Has Dubai's Latest Megaproject Failed?

Ain Dubai hasn't moved for 18 months - and no one knows why.
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[@TheB1M]

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[@stevengalloway8052]

😖😫 Please no puns, or you'll be PUNished for it.... 😆

[@heidirabenau511]

That had me ROLLING.

[@patrickzlobinski6632]

Just came back few days go from dubai and went to check there. You could not get too close there. Saw multiple workers gathering and starting their shift at the wheel. So there is still activity at the wheel.

[@strykenine7902]

You're a (groan) man!

[@jhmcd2]

Wheely? Okay dad.

[@_baert]

9 minutes of "we dont know" and "no one will tell us"

[@freddyfrost8195]

I actually thought hell explain wtf

[@personalprofile1939]

Thanks you saved me 5 mins

[@mharoonrs]

I read your comment 1:28 into the video and YES THANKS for saving my time. 😅😂

[@fm.alraeesi]

Thanks

[@TahirMajeed28]

Exactly

[@harvey1965]

Similar thing happened in Australia with the 120 metre tall, "Melbourne Wheel": it opened in 2008 ... 40 days later it closed as the wheel had structural problems. Eventually it was scrapped and rebuilt ..... in 2013 it finally reopened. It closed due to Covid and now remains permanently closed!

[@vulpo]

I never thought of the London Eye as any kind of great engineering feat, but after hearing about what happened to the Ain Dubai and the Melbourne Wheel I am reassessing its achievement.

[@themeparkreel]

@@vulpothe london eye was engineered incredibly well! even though it was meant to be temporary, the actual structure was designed to last for over 50 years

[@DavidKnowles0]

London Eye had a few issues as well.

[@Tyler-uz9cz]

​@@vulpo Dubais wheel is just as impressive. you really dont know much about how it was engineered do you? London eye has had so much trouble in the past and still has trouble to this day, do some research! This video is quite bias but i expect nothing less from you pommys :P

[@Snarf_Le_Wombat]

​@@Tyler-uz9czlol it doesn't even work 😂

[@MartinBrenner]

"Germany’s Technical Inspection Association, or TUV, confirmed that it was involved in the Ain’s construction but had withdrawn its certification for the structure. The group, which tests and provides independent safety certifications for a variety of technical systems, gave no further comment, saying it was bound by a nondisclosure agreement. The Ain’s media office did not respond to requests for comment." That doesn't sound good. So the wheel failed the TÜV? (Although motorists in Germany can get their mandatory car inspections done by different companies "passing the TÜV" is commonly used to mean your car passed the inspection).

[@Bot-ov2hs]

maybe they used cheap steel, and now cracks are forming in the beams

[@gildedpeahen876]

Thanks for this, really helpful

[@gildedpeahen876]

@@Bot-ov2hsyou use slave labor, you get this type of shit.

[@insu_na]

Given that TÜV certified a dam in Brazil literally 2 weeks before it collapsed and killed hundreds of people... Not sure what to think about TÜVs international record. As for cracks in the beams: kinda unlikely, especially cheap steel will bend to a rather significant degree before it cracks, so the entire structure would have some visible sag to it

[@The_Reality_Filter]

@@insu_na which dam was that?

[@a1white]

Makes you realise how remarkable the London eye is, built over 20 years ago, in a tricky location and still spinning daily.

[@matt2026]

Very different mechanics.

[@ChatGPT1111]

5 are bigger than the Eye. The one in Las Vegas (largest functional one in the world) is 100' taller than London's and has been working for a decade.

[@a1white]

@@ChatGPT1111 yes, but the London eye was the biggest at the time. Arguably the vegas one wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the London Eye.

[@ChatGPT1111]

@@a1white and neither one probably would if not for Mr. Ferris who built the original 264' one in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

[@shiningvideo]

who even knew there was one in vegas@@ChatGPT1111

[@tinderbox218]

It's "the safest place to be in Dubai." Translation: It's definitely on the verge of collapsing.

[@danmauller9453]

They couldn't be anymore transparent.

[@kentslocum]

Yup; the Titanic was deemed unsinkable, too.

[@barmouthbridge8772]

The architectural equivalent of a football club chairman after a record defeat giving his full support to the manager.

[@Johndeerefreak7530]

I'd say the safest place in Dubai is the departure area at the airport

[@uaeprince2008]

You guys are full with drama, so you are all waiting to see anything malfunctioned in order to through nonsense statements, Dubai is one of the safest city not based on you and your friends while drinking coffee and smoking shisha in the gardens, it’s based on international statistical World Wide Websites which navigate the globe , check all world cities then decide based on hundreds variables then decide to put the ranking.. you guys need to get educated or at least let your kid google it for you.. probably understand further than your limited insight

[@hgbugalou]

You do not close suddenly with such short notice without a catastrophic finding on an inspection. Sounds like we are lucky nothing more dramatic happened. My guess would be bearing problems. That is a tall order for a moving part of that size.

[@ifithrewmyguitaroutt]

I think 'catastrophic' is the perfect word choice. There's no way you refuse to talk about something for months on end unless it's very, very bad news. My guess is, whatever the problem is, it meant thousands of people were put in real danger while the thing was running, and it's a minor miracle hundreds aren't dead as a result.

[@marsovac]

certainly not a bearing problem. that would have been solved in a year with their infinite money, espceially since it was build to be "easily replaceable". This is a structural problem most likely.

[@isabellind1292]

Catastrophes can be averted by the most unsuspecting observer like the Princeton U student who was writing her thesis on NYC's Citicorp Building when she discovered a structural flaw that could send the building, toppling over in a high wind. The city surreptitiously implemented a 10 square block evacuation plan into place while construction crews were brought in, during the dark of night to make the necessary repairs to ensure the buildings' integrity. I imagine it might have been a little unnerving if they'd informed the public. People working within a 10 block radius would have wanted to stay home from work on windy days, lol!

[@zbeebs]

nothing more dramatic happened... yet!

[@william_at]

Ruins of Dubai, Sanghai and other mega-ego-cities will be excellent locations to film Blade Runner 3050

[@fitemil]

"Mega-ego-cities" is really a perfect description.

[@WarFoxThunder]

Fr

[@flyingfan18]

I rode it exactly a month after it opened in November 2021, during sunset nonetheless. It was an incredible experience due to its sheer size knowing that it was the largest wheel at the time and now maybe even forever. But I can definitely say that the only thing I heard during my ride were the two crying children.

[@CyberQuince]

The children knew

[@nikunjsaboo91]

Rode it in Dec 2021 myself. Was on my way home from my honeymoon in Spain. Didn't think it would end so badly.

[@zombieinjeans]

Oh it definitely won’t be the biggest ever. As technology progresses, so will our structures. I imagine a Ferris Wheel that is so large it can be used as transport to get from one city to another in a really interesting way, practically scraping the atmosphere. It might take 500 years, but it’ll happen.

[@mrbbqcraig]

​@@CyberQuincehahaha 🤣🤣🤣

[@prateekpratyaya3319]

​@@zombieinjeansFerris wheel to transport? Mate, that's such an inefficient way. Why not a slingshot since we're discussing dumb ideas?

[@kreiseltower]

I am a mechanical engineer and design machines for automation. In past projects, we have fallen for false claim of the capabilities of these sort of bearings.... D-Glide... Dry-Lin... All had way more wear than expected within a really short time frame of usage. In all cases, we had to swap them for traditional bearings with steel balls. But in our machines we're only talking about of a couple of hundred or thousand of euros of parts that had to be swapped. It wasn't too easy though, because the space needed for a traditional bearing (bigger diameter) wasn't there in the design. If the whole hub of this wheel is purpose build for such a "slim" bearing, which leaves no space for something proper, I can't see how this can get fixed. But at this point, that is only speculation.

[@vryzenok]

Hi, @kreiseltower, want to ask, did you think that this kind of bearing gone wrong because off the lack of grease? or may i say wrong type of the grease? Could be that case that grease became too liquide(too tin) and can`t do the job. Mind you to temperutere of the Dubai itself.

[@kreiseltower]

@@vryzenok I don't know any facts from this case. But the selling point of these bearings is that they don't need grease. That is why they are marketed as 'dry'. If it would work, it would safe you a lot of hassle to deal with constant lubrication and stuff. The appeal of those bearings is also, that they are really slim. The ratio between inner and outer diameter is WOW for a bearing and seems very appealing for use in a very space limited scenario. This is where I tried to use them in the past... I am not exactly sure how they fail. In my impression/opinion the plastic material just isn't up for the job under maybe not perfect load conditions. The biggest problem for me was that it will jam easily if you do not have a perfect radial load or even a very slim miss-alignment between two parallel bushings. A traditional roller bearing can deale with this sort of conditions with ease.... but needs a lot more space. I am sure, that the heat in Dubai doesn't help at all. We all know plastic will age. Some stuff will evaporate, make it brittle or behave differently. I am done with these kind of "experiments" and chances in my designs.

[@lahillsm3]

The problem is that they used bushings which SLIDE, whereas most wheels in the world use bearings which ROLL. At 2:38 you can see the mechanical difference. The object on the right should be called a bushing, not a "plain bearing". @@vryzenok

[@Centurian123456789]

I guess the wheels on the bus is the only thing that goes round and round

[@adv3nturehq517]

Noice it's edited

[@theriseoftherice7684]

As a dad who listens to this song every day I laughed a lot 😂😂😂😂

[@memofromessex]

Round and round

[@Dremth]

"The Ain Dubai is the safest place to be in Dubai." Well, if that isn't the most suspicious doubling-down I've ever heard...

[@mysticwolf007]

From an engineering pov, the choice of bearings seems one of the more likely causes, and they probably underestimated the friction levels and cooling that it would require for this kind of operation to continuously smoothly.. Futher more, reading the stories of how it shook the ground while running and that it might be sinking would mean the foundations were miscalculated and that a scenario of it falling over (as one of the hotel owners fears) might actually be a real scenario we'll hear about in the news one day. The AIN Dubai is evidence that just because you want to and are building bigger, don't necessarily mean it will be better.. I doubt Dubai will ever conceive publicly that the AIN and the island it sits on are a failure and instead remain silent on it whilst constructing their next "biggest in the world" structure.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Source: I saw it in a dream.

[@BtotheT-tz6vs]

​@@AL-lh2htor he's an engineer??

[@kjj26k]

​@@AL-lh2ht Or it is just literally the most likely outcome, given all of the evidence and historical precedent?!

[@lwilton]

My complete guesses: 1. The foundation sinking is possible, but fairly unlikely. Especially differential sinking, which would be the real problem with sinking. (If the whole thing sinks evenly, it isn't much of a problem.) 2. The rumbling and shaking sounds like either a bearing problem or stay cable tension problem. I'd suspect a bearing problem from either a load or materials miscalculation, or perhaps more likely, unnoticed lubrication failure. 3. Did they plan for main spindle bearing replacement? Or do they have to completely disassemble the wheel to do it?

[@homie7218]

​@@AL-lh2htsource: from your pedo Muhammad god

[@GeshronTyler1]

The fact that the wheel isn't turning, or can't turn, actually might now make it more vulnerable to storms... There's an abandoned amusement park in Berlin (Spreepark) that has a ferris wheel that turns with the wind, because it would collapse sooner if it didn't.

[@lewizzrocks]

Exactly, that’s a lot of tension for that huge structure.

[@smileymalaise]

The only storms Dubai has are sandstorms filled with all the human shit they have no sewers for.

[@jyzo]

Not sure if you’ve seen anything on Spreepark recently, but they took the wheel down for refurb. Last I saw, they’re hoping to have it up and functional in 2025. Not negating your original point, just sharing news.

[@GeshronTyler1]

@@jyzoOh, interesting. My quick search hadn't provided anything relatively recent. I'd had the chance, a number of years ago, to take a tour of the abandoned park, where the reason for allowing the ferris wheel to turn freely had been explained. I was expecting it be dismantled at some point anyway, lest letting it collapse cause problems.

[@Peteski-0]

@@jyzoit was there last Sunday.

[@socalstr]

Dubai is like a standing suit of shining armor without a knight inside, and a knight won’t be inside “indefinitely.”

[@mrklv1593]

Unfortunately, Dubai is famous for stopping megaprojectsat halfway, even if they are completed like this one

[@Zaabi]

This project is done and which project do you mean ?

[@clems33fr]

​@@Zaabithe dubai creek tower

[@mrklv1593]

@@clems33fr or the world islands and the 3rd palm island

[@fezechnouzou]

Creek tower was supposed to be built for Dubai to keep the world record for highest tower. When Saudi halted the construction of their 1km high tower, there was no immediate need for creek tower. Now that Saudi project is back, I would not be surprised if Dubai start working on it again. Keep in mind they never announced official height, and that foundation work is completed. Being an observation deck it can be finished much faster than any other tower.

[@d.b.cooper1]

I mean a lot of these failed projects are a good thing. Proves the free market works & the government doesn't need to bail out any project that stutters like world islands due to 07 financial crash or others private investors. It's how it should be. A lot chances come & go

[@noelht1]

We moved to Dubai five years ago, lived opposite this. When we got there it was fully constructed apart from the carriages. But they took it all down again, and then they put it all up again, and then it still didn’t go anywhere for two years. And now it isn’t working again. It’s been a complete mess up from start to finish. Completely epitomises everything in Dubai

[@amar.mohamed]

Ambitious projects fail everywhere...Dubai is no exception.

[@Daniel-qz8bp]

​@@MrXlee1967Tax reasons why els would you move to a desert😂

[@Edward4Plantagenet]

Migrant Invasion 😂😂😂😂😂

[@noelht1]

@@MrXlee1967 I’m not

[@Mamorufumio]

I swear Dubai is looking like someone’s more popular minecraft server in the later stages, heck it even has a nether portal big enough to be ghast’s through

[@MJSJ03]

I live in Dubai and I think I might have some insight on what is going on. Hear me out... I have to clean my garage gate once or twice a year, depending on how dirty the machine and bearings get. The reason for them getting dirty? SAND!! It sounds to me that sand + the heat is the main issue. I just hope they can fix the issue soon bcoz peak season is around the corner!

[@Xsiondu]

This make sense to me.

[@aowen2471]

I used to live there and someone I worked with purchased a Porsche with a moving tail spoiler - the sand used to jam it and it was a known problem the dealer said but still sold more cars with the same problem. Eventually they locked it into the up position and stopped it moving. People don't understand the middle east sand is fine like flour and gets everywhere - I used to work with FM people and they said nothing purchased in buildings/malls was built to deal with the sand and needed constant maintenance more then in USA/EU.

[@ninojanjeremygo463]

Sandstorm? Maybe even an invisible gentle wind breeze accumulate over time...

[@MJSJ03]

@@ninojanjeremygo463 sand accumulates everywhere if you leave your windows open for a few hours. I have to vacuum or sweep everyday just to keep my home clean. So yes, when a sandstorm hits, its like 10x worse than an average day.

[@MJSJ03]

@@aowen2471 my friend had the same issue with his porsche 911.

[@nazaman7977]

"Breaking new grounds on construction does have it's limits" Spot on, and I feel there was no need to build so big in the first place.

[@thecomment9489]

Until more durable, stronger and lightweight materials are invented.

[@mariapeterson9094]

Exactly! I thought the same. They could bild just big week not the biggest in the world and people still could enjoy the beautiful view. Without high risk. They could play with design of cabins if the wanted something absolutely special…

[@JPA65]

Style over substance

[@batur_psychology19]

their motto is go big or go home@@mariapeterson9094

[@matekochkoch]

If superlative is your unique selling point, there is a need.

[@mark6889]

Nothing to worry about, it's now a giant sculpture like the Melbourne Star ferris whee!

[@NearCry91]

Do you mean the Melbourne Star?

[@mark6889]

@@NearCry91 Yes, yes I did. I drive past it weekly but it's so irrelevant I forgot its name. Cheers for the pick up.

[@cedric1808]

I was lucky to get a ride. Truly amazing. A shame if it dies, but safety first and hopefully, it’ll re-open soon

[@redyau_]

Did you feel any of this alleged shaking/vibration or anything like it?

[@cedric1808]

@@redyau_ No, it was actually very smooth and quiet. I went early January 2022 and it shut down in March. However our ride had been posptoned by a day because of the weather. There has been strong wind and heavy rain, which caused the wheel to be on and off for a period of days. I wonder if it didn’t cause late damage with flexing and water infiltration in the axle but that’s just speculation at this point.

[@jpdemer5]

Replacing those bearings would be a massive, multi-year undertaking - it could require a fair amount of dis-assembly, and/or the construction of a massive cradle to hold the wheel while the axle is disconnected. The steel truss spokes, needed during construction, might have to be re-installed. Just spit-balling here, but if the oil pump failed, the bearings would begin to grind, which could cause the "vibrations" that people noticed.

[@larryscott3982]

The bearings should’ve been designed for: easy, rapid, and periodic replacement. Which could’ve been done. And wear testing should’ve provided plenty scheduling on a life limited, human safety, critical part. But I’ve seen how short lived major works in that part the world end up due to poor/nonexistent maintenance, disregard for QC and inspection before during and after construction. The NEOM Line wall city will suffer the same fate. IMO

[@ralmslb]

From the design, the berings used are most likely oil free, still it sounds the ones installed were not strong enough.

[@jpdemer5]

@@ralmslb Bearings are designed with large surfaces to carry the load, separated by a film of oil that has to be constantly pumped in at high pressure. (Roller bearings aren't much good here.)

[@ralmslb]

@@jpdemer5 Not necessarily, check Oiles which manufacture self-lubricating bearing that can withstand high loads. I'm not saying that this is exactly what is being used, just highlighting that the technology exists.

[@jpdemer5]

@@ralmslb See video at 2:29.

[@Powertampa]

I made a 3d model of a similar wheel in 2011 and decided to figure out what sort of bearings could hold how much weight and what that would do over time. Rollers can handle that sort of stress, but apparently the deflecting in them means it wouldn't be very safe to use unless moving really slowly. For something held together with cables wobbling around is probably not great. Going with direct surface bearings will create less movement, but also a lot more friction. After a bit of looking around I remembered that I saw a 5 ton sphere held up in fluid motion by a bearing made from water pressure. Looking into pressurized jacket bearings it seemed they could hold up almost any weight so long as you could somehow build enough pressure and deal with the spill gushing out at beyond-waterjet like pressures. Another issue that worried me was how large of a support structure would be needed to hold the hub in place firmly. When looking at what I deemed to be solid enough and their design they are only about 1/3 the size. The legs of that thing seem a bit small compared to the weight and forces they carry so that vibration thing might not be far off. Given it'll vibrate one way or another due to the bearing used, if it then also hasn't got enough strength and weight to compensate for that it could vibrate itself to pieces. It's a moving structure in the environment, so has to deal with a bunch of forces that, while not dangerous themselves, can lead to oscillations that might very well become problematic. I decided just to make two sets of legs each side at slightly different angles to brace against vibrations by simple geometry. Can't vibrate two different lengths of steel at the same frequency at the same time if they are connected to each other. It's kinda sad to see this thing being in a broken state given it looks remotely like the model I made way before this thing was dreamed up, so in a way seeing an idea come to live would be quite cool. Was planning on checking it out should I ever visit Dubai. Probably easiest option to rectify the vibration issue would be to rebuild the legs by adding a third one to each side. The bearing, if constructed as they claimed, could be serviced or replaced. I feel like their cabin design is also lacking massively for what an impressive structure it is the cabins are just plain and seem like just off the shelf stuff. Would have expected a bit more innovation or playing with ideas there. I briefly considered if such a wheel could be fitted with private cabins that act almost as apartments. Waking up in the morning at the top of the wheel probably has some really cool feel to it, as impractical as that is if you need to go to work.

[@JeffDeWitt]

I was wondering about magnetic bearings. Theoretically they should be able to support pretty much any weight.

[@Powertampa]

@@JeffDeWitt The energy requirement for magnetic levitation on that scale would be in the megawatt range if not more. Suppose an option would a combination of different bearing types using the benefits of each to mitigate the downsides of others, but from the construction photos I have seen this thing was designed more with the scale tool than anything. I doubt enough engineering time went into it to make sure it actually worked properly.

[@habbyhouse]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@yamiah03]

I thumped up just for the effort, not gonna read all that! 😅

[@hedgehog3180]

I was thinking that you should do a similar model for the London Eye just to check your work but then I noticed that the London Eye is built very differently and is also supported with wires, which probably have a similar function to your proposed third leg. The vibration thing does make sense, it would explain why the wheel opened in the first place and passed a safety screening back then but later had its certification withdrawn, and right now they're presumably trying to figure out the least invasive way to abate the vibrations and are in a slight bind considering how built up the area already is.

[@tkskagen]

I would "assume" that bearing failure may be at play here. With "maintenance-free" Bearings, they need to be lubricated within the casing or be kept in relatively constant use to minimize seizure. Weight may be the additional factor that is being placed on the Bearings. They may have been overloaded...

[@zyeborm]

At that size I'm fairly surprised they didn't go with some kind of hydraulic bearing. Looks almost the same as a bushing but you blast oil in through small orifices so the two surfaces never touch. There's no friction and life span is nearly infinite. Of course if you get enough vibration or straight up force into it and manage to make the surfaces touch, then you're going to have a bad time.

[@LTS720]

If they were made with composite materials that is my guess what caused its failure.

[@Xsiondu]

I would hazard to guess it remaining stationary for any significant duration would deform the bearing surface creating an "out of round" friction surface. I agree that a pressurized (can't remember if it's called hydro static or hydro dynamic) bearing system would have been ideal. It would ensure equal float and flush any debris out of the bearing race assembly.

[@DavidJones-pi8rl]

Big Observation wheels in hot climates are not a great idea. Just like at Melbourne's Observation Wheel also called Melbourne Star at some point.

[@DavidJones-pi8rl]

@@Ian1-ff3vi It was above 40 degrees C at the time and can be. While it hasn't been very hot for a few years, it certainly can be. It usually gets above 40 degrees on half a dozen days a year, with some years even more. For those of us who lived through 2009 Bushfires, I remember the temperature that day was over 48 degrees C.

[@jhmcd2]

I recall hearing at one point that the buisness case for the wheel was terrible, and that it wasn't really finacially viable. If they are having mechanical problems it is possible that they are considering if it makes since to even do the fix.

[@WG55]

I wonder if "financial viability" is even a consideration in Dubai anymore.

[@knutmartinnord8297]

Financial viability is not a concept in the middle east.

[@jhmcd2]

@@knutmartinnord8297 Normally I'd agree with you, but the many of these UAE companies are actually broke. They are just good at hiding it. Since it was built for the World's Fair and its over, they may think its not worth fixing. There have been a number of abandoned projects in Dubai.

[@gunsofaugust1971]

Why should it be? Americans will prop up the price of oil for decades with their profligagate consumption.@@knutmartinnord8297

[@rafs6052]

Financial viability is among the last considerations. It's all about prestige, reputation and optics for these kind of structures in Dubai. If it turns a profit on tickets or not is something they dont even consider

[@Nextburjalarab]

Thanks for covering this Fred, it is woefully under reported… can you cover the relaunch of Palm Jebel Ali next and the new Heart of Europe

[@mr-dan-coleman]

Dubai, once again leading the way in vanity-laden dystopian hellscapes.

[@kalvin4336]

Traveled to Dubai two times since it closed. Always wondered what happened to it. Thanks for covering this!!!

[@SpanglishTravel]

In December 2021, i was in line ready to board the wheel, but a deluge of rain started ( unusual for the region) and they had to stop the wheel for the day. Water started leaking and falling inside the shop/restaurant/reception/ticketing area and there buckets around to catch the water. I was never able to get on and got a refund. On a similar note, many pavilions at the Expo where damaged by the rain and were closed for a few days. I guess they were never expecting rain in Dubai and not built properly.

[@kevinsoutham]

Buildings here are not built well in general and very few are fully weather proof. The penthouses in the apartment block I live in all leak whenever it rains.

[@danjelowitsch]

These downpours happen at least a few times per year, everyone knows it. They’re not unexpected, just no-one cares. What’s a few buckets on the floor amongst friends 😂

[@LSmallCatL]

We've built 2 main pavilions on the EXPO and water was definitely considered. The building specs demanded it. This sounds more of an issue that many smaller pavilions were built late and may have barely finished when the opening date hit.

[@Th3Gam3r1337]

I remember vividly passing under it at one point and hearing a bunch of loud bangs and creaking noises. Even if it does run again I’m not setting foot in it.

[@PLuMUK54]

Dubai: bigger, deeper, taller. Is it also better? There have been several failures in Dubai, but one thing you can say is that these failures never seem to dent Dubai's confidence. I have never been to Dubai, and, due to health issues, never will, but I cannot imagine that I would enjoy visiting. It does not seem to be a place that I would find pleasant. What do you see from this wheel? Friends who recently visited described a place that, to me, sounded much like one of the rings of Hell. I do admire Dubai's willingness to push the boundaries, but I think that failure could become increasingly a feature of projects there. When you have already pushed the boundaries to the limit, how do you make the next project even more spectacular? Push the boundaries further and increase the risk of failure? Is this what they have done with this wheel? Will there come a point when Dubai has to admit defeat, when demolition is the only response to costs spiralling out of control? Stories from Dubai never fail to entertain in one way or another.

[@sabrinarodrigues629]

dubai porta potty

[@matikhorasani3842]

I've been to many countries around the world and dubai is my absolute favourite spot. Nothing beats the hospitality and the safety. Many countries are fun, no different to dubai, but they either have terrible people or its a place full of scammers and petty crime which I hate.

[@HeisenbergFam]

"its not a bug, its a feature" vibes

[@dannypugh1621]

I was lucky enough to go on this whilst it was briefly operating. Hard to describe how high it was! Took forever to que up and get on! Incredible feat of engineering - or so it seemed! Sad to see it standing empty and the island suffering as a result.

[@PB-Trinity]

Just the new chapter of the "Satire of the 21st Century" that this hellscape of a city truly is...

[@AL-lh2ht]

Guy just mad they managed to make themselves not dependent on oil.

[@ws1814]

This is what happens when the developer’s ego is bigger than the engineers’ knowledge.

[@willylao5430]

😂😂😂

[@Bob.martens]

Dubai is a caricature of a wealthy nation.

[@gildedpeahen876]

It’s the physical representation of audacity, hubris, and overweening pride. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should” And literal slave labor.

[@The_Reality_Filter]

@@gildedpeahen876and don't forget the religion based on the rantings of an actual peedo...

[@Mr1159pm]

Savages with money. A gold plated shit hole.

[@a.d8509]

Dubai isn't a nation, its a city. And the UAE is a wealthy nation, all you gotta do is go there and see the quality of amenities and the sports cars there and the lifestyle offered to residents and nationals to see the level of wealth on display. You're surrounded by luxury 24/7 most of the time

[@_srz_9742]

​​@@a.d8509ahah ahah 😂😂😂 à city who dont even have à sour system ? Ahah dubai is a joke à poo with some gold sparks.. its not a futuristics city in any point 😂 its not an engineering Hub in any point its just à slavery based build city without good engineering like there roads who are hell.., no sur system 😂 its the fake city for People who want to prostit*te, launder money, or fiscal résidency, luxury car isnt à luxury if everybody have one and everybody can have one without paying taxes.. and without taxes (who will raised soon cause of pétrol not being infinit) you can t afford à sœur system 😂😂 futuristes society 😂😂😂😂😂

[@lwilton]

It would be interesting to cover the engineering process for replacing the main spindle bearings. Would they have to completely dismantle the wheel before they could do it? Or did they plan for replacement while fully constructed? Are the bearings segmented?

[@qsxfy3942]

Tuv sud is the best in UAE, but i don't think they can keep the quality for long term as the assessors are corrupted. Bad companies are making more.

[@benmoose]

"This isn't just a ferris wheel on steroids.." ..proceeds to describe a ferris wheel on steroids

[@kurtf7170]

When i was in Dubai in February 2020 the few locals i talked to about it all mentioned subsidence even during construction...possibly just a rumour that gained traction, but who knows.

[@noelht1]

This is why they started to dismantle it again in 2017. That’s exactly right. It was as we say in English a little bit “pissed” so they had to redo it from scratch!

[@ACE_888]

I walk past this wheel on a regular basis. Most of the ‘re-work’ has been on the hub. Lots of hot work, grinding and sparks coming from the hub. Even late into the night where you can see the hot metal falling from the hub. There’s scaffolding all around the hub. I personally think it’s bearing issues or alignment where when it was working the fiction has caused a lot of grinding of material. Either wrong bearings or structural parts within the hub need additional strength after rectification. Tough job when you think you can just pop the bearing off the ends. Would have to be in half’s or sections. I think it will be back at some point!

[@Ff101891]

That’s very sad. But it’s certainly something related to the super structure for sure. I do commend the team for making the hard decision to close it, rather than keeping it open and risking people’s lives and causing a potential catastrophe.

[@Celeste-in-Oz]

I wonder what rescue methods they had planned, just in case it ever seized full of people. Air- lifting by chopper is the only thing I can think of… which seems very risky indeed 🤔

[@zyeborm]

Perhaps lower the gondolas to the ground via winch? Or as you say helicopter the gondola as a whole off. Send climbers up to the gondolas and winch people down in harnesses or rescue chairs etc. Many ways to solve the problem

[@Celeste-in-Oz]

@@zyeborm yeah, but very long, expensive, dangerous options for over a thousand people

[@mrg-ghx8052]

The rescue plan: 🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗

[@danevannett3804]

Parachute rental is optional as a self rescue😄

[@wordsofcheresie936]

Could a mobile crane reach that high? The crane could lift a rescue gondola to each gondola on the Ain.

[@TotalRookie_LV]

Well, I looked up something local for comparison: the highest spire in my town - St.Peters church, is 123m high, one of business centres is 120m (I participated in it's construction a little - made technical drawings for production of aluminium panels on entrance canopies), a newer TV tower is 368m.

[@jasongraham731]

I guess this goes to prove that building bigger isn’t always better. Shut suddenly after such a short time, no details, everyone under NDA’s - definitely a massive issue and doubt it’ll reopen.

[@Random.ChanneI]

I visited the Ain Dubai when Expo2020 was ongoing. It was pretty amazing!

[@The_Reality_Filter]

Nah you didn't...

[@m4rvinmartian]

*1:09** That's the entire issue. It's "reclaimed". But not really, because the type of sand there doesn't lock properly, so it's not 'stackable'. So they didn't claim nor reclaim anything, because it doesn't belong there. And as a result, that top heavy thing, is sinking.*

[@Cyber_Chriis]

Idk why you’re screaming, but i agree with you. „Reclamation“ is just a lie. There was never anything in the first place…

[@m4rvinmartian]

@@Cyber_Chriis Caps are screaming, bold is attention. Don't change established rules that we established over 30 years ago.

[@LSmallCatL]

Did you see that the wheel itself is locked in the bedrock? Hence, it's not related to the "reclaimed" island itself.

[@tjejojyj]

You should discuss how insurance against failure works on a project like this.

[@jcarm185]

I suspect that it is a very good thing that it is closed. Likely some smart people realized there was a serious issue that HAD to be addressed before they could be sure it was safe to use publicly again. So it is good they took those warnings seriously and are making sure all is well before it opens again. They don't want to unnecessarily endanger people's lives.

[@newsgetsold]

The risks of re-inventing the wheel. 🎡

[@Kodakcompactdisc]

There’s more change of the Ferris wheel in Pripyat turning again than this thing.

[@sennev7427]

Wait.... this entire thing is a giant tensegrity structure? The ring is only held up by tension (all steel beams between hub and wheel seem to be removed). Anyone who has tried to build a tensegrity structure, small or large, knows how difficult it is to keep things stable...

[@trialspro]

Isn't it the same theory as a really big bike wheel? I'd imagine scaling that up would present certain challenges, but nothing is indicating this design style is what caused it to fail

[@sennev7427]

@@trialspro a bikeweel uses steel rods, not cables

[@trialspro]

​@sennev7427 a bike spoke is in tension though, rigid or not. They also sell carbon fibre spokes which have the rigidity of shoe laces. They work the same though.

[@marsovac]

@@sennev7427doesnt matter what they are made from, you have bike wheels with shoelace size carbon fibers, they use tension to keep the wheel not compression, same as tensegrity structures. if you compress one side you stretch the other, and this stretching is what keeps the shape.

[@slunasaurusrex]

It's not tensegrity it's just a spoked wheel. A really big spoked wheel. They're inherently balanced, not like a Tensegrity structure. But yes its all just in tension, there's nothing wrong with that though necessarily.

[@gohumberto]

Enhancement Works = "Making it rotate". The beauty of The London Eye is that you get to see London. From the Eiffel Tower you get to see Paris. From the Ain Dubai you get to see Sand, Sea and some hotels (well you would if it worked).

[@AkiroZenshin25]

So I guess Las Vegas’ High Roller is now currently the largest ACTIVE ferris wheel.😂

[@fajarkurniawan9434]

2:07 Measuring the size with buses must be for American audiences

[@martinc.720]

As clearly stated in the video, "London buses" Americans mesure in (American) football fields.

[@Captainrave]

Nearly bought property on the island, glad we didn’t. It was always dodgy when they had to redo a section of the foundation. Even many of the lights on it have failed. It just seems like they don’t know how to fix it. Water pours off it randomly too. It’s a spectacle to behold when underneath, but perhaps it just shouldn’t exist. The island is like a ghost town these days, without oil money there wouldn’t be a shop open.

[@justluke8730]

My first uneducated guess would be that temperature differences and the connected thermal expansion put too much stress / slack into the structure.

[@Amitgod123]

I really recommend you to see whats happened to the same well in Melbourne Australia. Yes, much smaller, but seems to suffer structure issues and closures. Big story in Melbourne for years. I recommend you to do a new video about that, maybe you find some answers, to what happened to the Eye of Dubai.

[@Coaster_Crazy]

I was in Dubai just a couple of weeks ago and went to Bluewater to have a look at the Wheel, the whole place was a Ghost Town and they now even charge for parking which is very very rare in the UAE !! I was told it was sinking and then I was told the spindle is cracked, who knows !!! There is scaffolding on the spindle and it’s been there for ages with no work going on from I could see

[@Delta-qi4ls]

its full on weekends, not sure what you are saying.

[@LSmallCatL]

Bluewater Island, like all other areas is mostly deserted during weekdays daytime due to the heat. On weekends however, places tend to fill up quickly towards 3PM and fully/ overcrowded towards 6PM.

[@Coaster_Crazy]

@@LSmallCatL I went on Sunday afternoon and the place was a ghost town

[@msharp138]

​@Coaster_Crazy I've lived here for 10 years and people are being disingenuous...November thru Feb it will be packed afternoon and evenings daily. When you went around the time I went on a Friday during the day maybe 200 people spread throughout the entire area. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings during the hotter months it will be brisk...

[@kevinbrown-ge6sz]

This would make the High Roller in Las Vegas the biggest operational Ferris Wheel in the world.

[@slimsstuff4094]

I love the Las Vegas High Roller. Similar, just smaller, but I've already been on it three times. Amazing.

[@billiehart]

Correction - Bluewaters have always been busy and still is, 2. Here in Dubai are used to everything being done in some level of silence . Whatever happened to the wheel , it'll be fixed.

[@GalaxyFur]

*The world's tallest/largest* Ferris Wheel that actually works is in Las Vegas, Nevada. It's bigger than the London Eye, and you can actually ride it, unlike the Ain Dubai. LOL! 😅 Plus, as a bonus, you can do all the gambling you want and take in unlimited amounts of food and entertainment. And you are pretty close to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon by car.

[@GeekyMedia]

This is such a weird thing to come out of Dubai.. everything there is so seemingly immaculate and well-polished. Great video!

[@thevikingbear2343]

Actually seemingly is the key word here. Many things in Dubai have serious problems below the surface. The Burj Khalifa greatest building in the world? Has no waste water piping and has huge lines of tucks filled with all the poop of the day being shipped away.

[@tomnutting3836]

Well polished poop trucks 😂

[@minimoto99]

On the surface, yes. I think they've rushed this project to meet deadlines and it's testing cut short.

[@Alinamartinez--]

​@@thevikingbear2343I think they've fixed the burj khalifa problem

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@thevikingbear2343and this has not been true for years now and fully connected with the sewer system. Good job spreading propaganda though.

[@R_K_A_]

Just for information from someone in Dubai. The topic in brief: Dubai in the summer, the temperature reaches 50 degrees. Many sites, including Ain Dubai, are closed due to the difficulty of walking around in this temperature.

[@orishaeshu1084]

Just cool the climate. Dubai can do it lol

[@R_K_A_]

@@orishaeshu1084 Western countries, despite their greatness, have not been able to reduce climate change by one degree

[@orishaeshu1084]

@@R_K_A_ we can’t reduce the global temperature with current infrastructure. We are trying to reduce the damage that will happen though. Crops need water and do not like extreme heat. A warmer planet and more co2 might be good in some cases but most of the warm climates today will just become deserts and uninhabitable. Then all those people will need to go somewhere and most countries don’t like mass immigration. So reflect on that and imagine the chaos that will occur.

[@matekochkoch]

Heat, dust, heavy loads, wind, non continuous motion -- nothing really helps

[@Gideonsmythe]

In none of those clips did it appear that "improvement works" were in place. No foreman's cabin, no people with helmets and hi-vis, no trucks with materials and no sign of activity at all. It's been mothballed.

[@fitemil]

Would dare to assume that it's sinking, like so much else on these islands, the wheel axel is probably now at an uneven angle.

[@jpdemer5]

Foundation piles are on bedrock. It's not sinking.

[@guidoferri8683]

Observation wheel, in the sense that you can just observe it, from the outside

[@danielkantor3248]

The physics of this structure are incredibly complex and interwoven. Imagine, for example, the possibility of bearing failure (problem 1) which may result in vibration (problem 2) which may translate through the supports to the foundation like a slow-motion jack-hammer (problem 3) resulting in sinking and uneven tipping (problem 4) which results in the bearing rotating off-level, exacerbating the vibration (problem 5)…all happening at a barely discernible but unstoppable pace. Bottom line is someone was smart enough to discover the problem before catastrophic failure. The question now is what buildings (and people) are at risk if thing tips over.

[@gnosis7662]

Sounds like foundation issues. If it was something with the bearings, people would see a lot of activity there and it would be somewhat simple to repair. But a sinking foundation is way more complicated to fix!

[@harrypenn611]

I was wheely disappointed when i went

[@TheB1M]

Would you like a job on our script writing team?!

[@massimookissed1023]

My guess is it's siezed up solid, and they can't find a big enough can of WD40.

[@scrat4379]

An observation wheel was planned for NYC, well Staten Island some years ago..it never made it off the drawing board!

[@LordManhattan]

If the ground is sinking, then that would be ridiculous, but also not that surprising since several of their artificial islands have started to sink. Add over 11,000 tonnes on top of that, and it wouldn't be surprising if it has started to sink, or settle in ways that wasn't predicted. I'd assume that the Ain is built on a VERY solid foudation that extends down into bedrock, but you never know? Do we have more info on the latter part? How deep does the foundation go?

[@user-vo9wd6tx6c]

"My father was on a camel, I'm in a Mercedes, my son is on a Land Rover, & my grandson is gonna be from Land Rover, but my great-grandson will be back on a camel." - Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai

[@d.b.cooper1]

Funny thing is this was said by his dad not the current leader in the 1970s who does now have great great grand kids. One could say his warning of using wealth wisely did pay off. He was he was picturing a future to avoid, not saying its an unavoidable future.

[@mysticwolf007]

Isn't he the same guy that conceived the A1 GP race series (that ultimately flopped?

[@AL-lh2ht]

The whole point of this quote was to invest in projects to create generational wealth and be less dependent on oil. Which is the whole point of building projects like these. So, uh, good job with missing the point.

[@KRIPSYNODUTS]

Old days were horse owners considered poor and car owners considered rich and now it’s opposite way.

[@fzs164]

It goes like this: The founder of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, was asked about the future of his country. He replied, "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I ride a Mercedes, my son rides a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to ride a Land Rover…but my great-grandson is going to have to ride a camel again."

[@noone-qg1od]

It's not just a big Ferris wheel.... Goes on to explain that's exactly what it is.

[@markmd9]

I suppose the problem is the new untested composite bearings. The composite materials are the strongest material we can make but they are worst in maintenance and reliability. The engineers had the task to build the tallest not the most lasting wheel.

[@kevinsoutham]

Ceasers Palace Hotel on blue water island is closing and being rebranded. It’s another hint that the project isn’t viable in the long term. Without the wheel it’s basically a residential island, there’s not much else there.

[@bankerdave888]

First a skyscraper with no sewer system, now this?

[@Zaabi]

You believe everything you read online huh

[@carsonfarmer1074]

That's tuff

[@maolcogi]

@@Zaabi

[@anita.b]

@@Zaabi It's a documented confirmed fact. LOL

[@zaidbenriane767]

It's doesn't affect anyone

[@seasong7655]

I can't imagine how big these roller bearings must be

[@ezaxis]

The video said they didn't use roller bearings but rather plain bearings made out of a composite material. About 2:30 in the video

[@martinc.720]

As explained very clearly in the video you watched...

[@ZVella]

Ahh you missed an add roll read "Brilliant breaks down concepts just like the Ain Dubai"

[@jfmezei]

HAve these types of bearings been used before? Composites are not good with friction. Have to wonder if replacing the whole bearing system in the hub is possible.

[@LSmallCatL]

I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't been used in this scale. Dubai is known to build superscale projects and no manufacturer around the globe builds unique size parts, waiting for clients to buy. Therefore, it's safe to assume that these have been specially manufactured and may have incurred unforeseen consequences. Let's not forget that in this scenario, all theories are just that, theories.

[@KS-xz2rq]

I was there last week.Even though it does not spin it still adds a lot of character to it's neighbourhood.I do hope they are able to find a solution and get it going once again.There is no place on earth like Dubai.

[@arjunhar4866]

Yea man I was hoping to enjoy it in my visit but unfortunately can't

[@scottburns1992]

It’s not sinking. The real reason is due to cracks appearing in the spindle. Hence the scaffolding around the spindle. Source: a former engineer who was working on Ain Dubai.

[@Shawna_Show]

Sinking would create cracks..

[@scottburns1992]

@@Shawna_Show “it’s not sinking”

[@The_Reality_Filter]

@@scottburns1992did a "good friend" tell you that also... Source: bro trust me!

[@scottburns1992]

@@The_Reality_Filter well he’s not bound by the non-disclosure agreements like the current Ain employees 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@escapedcops08]

Those pictures were DURING construction. Nice little piece of bs there.

[@Andrew-is7rs]

Watched Impossible Engineering two nights ago and the chief engineer/contractor said the piles were 25 metres deep.

[@Bruce51888]

I'm a resident in Bluewaters Island, I asked maintenance team, they told me in the end of this year or at the beginng of next year they will finish the maintenance work, maybe the Ain Dubai will reopen at that time.

[@pikachude5490]

Keep pumping out the content guys, love it

[@cristianfamigliuolo]

Dubai made a big fat bike rim. 😂 which is now deflated🤣 if they don't repair it? It will be something that will remains as Symbol for a long time.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

7:08 If the problem were more than to do with the bearings and indeed concerned the risk of rolling off out to sea, there'd be no access allowed to the artificial island on top of which it stands.

[@barryram2605]

I think it's likely the bearing, maybe they misjudged the heat, humidity and stuff that's in the air in Dubai. If it were structurally or the foundations, it would by now lean in one way or another and someone smart would have already seen it.

[@grahameroberts8109]

This was a non-event vid.

[@_srz_9742]

As everything in dubai , its fake and isnt built to last 😂

[@Brad772006]

Some of the shots in this video has the gondolas missing. Is this while the wheel was under construction, or have all the gondolas been removed? From the information heard thus far I would speculate that the bearing design has failed on the axle and to replace and/or redesign this is just not in budget. Total guessing here though.

[@jpdemer5]

Photos are a mixed bag of the wheel at various stages of construction. Notice the steel truss "spokes" that were needed during construction, and could only be removed once all the cables were in place and properly tensioned. (I wondered how the hell they put this thing together, until I saw the temporary spokes.)

[@patrickzlobinski6632]

That is old footage. Came from holiday last week in dubai. All gondolas are still on there amd the LED lights are on with all the variations of the leds

[@dogussahin]

Technical reports, if any, shall be made public, there are also a lot of restaurants around this attraction that people might be under risk if there is a danger of a collapse.

[@ebrahimseedat5554]

No point to this video... So frustrating having watched till the end... Just informing the obvious and repeating over and over that Ain is closed for reasons unknown. WTF!? This is more like gossip video than an informative engineering video! Make a video on this subject when you have evidence of the reasons for shut down. Look forward to videos from this channel always.... What a let down this gossipy video was Waste of time watching

[@martinc.720]

Feeling better now? Kinda funny you'd blame them for repeating themselves.

[@Jamiew2020]

First

[@Nevadovski]

Ты опередил меня

[@TheB1M]

That was wheely quick

[@carsonfarmer1074]

​@@TheB1Mbro, nice pun 👍

[@ofchicago]

Rode the Ain Dubai in November of 2021. Pretty impressive. Sad that it may never work again.

[@mrflyingsourcer3515]

I went on the Ain Dubai in December 2021, crazy to think it would shut down just months later