Safety of Fairground & Amusement Park Equipment is paramount

In 2022, the UAE has seen growth in the travel and tourism sector that has contributed to 9% of the total GDP, while Dubai alone has seen a growth of 53.8% compared to 2021. According to “Euromonitor’s Top 10 City Destinations Index 2022”, Dubai was ranked second most visited city in the world.

Addressing a tourism seminar in Dubai, Ms. Amina Ahmed Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) said Dubai is a popular destination for amusement parks equipped with advanced indoor and outdoor amusement equipment, serving millions of visitors yearly. Other Emirates of United Arab Emirates (UAE) including Abu Dhabi are also home of various branded theme parks. Thus, safety of fairground and amusement equipment used is paramount. She said the EIAC’s accreditation schemes for inspection bodies in the Fairground and Amusement Equipment provides assurances to the public about the safety of amusement rides and play areas. EIAC’s accreditation scheme for certification of persons working in this sector further enhance the prospects of safety.  She said the EIAC’s accreditations are globally recognized. She said the leisure and entertainment sector plays a vital role in achieving the ‘UAE Tourism Strategy 2031’ that aims to significantly increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy. She noted that UAE strategy aims to annual increase of AED 27 billion to tourism sector. Tourism sector’s contribution to the UAE GDP are projected to AED 450 billion by 2031.

Addressing the seminar, Engr. Yousef Ahmed Aljasmi, Director of Inspection Bodies Accreditation Department of EIAC, provides input about EIAC’s plans in reinforcing the quality infrastructure of the leisure and entertainment sector by continually support the development of the local inspection and testing bodies in collaboration with regulators and stakeholders. Engr. Yousef said the EIAC’s accreditation scheme covers the design review, manufacturing process, initial and in-service examinations, and inspections.

Engr. Yousef informed that Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) has recently conducted a special workshop for the accredited Inspection Bodies. The target audience of the workshop were the inspection bodies that are working in the field of inspections of Fairground and Amusement Equipment for scope of independent (in-service) examination. The aim of this workshop was to enrich the market with locally based Inspection Bodies to sustain the continuity of businesses managing variety of complex amusement attractions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates including the some of the world’s largest theme parks and fastest amusement rides.