Brighter beginning
05:57AM Tue 1 Jan, 2013
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The new year’s biggest fire work at the Burj Khalifa on 31st Dec 2012. Photo : Rahul Gajjar[/caption]
Muaz Shabandri / 1 January 2013
Dubai - Tall expectations lit up the world’s highest tower at the start of 2013. The Burj Khalifa ushered in the New Year with a spectacle of fireworks riding on the sentiment of hope. Tourists and residents rejoiced, hope soared and the grand show didn’t disappoint the millions who watched awestruck.
The world’s tallest tower provided the background for a harmony of lights, music and pyrotechnic. It was indeed a night to remember for revellers who partied long into the wee hours of the New Year.
Janos Konyves and Tina Parmlid had come all the way from Sweden to see the Burj Khalifa and celebrate in Dubai. “Everything about Dubai is wonderful. We wanted to come and see for ourselves this wonderful city and it has been a good time for us,” said Janos, who plans to spend the next 10 days in the city.
Welcoming the New Year with hopes and wishes of a better good, Dubai’s global appeal had its own special charm on the city’s tourists. Sadaf Ghani from Pakistan had set her sights on the tower with a hope of seeing a once-in-a-lifetime show. “There is a lot of hype about Dubai and I wanted to see for myself what’s special. I am happy to be here and for many people it is a dream to see the celebrations live,” said Sadaf.
Susan Pickering and her family was travelling from England to see the city and make the occasion a special one. “Dubai is known for doing things better than others. It seems like the world has come here to see the New Year and we knew it was going to be the biggest and best celebration,” said Susan.
Spectators visiting Downtown area had to make their way through the Dubai Mall and walk along the boulevard road leading up to the Burj Park which was packed to rafters. A large 210 metre screen provided a special view of the celebrations which was live telecast to a global audience. Choreographed to perfection, the show lived-up to its expectations as Dubai once again placed itself firmly on the list of best cities in the world.
Elsewhere in Dubai, the city reveled in night parties and special events to ring in 2013. The midnight fireworks at Atlantis, The Palm were a first for the Middle East. Spelling out the word ‘Atlantis’ in the night sky, the never before seen fireworks spread over 700 metres wide.
Developed by fireworks masters Grucci, the show took 26 Pyrotechnicians a whopping 1,300 hours to set up. Working five days to set-up the show and a total of 70 hours to choreograph, the fireworks at Atlantis used 24 firing locations using more than 13,000 feet of wire attached to firework equipment weighing in 10 tonnes.
At the World Trade Centre arena, a capacity crowd of 10,000 people rocked a New Year party with dance, music and fun. The heavy traffic was not a deterrent for party lovers who enjoyed a fusion of lights, fireworks and music.
All in all, the night remained yet another memorable moment for the city’s residents and visitors. A night set to perfection and gala festivities.
Khaleejtimes.com
The new year’s biggest fire work at the Burj Khalifa on 31st Dec 2012. Photo : Rahul Gajjar[/caption]
Muaz Shabandri / 1 January 2013
Dubai - Tall expectations lit up the world’s highest tower at the start of 2013. The Burj Khalifa ushered in the New Year with a spectacle of fireworks riding on the sentiment of hope. Tourists and residents rejoiced, hope soared and the grand show didn’t disappoint the millions who watched awestruck.
The world’s tallest tower provided the background for a harmony of lights, music and pyrotechnic. It was indeed a night to remember for revellers who partied long into the wee hours of the New Year.
Janos Konyves and Tina Parmlid had come all the way from Sweden to see the Burj Khalifa and celebrate in Dubai. “Everything about Dubai is wonderful. We wanted to come and see for ourselves this wonderful city and it has been a good time for us,” said Janos, who plans to spend the next 10 days in the city.
Welcoming the New Year with hopes and wishes of a better good, Dubai’s global appeal had its own special charm on the city’s tourists. Sadaf Ghani from Pakistan had set her sights on the tower with a hope of seeing a once-in-a-lifetime show. “There is a lot of hype about Dubai and I wanted to see for myself what’s special. I am happy to be here and for many people it is a dream to see the celebrations live,” said Sadaf.
Susan Pickering and her family was travelling from England to see the city and make the occasion a special one. “Dubai is known for doing things better than others. It seems like the world has come here to see the New Year and we knew it was going to be the biggest and best celebration,” said Susan.
Spectators visiting Downtown area had to make their way through the Dubai Mall and walk along the boulevard road leading up to the Burj Park which was packed to rafters. A large 210 metre screen provided a special view of the celebrations which was live telecast to a global audience. Choreographed to perfection, the show lived-up to its expectations as Dubai once again placed itself firmly on the list of best cities in the world.
Elsewhere in Dubai, the city reveled in night parties and special events to ring in 2013. The midnight fireworks at Atlantis, The Palm were a first for the Middle East. Spelling out the word ‘Atlantis’ in the night sky, the never before seen fireworks spread over 700 metres wide.
Developed by fireworks masters Grucci, the show took 26 Pyrotechnicians a whopping 1,300 hours to set up. Working five days to set-up the show and a total of 70 hours to choreograph, the fireworks at Atlantis used 24 firing locations using more than 13,000 feet of wire attached to firework equipment weighing in 10 tonnes.
At the World Trade Centre arena, a capacity crowd of 10,000 people rocked a New Year party with dance, music and fun. The heavy traffic was not a deterrent for party lovers who enjoyed a fusion of lights, fireworks and music.
All in all, the night remained yet another memorable moment for the city’s residents and visitors. A night set to perfection and gala festivities.
Khaleejtimes.com
Photos
