It will be a spectacular end to the Mother of the Nation festival and a first for the Middle East.
On Friday and Saturday at 8.20pm, the Abu Dhabi skyline will light up with 500 Intel "shooting star" drones. The LED drones will hover several metres above visitors and light up the sky with the Year of Zayed logo in a spectacular display set to last about five minutes.
Saif Ghobash is Director General of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, which organised the festival.
"Abu Dhabi is the first city in the Middle East to host this unique drone show," he said.
"This remarkable event truly captures the emirate’s spirit, which is grounded in heritage and tradition, but with a look to the future. Merging the best of technology and art, this captivating show will enable us to tell the Abu Dhabi story in an impactful way and pay tribute to our Founding Father, using the night sky as our canvas. We would like to invite everyone across the UAE to join us.”
The festival will close with stellar gigs on the main stage by Emirati superstar Eida Al Menhali and Lebanese-Canadian singer-songwriter Danny Aridi on Friday, with percussionist Daneel Sayegh and Emirati singer Adel Ibrahim playing on Saturday.
This year the festival featured more than 100 activities, including art, music and interactive workshops for the whole family. The Mother of the Nation pavilion explored the impact of Emirati women on the country.
Taking place at the newly-inaugurated Al Bahar beach on Abu Dhabi's corniche, the third edition of the festival finishes on Saturday. Tickets cost Dh25 per adult and Dh15 for children under 12, while children aged 5 and under along with those with special needs and those above 60 are admitted for free. Visit www.motn.ae for more details.
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Read more:
Mother of the Nation Festival brings a diverse array of musical talent
A look around the Mother of the Nation festival in Abu Dhabi - in pictures
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
