On the road passing near Dimona, more than 3 million cars travel each year. The city held brainstorming sessions on how to get travelers to enter it before continuing to their destinations, including Eilat, the Dead Sea, accommodation sites in the Arava, and other locations. The idea they came up with is the construction of a large water park, offering entertainment for anyone and any family that wants to stop for a few hours.
“We came up with this after visiting the thermal baths in Bucharest, Romania, and we were very impressed,” said Avi Eikli, CEO of the Dimona Economic Company, which is responsible for executing the project. “We saw the thermae there and understood that this is what should exist here as well. We also heard from Israelis who visited that such a leisure venue should be built in Israel too.”
The chosen location for the park is the area around the country club in Dimona. After identifying a plot of about 15,000 square meters, planning of the project began. It will be built to European standards and will include many elements suitable for all ages.
“We thought that every member of the family should be able to find a place for leisure,” Eikli explained. “There will of course be pools for toddlers, with fountains and play areas. There will also be extreme slides, kamikaze slides, and others. There will be no need to leave the park if visitors want to find a place to eat. Inside the park, which will be fully covered, there will be restaurants and commercial areas - just like similar places in Europe.”
Alongside the planning and construction of the project, the visitor experience has also been designed. Those who arrive will receive devices to wear on their wrists, which will allow them to enter every area and receive all services offered in the park. This includes locker rooms with locking options, showers, spa rooms, and saunas. The same device will also be used to pay in restaurants and all commercial areas.
“It’s not just restaurants. Inside the pool area there will be a bar selling cocktails and other items for visitors,” Eikli said. “There will be a wave pool and many more attractions, just like similar parks abroad and at the same level.”
In Dimona, planners envision both city residents and many visitors from other places enjoying the park, including tourists, workplace groups, families, passersby, and others.
“We plan to open it in about two years,” Eikli explained. “We will definitely give the residents of the city the pleasure of it, but we are mainly counting on visitors from outside Dimona. Hundreds of thousands of cars pass on the road near the city every year. Our idea is to give everyone traveling through a place to stay and enjoy high-quality leisure time.”
The Dimona water park will be built with an investment of about NIS 200M. The budget has been raised from government ministries, the Jewish National Fund (KKL), and other bodies. Such a site also requires accommodation options nearby. There are hotels in nearby Yeruham and Beersheba, but additional lodging centers are also planned in the area.
“The plan is that in the Mamshit area, very close to the city, hotels and resorts will be built. As far as I know, about 250 hotel rooms are expected to be constructed in the near future, and that number is likely to grow. This is definitely a game changer for the development of the entire eastern Negev region.”
The park’s planners are now working on ways to increase awareness of the planned attraction, in order to market it in Israel and abroad. The estimate is that the Dimona water park will open in about two years.
“I believe this is the time needed to build it and bring the news to all residents.”
It should be noted that work on the site where the park is planned has already begun, and the necessary permits have also been obtained. From the perspective of Mayor Beni Biton, this ambitious project meets the need to create new centers of attraction in the city.
“This is a groundbreaking project that will serve not only the residents of Dimona but also all residents of the region and its visitors,” he said. “The park will contribute to the local economy and will be an attraction for every family - in winter, spring, summer, and autumn.”