Prices, Experiences, Depths, and Everything Worth Knowing Before You Book
Most of Dubai’s records sit above ground: the tallest building, the biggest mall, an indoor ski slope carved into a desert city. Deep Dive Dubai breaks the pattern by going the other way. Sunk into the ground in the Nad Al Sheba district, it is a 60.02-metre indoor pool that Guinness World Records has officially certified as the deepest swimming pool built for diving anywhere on the planet, beating the previous record holder, Poland’s Deepspot, by roughly 15 metres.
The pool itself holds 14 million litres of fresh water, the equivalent of six Olympic-sized swimming pools, and it is built around a theme rather than left as bare concrete: divers descend through what is effectively an abandoned city, complete with a sunken Mercedes, a library, an arcade, and a furnished apartment, depending on how deep their certification lets them go.
What Makes Deep Dive Dubai Different
Digging a 60-metre shaft in the middle of the desert turned out to be more complicated than it sounds. Construction teams hit groundwater seepage from around 6 metres downward and spent roughly four years getting the structure right before the facility opened to the public in July 2021, ten days after Guinness World Records confirmed the depth record. The building’s roof is shaped like an oyster shell, a deliberate nod to the UAE’s pearl-diving history, and most of the structure sits below ground, with only two storeys visible above the surface.
Water temperature is held at a constant 30°C year-round, and the entire volume is filtered and recirculated every six hours through a three-stage system that combines siliceous volcanic rock, NASA-derived ozone ionisation, and UV disinfection. Fifty-six underwater cameras cover every angle of the pool, partly for safety monitoring and partly because most packages include the option to buy a video of your own dive. The facility also houses the largest hyperbaric chamber in the Middle East and North Africa, on hand for decompression treatment as a safety backstop rather than a routine fixture.
Deep Dive Dubai is solving a different problem: depth, novelty, and a controlled environment where a complete beginner and a technical trimix diver can train fifty metres apart from each other on the same afternoon.
Location, Hours, and Getting There
- Address: inside the NAS Sports Complex, Nad Al Sheba 1, Dubai — roughly 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai and 25 minutes from Dubai International Airport by car.
- Opening hours: 9am to 6pm, with the facility closed on Mondays for upkeep of the pool and filtration system. Hours can shift around public holidays, so it’s worth confirming before driving out.
- Phone: +971 4 501 9444 — Email: info@deepdivedubai.com
- Parking: free, on-site, close to the main entrance. There is no direct metro or bus connection, so a taxi, ride-share, or private car is the realistic way to get there.
- On site: a dive shop, gift shop, classrooms, and a restaurant on the B2 level with large windows looking straight into the pool, so non-diving family or friends can watch without buying a ticket.
Every Deep Dive Dubai Experience and What It Actually Costs
Prices below were checked directly against Deep Dive Dubai’s own booking pages and are accurate as of mid-2026. All prices are in UAE dirhams (AED) and are starting prices per person — weekday, weekend, and seasonal rates can shift slightly, so treat these as a reliable baseline rather than a locked-in quote.
Scuba Diving for Non-Certified Divers (Age 10+)
No previous diving experience is required. All packages dive to a maximum of 12 metres and include a short briefing and shallow-water practice before the main dive.
| Package | Price (AED) | What’s Included |
| Standard | From 1,800 | Premium equipment, guided 12m dive, video upgrade available |
| Premium | From 2,400 | Standard + memorable video, commemorative certificate, AED 100 dive shop voucher |
| Platinum | From 3,000 | Private instructor, 3-hour session, long & short video edits, photos, behind-the-scenes tour |
| Birthday | From 3,000 | Private instructor, videos, photos, certificate, cake, underwater birthday card |
| Sunken City Walk | 600 | No swimming skills required — 4m walking tour in a full-face mask, 20-minute dive time |
The Sunken City Walk is the one genuine exception to the swimming requirement, and it’s worth flagging separately: anyone aged 10 and up can do it without being able to swim, since it’s a guided walk along a 4-metre sidewalk rather than a free-swimming dive. Full details and booking sit on the non-certified scuba experience page.
Scuba Diving for Certified Divers (Age 10+)
Maximum depth depends on certification level, ranging from 12 to 30 metres for standard recreational certifications.
| Package | Price (AED) | What’s Included |
| Standard | From 1,200 | Guided dive between 12m and 30m depending on certification |
| Premium | From 2,400 | Standard + video, commemorative certificate, AED 100 voucher |
| Platinum | From 3,000 | Private instructor, 3 hours, full video/photo package, facility tour |
| Birthday | From 3,000 | Private instructor, videos, photos, cake, birthday card |
| Refresher | From 2,000 | Short theory & skills refresh, 3-hour guided dive — for divers who haven’t been in a while |
| Private | From 2,000 | 1-on-1 guided dive with an instructor, no extras |
| Nitrox Course (12+) | From 1,800 | E-learning, certification fees, theory, and a practical dive up to 18–30m |
Freediving for Non-Certified Freedivers (Age 13+)
Freediving uses fins and breath-hold technique rather than a tank. Swimming ability is required for every package here.
| Package | Price (AED) | What’s Included |
| Standard | From 1,100 | Guided breath-hold experience up to 5m |
| Private | From 2,400 | 1-on-1 instructor, video of the experience, certificate, AED 100 voucher |
| Platinum | From 3,000 | Private, 3 hours, up to 10m, full video/photo package, facility tour |
Freediving for Certified Freedivers (Age 13+)
| Package | Price (AED) | What’s Included |
| Standard | 900 | Breath-hold dive up to your certification’s depth limit |
| Private | 1,500 | 1-on-1 instructor, same depth limit |
| Platinum | 3,000 | Private, 3 hours, full video/photo package, facility tour |
Anyone who freedives regularly but has never formally certified is steered toward the Private package for certified divers rather than the non-certified track — it’s the operator’s own recommendation, since it allows the instructor to assess actual skill level one-on-one.
Snorkelling (Age 6+) and Kids’ Experiences (Age 6–12)
At Deep Dive Dubai snorkeling offers a controlled, surface-level way to explore a massive sunken city without the need for scuba certification.
- The View: It provides a crystal-clear, bird’s-eye view of the upper layers of the sunken city, deep-sea divers below, and the advanced architectural design of the facility.
- The Experience: Guided from the surface, snorkelers peer down into the intricate, abandoned-streetscape themed depths using a mask, snorkel, and fins.
- Safety Measures: Participants wear a specialized flotation jacket that keeps them securely buoyant at the surface, making it accessible even to weak swimmers or families.
| Experience | Price (AED) | Notes |
| Snorkelling | 400 | Flat rate, surface-level only — top-down view of the sunken city |
| Scuba for Kids | 1,200 | Ages 8–9 only, guided dive up to 2m |
| Kids’ Snorkelling | 400 | Same as adult snorkelling, age 6+ |
| Kids’ Parties | On request | Bespoke birthday packages — contact the team directly |
| Little Ocean Explorers | On request | Educational field trip on marine life and conservation, age 5+ |
Specialised Dives for Certified Divers Only
These are the experiences built for divers who already have advanced or technical qualifications and want to use the facility’s full depth range.
| Experience | Price (AED) | Requirement |
| 40m Triox Dive (15+) | 1,500 | Deep Diver certification or equivalent |
| 60m Trimix Dive (18+) | 1,800 | Technical Trimix certification rated to 60m |
| Rebreather Try Dive (18+) | 3,000 | Try the Halcyon Symbios closed-circuit rebreather, up to 18m |
| Discover Commercial Dive (18+) | 3,000 | Surface-supplied gas, comms gear, helmet camera, up to 12m |
Courses and Certifications
Deep Dive Dubai is a PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Centre and a Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) Premium Dive Centre, so courses run the full range from a first certification to technical and instructor-level training.
Scuba Diving Courses
| Course | Price (AED) | Max Depth / Notes |
| PADI Open Water Diver (10+) | From 4,000 | 18m (12m for Junior Open Water), no experience needed |
| PADI Scuba Diver (10+) | 2,500 | 12m — a shorter, lighter version of Open Water |
| PADI Advanced Open Water (12+) | From 3,500 | 30m (21m Junior), requires Open Water or equivalent |
| GUE Recreational (16+) | On request | Depth depends on course |
| GUE Basic Fundamentals (16+) | 4,500 | 21m, includes Nitrox 32 certification, requires Open Water |
| GUE Technical (16+) | On request | Depth depends on course |
| Continuing Education | On request | Rescue, specialties, technical, and professional-level training |
Most training dives happen on-site, though courses with specific open-water requirements are completed through one of Deep Dive Dubai’s partner centres in Fujairah or elsewhere in Dubai.
Freediving Courses
| Course | Price (AED) | Depth / Duration |
| PADI Basic Freediver (12+) | 2,000 | 5m, one day |
| AIDA Level 1 (16+) | 2,000 | 10m, one day |
| PADI Freediver (12+) | 3,500 | 16m, three days |
| AIDA Level 2 (16+) | 3,500 | 20m, three days |
| PADI Advanced Freediver (15+) | 4,000 | 24m, three days |
| AIDA Level 3 (16+) | 4,000 | 30m, three days |
| PADI Master Freediver (18+) | 5,000 | 40m, five days |
| AIDA Level 4 (16+) | 5,000 | 40m, five days |
Classes typically run at one instructor for every three students, with each session lasting around two hours; a fully private, 1:1 ratio is available on request. Full structure and booking details sit on the official freediving course page and scuba diving course page.
Membership Options: Dive 365 and The Deepsters
- Dive 365 (scuba): AED 2,000 one-time or AED 500 a month. Includes four unguided or group dives monthly, free use of house equipment, priority booking on organised trips, and a 10% discount on courses.
- The Deepsters (freediving): AED 2,000 for six months, open only to divers with at least an AIDA Level 1 certification. Includes five unguided training sessions, a custom training plan, and access to training slots on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Both schemes are aimed at residents who plan to train regularly rather than visitors doing a one-off dive .
What You’ll Actually See at Each Depth
The sunken city is laid out in zones, and what you encounter depends entirely on how deep your package or certification allows you to go.
- 3 metres: a motorbike, an ATM-style prop, and a chess table — close enough to the surface for snorkellers to glimpse.
- 6 metres: a shallow dry chamber where divers can surface and breathe normally mid-dive, designed to mimic a commercial diver’s wet bell.
- Up to 12 metres (non-certified divers): a motorcycle, chess and dominoes tables, a sunken couch, a pool table, a small rollercoaster structure, a Mercedes, a WWII-style motorcycle, a mock gas station, and an archway.
- 12–18 metres (certified divers): a basketball hoop, a mirror, library shelving, a tree, a marine-life photo museum, a treasure chest, benches, a Harley Davidson, an arcade room, a street phone, a post box, and a foosball table.
- 18–30 metres (certified divers): a full furnished apartment zone — art room, music room, living room, kitchen, and bedroom.
- 40 metres (Deep Diver specialty or equivalent): a ‘deep garage’ with cars, arcade games, and a mock repair workshop.
- 60 metres (technical trimix or rebreather divers only): the bottom of the facility, reserved for divers with the appropriate technical certification.
Prop locations occasionally shift for maintenance, so what’s listed above is the general layout rather than a guaranteed exact route on the day.
Who Can Dive: Age and Health Requirements
- Snorkelling: 6 years and up.
- Sunken City Walk: 10 years and up, no swimming ability required — the one experience open to non-swimmers.
- Scuba for Kids: 8–9 years, up to 2m.
- Discover Scuba Diving (non-certified): 10 years and up, must be able to swim.
- Freediving (non-certified): 13 years and up, must be able to swim.
- Specialised technical dives: 15+ for the 40m Triox dive, 18+ for the 60m Trimix dive, rebreather try-dive, and commercial dive experience.
- A parent or legal guardian must remain at the facility for any participant under 18, and provide written consent in advance.
Anyone with a pre-existing medical condition that could affect diving — certain heart, lung, or ear conditions in particular — should check the operator’s medical conditions guidance before booking, since some conditions require written medical clearance.
Tips Before You Book
- Bookings are made and paid for online in advance and are generally non-refundable, so confirm dates and the right package before paying.
- Bring a passport or Emirates ID, your booking confirmation, swimwear, and slippers. Certified divers also need proof of certification.
- Certified divers can bring their own GoPro; non-certified divers are asked not to hold a camera during the dive itself, though a filmed package can be added at checkout.
- As with any dive, plan to avoid flying for at least 18 hours afterward to reduce decompression risk — standard advice that applies here just as it would after any ocean dive.
- If the goal is simply to say you’ve been inside the world’s deepest pool without committing to a full dive, the Sunken City Walk or the flat-rate Snorkelling ticket are the cheapest ways in.
- If photos and video matter, it’s cheaper to book a Premium or Platinum package upfront than to add the equivalent extras individually at checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Deep Dive Dubai suitable for someone who can’t swim?
Mostly no — every scuba, freediving, and snorkelling package requires basic swimming ability. The one exception is the Sunken City Walk, a guided 4-metre walking tour in a full-face mask that doesn’t require swimming skills at all.
How deep can a complete beginner go?
Twelve metres, on the Discover Scuba Diving packages for non-certified divers. That’s roughly the same depth limit most open-water training dives use worldwide, so it isn’t a reduced or watered-down experience for the pool setting.
Is it actually safe to dive to 60 metres in a pool?
For divers holding the appropriate technical certification, yes — the facility is built specifically for that purpose, with Guinness-verified engineering, 56 monitoring cameras, on-call hyperbaric support, and instructors experienced in technical diving. It is not open for unsupervised or uncertified diving anywhere near that depth.
Can I do this if I’m only in Dubai for a day?
Yes — most experience packages run as a single two-to-three-hour booking rather than a multi-day course, which is part of why it works well as a one-off Dubai activity rather than something that needs advance planning across several visits.
Is there anything to see if I don’t want to get in the water at all?
Yes. The facility’s restaurant and viewing windows let non-diving companions watch divers descend through the large glass panels without buying a ticket, which makes it workable as a mixed group activity.
Final Thought
Deep Dive Dubai is one of those rare attractions that completely lives up to the hype, offering an experience that is genuinely impossible to replicate anywhere else on Earth. It is not just about holding a world record for depth; it is the sheer scale of the engineering and artistry involved. There is simply no second-place contender that pairs a 60-meter abyss with a meticulously crafted, post-apocalyptic sunken city, making it a true bucket-list destination whether you are peering down from the surface or diving to the very bottom.
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