One of the most significant construction stages of the record-breaking observation wheel being built in Dubai has been completed. Ain Dubai, which is taking shape on Bluewaters Island in front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence coastline, has had its hub and spindle lifted into place, creating a new feature on Dubai’s dramatic skyline.

They were manufactured and assembled in the UAE and shipped to Bluewaters Island due to their size – the spindle has a diameter of 6.25 metres and is made of steel that is similar to that used for nuclear power plants.

World’s largest observation wheel in Dubai takes shape – in pictures

Meraas, a Dubai-based holding company, has announced the completion of a significant milestone in the construction of its observation wheel to be located on Bluewaters Island. Courtesy Meraas

Formerly known as ‘Dubai-I’, the world’s largest and highest attraction of its kind will be called Ain Dubai (‘Ayn’ is the sixteenth letter of Arabic alphabet and translated as ‘eye’). It has been hailed as an ‘unprecedented in the engineering world, both in terms of process and scale’. The assembled hub and spindle is approximately 40 metres long and 20 metres high and weighs 1,805 tonnes, which is equivalent to four Airbus A380 aircraft.

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At the same time as announcing the new name, developers also revealed the construction process, which has been helped by the massive 5000-ton Mammoet PTC DS-200 Ringer Crane and a 3000-ton Liebherr LR 13000 with power boom.  You can view more pictures of earlier construction here

“Ferris wheels and observation wheels offer the gentle thrill of being conveyed up in the air and have fascinated people for several hundred years,” developers Meraas said in a press release. “Our iconic attraction heralds a new era in the world of entertainment and will introduce the unforgettable option of viewing Dubai from the skies.

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“Once completed, Ain Dubai will emerge as an engineering masterpiece.”

The hub will later be connected to the rim via 192 spoke cables, with the structure then resembling a gigantic bicycle wheel.

Time Out Dubai reports approximately four weeks of welding will now be undertaken.


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