Dubai’s Ferris Wheel mysteriously stops turning. Two years ago, Dubai‘s skyscraper-studded skyline welcomed the world’s largest Ferris wheel, but it mysteriously stopped turning just months later.
The much-touted Ain Dubai (Dubai Eye) was conceived as a tourist-drawing landmark in the United Arab Emirates’ glam hub, which also houses the world’s tallest building.
However, it is now idle for unknown reasons, with only its extravagant light fixtures appearing to be operational.
As Dubai’s Ferris Wheel mysteriously stops turning, Ain Dubai remains closed until further notice, says an official website for the attraction.
“We continue to rigorously work on completing the enhancement works that have been taking place over the past months.”
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The wheel was supposed to be closed for only a month, but its reopening has been delayed indefinitely.
Those in charge of the 2021 project have not responded to inquiries.
Employees at the restaurants, shops, and cafes built around the attraction are skeptical that the six-year-old structure will ever turn again.
“Last year they promised us that in winter it will be open, even now, they are saying that in (the coming) winter it will be open again,” said one employee at a nearby shop.
“But we’re not sure… it will,” said the man who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisal.
‘Too slow’
The Dubai Eye is located in Bluewaters, a man-made island designed as a retail, residential, and entertainment hub by a consortium of international companies.
The main entrance to the attraction has been closed for more than a year, and the ticket booths have been abandoned. Only a trickle of tourists visit the site, photographing the LED lights mounted on its exterior.
“I asked a security guard here about it and he told me that it doesn’t work,” said Marwan Mohammad, an Egyptian tourist.
“I asked him for the reason but he did not give me an answer,” said the 33-year-old business consultant.
The Dubai Eye stands at a height of 250 metres (825 feet) in a city full of record-breaking landmarks, with each of its legs the length of 15 London buses, according to Dubai’s tourism department.
It is the world’s largest of its kind, nearly twice as tall as the London Eye.
Its 48 air-conditioned passenger cabins can carry up to 1,750 passengers on a single trip.
Ticket prices range from 100 dirhams (approximately $27) to 4,700 dirhams (approximately $1,280), with luxury passes and private cabins available.
“The view was very beautiful from above,” said Mohammad who experienced the 38-minute ride before it closed, adding however, that it moved “too slowly”.
‘Heavier than island’
With no official explanation, rumors about the Ferris wheel’s apparent technical issues are rife, particularly among Bluewaters employees.
They all spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were afraid of repercussions from authorities or their employers.
“This is a man-made island. I heard that (the wheel) is heavier than the island itself, that’s why it is very dangerous,” said a waiter at a nearby restaurant, adding that it had been noisy during its few months of operation.
“Now… it’s only for show, just for the lighting and that’s it”.
The massive wheel, which is made of more steel than the Eiffel Tower, is one of Dubai’s most popular tourist attractions.
They include the Dubai Frame monument and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
According to Patrick Clawson, research director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Ferris wheel’s official silence indicated a complex problem.
According to him, UAE authorities are generally “quick to provide information if they” have a solution.
But with the Dubai Eye, “whatever the problem, the authorities are not confident they have a solution,” he told AFP.
