I’m not sure if it’s more extraordinary the biggest wavepool in the world in Abu Dhabi or the fact that this video is coming from my friend Alessandro during Fursan Al Emarat flight! pic.twitter.com/VD4kImHkpO
— Ma𝕏 Salvato (@Massy_11) October 31, 2023
In June of 2023, a press release from the WSL hit inboxes with a bit of news regarding the Kelly Slater Wave Company. It stated that the “Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC), an innovative wave technology and surf experience company, is licensing its world-class technology to Surf Abu Dhabi, a one-of-a-kind wave facility owned and operated by Modon Properties, Abu Dhabi.”
Interests were piqued, to say the least, but as is the case with most things these days and our collective faltering attention spans, the dearth of information in the following weeks led to most people just kind of… forgetting about it. But just because we weren’t thinking about it as much anymore doesn’t mean the bulldozers were moving the dirt, and now, a few months later, footage showing the construction underway is pretty mind blowing. The pool is located on Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, and is fittingly called Surf Abu Dhabi.
“When we opened the first wave, the mystery it created and excitement that ensued was something I’m not sure many have experienced,” said Kelly Slater in the WSL’s press release. “Surfing reaches people in all corners of the globe and I’m always surprised with who gravitates towards this world. Having a KSWC wave in Abu Dhabi is something I’ve never dreamt would happen but here it is. Unbelievable. While not many would have predicted the location for the project there are great synergies with Abu Dhabi, and like KSWC, they are always innovating and ahead of the curve. This is gonna be a lot of fun for so many people.”
The footage comes by way of a Fursan Al Emarat flight that was over the area. Fursan Al Emarat is the aerobatics display team of the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defense. According to reports, the new pool will create the biggest and longest man-made wave in the world. It’s rumored that the pool will be ready to surf by early 2024.
