As the mercury approaches an almost unbearable 45°C, it would appear a strange time to convince the world that Dubai’s next big hotel destination is going to transform the emirate’s tourism ambitions.

But the Atlantis Dubai, a 22-storey aquatic-themed complex on the Palm Jumeirah island, the first of six reclaimed offshore developments, represents a turning point. Its 1,500 rooms feed into Dubai’s growing range of hotels, while its on-site water park is the first in a string of next-generation theme parks the government hopes will turn the emirate into a Middle Eastern Orlando.