Our carbon foot print is very low in comparison with mega power from USA and Europe, who are the major pollution places in the world.

There are lots of positive things to write about GCC.
Do they know that GCC countries are growing lots of vegetables using hydraulic system (similar to Levant area) that allow population to get locally their amount of fruits and vegetables, rather than importing from Europe. It favor the local economy (Saudi, Oman, UAE), create jobs, and maintain prices at low level.
In order to run on hydraulic agriculture, farmers are using RO plants. Importing goods from Europe / USA is expensive, and just imagine the carbon foot print from European farm to cooperative, then carry on through highway by polluting trucks, then reach the airport logistics center, then use heavy cargo planes……I mean GCC countries are on the right track to develop their own economy and structure.

you got more research, knowledge and background on this RAK theme park against the so called ‘environmentalis’ writer. LOL!

Even fossil fuels are natural resources since it is found underground and the middle east consumes less than 10% of its own energy the rest is sold to the First World, therefore the above criticism contains more hypocrisy than the writer’s own weight in GOLD. If the writer considered the reinvestment in energy solutions from the sales of oil it is hard to find an other place on the planet where so much research and development has been made in less than 30 years from inception, and so much percentage of the GDP has been reinvested for green energy solutions.

Taste is a personal issue and used in this context the writer does not identify nor exposes his own for the same scrutiny. In my view the RAK water park resembles the “Arctic” natural environment, not as in the Geographical identity but in the sense of Polar environment that denotes cold, snow, winter in all seasons etc….

Consider for a moment, the new every summer when heat waves in the Northern hemisphere where more than 75% of the entire world population lives, people die, and those temperatures don’t reach 100+F or 50C . With the substantial increase of the UAE population would in cool conscience (8 Million), the writer deny the population of the UAE a water park, whereas throughout the developed nations they have more artesian fountains let alone the mega parks in and around the large metropolis areas?

Mr. Leo Hickman with due respect, living on the 53rd parallel you have no clue Sir, what it means to work day in and out in 120 F 24/7 throughout the entire year, and while you have rain almost every day and get your wet cool weather, even your expatriates from UK can enjoy some “shower” in their free time once in a while, in a place where from the tap you have only warm water…and if you want to drink you have to cool it.

On the top of it, it seems the founders of the park were so thoughtful to place the park near the ocean so they get the water, desalinize it and recycle the water for multiple uses (Google Earth Map).

Asia has almost half of the population of the planet, and it seems rather ridiculous the context and arrogance Mr. Hickman brings up this issue.

A public beach the size of the park which the writer conspicuously fails to mention is less harmful 1Million fold, than the current BP oil spill not to mention the possibilities of future oil spills as those rigs will age. It is not correct to show this picture that the drought obviously is not caused by RAK Waterpark and is not even taken close to it… The park was built near the ocean on the beach so it has no relevance what the writer is insinuating…Also if the writer had an ounce of imagination could figure out for himself, that expanding of this desalinization technology, water could be drawn to irrigate farmland as well. Let’s not forget that park is built next to a shipyard / industrial harbour that already has an impact that may not be optimal, but is necessary for the local commerce including the fishing industry. The proximity of the park with its beach hardly can add to the damage already in place by the shipyard next door. What is the complaint here when in most countries with beaches, marinas and manmade parks make up thousands of miles…Is this article has any measurable context to those examples?

We all can contemplate on the problems but can anyone look for better solutions? No matter how anyone looks at this, RAK constitutes a tremendous improvement upon the region for so many people who have no access for themselves and their children, because RAK is first and foremost a family oriented water park / entertainment facility that is contributing to everyone’s quality of life.

If the writer is so worried about the future of the water supply in the middle East, why not have some constructive proposals instead, that will solve the water supply of some of Levant countries and other places, that have no relevance geographically or ecologically to this park next to an industrial facilty…. I can hardly see 30 thousand sqft of water pools and rides affecting negatively a few million square miles of desert life.

Yeah, like many of the projects in the Middle East, they get it all wrong.