By Staff www.khaleejtimes.com
DUBAI — Thousands of energy-efficient decorative lights have started shining along the three-km long Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, which will continue through the entire festival season, including the UAE National Day celebrations, Emirates Classic Car Festival, New Year’s Eve and the Dubai Shopping Festival, up until April 2012.
Shaikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the Festive Lighting at Downtown Dubai, in the presence of Mr Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, marking the beginning of the festive season at the ‘The Centre of Now, Dubai’s must-visit tourist destination
The decorative lights, inspired by the swaying rhythm of The Dubai Fountain, will bring for the first time ever, the brilliant ambience of the winter season illumination that one traditionally associates with Champs Elysees in Paris and other global cities such as New York and London.
The best visual spectacle of the lighting can be witnessed from At the Top, Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest observatory deck, or The Address Downtown Dubai, the 63-storey hotel next to The Dubai Mall.
Mr Matrooshi said: “The Festive Lighting at Downtown Dubai is our tribute to Dubai as the city prepares for its peak tourist season. For the first time ever, we are bringing a spectacular celebration with thousands of lights across Downtown Dubai that will be a new experience for the city’s residents and visitors from all over the world.”
The first of the key lifestyle events in Downtown Dubai that follows the Festive Lighting is the Emirates Classic Car Festival to be held from December 1 to 3 to coincide with the UAE National Day celebrations.
The event will feature classic cars and classic motorbikes, which will be displayed at the Emaar Boulevard in addition to several colourful classic car and motorbike parades. The public can also vote for their favourite vehicle to be showcased by classic car collectors from across the region.
The UAE National Day celebrations will include the colourful Downtown Dubai Parade and a strong array of traditional entertainment activities in addition to shopping promotions at The Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar.
The excitement will reach a feverish pitch on December 31, when Burj Khalifa will host its much-awaited New Year’s Eve Gala, which attracted a record 600,000 visitors last year, and was telecast live to over two billion homes. A number of concerts featuring globally renowned artists will be held in Downtown Dubai during the coming months.
