AECOM proudly served as the lead design consultant and construction supervisor for SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, a leisure park combining marine conservation and entertainment using a unique design.
Located on Yas Island, an area famous for entertainment and leisure across the UAE, SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi offers a unique experience with eight diverse marine-themed realms. Spanning 183,000 square meters across five floors, it is home to more than 100,000 animals and record-breaking attractions. AECOM provided a full scope of services from RIBA stages two to five, including construction supervision services.
Construction and design
The complexity of the outline creatively balanced zoo and veterinary design, animal life support system design, aquatic design, fire and life safety design and the more regular facility design elements to prioritize animal welfare.
The park features millions of litres of seawater extracted from the Arabian Gulf, treated and used within the habitats, with a state-of-art filtration systems to ensure minimal environmental impact. The design was master planned through a series of realms, each reflecting the marine life, culture, habitats and ecosystems of that region with not just unique experiences in mind, but the ability to educate and inspire a new generation of marine enthusiasts.
Habitats were innovatively designed to enrich and use advanced technology, water currents, wave movements and even audio, to simulate the animals’ natural environment.
Breaking world records
The park features the world’s largest multi-species aquarium containing 25 million litres of saltwater, housing more than 68,000 marine animals and 1,800 species including sharks, rays and tropical fish. Acrylic corridors, tunnels, escalator shafts and rooms provide visitors with majestic views and a fully immersive experience.
Sustainability at the forefront
We incorporated a sustainable approach which was central to the project, integrating energy-efficient systems, such as a solar hot water system to minimize energy consumption. The use of sustainable seawater for animal habitats reduces environmental footprint, which ensures optimal living conditions for marine life while conserving natural resources.
Efficient water filtration systems were implemented to minimize extraction rates and waste seawater is treated before discharge, preventing equipment corrosion and environmental contamination. Measures were taken to reduce the amount of potable water used by staff and visitors include water recirculation systems and careful management of salination levels across all other systems in the building.
Energy-saving measures were included in the low-temperature chiller installation design as well as heat recovery systems, which further enhanced efficiency, aligning with global sustainability goals and emphasizing environmental responsibility.
Multiple recognitions
This project is testament to the UAE’s focus on ecological sustainability and marine life conservation. We are proud to have supported our valued client, Miral in bringing this exciting offering to the Middle East. Our collaboration was rewarded as SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi received an Award of Merit at the prestigious ENR Global Best Projects Awards 2024 and was named Hospitality and Tourism Project of the Year at the ME Consultant Awards 2023.
