Dubai Arena prepares for 2019 opening

Slated to be the region’s largest indoor arena, Dubai Arena – owned by Dubai-based developer Meraas – is scheduled to open in 2019. Dubai Arena will, reportedly, revolutionise the live entertainment industry in the UAE and the Middle East. The upcoming fully air-conditioned venue at City Walk will be capable of hosting live shows 365 days a year with a 17,000-seating capacity.

Meraas have announced that the spectacular active-lit façade at Dubai Arena is completed, with the elegantly panelled structure now fully installed. Work on external infrastructure and landscaping, including paving and parking spaces, are also under way, while the finishing touches are being made to the first of 46 hospitality suites.

The venue will be able to accommodate many events and genres all year-round. Dubai Arena has been designed to be able to host end-stage, central and half-stage concerts; sporting events such as tennis, basketball, boxing, volleyball and ice hockey; as well as gala dinners, exhibitions and conferences and festivals.

“Every city is known for something – but few, if any, can compare to Dubai when it comes to leisure and entertainment experiences. Dubai Arena has been designed to enhance the city’s reputation as a destination for world-class events and hospitality and will transform the industry throughout the Middle East,” says Abdulla Al Habbai, group chairman, Meraas

“We are confident that Dubai Arena will position the city on the international entertainment touring circuit and the audiences will have the opportunity to witness the world’s most talented performers and sporting events in the heart of Dubai. Dubai Arena will also ensure Meraas and its partners are in a strong position to be able to continue setting new benchmarks in leisure and entertainment regionally, while contributing to the emirate’s continued development as a major tourism destination and boosting the city’s appeal as a place to live, work and visit among residents and tourists,” he adds.

Major milestones reached to date, include completion of the roof, façade steel structure and over 80% of the roof catwalks – elevated service platforms common in major theatres and arenas. All concrete, structural and the block works have been finished and the installation of arena seating is underway, while the arena’s rigging equipment, scoreboards, lighting and sound system will start to be fitted from next month.

A first-of-its-kind in the region, the roof at Dubai Arena is expected to be completed and made watertight before the end of the year, to allow the final acoustic checks to commence. The complex roof structure weighs approximately 4,000 tonnes, equivalent in weight to that of seven A380 airplanes and is supported by two mega-trusses spanning the entire length of the venue.

Day-to-day operations of Dubai Arena are to be managed by international venue management company AEG Ogden, which also provided their considerable design and technical expertise during the construction process.