailand was one of the Gulf emirate’s most ambitious developments, announced at the height of the real
estate bubble

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/photos/designs-for-scrapped-dubailand-ferris-wheel-revealed--439035.html?img=0

it's a stunning design and a breathtaking concept. but authorities will have to decide on a location wisely because it is going to be a crown jewel in the list of attractions in Dubai.

I vote for Seef Street, or perhaps Jewl of the Creek... that part of the city has a lot more to offer in terms of views than the middle of Dubailand!

I vote for Seef Street, or perhaps Jewl of the Creek... that part of the city has a lot more to offer in terms of views than the middle of Dubailand!
I agree with you and my personal favorite is Jewel of the creek. After all it should offer more in terms of scenic beauty and the glories of Dubai.:)