• Damac Hills has become the first residential community to have a wave pool in the UAE. Courtesy Damac Properties
    Damac Hills has become the first residential community to have a wave pool in the UAE. Courtesy Damac Properties
  • The giant ball that generates the waves in the centre of the Malibu Bay pool at Damac Hills. Courtesy Damac Properties
    The giant ball that generates the waves in the centre of the Malibu Bay pool at Damac Hills. Courtesy Damac Properties
  • The Malibu Bay logo has a vintage California-feel. Courtesy Damac Properties
    The Malibu Bay logo has a vintage California-feel. Courtesy Damac Properties
  • The wave pool is free for Damic Hills residents to use. Courtesy Damac Properties
    The wave pool is free for Damic Hills residents to use. Courtesy Damac Properties
  • The Malibu Bay pool spans 24,700 square feet, which is one and a half times as big as a professional hockey rink. Courtesy Damac Properties
    The Malibu Bay pool spans 24,700 square feet, which is one and a half times as big as a professional hockey rink. Courtesy Damac Properties

Malibu Bay: UAE's first residential wave pool is now open – in pictures


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

A Dubai community has become the first in the UAE to have a wave pool for the exclusive use of its residents.

The free-to-use Malibu Bay wave pool offers the benefits of being at the beach but is located within the Damac Hills gated community, which is approximately a 20-minute drive from the nearest beach on the Dubai coastline.

The pool spans 24,700 square feet, about one and a half times as big as a professional ice hockey rink. The waves are created by a giant wave ball, which has been imported from Belgium and plunges up and down in a gated area in the centre of the pool.

The giant ball that generates waves in the centre of the Malibu Bay pool at Damac Hills. Courtesy Damac Properties
The giant ball that generates waves in the centre of the Malibu Bay pool at Damac Hills. Courtesy Damac Properties

“While the UAE has several artificial islands, I haven’t seen anything like the wave pool in Malibu Bay. It's definitely unique and one of a kind,” said Niall McLoughlin, senior vice president of Damac Properties.

“From a creative standpoint, you really feel like you are in California’s Malibu Bay, with the serene green landscape, palm trees surrounding the wave pool and the graffiti artwork and surfboards integrated into the design.”

He added: “There has been a lot of exciting chatter from residents about the beach and the opening is really a milestone for Damac Hills, which continues to offer its residents unique attractions.”

The pool is not the only attraction at Malibu Bay, which has a retro California-style logo, in keeping with its namesake. The 72,000 sq ft area also offers food trucks and leisure activities, such as table tennis and a splash park for children. The larger park area at Damac Hills also has a skate park, a horse stable, an ice rink, a petting zoo, a dog park and fishing lakes.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?

If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.

Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.

Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.

Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).

Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal. 

Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.

By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.

As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.

Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.

He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.” 

This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”

Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.

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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

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