Spectacular countdown celebration marks Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala attracting over 1 million visitors

• Event telecast live via 1,000 TV stations and streamed live to over 2 billion global viewers
• Dubai awed by new lake show and fireworks in Downtown Dubai’s most spectacular New Year’s celebration to date
• Dazzling lake show, ‘Water, Fire & Light’ captivates crowds; ongoing performances scheduled throughout January 2013
• Iconic Burj Khalifa fireworks synchronised to a live performance by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

MORE PHOTO OF THE 2013 NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT BURJ KHALIFA DOWNTOWN DUBAI

Dubai, UAE; January 1, 2013: The iconic New Year’s Eve Gala in Downtown Dubai, the most prestigious square kilometre on earth, set an impressive global milestone as one of the world’s most attended single events, attracting more than 1 million people from across the globe, with a 35-minute long spectacular countdown celebration.

The scale, grandeur and spectacle of the Downtown Dubai were unprecedented in the history of New Year’s Eve celebration globally. Already ranked among the world’s most-watched events, the Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala was telecast live to over 1,000 television channels globally, and streamed live on www.mydowntowndubai.com and www.youtube.com/downtowndubai, reaching more than 2 billion viewers. The gala event was covered using a sophisticated 18-camera set up with real-time TV feed provided for free to the channels over satellite.

The Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala featured an unparalleled display of colourful fireworks from Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, which was set for the first time to the rhythm of live orchestra. The grand fireworks followed a dazzling water, fire and light show on Burj Lake; and the live performance of the Prague Philharmonic orchestra, making the gala the most memorable so far, unmatched in scale and spectacle.

In addition to the city’s residents and visitors from across the UAE, thousands of tourists flew in to the city especially for the occasion, underlining Downtown Dubai, the 500-acre flagship mega-development of Emaar Properties, as ‘The Centre of Now.’

Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties, said: “The Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala is truly an audio-visual spectacle spread over the most prestigious square kilometre on earth. The event underlines the positive vision that Dubai upholds by serving as a beacon of hope for people across the world and highlighting the happiness, prosperity and robust outlook that the city brings. This world-class event has now become an iconic global New Year’s Eve celebration on par with international cities such as New York, London, and Sydney, among others.”

Alabbar, who is also Chairman of the Dubai Events Council, said that the Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala has become the must-visit attraction for visitors from around the world, underlining Dubai’s eminent position as the world’s premier tourism and events destination.

With passenger traffic at Dubai International Airports set to surpass the projected target of 56.5 million in 2012 as the world’s fourth busiest hub for international passengers, one of the city’s most-visited attractions is Downtown Dubai that hosted more than 60 million visitors.

The US$ 20 billion development’s attractions include Burj Khalifa, which also features At the Top, Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest observation deck with an outdoor terrace; The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination; The Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest performing fountain; world-class residences; commercial offices and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, a 3.5 km boulevard lined with retail and F&B attractions.

The lake show ‘Water, Fire & Light’ derives its inspiration from the cultural elements of the world and how they come together in Downtown Dubai. Their energy as they travel across the world to reach its final destination at ‘The Centre of Now,’ where people unite in a celebration of true friendship. As the energy arrives in Downtown Dubai it erupts in a show of water, fire, light and sound, projected seamlessly on a mega 210-metre long screen and 15 water platforms with semi-transparent screens

In all, 79 artists from around the world were involved in the production of the show, which was specially produced by the team behind the Beijing and London Olympics, and New Year celebrations in Sydney. The lyrics said it all: “I see it fly across the world, full of energy, bursting of light. It brings us rich culture, nature, and a bright future; but best of all it brings us friendship. Welcome home. Welcome to The Centre of Now.”

Downtown Dubai will continue the celebrations into the New Year, with the lake show, ‘Water, Fire & Light,’ throughout January, with repeat performances kicking off on January 4, 2013, at 8pm.

With excitement mounting and the countdown beginning for the New Year, a hushed silence descended on Downtown Dubai. And then, the fireworks, set to live orchestral music, erupted. Spirals and perfect rings of light wrapped Burj Khalifa, with the fireworks radiating the brilliance of a thousand suns, created airborne shapes of flowers, crescents, and stars. The fireworks were marked by new colour sets and sequences with gold featuring prominently in addition to hues of electric blue, fuchsia pink and rich purple. In a fitting tribute to the UAE, which celebrated its 41st National Day recently, the fireworks also enveloped the world’s tallest building in the colours of the national flag – red, green and white, set against the black night sky.

Giant projection screens were set up at Burj Park and The Burj Steps for the convenience of visitors, who could also access Downtown Dubai easily with the Dubai Metro operating 24 hours. Visitors also benefited from the convenient access offered by the newly opened metro link that connected the Metro station with Downtown Dubai.

Various Dubai governmental departments and entities extended their support for the New Year’s Eve Gala, underlining the city’s competencies to host world-class events, once again. The event was supported by Emirates Airline, Etisalat, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, Mercedes Benz, and Omega.

MORE PHOTO OF THE 2013 NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT BURJ KHALIFA DOWNTOWN DUBAI

About Emaar Properties PJSC:
Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer with a significant presence in key emerging markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. In addition to building residential and commercial properties, the company also has proven competencies in shopping malls & retail, hospitality & leisure and financial services sectors. Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, are some of Emaar’s trophy developments.

Emaar is redefining the cultural scene of the city with Dubai Modern Art Museum & Opera House District in Downtown Dubai, to feature the city’s first opera house and several design galleries. The company is also partnering in implementing Mohammed Bin Rashid City, a new city within Dubai, announced recently by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Among the various components of the new development is the Cultural Crossing, connecting Mohamed Bin Rashid City with Downtown Dubai, which is envisaged to be the largest area for arts in the region.
Emaar has launched a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Dawahi Development, a next-generation developer of ‘value housing’ projects within full-service community developments. Dawahi Development will develop ‘value homes’ at attractive price points in key emerging markets across the Middle East & North Africa region, while also creating robust employment and business opportunities for the local population.

In Saudi Arabia, Emaar is developing King Abdullah Economic City, the region’s largest private sector-led project in Saudi Arabia, featuring a Sea Port, Central Business District, Industrial Zone, Educational Zone, Residential Communities and Resort District. www.emaar.com.