Ras Al Khaimah aims for larger share of tourism market with focus on sports and recreational facilities

This initiative will receive a major boost with the introduction of a 15,000 square foot bowling alley by Engineer Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qassemi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, Member of Board of the General Civil Aviation Authority. The bowling alley is being launched in collaboration with Brunswick Bowling and Billiards Corporation USA, the world leader in the bowling industry.

The bowling alley is mainly targeted at families and young tourists, and the local youth in Ras Al Khaimah and surrounding Emirates. Plans include a 12 lane Olympic-size facility with a food court, internet café and recreational center. It is scheduled to open during the last quarter of 2004.

Engineer Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qassemi stated, "Ras Al Khaimah is gaining attention as a growing sporting and recreational center in the Middle East. The Emirate already boasts numerous state-of-the art sports facilities including microlight flying, water sports facilities and rifle-shooting. It is a popular destination among youth and family tourist groups from the surrounding Emirates looking for a quick weekend getaway. However, the new bowling center is part of a long-term strategy to promote Ras Al Khaimah as a leading tourist destination in its own right, by attracting tourists from the 33 visa-free countries and the CIS (Common Wealth of Independent States). Our research shows that sports and leisure tourism has great potential for growth in Ras Al Khaimah, and the new bowling center will accelerate this initiative.

"Bowling is a US$ 10 billion industry and one of the most popular pastimes among youth and families across the world. We have tied up with the proven leader in the industry, as a reflection of our commitment to position Ras Al Khaimah among the increasingly competitive regional tourist markets. The bowling center offers multi-levels of entertainment for a variety of age groups. The scoring system and facilities are the first of its kind in the country, based on Brunswick's advanced Vector Center Network System that offers users a variety of score sheet styles and backgrounds, thus adding an new dimension of entertainment to the game. There are also plans to organize bowling Championship in the future as part of the strategy to pull more tourist traffic", he added.

"The bowling alley will offer a selection of over 150 cartoon-style graphic animations and sound effects. For the youth, we have Cosmic Bowling, a selection of progressive video-style animation with embedded digital sound effects. Families can also make bookings for birthday parties. Moreover, for non-bowlers, we have a variety of recreational activities designed to keep the entire family engaged for the whole day", concluded Al Qassemi.

Peter Moloney, Managing Director, Europe, Africa and Middle East, Brunswick Bowling and Billiards Corporation stated, "Brunswick has been the world leader in new bowling center development for over a century. We are delighted to have a presence in Ras Al Khaimah, thanks to the vision of the rulers of this Emirate and Sheikh Salem Sultan Al Qassemi, to establish a world-class bowling center in the Emirate. We have attained this project which will contribute to the development initiatives in the Middle East, through our partners in the Middle East, Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba Group, Brunswick brings with it proven expertise in setting up and managing bowling centers. Bowling enthusiasts across the world recognize the benefits of visiting a Brunswick center, and to that end, I would like to comment that Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba Group and Brunswick have pioneered the installation of the Vector Center Network System in the UAE. We are confident that this will help the authorities in Ras Al Khaimah attract a large number of premium visitors". Hesham Soliman, Divisional Manager, bowling and sports division, and Savio Cardozo, Project Consultant of Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba Group, Brunswick's official representative in the Middle East, were instrumental in creating this project