Aldar adds splash of fun to Yas

It's wet, it's wild, and it's heading to Yas Island. Work starts next month on a vast water park with more than 40 rides and attractions, including scuba diving, cable water skiing and a long, lazy river to while away those hot summer days. Aldar added yesterday that the waterpark would also be "one of the most environmentally friendly water parks in the world." Covering 16.4 hectares, the park will be slightly smaller than Aquaventure at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. The park's opening is planned for 2012.

"It will be a valuable addition to the other attractions that will set Yas Island apart as a major leisure destination," said Sami Asad, the chief operating officer of Aldar Properties. The existing Yas Island development, a US$40 billion (Dh146.92bn) project, is home to the Yas Marina Circuit, the venue of the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. The Yas Links golf course recently opened on the island and seven hotels already operate there.

But much more development is planned for the 25 square km island. A shopping mall and a Warner Brothers theme park are among the attractions planned. The Ferrari World Theme Park, one of the world's largest indoor amusement parks, is due to open on October 28 and is planned to have the world's fastest roller coaster, travelling at speeds of up to 240kph. Aldar said it had received "the conceptual planning approval" for the water park from the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and had appointed the UK company Atkins as lead designer.

"Aldar has committed to making this facility one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable water parks in the world," a company statement said. "In order to accomplish this goal, Atkins is designing the buildings to meet Estidama guidelines and is engineering ways to dramatically reduce energy and water consumption." Estidama, Arabic for "sustainability", is Abu Dhabi's programme for environmentally friendly development.