Dubai's Aquaventure World has retained its position as the world's second most visited water park, attracting two million guests in 2025, according to a new international report.
The Atlantis, The Palm venue was beaten only by Chimelong Water Park in Guangzhou, China, which welcomed 2.56 million visitors, according to the 2025 TEA Global Experience Index, released on Tuesday.
The annual study is published by the Themed Entertainment Association, an international non-profit organisation representing the themed entertainment industry, and tracks attendance at leading theme parks, water parks and museums worldwide.
Aquaventure World outperformed some of the world's best-known water parks, including Disney's Typhoon Lagoon in Florida, which attracted 1.76 million visitors, and Universal's Volcano Bay in Orlando, which welcomed 1.6 million.
The Dubai attraction also held second place in the 2024 rankings, when attendance jumped 11.1 per cent from 1.8 million visitors in 2023 to two million. While visitor numbers remained unchanged in 2025, the latest report noted a shift towards a higher proportion of guests staying at the neighbouring Atlantis resorts, rather than visiting the water park for the day.
Aquaventure World also topped the water park rankings for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, ahead of Germany's Therme Erding, which attracted 1.95 million visitors.
Meanwhile, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi was ranked 19th among the 20 most visited theme parks in EMEA, attracting 1.65 million visitors in 2025. However, attendance was down 5.7 per cent from 1.75 million in 2024, according to the study.
The report highlighted the Middle East's continued investment in entertainment destinations, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“The Middle East overall continues to strengthen its position as an established theme park and water park market, with new investments (especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia) expanding both existing destinations and the overall regional attraction offering,” the report says.
UAE attractions continue to expand
Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi also remained a strong performer, attracting about 1.6 million visitors in 2025, according to the study.
The indoor theme park is preparing for further expansion, including Superman: Up, Up and Away, a flying roller coaster scheduled for 2028, and a major Harry Potter-themed land due to open in 2029.
Yas Waterworld, meanwhile, expanded in July 2025 with the opening of its Lost City phase, adding more than 20 rides, slides and pools. The development, which includes the UAE's highest slide and several regional firsts, increased the park's capacity by about 20 per cent.
The report also highlighted plans announced in May 2025 by The Walt Disney Company and Miral for a new Disney theme park resort on Yas Island.
The project will be Disney's first theme park in the Middle East and its seventh resort destination globally, joining existing attractions on Yas Island, including SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros World, Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld.
Another major development highlighted in the study is the planned Sphere Abu Dhabi, the second of its kind after Las Vegas, which the report states is expected to be constructed by the end of 2029.
“The announcements further reinforce Yas Island's position as the leading multi-theme park entertainment destination in the Middle East,” the report says.
Elsewhere in Dubai, Global Village drew a record 10.5 million visitors in 2025, according to the study. The seasonal multicultural destination combines country pavilions, restaurants, retail outlets, rides, attractions and live entertainment.
In Saudi Arabia, Six Flags Qiddiya City opened on December 31, 2025, becoming the first Six Flags park outside North America. The neighbouring Aquarabia water park subsequently opened in April 2026, with both attractions forming part of the wider Qiddiya City entertainment development.
“The Middle East is taking destination development and nation-building to another level. Yas Island is growing its already significant concentration of major brands and cultural attractions, while Saudi Arabia is creating an entirely new entertainment hub around Qiddiya City and entertainment complexes under way in key cities,” the report says.
Impact of regional conflict yet to be fully understood
Although the latest TEA report was published in October 2026, its attendance rankings are based on visitor numbers recorded throughout 2025, before the regional conflict began in February this year.
“While 2025 proved to be a strong year for the Middle East and its future growth plans, the regional conflict involving Iran that began in February 2026 has negatively impacted tourism and product development timelines throughout the region,” the study says.
“The full extent of that disruption remains to be seen and will be better understood in future iterations of the index.”
The annual index, now in its 20th edition, is produced by TEA in collaboration with research partners Entertainment and Culture Advisers and The Park Database. Its findings draw on attendance figures supplied by operators, alongside industry research and estimates where official numbers are unavailable.
