Iceland Introduction

Have you ever heard of Ras Al Khaima, otherwise known as RAK? Unless you live in the UAE or have been reading this blog, the chances are likely that you haven't. That's why the idea of a huge arctic-themed water park an hour away from the big city of Dubai might come as a surprise.

The "WOW RAK" campaign is an ongoing construction project created to get people into Dubai's lesser-know cousin. The only issue is, why would people fly to the UAE into the world-known city of Dubai only to drive an hour into the completely unknown Ras Al Khaima? To view a promotional video of the whole thing, click here. It makes the park look pretty nice and has a few things to say about the project. The video says that this is one stage of several including the construction of an amusement park and a shopping mall. As a promotion, this coming weekend, the water park is hosting a friendly cricket match featuring famous Bollywood actors from India
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Unfortunately, there are those who might suggest that having a penguin-themed water park in the middle of the desert where there are intense water shortages in a country with a huge carbon footprint might not be the best idea. In this article in The Guardian, the author suggests that the park is making a gimmick of global warming while adding to it. Apparently, having the world's biggest man-made waterfall that uses 100 thousand gallons of water a minute of desalinated water is bad for the environment. Add that to the fact that this part of the UAE is having trouble producing enough electricity for these kind of projects. Don't worry about blackouts, though. The whole park is powered by generators.

And of course, what better way to demonstrate my objection to the whole thing than by offering them my money? Look for my review of the place in the next few days.