Dubai, one of the seven territories of the United Arab Emirates, located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf, has unveiled the latest additions to Aquaventure at Atlantis, The Palm, which has been ranked the "number one water park in the Middle East and Europe." The Anaconda (pictured) is the "world's largest diameter" (30-ft.) water tube ride. Riders can view the two AquaTubes rides above their heads.

Dubai is kinda like the Texas of the Persian Gulf. It was historically built on oil, and it seems bent on doing everything on a grander scale. Dubai has the world's tallest skyscraper (Burj Khalifa); numerous man-made islands, including two carved in the shape of palm trees and circled by linear man-made islands; huge shopping malls; the "only seven star hotel in the world" (Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped, fourth tallest hotel in the world), according to the tourist board; duty free, gold, electronics, textiles and cars; 170 shipping lines and 120 airlines; no exchange controls, quotas or trade barriers; and the Jebel Ali and the Airport Free zones, which incentivize new businesses with "renewable 15-year no taxation guarantees.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, an ocean-themed resort on Palm Jumeirah, one of the fake islands, opened in September 2008. On Sept. 17, 2013, the hotel complex opened the expanded version of its Aquaventure Waterpark. Naturally, you'd expect big and a few "world firsts." The six water slide complex on "42 fun-filled acres" is designed and manufactured by WhiteWater of Richmond, BC. A 40-meter tall pyramid anchors the waterpark. New additions are two AquaTubes; the "world's first zip line integrated into a waterslide tower" (two-lane, two-way zip lines spanning three towers); the Anaconda, a six person raft slide with "flume-thru-flume" technology (a flume is a water gorge); and a family "Boomerango," dueling AquaLoops that "test the limits" of one's courage. For those who'd rather look and not participate in testing their courage, there's the Lost Chambers Aquarium, home to 65,000 marine creatures, and Dolphin Bay, a dolphin conservation and education habitat.

WhiteWater COO, Michael Heaven said he was "proud to have been selected and challenged by Atlantis The Palm to deliver yet another record breaker for their waterpark expansion and thrilled with the result."

This expansion joins other WhiteWater attractions at Aquaventure Waterpark: four Master Blaster water coasters; a custom themed AquaPlay interactive play structure; and the highly-popular Leap of Faith waterslide, offering, wait for it "?(R)?. "an unforgettable drop through a live shark marine exhibit." What? No slide exiting into a pool with the world's only captive white shark?

Although Dubai is in the Arabian Desert, where the annual rainfall is 3.7 inches (Las Vegas, by comparison, gets 4.19 inches), Aquaventure requires 4,755,096 gallons of fresh water for its waterslides, river ride, tidal waves, pools, water rapids and white water chargers. Dubai's potable water is obtained from desalination.