Mohamed Firdaus Raj, general manager of Loopagoon in Saudi Arabia

Amusement Logic: Your career started at Desa Waterpark, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while you were studying Recreation Management. What made you choose this profession and how did you obtain that first position?

Mohamed Firdaus Raj: My working life started after high school as a gym instructor in 1990 in a Wellness Hill Resort somewhere in the central region of Malaysia. I was promoted to Recreation Coordinator and very soon I was managing recreation departments at city hotels and clubs all around Kuala Lumpur. I had an opportunity to launch a Health & Fitness Center for a 4 Star Hotel from scratch and these experiences led me to continue my career in recreation management.

I was blessed to be recruited for a new water theme park project in late 1997 as Operations Manager with Desa Waterpark, Kuala Lumpur. The best thing was that it involved pre-opening and operating responsibilities for me as the No. 2. With such an elevated project costing almost USD 30 Million at that time, it was something that convinced me to continue in this new industry of theme parks. I was able to learn further, and my passion grew at the same time. It was an amazing project which opened in a year where Malaysia was in financial crisis, but we succeeded. The park was even recognized by the World Waterpark Association’s Board for Special Accomplishment in a New or Renovated Water Leisure Facility – 1997/1998.

While managing this water park, I decided to get recognition for myself by taking up studying Recreation Management, which was organized by a Sporting Organization in collaboration with the University in Malaysia.

A.L.: Then you went through several resorts, until you became General Manager of Leisure and Attractions at Only World Group. How did this evolution take place?

M.F.R.: Growing my career into the role of a General Manager was thanks to the opportunity I had at this theme park resort which includes a water park, an eco-park, an island dedicated to orangutans, indoor attractions, merchandising, F&B, banqueting, recreation and certainly rooms.

I commenced my career in this resort as the Waterpark Manager and then I moved into senior management as Director of Parks and Attractions until I became the Executive Assistant Manager (EAM).

This was made possible by the great superiors and colleagues that I had the honor to work with, such as Mr. Calvin Ho, the late Mr. Mohd Danial Arnold Esmond and Mr. Jasmy Othman. As an EAM, I was second in command to ensure the entire resort was in optimum operational condition. I had a total of almost 9 years of service at this awesome resort and it led me to continue my growth and career in the industry.

During this period, I was very actively involved with the Malaysian Association of Theme Parks and Family Attractions (MAATFA) which was playing a significant role championing local theme park owners and players. I was very active and finally became the Honorary Secretary from 2006 until 2012.

A.L.: Then you joined Legoland Malaysia, in the position of Head of Attractions. How did you move to this theme park and what were your duties there?

M.F.R.: Legoland Malaysia was an opportunity that came to me via an industry colleague who recommended me for the role of Head of Attractions, reporting to the Director of Operations at Merlin Entertainment. The role again involved pre-opening and operations of the Theme Park and my involvement was to conduct the recruitment; preparation of SOP’s; training with SOP’s; ride testing and commissioning and moving toward the park’s soft opening sometime in Q3 of 2012.

I had an opportunity to understand further the operations of Legoland IP in a theme park when I was sent to Günzburg, (Germany). Legoland Malaysia is designed similarly to their park near Munich except that all the attractions, facilities and services are mirrored. I was briefed there and learned the operations of the Park: the way rides and attractions are controlled with the right manpower and how effectively rider and attractions SOP are in force.

A.L.: Since then, you have acted as General Manager at Summer Lagoon Theme Park, at Aqua Park Qatar and at Splash Out Langkawi. What would you highlight from these experiences?

M.F.R.: The experiences I gained for all these Theme Parks and companies obviously differ by property.

Starting with Summer Lagoon, it was a move from Legoland to this project which was a new project from scratch to be established as the 1st Waterpark in East Malaysia, Sarawak. My role here was to support the Managing Director in the implementation of the entire aspects of the waterpark while his role was to establish the investors, investments and securing the correct rides and attractions to fit into the project site. This was my key role in this project.

At Aqua Park located in Doha Qatar, this was my first “bang” going abroad to manage a Water Theme Park. It was like a dream come true and this really made me work even harder as I was getting into a new environment within a new market and a new diversified working team from many different countries and cultures. The owners of the project were already known to me since 2008 as they had visited Malaysia and seen some of the waterparks that I had operated and managed.

I accepted the role as General Manager for their park with the focus on Guest Safety, Preventive Maintenance, Manpower Management, a turning Business Plan and to ensure Financial Stability of the project to continue operating. I was with the organization over a period of 5 years and decided to return to Malaysia in early 2018 where I landed another new opportunity.

Back in Malaysia, I joined Splash Out Langkawi which is a new project for the tourist hotspot of Langkawi Island, located up north of Malaysia. First of its kind attraction for the island in view of drawing more local and international tourists with such a unique attraction – Water Based Rides and Attractions and taking the island to the next level where world class attractions are concerned. I was directly working with the Chairman of the company as I continued supporting him and his team at the point where the park opened on December 15, 2019. It was really a huge challenge with the said project, but it was just awesome to have it opened and see the impact it automatically created for the tourism boom of the island.

A.L.: You finally reached your current position, General Manager of Loopagoon Waterpark, in Saudi Arabia, from the pre-opening phase. How did this process develop?

M.F.R.: I was approached by the owner’s representative and fixed an official project learning trip to Saudi Arabia. I visited the project, the organization, the senior team members, and the Managing Director (MD) sometime before Christmas of 2019. Certainly, I was amazed that they have embarked into a water park catering specifically for the female market and the design, concept, theming, and business formula by Amusement Logic made that goal possible.

The project visit made me understand the MD’s goal and requirements and I was glad to note he is a professional Saudi gentleman who certainly wanted a seasoned and professional GM to manage and operate the world’s first female-only water theme park.

The entire process was successful after the said visit with the offer given to me even before I departed from Saudi Arabia. Upon my return to Malaysia, I made the decision to move to Saudi and handed over the current project to my Chairman in February 2020. I was back in Saudi and commenced my new role in early March 2020.

A.L.: What are the main challenges for you to manage Loopagoon? How did you solve the issue of finding female staff to manage it?

M.F.R.: Challenges and situations are always around in any kind of theme park project, but the real challenge was the Covid-19 pandemic. It slowed us all down, but the pre-opening requirements were still in place. I had 50% of the team on board at that point; hence vigorous training was the best thing to focus on, especially getting the Aquatics Team ready for the Ellis Associates Lifeguarding and Instructors Certification.

We sourced talents from several countries and a few senior waterpark professionals from our neighbor Abu Dhabi, (UAE). We had the challenge of bringing certain team members from the African continent on board due to the border closure and entry restrictions into Saudi Arabia due to the pandemic. Eventually, I was able to solve this by working with local agents who already had female employees in Saudi and interviews were conducted to source for those who had basic swimming skills. With this method we were able to get the right headcount, conduct on-site training and coach them in the respective roles. We succeeded very well.

Of course, for certain critical roles and positions, the company’s goal was to ensure we recruited Saudi women, provided them with the best training in the industry and got them ready for such a unique operation. It was something amazing for me to be part of this setup and deliver my experiences to all of them. I am very proud to be able to support this very important initiative and train new local leaders into this industry of theme parks.

A.L.: What has been the response from the female public in the first months of the park’s opening?

M.F.R.: Saudi Arabia’s Covid-19 numbers improved quickly and our soft opening was perfectly timed. We opened to the public on September 3, 2020 with the Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions in place. Our per day footfall was pegged at 600 guests and all ticket orders were only accepted online, so I could manage the park’s capacity by the hour.

With a positive outlook within the domestic market spending pattern, we had a great opening. I can confirm as we reach almost 20,000 visitors after just 3.5 months of operations. It was a successful opening given the pandemic situation and the fact that many other parks globally were uncertain of opening due to their own Covid-19 challenges, guidelines, and restrictions. The park closed for the winter in mid-December 2020.

A.L.: What are the most valued features and attractions at the park?

M.F.R.: In my professional opinion, on this subject, the mixture of rides and attractions gave the right value to the Park. Above that, Amusement Logic and the owner’s decision to invest with the right waterpark equipment, ride and attraction suppliers was key.

The overall theming concept of the park gives a look tailored to suit visitor tastes, with finishing touches, woodwork, etc., and I personally use the word “beautiful” as this is what I experience myself managing the park on a daily basis.

A.L.: What is Loopagoon’s marketing and advertising strategy?

M.F.R.: From the beginning of the Park’s opening, our main strategies were focused on social media, media campaigns, SMS campaigns and influencers visiting the park.

These strategies were adopted and used in view of the type of market we are focusing on – Women Only. Social media is the best platform and is extremely effective in developing major engagements between the guests who already visited the park and new guests eager to know more.

We are continuing with a similar strategy into 2021, with the addition of awareness booths set up at the right locations to continue the impact we have created.

A.L.: How do you see the future of the waterpark and theme park industry?

M.F.R.: Specifically in Saudi Arabia, I am excited to see the industry growing and booming over the next years, as we are all aware of Saudi Arabia wanting to become the new global tourism destination, and with so many new projects related to Theme Parks – Indoor and Outdoor, World Class Brands in Theme Park with IP and unique attraction concepts in the pipeline.

The Theme Park industry will be a catalyst to support and drive Saudi Arabia local and international tourism as I see it. I am of the opinion that Saudi Arabia may become the most visited country where tourism is concerned, overtaking the traditional global players.

Globally, I opine that our Theme Park Industry will maintain its upward trend and continue providing fun, excitement, experiences, and sustainability of the product. To see continued development and success for the Theme Park Industry for the future, I think the key issue will be how to overcome the challenges that may continue to appear and by designing and planning how can we overcome such situations and still be able to continue managing and operating effectively so that the industry does not be put on a halt for any reason and situation. If this is possible, certainly we will see diverse growth for the Industry.