The first shipments of what will be one of the tallest roller coasters in the region is on its way to Qatar, its manufacturers have announced.
The 60m-high ride will be the centerpiece of a new underground mall and theme park on Al Khaleej St/B-Ring Road.
The under-construction Doha Oasis complex will include a subterranean park with more than two dozen different rides.
It will be adjacent to a 29-story hotel with 133 guest suites, six restaurants on the lower floors, roof-top restaurant, a pool and a gym.
The complex, which is over 470,000sq meters, will also include 14 nine-story buildings with penthouses and 245 apartments, according to main contractor Redco Construction-Al Mana.
Additionally, there will be shops in a mall that spans the top two floors of a podium area, overlooking the indoor theme park.
Work began on the site in December 2014 by Halul Real Estate Investment Co. The complex is currently scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2018.
Shipment
US-based Premier Rides is making the roller coaster for the theme park, and has started work on the steel structure.
Last week, it announced that the first shipment of a section of its steel rail structure left Los Angeles and is Qatar-bound.
The frame will arrive in the country in around 100 shipments over the coming two months, the company said.
Beautiful sight! Serious equipment @PortofLA to load #MadeInAmerica #SpecialEffects Dark Ride/#Rollercoaster heading to #Doha #PremierRides pic.twitter.com/Rx94zGojbg
— Premier Rides (@premierrides) November 4, 2016
The company was unavailable for comment.
But pictures it posted online showed sections of the support structure draped in both the Qatar and US flags as it began its journey to Doha.
In a statement to industry website inpark Magazine, Jim Seay, President of Premier Rides, described the ride as an “iconic 60m tall, fully-enclosed roller coaster tower that will allow riders a spectacular view of the city while remaining in a controlled climate setting.”
Multi-sensory ride
Seay also described the rollercoaster as a “dark-ride.” These have special sound and lighting effects, often to create optical illusions for passengers.
While the theme hasn’t yet been revealed, its manufacturers described the rollercoaster as a “reverse magnetic launch” ride.
When the agreement was first announced in 2014, the roller coaster was named Dragonfire. It was described as one of the largest and most sophisticated attractions built by Premier Rides.
At the time, Seay told Maryland website MDBizNews, where the company is based, that the ride would have a backwards launch up a “spike” outside the building. This would give riders a birds-eye view of the area before dropping back down.
“This signature attraction will be a phenomenal thrill ride,” he added.
Thoughts?
