Umm Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi

On a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second most populated city in the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of Abu Dhabi emirate, the largest of the UAE's seven member emirates.

One of the oldest and largest parks in Abu Dhabi, Mushrif Central Park, first opened in 1982, with exclusive access to women and children.

In January 2013, the park closed to undergo an extensive 18-24 month $48m refurbishment project. According to their website, “the design of the new Mushrif Central Park respects local tradition, while capturing the dynamic nature and heritage of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates”.

With a focus on sustainability, the park will re-open early 2015, re-launching as the ‘People’s Park’.  Some of the new features of the park include a children's zoo, a children's garden with play areas and a performing arts venue.

Our representative in Dubai, , specified SureSet for a ‘wadi’ (a channel of water) and play fountain for children.

Local installers created a 206m² beach and sea theme using Golden Pearl from our  range, and Mint Green and Water Blue from our recycled glass range .

Two staff members from SureSet, Jim Newton and Dan Heydon were on hand to advise and supervise the installation team that consisted of six men from Landscape Architects Tanseeq and .

“It was hard work, with temperatures well over 36 degrees during the day, we sometimes worked well into the night.  Aside from the temperature, the additional challenge we faced here was the complexity of the installation and working in a constant flow of water. Despite this, we completed the installation on time. The team worked extremely hard and dealt with the constantly changing colour blends without any issues. We could not have been more pleased with the end result - everyone, even the neighbouring teams and site manager, were delighted with the outcome. I can’t wait to see how the Park looks when it’s finished.”

Jim Newton

9 years after the installation Jim Newton and Ben Shave arrived in Dubai to visit our Global Partner Tanseeq and have a look at some of their projects including this one.  Since the first visit the park has undertaken some changes, the main one being the name.  Originally called Mushrif Park, it is now known as Umm Emarat Park.

The resin bound paving situated in the wadi is still going strong and looks fantastic, the colours still giving the water effect.

The durability and longevity of the resin bound paving has been truly proven in this project.

"Reflecting on our recent visit to Umm Emarat Park, we were truly delighted to witness the lasting beauty and resilience of our materials, even after a decade, despite the unusual conditions they endure. Situated in an environment where the Resin Bound Gravel is constantly submerged in moving water 24 hours a day, it is a remarkable feat that our materials have not only withstood the challenge but continue to perform admirably. This outstanding performance is a testament to our unwavering commitment to quality and durability. Furthermore, we cannot praise enough the exceptional installation carried out by Tanseeq, whose meticulous attention to detail ensured that our materials seamlessly integrated into this demanding aquatic setting, leaving us in awe during our visit."

Ben Shave