Dubai’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration will take on a different tune from previous years, marking the start of the year with a light show.
Burj Khalifa developer Emaar Properties said that the 'Light Up 2018' show will use Downtown Dubai’s building facades as the backdrop for the light show.
Emaar said that the area will “come alive to the celebrations that will have several surprises in store this year”.
It also said in a Twitter message that it was time to "say goodbye to the old & hello to the new".
Emaar did not say whether that meant the famous fireworks show would be scaled back or take place at all, but said: “The celebration last year was seamless and welcomed millions of visitors globally. This year, we have a very exciting concept, Light Up 2018, that will delight the world. We will provide more details towards the event.”
Downtown Dubai's annual fireworks display has drawn in the biggest crowds in recent years.
In 2015, two hours before the display, a major fire swept through the Address Downtown hotel.
It was unrelated to the fireworks and later found to be an electrical fault, though the speed at which the blaze spread placed the focus on building cladding and helped bring about new fire safety regulations.
Among the other major fireworks displays is Dubai Festival City Mall. The mall said that the free entertainment will begin at 7pm on December 31, followed by fireworks at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm and midnight.
___________________
Read more:
Rapid development of Dubai has contributed to high-rise fire problem
Owners of Dubai high-rises urged to check insurance after The Address Downtown fire