What is the Dubai Mall Waterfall?
The Dubai Mall Waterfall is known by a few names: Human Waterfall, Pearl Divers or The Diving Men. It is the centerpiece of the Dubai Mall’s Waterfall atrium and celebrates pearl diving—the foundation of coastal United Arab Emirates cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Before the oil boom, diving for pearls was an important means of living for Emiratis, going back thousands of years. This waterfall beautifully encapsulates the tradition with numerous diving fiberglass human figures set against a backdrop of dynamic motion brought about by cascading water.
It is one of my favorite Dubai Mall attractions and a great place to take some photographs while visiting Dubai. I’ll work on uploading some of my own images of the stunning Dubai Mall work of art scattered throughout this post soon.
Who designed the Human Waterfall in Dubai Mall?
The Dubai Mall Waterfall was designed by Singapore architect, Toh Sze Chong, who was also the project architect for the Dubai Mall itself. Chong was awarded the commission in 2008, with the complete installation taking place in 2009. The waterfall features a reservoir which consistently feeds recycled water to a pair of cylindrical structures. This helps create the endless, cascade of water that adds some motion to the piece.
How big are the waterfalls?
The Dubai Mall Waterfall is 30 meters in width and is 24 meters tall—vertically spanning all four floors of the mall. This means that no matter which floor you’re on, you’ll be greeted with a wonderful photo opportunity. I personally recommend heading to the Lower Ground floor to get the best photos that capture the sheer scale of the art.
Where can I experience the waterfall in Dubai?
The waterfalls are located in the Waterfall atrium of Dubai Mall, which is in Downtown Dubai. To get to the Dubai Mall, you can take the Dubai Metro and get off at the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Station on the Red Line. From there, you’ll need to walk about 15 minutes to get into the actual mall, but the walkway is air-conditioned and has moving sidewalks to speed up the journey in comfort.
If you’re driving, one of the main parking garages is next to the Waterfall atrium, making it tough to miss. You’ll be able to see it on your way in and your way out.
There is a lot of signage throughout the mall, which makes it easy to find the waterfall and other attractions. Depending on which entrance you use, you may be near or very far away from the waterall. Keep in mind that the mall is HUGE, but if you spend a couple hours one day exploring it, you’re bound to end up close to the waterfall at some point to experience it.
If you’re at the Dubai Mall and have found the fountain, you can head towards the far end of the outdoor fountain area where the valet is to enter the mall right next to the waterfall. Look for the ground floor entrance near the Starbuck’s cafe and you should see the waterfall immediately.
My favorite hotel near the Dubai Mall is the Address Downtown Hotel. The hotel is connected to the Dubai Mall via an outdoor footbridge, which puts you right at the waterfall when you enter. Don’t forget to pause on the footbridge to take some incredible images of the fountain and Burj Khalifa while you’re there.
What other attractions are nearby?
There are a lot of cool things to explore while you’re at the mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. One of the closest attractions is the Dubai Ice Rink, which is constantly packed with tourists, school groups, hockey teams, and/or figure skaters.
Getting tickets for the ice rink in Dubai is easy and affordable thanks to services like Klook. You can pre-book an hour and a half of skating to escape the city’s extreme heat on an Olympic-sized rink in the Dubai Mall. There are 6 sessions to choose from which include access to sanitized skates, helmets, and skating aids.
Another one of the popular attractions near the Dubai Mall is the Dubai fountain. The fountain was designed by the same company that did the water fountain at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and is the world’s tallest performing fountain.
You’ll find the 900+ foot fountain on the Burj Lake, which is 30 acres of cool blue water surrounded by the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.
Finally, since you’re at the Dubai Mall, you can’t miss the At the Top experience at the Burj Khalifa. Ride one of the world’s fastest elevators to the top of the world’s tallest building for amazing views of the entire city.
Conclusion
Not only does this installation make for great waterfall photos and a sense of peace, but the mall waterfall represents an interesting piece of history from the emirates like Dubai—pearl diving. I encourage you to experience the waterfall while in Dubai and capture it from several angles. It costs nothing to enter the mall and is free to view the waterfall. As for Dubai Mall Waterfall timings, you’ll be happy to know that is runs the entirety of the time the Dubai Mall is open.