Bahrain plans to construct the world’s largest underwater theme park with a submerged Boeing 747 as its centrepiece, it was announced on Saturday.

According to the state-run Bahrain News Agency, the underwater theme park will eventually cover a total area of 100,000 square metres.

The eco-friendly project, which was announced by Bahrain’s President of the Supreme Council for Environment, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, is the result of a partnership between the council, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (DTEA) and the private sector.

The diver site will feature the 70-metre long 747, the largest aircraft ever to be submerged.

According to the BNA, the site is being designed as a dive experience. Other features will include a submerged replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant’s house, artificial coral reefs and other sculptures that have been placed underwater as a safe haven for coral growth and as a habitat for marine animals.

In a statement, Sheikh Abdullah said that Bahrain believes the project will attract diving enthusiasts from around the world, as well as help researchers obtain information and data on marine ecology and biology.

The site will be launched “in the coming” weeks and will open to divers and visitors before the summer, according to the BNA report.