It has already become a well-recognised part of the Dubai skyline, and soon visitors will be able to set foot inside and experience Ain Dubai, the world's tallest observation wheel, in action.
Standing at more than 250 metres tall, this has been one of the most highly anticipated tourist attractions in the UAE since construction started in 2015.
What is Ain Dubai?
Ain Dubai is an observation wheel, located on Bluewaters Island. It’s nearly twice the height of the London Eye, and will provide sprawling views of Dubai’s skyline. On a clear day, visitors should be able to see everything from Bluewaters Island to Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah, to Burj Al Arab and even Burj Khalifa. The attraction has 48 cabins.
When does Ain Dubai open?
The attraction has recently announced that it is ready to welcome the public on Thursday, October 21, with tickets currently on sale, and the first ride taking place at 2pm.
Ain Dubai's opening celebrations
Guests can expect an action-packed, two-day opening extravaganza. On Thursday, October 21, the celebrations will kick off with family entertainment, activities, and food stations from 2pm to 6pm. At 5.30pm onwards, DJ Dany Neville will play a special one-hour sunset session and at 7pm onwards there will be roaming entertainment, with a DJ onstage. Ain Dubai's official celebration will commence at 8pm with an inaugural light and drone show, and with a DJ and more entertainment until closing time at 10.30pm.
For those who miss opening day celebrations, there's plenty happening again on Friday, October 22. There will be live entertainment and food stations from 2pm to 6.30pm. Starting from 6pm, Ain Dubai Plaza will host six regional artists until closing at 10.30pm. Light shows will take place on the wheel across the evening at 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm.
How much are Ain Dubai tickets?
A general ticket for an observation cabin is priced at Dh130 for adults and Dh100 for children (between ages 3 to 12). This covers one rotation, which lasts 38 minutes. Ain Dubai has also launched a family pass for two adults and two children for Dh370 and a family plus pass, which includes a snack and beverage per person, for Dh450.
Where do I buy Ain Dubai tickets?
Tickets can be purchased from aindubai.com.
How do I get there?
Ain Dubai is opposite Caesars Palace on Bluewaters Island. While the attraction does not have its own car parking, you can park at Bluewaters parking area.
For those arriving via public transport, the closest station is Dubai Marina tram station, about a 6 minute's walk away. Those coming by bus can use the following bus lines: 8, 84, F55A.
Ain Dubai will be open daily from noon to 10pm. The ticket office is located at the base of the attraction, however advance bookings are highly recommended once the attraction opens.
Guests of all ages will be welcome, but those under the age of 16 will have to be accompanied by an adult.
What do I need to know before booking?
A single rotation takes 38 minutes and visitors are advised to arrive 30 to 60 minutes ahead of time to complete the entry process, buy snacks and to use the toilets.
A single cabin can accommodate up to 40 guests, but the attraction will operate under a reduced capacity of seven guests per cabin, or 10 from the same group, owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
Food and drinks bought externally or from home will not be permitted in Ain Dubai, but visitors will be able to purchase items from the lounge or the concessions inside the cabins.
Meanwhile, the experience itself will be smooth – even for those with motion sickness – as the cabin moves at a gentle walking pace.
What other experiences can be booked?
Apart from observation cabins (prices which are listed above), there are a number of other experiences on offer at Ain Dubai.
Crafted for those looking for a fun night-out idea, the social experience includes VIP treatment such as a premium check in, a welcome drink, and access to Ain Dubai’s Seaview Lounge. Prices for this start at Dh175 per person for access to the Seaview Lounge and go up to Dh380 per person for the Ain Dubai Premium cabin experience.
Finally, the attraction will also have some private cabins that can be customised to cater for all sorts of events “from intimate celebrations to cultural festivities”. This includes birthdays, engagements, weddings, business functions, and other such events.
Prices to rent out a private cabin for a group start at Dh1,800 for a single rotation. For those wanting to go all out with a celebration at one of the pods, for the Celebrate Ain Dubai Plus Experience will have to shell out Dh4,700-plus. Private Cabin experiences are for groups of up to eight.
There's also a special “Dine in the Sky” experience within a seated dining cabin arrangement. Guests can opt for different packages – from tasting and mezze, to karaoke.
What Covid-19 safety regulations do they have?
Wearing masks will be mandatory within the cabins. Besides this, Ain Dubai will have precautionary measures including: providing disposable masks and hand sanitiser; an online ticketing system; physical barriers between guests and staff; contactless payment; electronic devices for ordering food and drinks in the lounge; a limited number of guests within each cabin; and regular disinfection of frequently touched areas.
More information is available at aindubai.com
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
WORLD'S%2010%20HIGHEST%20MOUNTAINS
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
