Updated: July 2026 — by Monica Bonalto
250 metres tall, 48 cabins, room for 1,750 people on a single rotation that takes about 38 minutes — Ain Dubai was built as the world’s tallest observation wheel, twice the height of the London Eye, and it dominates the skyline of the small man-made island it sits on. Ain Dubai’s ride operations have been on and off since it opened in 2021, so check current ticket availability before planning a spin; either way, the wheel itself is worth seeing lit up after dark even from ground level.
Bluewaters Island is compact, walkable and photogenic, wrapped around that wheel with a waterfront of restaurants, lounges and the Caesars resorts. Linked to JBR by a footbridge and a short hop from Dubai Marina, it punches above its size. Here’s how to make the most of it, as part of our main Dubai guide.
A small island built around one big wheel
Bluewaters Island is small enough to walk end to end, arranged entirely around Ain Dubai and a waterfront promenade of dining and shops, with a dedicated footbridge across to JBR and the open beach beyond it. It opened to the public in November 2018, roughly 500 metres off the JBR coastline, and virtually everything on the island is built to be reached comfortably on foot within about ten minutes of arriving.
Ain Dubai opened on 21 October 2021 as the world’s tallest observation wheel at 250 metres, with 48 cabins and room for around 1,750 riders at once — then closed in March 2022 for what turned into nearly three years of upgrade work before reopening to the public on 26 December 2024. It’s been running consistently since, and the AED 1 billion project is still the single reason most people come to this island in the first place, even with everything else that’s opened around its base.
The numbers behind the build are as outsized as the wheel itself: roughly 11,200 tonnes of steel went into it, about a third more than the Eiffel Tower used, and the central hub and spindle alone weigh 1,805 tonnes — equivalent to four fully loaded A380 aircraft.
Inside each cabin, a small LED display points out whichever landmarks happen to be visible outside the glass in real time, turning what could just be a slow lap into something closer to a guided tour — a small touch, but a genuinely useful one on a first ride.
Dumplings, bowling, and a beach club view
Bluewaters’ waterfront promenade is lined with restaurants and lounges, ranging from casual to smart, many of them with clear views back across the water to the Marina skyline. Plan a night out with the best restaurants in Dubai and line up a full weekend session from the most fun brunches.
Din Tai Fung draws a queue for its soup dumplings most evenings, and remains one of the more reliably good sit-down options on the island. The Taipei original opened in 1972, has picked up Michelin stars along the way, and still trains its dumpling folders to a strict eighteen-fold standard on every single xiao long bao — a level of consistency that carries through to the Bluewaters branch. Brass Monkey mixes comfort food with bowling lanes, arcade games and live music for anyone who wants dinner to double as an activity, while The London Project leans hard into its own London-inspired art-covered walls, plant-filled interiors and in-house podcast recording studio for something noticeably different from the rest of the strip. Down on the sand, Cove Beach handles the day-bed and sunset-drink side of things with unobstructed Arabian Gulf views.
Brass Monkey itself opened in 2020 across two floors, with 12 bowling lanes on the ground level and two separate kitchens running under one roof — Americana downstairs, Bushido serving Asian plates upstairs — so the bowling and the dinner never actually compete for the same table.
Cove Beach runs three separate pools rather than one — a social Central Pool, a quieter Rosé Pool, and a Private Cabana Pool reserved for hotel guests and VIPs — plus a schedule that runs from mid-morning loungers straight through to DJ sets past midnight without a change of venue.
Beyond the wheel
Bluewaters Island is entirely reclaimed land, built by Meraas at a total cost of around AED 6 billion and opened in November 2018 — roughly 32 hectares connected back to the mainland by a dedicated bridge to Sheikh Zayed Road, plus the pedestrian link most visitors actually use. The residential side holds ten mid-rise towers with just under 700 apartments, four penthouses and 17 townhouses, which is a small enough footprint that the whole island still feels walkable end to end in about fifteen minutes.
A second residential phase, Bluewaters Bay, is now under construction across two towers with 672 more sea-view apartments, handover pencilled in for 2027 — a sign the island is still being built out rather than finished, more than half a decade after the wheel itself opened.
Madame Tussauds and the low-rise waterfront promenade round out the rest of the island itself;
Madame Tussauds Dubai opened on the island on 14 October 2021, and its roughly 60 wax figures include a set of Middle East-specific additions made specifically for this branch rather than recycled from other cities, alongside the usual mix of film, music and sports names.
the beach and beach clubs are a footbridge away. More in things to do in Dubai.
From Caesars Palace to Banyan Tree
Caesars Palace Bluewaters first opened its doors on 15 November 2021 with close to 500 rooms spread across its Palace and Julius towers, plus its own dedicated Cove Beach club and a Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen outpost that were both part of the draw in their own right — a full Vegas-style resort transplant that ultimately lasted less than two years before giving way to the Banyan Tree switch.
Caesars Palace Bluewaters’ multi-year run on the island came to an end in 2023: Dubai Holding brought in Ennismore and Banyan Tree Group to reflag the resort entirely, and Banyan Tree Dubai formally opened its doors to its first guests on 2 December 2023. It now runs a total of 179 rooms including 30 suites, plus a standalone four-bedroom villa complete with its own private pool and beach access for longer stays — noticeably smaller and more boutique in feel than the Caesars-era numbers, but the anchor hotel on the island either way.
Footbridge, tram, or a tight parking situation
On the ground, walk over the footbridge from JBR, or use the nearby Sobha Realty Metro station — renamed from DAMAC Properties back in August 2021, on the same Red Line stop that opened in 2010 as Dubai Marina — plus the Dubai Tram; taxis and ride-hail cars drop right at the island entrance, and the on-island parking fills fast on weekend evenings.
When the wheel looks its best
Our tip: the footbridge from JBR gets crowded in the last hour before sunset, when everyone has the same idea about photographing the wheel against the sky. Cross the footbridge a full hour earlier instead, grab a table with a clear wheel view, and simply let the evening light come to you rather than fighting the crowd on the bridge itself — you get the same photo with none of the elbowing.
Evenings are consistently the best time for the promenade, when the wheel is fully lit up against the dark; come earlier in the afternoon instead for a noticeably quieter island and easier tables. Several of its loungers feature in our guide to Dubai’s best beach clubs, and the dining strip sits across our best brunch in Dubai picks too.
Top things to do on Bluewaters Island
- Ain Dubai — 250 metres tall, 48 cabins, room for 1,750 people on a single 38-minute rotation — the world’s tallest observation wheel, worth seeing lit up after dark even from ground level. Ride operations have been on and off since 2021, so check current ticket availability before planning a spin.
- Din Tai Fung — The Taipei original opened in 1972 and picked up Michelin stars along the way — every xiao long bao folded to a strict eighteen-fold standard, a consistency that carries through to the Bluewaters branch.
- Brass Monkey — Two floors, 12 bowling lanes, arcade games and live music, with two separate kitchens under one roof — Americana downstairs, Bushido serving Asian plates upstairs.
- The London Project — London-inspired art-covered walls, plant-filled interiors and an in-house podcast recording studio — something noticeably different from the rest of the strip.
- Cove Beach — Day-beds and sunset drinks with unobstructed Arabian Gulf views.
- Caesars Palace and Banyan Tree — The island’s anchor resorts, bookending Bluewaters’ waterfront alongside the restaurants and lounges.
Bluewaters, quick questions
Is Ain Dubai currently open?
Yes — after closing in March 2022 for an upgrade, it reopened to the public on 26 December 2024 and has been running consistently since, though checking ticket availability before you go is still sensible.
Can I walk to Bluewaters Island from JBR?
Yes — a dedicated pedestrian footbridge connects the two directly, so no car or taxi is needed for the crossing itself.
Is Caesars Palace Bluewaters still operating?
No — Caesars Palace closed in 2023 and the property reopened as Banyan Tree Dubai on 2 December 2023, so it’s worth booking under the current name rather than searching for the old one.
How big is Bluewaters Island?
Small — the reclaimed island covers roughly 32 hectares and is walkable end to end in about ten minutes, with everything on it within easy reach on foot.
Is there parking on the island?
Yes, though the on-island parking fills quickly on weekend evenings — the pedestrian footbridge from JBR or the Tram are often the easier option.
JBR and the Marina, both within reach
JBR and Dubai Marina are both just a footbridge crossing or a short taxi hop away from Bluewaters. Back to the main Dubai guide.
Is Bluewaters Island free to visit?
Walking the island, the promenade and the retail strip costs nothing — you only pay for specific attractions such as Ain Dubai, Madame Tussauds Dubai (also based on the island), or a beach club day pass.
Is Bluewaters Island worth visiting?
Yes, especially for an evening out: it packs a big-wheel landmark, a wax museum, a genuine restaurant strip and a couple of the city’s better bars onto one walkable island a short bridge away from JBR — plan for a few hours rather than a full day unless you’re adding a beach club.