Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World

In the country of the United Arab Emirates there exists the world’s largest indoor theme park.  It’s not another branch of Disneyland, as one might first suspect, but is in fact a Ferrari-themed park titled, what else, Ferrari World.  This masterpiece of marketing and entertainment is located in the city of Abu Dhabi on YasIsland.

This project was organized by none-other-than the Ferrari company, those same guys that make the cars that men seem to buy when they hit their mid-40s. The plan to build it had been ongoing since 2005, but some delays knocked it from its projected 2008 opening and it ended up finally opening its doors in November of 2010.

It holds the distinction of being the world’s largest indoor park because of the park’s central area, an enclosed space measuring in at more than 2 million square feet. This enclosure is, naturally, topped with a massively huge Ferrari symbol.

Despite its size, Ferrari World only hosts a total of 20 rides and attractions. One of these is the Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster. The rest of them are, of course, mostly Ferrari-themed. Some of the possibilities include roller coasters, a carousel, some easier-going rides for the kids, a driving school for kids, some racing rides, a virtual Ferrari factory tour and several 3D theater attractions.  There’s even a water ride themed to be the inside of a Ferrari engine.

Since 20 rides really don’t take up that much space, there are the requisite clusters of shops and restaurants.  In keeping with the theme, places to eat serve mostly Italian food.  And, the UAE being a predominantly religious country, Ferrari World hosts a number of prayer rooms for visitors to use.

Sure, it may be the world’s largest marketing gimmick, but it is still quite the site for visitors to Abu Dhabi, a city known for its many entertainments.  For those who want a little more information, you can head over to the Ferrari World official website.

Ferrari World photo courtesy of Donaldytong via Wikicommons