New Youth Entertainment Arena in Dubai: Zamania Opens at Ibn Battuta Mall

Zamania, which has started operating in the China Court of Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, stands out as a massive indoor entertainment and sports park spanning approximately 2.389 square meters. Operated by the Leo & Loona brand, this new venue features a concept specifically targeting older children, teenagers, and families rather than preschool-aged children. The park is designed with a 'sportertainment' (sports and entertainment) concept that combines physical challenges with digital gaming experiences. Hosting a themed world shaped around manga-style illustrations and the character Zantaro, the venue offers visitors not just an ordinary playground in a shopping mall corner, but a multi-zone comprehensive destination. Planned as a permenantly, meaning a permanent venue, it is also part of the brand's expansion strategy in the Gulf Countries (GCC), where it has more than 20 branches across Europe.

One of the venue's biggest attractions is a two-story Ninja Warrior course that features a zip line. In addition to this physical challenge zone, interactive climbing walls, a trampoline park, giant slides, and reaction games offer areas where teenagers can burn off energy. Alongside physical activities, the gaming and competition section is spread throughout the entire venue. Visitors can enjoy fun and competitive times with their friends in digital battle areas featuring Mario Kart racing machines, penalty shootout simulators, basketball games, tabletop football, and air-powered guns. Rather than just solo-play games, these activities encourage interpersonal friendly competition, promising a highly enjoyable experience, especially for teenagers and parents.

The venue also features zones differentiated by age groups to ensure it appeals not only to older children and teenagers. Maze sections, giant slides, and vehicle tracks are designed to be suitable for younger children and mixed age groups. At the same time, there is a special toddlers area featuring soft toys and sensory activities for the youngest siblings. An 80-seat cafe, where families and teenagers can watch all this chaos and fun while being offered hot dogs, pizza, and healthier eating options, meets their need for rest. Designed in a location where parents can comfortably watch their children play instead of waiting at the entrance, this cafe also serves as a social area where teenagers can hang out with their friends after a few rounds of competition.

Elizaveta Rossiiskaia, Gulf Countries expansion director for Zamania, shared important details about the venue's founding philosophy. Rossiiskaia pointed out that special venues are rarely designed for older children and teenagers, emphasizing that they wanted to create a space where teens can actively have fun with their friends without feeling like they are in a 'children's park.' She noted that Ibn Battuta Mall exhibited a 'natural fit' for their first location in Dubai due to its popularity among families. This move is interpreted as part of a trend in Dubai's entertainment venues increasingly catering to more specific audiences. Recently, many different concepts have emerged, ranging from neon and VR arcades in Al Quoz to bowling-and-friends combinations in City Centre Mirdif, making it indisputable how right an investment this venue of over 2.000 square meters is for ten-year-old teenagers.

The fact that the venue is fully enclosed and air-conditioned offers a huge advantage in Dubai, where spending time outdoors becomes difficult during the summer months. Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, the area is planned for visitors to spend a few hours, and walk-ins are currently accepted without any mandatory advance reservations. However, there are some yet-to-be-announced details that potential visitors should note. Ticket prices, session structures, and age/height restrictions that will apply to certain activities such as the Ninja course, trampolines, or racing simulators have not yet been publicly shared. Therefore, it is recommended to obtain information via phone or email and confirm capacity status during peak hours before visiting the venue, especially for special events like weekends or birthdays.