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Friday 12 March 2010 (UAE)
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Sega Republic Dubai Mall
SEGA Republic is a large (the largest in the Middle East in 2009) indoor amusement park and family entertainment area in The Dubai Mall based on the Joypolis in Tokyo, complete with an indoor roller coaster, albeit a relatively small one, and other entertainment facilities to keep kids and adults busy for a few hours. Rides and attractions are distributed in 5 zones - Cyberpop Zone (or Cyperpop in some press releases), Redemption Zone, Speed Zone, Sports Zone, and Wild Adventure Zone. Sega Republic is a Sega Corporation development, the same organisation behind the Sega World theme parks in Sydney and London (that both closed down - hopefully the Dubai SegaRepublic will not suffer the same fate as SegaWorld), Joypolis (not Joyopolis) in Japan, and GameWorks in the USA.
There are 9 high-adrenaline rides in the theme park including Halfpipe Canyon, Initial D4 Limited, Spin Gear rollercoaster, Sonic Hopper, Storm-G.
Sega Republic opening times
- Sunday-Wednesday: Sega Republic opening hours 1000-2200 (10am-10pm)
- Thursday-Saturday: operating hours 1000-2400 (10am-12am midnight)
- During Ramadan Sega opens 3pm weekdays and 12pm weekends (Friday/Saturday)
Sega Republic ticket prices
- Pay and Play Pass, minimum cost is AED 10 dhs, top up with money to pay for the rides which cost AED 15-30 each time. Reload stations throughout the Sega Republic park.
- Power Pass AED 125 for one day on all 9 adrenaline buster attractions. Can only buy at entrance.
- Platinum Power Pass AED 200 for one day on the 9 adrenaline rides, and AED 200 credit for other rides. Can only buy at entrance.
- Sega Republic opening date was Friday 21 August 2009 with a special offer for the Power Play ticket of AED 100 for all day unlimited rides on the 9 adrenaline busters. Press release said "AED 100 Power Pass part of special introductory offer to celebrate opening" (offer expired).
Sega Republic location
Sega Republic is located on Level 2 (Floor 2) of The Dubai Mall, between Reel Cinemas and Kidzania. For parking, follow signs to carpark P2 and keep driving up until you get to L2, or park on the lower floors and use the escalators. Harry Potter fans can use SegaRepublic as a landmark for what could be the only Harry Potter memorabilia shop in Dubai - "The Noble Collection" opposite the Sega Republic entrance. They also stock Lord of the Rings mementos. Diagon Alley it's not but you can at least buy a wand. For AED 150 (batteries not included) in August 2009.
SEGA Republic attractions and rides
Adventure Zone
- Let's Go Jungle! Special
- Spin Gear roller coaster ride (more details below)
- Wild Jungle - simulator ride through a jungle in a jeep
- Wild River - simulator ride on a speedboat (sorry, not in Dubai but you see it from the Wild Jungle or Wild Wing ride).
- Wild Wing - simulator ride on a plane
Cyberpop Zone
- Arcade games and space invader machines (about 250 of them?)
Redemption Zone
- Arcade games with prizes
Speed Zone
- Initial D4 Limited
- Outrun 2 Special Tours SDX
- Sonic Hopper freefall ride (for the whole family apparently)
- Storm-G bobsled track
Sports Zone
- Halfpipe Canyon for snowboarder and skateboarder wannabees (you're strapped in) - a 7m slope with speeds of up to 40 km/hr
SegaWorld adrenaline rides
| Ride | Cost | Our Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outrun 2 Special Tours SDX | AED15 | Good | Sit in one of four cars and race each other |
| Let's Go Jungle Special | AED15 | Ho hum | Shoot insects on a screen |
| Sonic Hopper | AED20 | Sit down, then go up and down and spin around | |
| Storm G | AED25 | Great! | Rocket powered bobsled race |
| Wild Wing | AED25 | Great! | Tourist flight through a jungle |
| Wild Jungle | AED25 | Good | Tourist drive through a jungle |
| Initial D4 Limited | AED25 | Excellent! | Car race in real cars (sort of) |
| Spin Gear | AED30 | Great! | Short Roller Coaster ride |
| Halfpipe Canyon | AED30 | Phew! | Strapped in skateboard ride, not as easy as it looks |
Spin Gear indoor roller coaster
- 380 meter roller coaster ride makes it the largest in Dubai (until Dubailand theme parks open ... which could be a while). It's a long way from a proper roller coaster but it's the first almost decent roller coaster ride in the UAE, although it seems to be over far too soon. There's a much smaller roller coaster in the Sharjah Mega Mall (which hardly counts it's so short), and Global Village has a small one when it's open during the winter, and otherwise, as of 2009, that's about it for roller coaster fanatics.
- Floor space of roller coaster is about 16,000 sq feet (1500 sq meters)
- Maximum track height is 13.55 meters
- Capacity 400 passengers per hour
- There is a theme behind the ride revolving (literally - the bucket you sit in spins) around the adventures of the evil Dr Eggman who is the enemy of Sonic the Hedgehog. Spin Gear is the weapon developed by Dr Eggman to capture Sonic and you are his test subjects. Enjoy the ride.
- Buckets seat 4. Sit facing the direction of take-off for the best views. Even though the container spins, it feels like you spend more time facing forwards or vaguely in the right direction then.
Sega Republic Dubai Mall numbers
- Total area of Sega Republic in The Dubai Mall is 76,000 sq feet (7,000 sq meters) on 2 floors (some press releases from Dubai Mall originally said 85,000 sq feet).
- Total staff about 125
- Sega Republic tel +971-4-4488484
Sega Republic Dubai opening date
- SEGA Republic opening date Friday 21 August 2009 according to press release 20 August 2009 (press releases in July 2009 said the Sega center would "open shortly").
- There was some speculation that opening date not until November 2009.
- Original information was that Sega Republic would open October 2008 or November 2008 (but project delays are normal in Dubai and the UAE)
Last update Friday 18-Dec-2009
Related pages
- Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo - a less adrenaline fueled attraction than SegaWorld, unless you swim with the sharks
- The Dubai Mall - where Sega Republic lives
Related websites (open in new window)
- www.segarepublic.com - Sega Republic website but nothing there except music and an email registration box (as of 12 August 2009)
- Dubai directory - add your link free