What's new in our Leisure and Attractions world?
Dear reader,

Ramadan Kareem! Wishing all our readers and their families a happy and blessed Ramadan with lots of health, wealth and happiness

We hope after an action-packed March, April has given you the much needed time to reflect and recharge

April has also witnessed new project announcements, new attraction openings in the region. Sustainability has also become the industry buzzword with theme parks, water parks, attractions, and Suppliers thinking of sustainable ways of doing business. Our Newsletter features sustainability trends, a round-up of MENA industry news, our member success stories and international news.

For our MEMBER TALK, we are delighted to interview MAF Leisure’s Mark D. Haak Wegmann to know more about MAF’s success with Dreamscape and MAF’s future plans. CLIMBMAT has authored a good VENDOR TALK article on the crucial importance of flooring in entertainment centres. Our LET’S TALK SAFETY feature is how attractions can control risks associated with Food Allergens.

Looking forward, the industry is gearing up for the upcoming SEA EXPO in Riyadh from May 16 to May 18, 2022 and we wish DMG Events the very best for the expo and conference. The EXPO is the perfect platform for different stakeholders to connect and explore the growing opportunities in leisure and entertainment in Saudi. Many MENALAC Members will be exhibiting at SEA to make the most of the Saudi Opportunities and we wish them new connections and new opportunities.

For now, grab a tea/coffee and read on ..........

Magic Island is one of Bahrain’s most exciting and diverse indoor theme park and family entertainment destination, taking visitors on a spectacular adventure creating fun memories for the entire family. Magic Island mimics the relaxed charm and cool environment of an island and is known for its non-stop excitement adventure and thrills which are spread across 6 themed zones each delivering a unique experience via some 100 world class attractions. Magic Island is located at Seef Mall – Seef District and at Seef Mall - Muharraq

With one in six people having a sensory disorder and a rising autism diagnosis rate in the region, IBCCES saw a need to establish a regional headquarters in Dubai with the goal to help travel and entertainment organizations in the MENA region find ways to become more inclusive and enhance the guest experience for all. Our researched-based programs provide the tools and resources to guide organizations to better accommodate the needs of the autistic population and other persons of determination. IBCCES currently works in 87 countries.
Inspired by the vision to create "great moments for everyone, everyday", Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas has been at the forefront of family entertainment destinations since 1995 with the opening of Magic Planet. Since then, the company has successfully added many iconic brands such as VOX Cinemas, Ski Dubai, iFly Dubai, Little Explorers, Magic Planet, Dreamscape etc. and operates well over 100 operations across the MENA. 

In line with their philosophy of bringing the most innovative cutting-edge entertainment concepts to the region, MAF Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas recently launched the well-received MIB, First Assignment VR Experience at Dreamscape. We are delighted to be in conversation with Mr. Mark D. Haak Wegmann, Managing Director, Leisure & Entertainment at Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas to know more about the fan reaction, IP based entertainment, success recipe and what next, we can look forward to. Read More
Food allergy limits many a people from enjoying regular travel, hospitality, leisure and entertainment experiences. Should people with food allergy then limit or completely avoid these enjoyable experiences? Can providers of travel, hospitality, leisure and entertainment experiences provide access to information, resources, and “safe food” options that would highly benefit their destination and also make the experiences enjoyable for one and all. Attractions that support food allergy sufferers will succeed in making experiences available to all, attracting this significant part of the population.

Read this article by Tisha Mereena Alex, MSc Microbiology, iDipNEBOSH, on what Attractions can approach Food Allergies and what they can do to control risks. Read More
A perfect example of how valuable safety flooring is can be taken from indoor boulder climbing where it is mandatory in most parts of the world, to put some impact-absorbing material underneath the artificial climbing structure. The purpose of the impact-absorbing flooring for bouldering is to be able to accommodate landings, when falling from at least the top of the boulder, and minimize injuries.

Read this guide by CLIMBMAT, a WALLTOPIA group company on the crucial importance of flooring in entertainment and types of flooring that can be used in entertainment facilities to protect the safety of guests, mostly children. Read More
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The SEA Expo in Saudi Arabia has announced the Al Hokair Group as a platinum sponsor for the popular Middle East show. Read More.
ASI's Founder and CEO, Mr. Prakash Vivekanand, was inducted into the MENALAC's prestigious HALL OF FAME, recognizing his years of contribution to the L&E industry in the MENA region. Read More.
The deal will allow ProSlide to offer real ocean dynamics to its customers. Read More.
On March 20, an oceanarium in the style of the lost city of Atlantis opened on the territory of the Magic City theme park. Read More.
Esam Al Shanfari, owner of the Fun Station FEC chain in Oman, presented a commemorative trophy to Warehouse of Games. Read More.
Dubai’s DEAL trade show saw 87 new products launched on the stand of major distributor, Amusement Services International. Read More.
QubicaAMF Worldwide, the largest bowling products company in the world, is excited to announce the introduction of EDGE Free-Fall. Read More.
Intercard has installed its cashless technology at the massive Coco Loco arcade at the SeaWorld theme park in San Diego, California. Read More.
One of India’s premier theme parks, Fun Kingdom, has installed Semnox’s park solution to boost its operations. Read More.
A major coup for cashless payments and management systems specialist Intercard has been accomplished in Saudi Arabia. Read More.
Yet another award has been collected by Canada’s media-based attractions developer Triotech. Read More.
Company will offer interactive & VR masterplans as well as flythrough videos. Read More.
Red Raion, the CGI studio specialized in media-based attractions, has announced a new partnership with Amusement Services International (ASI) to expand its content expertise in the Middle East. Read More.
Red Raion, the CGI studio specialized in media-based attractions, has announced a new partnership with Amusement Services International (ASI) to expand its content expertise in the Middle East. Read More.
Red Raion, the CGI studio specialized in media-based attractions, has announced a new partnership with Amusement Services International (ASI) to expand its content expertise in the Middle East. Read More.
A number of attractions suppliers and manufacturers have been named winners of China’s prestigious Golden Crown Awards. Read More.
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