Fifteen years ago, parachutes floating above the Palm Jumeirah were a curiosity. Today, they are a familiar sight in Dubai – as recognisable as the fronds of the Palm itself or the outline of Burj Khalifa in the distance.
Skydive Dubai, which turned 15 in September, began with a modest training operation. It was founded by Emirati skydiver and entrepreneur Nasser Al Neyadi, who acquired a helicopter and a wind tunnel to develop skydiving skills locally when the sport had limited infrastructure in the region.
The sport’s profile had been boosted earlier in 2010 when Dubai hosted its first international parachuting championship at what would become known as the Palm Dropzone. Palm Jumeirah offered a striking new backdrop for the sport.
In the years following Skydive Dubai's launch, the Palm Dropzone at Dubai Harbour developed into a dedicated tandem skydiving site. It enabled first-time jumpers to exit aircraft at altitudes of up to 13,000 feet and freefall over the city’s coastline and skyline. The experience became closely associated with Dubai tourism, frequently appearing in promotional material and international media coverage.
Alongside the Palm operation, Skydive Dubai expanded its Desert Campus on the Dubai-Al Ain Road. The facility grew into one of the region’s largest skydiving centres, focused on training. Today, it offers other courses and advanced programmes besides skydiving, attracting professionals, visiting national teams and recreational jumpers.
Skydive Dubai has also been involved in high-profile aerial projects and world record attempts. Among the most notable was the 2014 Base jump from Burj Khalifa by French skydivers Fred Fugen and Vince Reffe. It was recorded in the Guinness World Records as the highest Base jump from a building, at 828 metres.
The daredevils circled the building one and a quarter times in 90 seconds, 30 seconds of which were in freefall.
Other initiatives included large-scale balloon jumps, freefall flag displays and high-altitude firework performances conducted in partnership with commercial and public organisations.
Today, Skydive Dubai has completed more than 475,000 tandem jumps and helped facilitate more than 300 wedding proposals.
It has also expanded beyond outdoor skydiving with Inflight Dubai, an indoor facility used for body-flight training, and gyrocopters that offer low-altitude scenic flights along the coast.
