Abu Dhabi revellers are ready to end 2018 with a bang - with a world record-smashing firework display lighting up the skies on New Year's Eve.
Hot on the heels of the UAE scoring 95 entries in the 2019 Guinness World Records, the country is aiming to rewrite history again with the largest ever sentence created in pyrotechnics.
The spectacular 10-minute light show at the Corniche in Abu Dhabi will aim to spell out 'Happy New Year 2019'.
The display will reach a height of 40 metres, using an array of colours and configurations.
Crowds will be flocking to a host of capital venues to usher in 2019, including landmark spots such as Emirates Palace, Yas Marina and Al Maryah Island.
At the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival, the New Year’s Eve celebrations will include concerts by Eida Al Menhali and Fouad Abdel Wahid, a fireworks show, three-dimensional water and light shows with dazzling lasers.
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Read more:
First, biggest and best: How the UAE went Guinness World Record mad in 2018
Dubai Mall home to the world's largest Christmas bauble
Dubai Police notch up jumbo-sized Guinness world record by pulling airliner 100 metres
Ras Al Khaimah to have world’s longest zip line in new tourism drive
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A music show headlined by Egyptian pop icon Amr Diab and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares will take centre stage at The Galleria.
Entry to the prime viewing spots in the main concert area will be free, but limited to 1,500 visitors on a first-come first-served basis.
“We are delighted to bring such a variety of exciting events across the whole emirate of Abu Dhabi to usher in the New Year,” said Saif Saeed Ghobash, of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.
“We are confident that visitors will have an unforgettable experience that will mark the start of a happy and prosperous 2019 for all.”
Al Dhafra Festival will also be hosting a special New Year’s Eve show with concerts by Arab celebrities.
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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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.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars