Abu Dhabi wave pool added as new venue on World Surf League 2025 tour
Al Jazeera
Surf Abu Dhabi, located on Hudayriyat Island in the UAE, will be the second stop on the 2025 Championship Tour
The world’s biggest artificial wave in Abu Dhabi has been added to surfing’s 11-stop world tour for 2025, the World Surf League (WSL) says, with Fiji confirmed to host the finals to crown the world champions at the tour’s conclusion.
The tour will again start at Hawaii’s dangerous Banzai Pipeline in late January before heading to the Surf Abu Dhabi wave pool in the United Arab Emirates for the first time.
The 75,000sq-metre (807,300sq-foot) pool uses the same technology as California’s Surf Ranch, developed with 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, which has hosted several world tour surfing events to mixed reviews.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what the Surf Abu Dhabi facility can deliver for the world’s best surfers – and the broader surfing world – in the future,” Ryan Crosby, WSL CEO, said on Thursday.
“Both the evolving wave technology and the [Middle East] region itself present interesting opportunities for the WSL, and we’re excited to see that come to life in the coming months.”