Loopagoon Water Park

Sitting right on the lagoon waters of Dana Bay at Half Moon Beach, Loopagoon Water Park is the Eastern Province's standout waterpark and one of the most talked-about days out near Al Khobar, Dhahran and Dammam. What makes it genuinely unusual is the concept: this is the world's first ladies-only water park in Saudi Arabia, designed so women can swim, ride and relax in complete privacy, with boys welcome up to the age of seven or 120 cm. Spread across roughly 15,600 square metres of seafront, Loopagoon packs in twelve state-of-the-art rides from leading international manufacturers, so there is far more here than the average day by the pool. The attractions cover every mood, from the 14-metre-wide Tornado, where up to four riders freefall into near-zero gravity, to the two Twisters and the head-first Octopus Racer for shoulder-to-shoulder mat races.

The water slides tower alone holds seven separate routes and hundreds of metres of drops and turns, while the FlowRider gives surfers and body-boarders a ten-metre sheet of moving water to learn on, with coaches on hand. Calmer options include the lazy river, a wave pool, a private beach and Bubble Cove, and younger visitors get their own Kids Aqua Venture, spray ground and toddler pool with mini slides. As a family water park it works because everything sits in one compact, walkable location with the Gulf as a backdrop, which is exactly why it has become the go-to Dammam water park for locals and visitors alike. Opening hours run Monday to Saturday from 1pm to 9pm with Sundays closed, and tickets are split across adult, junior, senior and family rates, with under-threes admitted free.