What’s On has details of an underwater theme park to be built beneath the waves at Dubai’s World Islands.

Getting to Dubai’s newest theme park might take a while, and not because of traffic on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

The five acre Pearl of Dubai is being built under the sea, so exploring the underwater attraction will require a wetsuit and an oxygen tank – or at the very least a snorkel.

Designed to resemble the ancient city of Atlantis, the Pearl of Dubai is being built by the art team behind Hollywood blockbusters Pirates of the Caribbean and Avatar.

Dubai is hoping to tap into the lucrative diving tourism market with its latest ambitious project, headed up by US firm Reef Worlds. It is not known when the park will be completed and open to the public, but Reef Worlds is understood to have completed its design for the Pearl of Dubai.

It is thought the attraction will incorporate vast “ruins” for swimmers and divers to explore, creating the illusion of a lost city beneath the waves.

The project is also expected to boost marine life in the shallow waters around the World Islands, as algae and coral springing up on the structures will attract fish to the site.

Dave Taylor, development director at Reef Worlds, has said the project will put scuba diving and snorkelling in tourists’ “Top Ten” list of things to do in Dubai.

“The Reef Worlds brand is all about sustainability and the creation of new habitat while at the same time adding instant tourism revenue and excitement to waterfront resorts,” he said.