An eco-friendly underwater theme park to open in Bahrain

The 100,000 square metre dive site, complete with sunken Boeing 747, is set to open this summer.

The Arabian Gulf has no shortage of incredible dive sites, with many wrecks and natural reefs for divers and snorkellers to explore. But on Sunday Bahrain announced a brand-new diving experience for the region: an eco-friendly underwater theme park.

Expected to open to visitors by this summer, the underwater playground will feature a submerged 70-metre Boeing 747. The plane is believed to have been taken to Bahrain from Fujairah and is reported to be the largest aircraft ever to be submerged.

President of the Supreme Council for Environment, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, said the 100,000 square metre site would also feature a “replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant’s house, artificial coral reefs and other sculptures fabricated from eco-friendly materials” to encourage marine life.