Dh250m Great Dubai Wheel spins into action

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has approved the master plan of the Dh250 million Great Dubai Wheel project.Developers say the wheel will be the tallest observation wheel in the world, and will be larger than the London Eye, which was recently voted the world's best tourist attraction. Work will begin shortly on the 185-metre Observation Wheel, one of Dubailand's key tourist attractions, which will welcome its first visitors in early 2009 and provide a panoramic view of Dubai.

It will have 30 orbiter capsules with a total capacity of 7.5 million guests per year. The project also includes a restaurant and condominiums.During the journey on the wheel, the visitor will be able to view distances of up to 50 kilometres. The master plan was presented to Dubailand and Dubai Municipality by Great Wheel Corporation, a company that develops, finances, builds and operates Great Wheels.

Currently, the group is working on various sites around the world. "Gaining the approval of Dubailand and Dubai Municipality is crucial to the development of the Great Dubai Wheel, and we are grateful to both for their unstinted support through every phase of the project to date," said Leon Heijkoop, representative of the Great Wheel Corporation in Dubai. The master plan was prepared by a team of experts with the support of Dubailand's project consultants. [...]