Dubai's fireworks are going to be bigger, better and brighter than previous years, according to this teaser video.
Last year saw Downtown Dubai's famous New Year's Eve firework display replaced with a laser show due to safety concerns, but in 2019 organiser Emaar Properties has promised yet another spectacular display of pyrotechnics that will be safely controlled.
In fact, 4,000 police officers – 2,000 patrols and 2,000 security guards – are being deployed to keep the area safe as an estimated two million people descend on Downtown Dubai to witness the event.
So here's everything you need to know about the night.
The event
The Burj Khalifa #EmaarNYE2019 show will incorporate lights, laser and fireworks on and around the tallest building in the world, starting from 11.57pm on December 31.
Also get the opportunity to witness a special tailor-made performance by the Dubai Fountain, discover food and beverage outlets on the South Ridge Lawn and a live DJ set at Burj Park, where there will also be more food and beverage outlets.
Both of the latter areas are restricted to families only.
Getting there – driving
If you're driving, we strongly advise you to carpool. There will be designated parking zones around the area, with a total of 3,000 spaces available at Al Wasl Club (1,000), Mankhool Mosque (1,500) and at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs in Al Jafiliya (500). Inside Downtown Dubai, parking zones are available as per the below map until 4pm or until the spaces are full (which is highly likely to happen pretty quickly).
Once you're ready to get back to your car, there will be shuttle buses from the Burj Khalifa metro station, lower and upper levels of Dubai International Financial Centre, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, to take you to the designated parking zones.
Getting there – public transport
The RTA has posted its working hours for New Year's Eve here. The Dubai Metro Red Line Stations will be open from 5am to midnight, while Green Line Stations are open from 5.30am to midnight. Take the red metro line to any of the Dubai Mall, Business Bay or DIFC stations and from there you'll be guided by signs and security guards towards the viewing areas.
Note: the Burj Khalifa Metro Station will be closed from 10pm to 6am, so people are advised to use the DIFC, Business Bay or World Trade Centre stations during those hours instead. To plan your journey properly, use this handy website or download the S'hail app to know more about bus schedules and stops.
____________
Watching the fireworks? Tweet us your New Year’s Eve pictures and videos @TheNationalUAE & #UAENewYear
____________
Taxis will, of course, be available – a grand total of 18,918, to be exact. But expect a wait if you're heading out later in the evening. Make sure you take note of road closures and get there early to avoid very lengthy delays. Uber and Careem cars will also be available through the apps, but expect higher-than-normal prices.
When you're ready to go home again, you can take one of the 170 shuttle buses that will be operational to where taxis will be available. The buses will take you to Al Jafiliya, DCC and Noor Islamic Bank metro stations, as well as the aforementioned designated parking spots. In total, 40,000 people are expected to use the public buses after the celebrations, from 12.30am to 4am. There are 41 per cent additional spaces available this year.
Getting there – road closures
All roads leading to the Burj Khalifa will be closed on December 31. Al Asayel road will close at 4pm and only be open for buses and emergency vehicles. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard will close from 5pm (or once the Dubai Mall parking is full). The Happiness Road will close from the Roda Al Murooj intersection by 6pm; from the Zabeel intersection at 8pm; from the Emirates Towers roundabout at 10pm; and from the Financial Center Road at 8pm. Al Sokouk Street will close at 8pm.
Dining there
If you've got a reservation at any of the hotels or restaurants in the area, make sure you get there before 5pm. There will be designated access routes to get there, but your journey will be affected by the road closures. Make sure you contact the venue to clarify any specific parking, valet or public transport details ahead of time.
Viewing the fireworks
There are prime public viewing platforms and these are separated for families and bachelors, as per the below map.
Once the Burj Plaza and South Ridge viewing areas are filled to capacity, they will be closed to new entrants and you'll be directed to further designated viewing areas around the boulevard. Note, according to an informational video released by Emaar Properties, no animals, strollers and bicycles will be allowed in the areas.
Another option for those wanting to take in the view for free is to head to Satwa or one of the suburbs that look over at the Burj Khalifa from across the other side of Sheikh Zayed Road, or somewhere like Ras Al Khor (you can, after all, see the Burj Khalifa from most of Dubai).
The RTA is also offering the option to watch the fireworks on board an abra (water taxi) or ferry. Trips on the former start from Dh300 and you'll set sail at 9pm, while a ticket for the latter costs Dh125 and begins at 10.30pm. On the ferry, there's 50 per cent off for children aged 2-10, and for both modes of transport it's free for children under age 2.
Alternatively, it will all be broadcast live on television and online, so you can enjoy the fireworks from the comfort of your own, not-crowded home.
Good to know – safety and facilities
A mobile hospital and field hospital tents will be stationed around the Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa area and staff are on-hand to help in case of an emergency.
Prayer rooms and toilets will be dotted around the area, as well as 17 support tents where you can go for more information and for lost and found.
For more details, visit mydubainewyear.emaar.com.
New Year's Eve - how the numbers stack up
25 celebration locations
16 firework displays
2 million expected visitors
12,000 surveillance cameras around Burj Khalifa, Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard and surrounding residential areas
2 police operation rooms in Downtown and Dubai
18 First Aid tents around Downtown Boulevard
200 service tents across Dubai (first aid and lost/found items)
4,000 police officers
2,000 police patrols
1,200 firefighters across Dubai
259 ambulances
60 civil defence points
170 shuttle buses
18,918 taxis
Watch the fireworks at:
Dubai Parks and Resorts
Jebel Ali Gold Resort
JBR Beach
Royal Mirage Hotel
Palm Jumeirah
Burj Al Arab
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
City Walk
Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall
La Mer Beach
Al Seef Road
Dubai World Trade Center
Dubai Design District
Dubai Festival City
Global Village
Arabian Ranches Golf Club
______________
Read more:
Flipping 'eck: Dubai Mall Five Guys charging Dh1,500 for New Year's Eve burger dinner
10 exciting New Year’s Eve parties in the UAE to attend this year
Where to ring in 2019 in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Brahmastra%3A%20Part%20One%20-%20Shiva
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAyan%20Mukerji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Alia%20Bhatt%20and%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%207%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20%E2%80%93%203hrs%2029min%2042ses%3Cbr%3E2.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%20%E2%80%93%2010sec%3Cbr%3E3.%20Geoffrey%20Bouchard%20(FRA)%20AG2R%20Citroen%20Team%20%E2%80%93%2042sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenaders%20%E2%80%93%2059se%3Cbr%3E3.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20%E2%80%9360sec%3Cbr%3ERed%20Jersey%20(General%20Classification)%3A%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EGreen%20Jersey%20(Points%20Classification)%3A%20Tim%20Merlier%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EWhite%20Jersey%20(Young%20Rider%20Classification)%3A%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EBlack%20Jersey%20(Intermediate%20Sprint%20Classification)%3A%20Edward%20Planckaert%20(FRA)%20Alpecin-Deceuninck%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
