The roads around Downtown Dubai are now closed in anticipation of tonight's New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Al Asayel Street, towards the area around Burj Khalifa, is closed, as is Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Burj Khalifa St and Financial Centre Street lower deck.
On Thursday, Dubai announced guidelines for New Year’s Eve celebrations in the emirate.
Firework displays will be held in 29 places in the emirate to discourage mass gatherings and encourage spectators to practise social distancing, Dubai Media Office said on Twitter.
Thirty-six shows of spectacular pyrotechnics will light up the skies above several landmark sites in the emirate, with shows planned at Burj Khalifa, Expo 2020 Dubai and Atlantis The Palm.
Burj Khalifa will stage the Eve of Wonders at the stroke of midnight on Friday. Visitors can expect impressive fireworks and light shows, as well as a new laser feature that will make its debut at The Dubai Fountain in sync with Burj Khalifa's programme.
There will be be two firework displays at Expo 2020 Dubai – one at midnight and another at 3am on Saturday.
Expo visitors can also expect 13 hours of non-stop festivities, beginning at 3pm. There will be entertainment from world-famous DJs, a midnight “ball drop” at Al Wasl Plaza and celebrations at some of the 192 country pavilions to celebrate the occasion.
Masks must be worn at all times when celebrating New Year’s Eve in public. The penalty for not wearing one when required to do so is Dh3,000 ($816).
Residents are reminded to follow all precautionary measures set out by the emirate to halt the spread of Covid-19.
The directive came from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.
Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, said strong preventive measures had helped to keep people safe.
“Dubai has continuously monitored local and global developments to take the decisive action necessary to protect the community and implement precautionary measures outlined by local and international health authorities,” he said in a statement.
“Every member of the community should stringently observe the preventive guidelines in place, including wearing face masks and observing social distancing, to protect their families and others.”
Dubai Ambulance crews are also on standby to handle any emergencies. At least 219 emergency vehicles, 873 paramedics, 60 volunteers and 35 supervisors will cover the dozens of events taking place across the emirate, Dubai Ambulance said.
Expo 2020 Dubai, for example, will be secured by nine emergency vehicles, an ambulance bus, a field support unit and eight first responder vehicles.
Six ambulances and 16 paramedics will be at Dubai Mall, while around Burj Khalifa, authorities will station 15 emergency vehicles.
Palm Jumeirah, Global Village and Burj Al Arab are among the other locations where emergency services will be stationed.
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Ferdous, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-3 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,400m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6pm: UAE Arabian Derby Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 2,200m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Emirates Championship Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 2,200m
Winner: Somoud, Patrick Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Conditions (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Bairaq, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Brandt%20Andersen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOmar%20Sy%2C%20Jason%20Beghe%2C%20Angeliki%20Papoulia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
