BAHRAIN: An eco-friendly underwater theme park has opened in Bahrain. Dive Bahrain, a 100,000 square meter dive site, complete with sunken Boeing 747, is now ready for scuba divers to explore, located to the north of the Gulf country.

The newly opened dive site, which is said to be the largest of its kind in the world, was opened by Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, on Friday, September 6. It opened to the public on Saturday, September 7.

Organizers say that the submerged plane is the “first aircraft to be used as a reef which [has been] have been processed in a truly eco-friendly and pollutant-free manner”.

They add that “phase one of the project includes submerging the aircraft, a replica of a pearl merchant’s house and sail structures. Future phases of the project are still being studied but could include reef balls, ships, and sculptures.” Future phases will include sunken ships and a sculpture gallery.

When the project was announced, President of the Supreme Council for Environment, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, said the 100,000 square meter site would also feature a “replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant’s house, artificial coral reefs and other sculptures fabricated from eco-friendly materials” to encourage marine life.

(Agencies)