Resorts World One concludes first sailing from Dubai

Resorts World One’s first roundtrip voyage from Dubai to Sir Bani Yas Island, UAE concluded on November 3 with media among those invited to discover some of the family attractions found within the city.

The sailing got underway on November 1, featuring media, port agents, local dignitaries, Gulf Cooperation Council representatives, as well as paying customers. A number of guests chose to continue their journey by joining the ship's second voyage, this time calling at Khasab and Muscat in Oman, running from November 4-6.

Combined, the two voyages complete the five-night celebration voyage marking the vessel’s first ever season in the Arabian Gulf.

Dubai

Resorts World One guests were offered the chance to see more of Dubai’s highlights, this time, with an emphasis on family entertainment.

The first stop was Dubai Miracle Garden. At 72,000 sq m and comprising 150 million flowers, it is the largest garden of its kind in the world and contains everything from a fairytale castle to characters from children's film and TV show The Smurfs transformed into blooms.

Among the most impressive installations is an Emirates A380 introduced to the park four years ago. The Miracle Garden collaborated with the airline to create the masterpiece, which is covered in more than 500,000 fresh flowers and living plants. It holds a Guinness World Record for being the largest structure ever built at the garden.

The park’s new mini golf course opened in September, allowing visitors to try their hand at the game surrounded by flowers. 

The Miracle Garden is open every day from October 1.

Dubai Miracle Garden. (PHOTO: HOLLY PAYNE)

Dubai Global Village

Continents and countries are represented at Dubai Global Village, an exciting complex that stimulates the senses with myriad vendors selling food and drink from around the world, as well as fashion, hair and beauty products, herbs and spices, oud and perfume, to name a few.

But the main draw is the extravagant facades representing 90 cultures: The towering figure of Ashurbanipal, ruler of the Kingdom of Assyria, pays homage to Iraq, while ancient pharaoh Tutankhamun gazes down at visitors from the Egypt pavilion. The gate representing Yemen is adorned with wood effect mashrabiya, a feature of traditional houses found in the country, and for Sri Lanka, decorative figures of elephants are shown on its façade, highlighting the animal's cultural and religious significance to the country.

There’s a theme park on site with interactive games, too, including ‘The Lost City’ which opened on October 16. It takes players on a journey through a lost Mayan world to locate a mysterious artefact. ‘Expo Planet City’ launches at the park soon with details still to be revealed.

The attraction, which is seasonal, is open seven days a week, closing in May 2025.

Other highlights include shows throughout the day on an open-air stage, featuring clowns, aerial performances, plus more than 125 arcade and skill games, and more.

Dubai Global Village. (PHOTO: HOLLY PAYNE)