Hili Fun City in Al Ain is expecting a 30 percent increase in its number of visitors this summer.

After massive upgrades and refurbishment by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), Hili Fun City in Al Ain is already attracting thousands more visitors this year than it did in 2009.

Nine new rides and attractions at Hili Fun City include the Jebel Hafeet Twister roller coaster, Sinbad’s Farm kiddie ride, the Circus Swing, Crazy Marina and the 3D Action Cinema.

Rides were brought closer together, and 18 existing rides have been restored along with major repainting and landscape work, including the planting of more than 25,000 plants and 200 palm trees and the addition of a lake with paddle boats.

In its first upgrade since opening in 1985, the park was closed last August for three months of repairs in the first phase of the overhaul and reopened late November. Since reopening, numbers have risen – April saw an increase of nearly 10,000 visitors over last year, and in May 15 percent more visitors enjoyed the park over the same month in 2009.

The second phase of the refurbishment plans to connect the west side of the park with a newly built amusement park expected to provide entertainment on a par with the world’s top theme parks.

The entrance fee into the park – while higher than previously – is still only AED 30 on Mondays and Tuesdays and AED 35 Wednesday through Saturday, and the fee includes access to all rides.