Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Festival breaks three records with NYE fireworks show

The 40-minute New Year display broke the records for volume, duration and form, and featured a drone show

A New Year's Eve drone display at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

An image of the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, at a New Year's Eve drone display at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

An image of the President, Sheikh Khalifa, at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

An image of Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was part of the New Year's Eve drone display

A drone image of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

A 40-minute firework display lights up the sky

Visitors enjoy the evening at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

Crowds enjoy the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival on New Year's Eve

Fireworks illuminate the sky above the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

A 40-minute firework display took place at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

Part of the drone display at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

Drones light up the sky at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

A colourful drone display at New Year's Eve 2021 celebrations at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

A New Year's Eve 2021 drone display at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

Visitors enjoy the evening

Busy crowds enjoy the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival on New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve 2021 at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

A 40-minute firework extravaganza at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

New Year's Eve fireworks

Part of the 40-minute firework display at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival on New Year's Eve, 2021

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Festival officially broke three Guinness World Records during its New Year celebrations.

Taking place in Al Wathba, the impressive fireworks show lasted for 40 minutes, and broke the records for volume, duration and form.

The celebrations were held with strict Covid-19 protocols in place, with a negative PCR test result required to enter the festival.

As well as the fireworks, there was a dazzling drone show made up of 2,022 unmanned aircraft. The drones formed the faces of UAE leaders, including Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, President Sheikh Khalifa, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

The drones also formed the shapes of UAE skyscrapers, planet Earth, the festival's logo and the words, "Happy New Year 2022."

Elsewhere in the UAE, there was a dazzling firework show on Al Maryah Island, and Dubai had several countdowns to 2022, including a light and firework show at Burj Khalifa and a concert from Robbie Williams at Atlantis, The Palm.

The British pop star delivered a crowd-pleasing show at the Palm Jumeirah hotel. Stepping on stage just before 11pm and clad in a gold sequinned jacket, Williams delivered an almost chronological greatest hits set.

Beginning with the triumphant Let Me Entertain You, from 1997 debut album Life Thru A Lens, the singer aged 47 belted out a catalogue of hits representing the evolution of British pop music over the past 25 years.

See highlights from Robbie Williams's New Year's Eve concert here: