Love was in the air in Ras Al Khaimah last weekend when a groom-to-be proposed to his girlfriend after completing the world’s longest zipline.
Adrian Mackay, 30, from India, rode the zipline before getting down on one knee as Susan Kuruvilla, also from India, came into land on the 80m-high suspended platform on Jebel Jais, the UAE’s tallest mountain. She said yes.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and ToroVerde UAE arranged for a ‘will you marry me’ banner to be unveiled at the platform to coincide with the proposal.
“I wanted to do something special to make our engagement unique and when I heard about the world’s longest zipline, I knew it would be the perfect way to propose,” said Mr Mackay, who is the first person to propose at the 2.83km-long zipline.
“I am so happy I got to ask the girl of my dreams to marry me and do the world’s longest zipline.”
More on the new zipline
In March, Ras Al Khaimah set a record with a hotel occupancy rate of 87.5 per cent, thanks in part to its reputation as an adventure sports hotspot.
Tourism revenue is growing in the emirate at 10 per cent year on year, and more than 10,000 people have experienced the zipline since it opened in February.
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The attraction is proving so popular that work will be undertaken this month to build two extra lines, doubling its capacity. Once completed, four people will be able to ride the zipline at any one time, the line sits 1,680 metres above sea level. People riding the zipline can reach speeds up to 165km an hour, although the average speed is around 120km.
Mountain biking and new hiking routes – that will eventually take in a new luxury wilderness camp – are also being extended to cover 81 kilometers. The camp, which will offer adventure activities for children, will open by the end of 2020.
It is part of a long-term plan to increase annual tourist numbers to three million by 2025, which will place it on par with the number of people who visit Oman each year.
