Amusement ride Inspection

Theme parks, amusement parks, fairgrounds… whatever we call them, many millions of people worldwide love and enjoy such attractions – and not just children. Amusement and theme parks offer one of the safest forms of recreation for the millions of people who use their rides and devices every year. The likelihood of being seriously injured in a permanently located amusement park in the United States, which has the highest rate of attendance in the world with 375 million guests annually, is 1 in 16 million (IAPPA , 2016). That said, in the period 1988 to 2003, 55 fatalities occurred on amusement-park rides in the US alone and over two-thirds of these occurred in ‘fixed-site’ theme parks. Sadly there have been injuries and fatalities in other parts of the world too, including the Middle East. Despite this, the fairground, leisure and entertainment industry in the Middle Eastern region (in particular in the United Arab Emirates) is going through a period of strong growth, with approximately 90% of new developments in Dubai. Billions of US dollars are being invested in attracting people to the Middle East, with Dubai leading the way. There is strong growth in this sector in Qatar too, and opportunities and new investments are also being witnessed in Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The fast growth in this sector and the introduction of bigger and more complex rides and devices requires more thorough and detailed safety measures. Applus+ is well placed to provide its diverse range of services to this fast-growing industry.