Al Qana's Adrenark Adventure opens for thrill-seekers in Abu Dhabi


Evelyn Lau
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Adrenark Adventure in Al Qana has opened its doors to those looking for their next big thrill.

The indoor theme park, which is next to Pixoul Gaming, spans 5,000 square metres and has 20 activities to try. This includes a wall climbing section, rope courses, giant slides and bungee jumping.

There are also rides aimed at getting the heartrate up, including Through the Roof, which goes up through an opening in the building and offers panoramic views of the city before dropping. There's also Flip Out, a seated ride that spins and flips in all directions.

Despite a mix of high adrenalin rides and activities, the space is open to all ages — even little ones can enjoy as there are rides, soft play areas and mini ropes courses catered for them.

A young child attempts the rope course at Adrenark Adventure indoor park at Al Qana. Victor Besa / The National
A young child attempts the rope course at Adrenark Adventure indoor park at Al Qana. Victor Besa / The National

“The Adrenark brand is it's not pitched to any particular age group, so we're quite careful to make sure that in the early mornings, a mum with a toddler has plenty of things to do here,” general manager Paul Hamilton tells The National. “But at the same time, a thrill-seeker at whatever age, like 20s to 60s, may want to come in and take on some of the thrill rides.”

There is also a multi-level e-karting track that Hamilton says is one of the firsts in the region. He says its different to normal flat tracks because drivers have to think about acceleration, as well as going downhill, uphill and very tight cornering. He describes the three-story track as a “unique” experience for karting fans.

However, Hamilton has bigger ideas, revealing to The National his plans to create an outdoor expansion of the track from the indoor park.

“I'm moving into outdoor karting over the summer. This will be one of the few places in the world where you drive your high-speed racing kart out of the building across a canal and onto a high-speed track on the other side. So that'll be that'll be launched at the end of summer,” he says.

“A door will go up. You will either get right onto multiplex, or you'll go left and you'll actually use the bridge to drive your car over to the other side. Maybe a high-speed karting track on that side. Then you will have the two disciplines, you'll have proper pro racing over there and then this multi-level track [inside] is more about lap time. Racing is more about head-to-head.”

The muli-level e-karting track at Adrenark Adventure. Victor Besa / The National
The muli-level e-karting track at Adrenark Adventure. Victor Besa / The National

However, for those who may need a break (or just a rest), even though there are plenty of dining options available around Al Qana, Adrenark Adventure also has its own food court inside. Set up as food trucks, there’s Mamacita that offers Latin cuisine, La Ballena for pizza, Trax for burgers and fries, as well as a candy bar for those looking for a sugar rush.

Other blood-pumping activities include Leap of Faith that uses a bungee cord off to jump off a high platform towards the ground before just stopping short of it; a stunt bag jump from a height of 10 metres; and speed glider that glides around the park from a height, but also allows riders to slow down or speed up while strapped in.

Although some may feel nervous with some of the activities offered, Hamilton says that is the feeling that he is purposely aiming to bring out.

“It’s about pushing your limits, so everyone in here kind of will find something that puts them out of their comfort zone. And that's the goal because you feel some sense of accomplishment once you push through that thing."

Tickets start at Dh79 for toddlers. Explorer pass is Dh99, which allows for four out of 17 experiences, Adventure pass costs Dh179 for eight experiences and Adrenark day pass is Dh399 and offers unlimited access, except for karting and climbing. More information is at adrenark.com

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Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')

Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')

Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)

Gifts exchanged
  • King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
  • Queen Camilla -  Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
  • Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
  • Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Results
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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8

Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Price: from Dh850,000

On sale: now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

Updated: April 21, 2023, 10:12 AM