The decommissioned Boeing 747 aircraft Bahraini authorities plan to sink into the sea as part of preparations for the kingdom’s new underwater theme park was bought from the United Arab Emirates for $100,000, according to a government minister.
Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Alzayani told the Gulf Daily News (GDN) website at a press conference on Sunday that the 70m-long aircraft had been bought from a carrier in the UAE.
On Sunday, the aircraft was moved to a site off Diyar Al Muharraq and over the next few days will be lowered into the sea and submerged 20 metres below the surface.
The aircraft will become the centrepiece for Dive Bahrain, which will be the kingdom’s new underwater theme park set to open in August.
The GDN report said the aircraft has been modified to meet all environmental standards and will be anchored to the seabed to prevent it from moving around in strong currents.
In addition to the 70-metre long submerged 747, the attraction, which authorities claim will be the world’s largest underwater theme park, will eventually cover a total area of 100,000 square metres, according to a report in January by the state-run Bahrain News Agency.
According to the BNA, the site is being designed as a dive experience. Other features will include a submerged replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant’s house, artificial coral reefs and other sculptures that have been placed underwater as a safe haven for coral growth and as a habitat for marine animals.
“We embarked on this project as part of our coastal development,” Minister Alzayani was quoted as saying.
“Part of this initiative is to launch this underwater dive site spanning an area of 100,000 s qm which would make it the largest underwater dive park in the world. The focal point is a 747 aircraft which will be submerged within the next 48 hours,” he said on Sunday.
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