Dubai’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display was abandoned this year due to ‘security concerns’, with the United Arab Emirates city opting for a world-record breaking light display on the Burj Khalifa.
Two years ago, the city suffered a scare when a huge fire ripped through a luxury hotel just hours before the fireworks display was due to commence.
Dubai was the latest city to ring in the New Year although it did not opt for the conventional fireworks display due to ‘security reasons’, instead opting for an impressive world-record breaking laser show
This year, the world’s tallest building was emblazoned with the ‘Year of Zayed’, who was the former president of the United Arab Emirates, to welcome in the 2018.
Emaar Properties, the developer of the iconic building, announced on its website that the fireworks display would be replaced by the laser and sound show titled ‘Light Up 2018’.
They claimed that more than 300 experts and 100 rope access professionals had worked for several months to help prepare the lights show.
The display itself lasted for around 10 minutes and wowed spectators below, who filmed and shouted during the course of the show.
Two years ago, the display went ahead regardless but the flames managed to reach from the ground floor up to around the 40th story of the 63 floor Address Downtown hotel.
The lights show from the Burj Khalifa was watched by thousands from the ground. The lights and sound show was called ‘Light Up 2018’ and was announced by the developer of the iconic building, Emaar Properties
The world’s tallest building was emblazoned with the ‘Year of Zayed’, who was the former president of the United Arab Emirates. He held onto the post for 33 years and passed away in 2004
Smoke and fire billowed from the Address Downtown Hotel, near the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower in Dubai, on December 31, 2015, after a huge fire ripped through the luxury Dubai hotel as people gathered to watch New Year’s Eve celebrations. The fireworks displays, which were taken place only a few hundred feet away, continued despite the building continuing to burn
There was fireworks released from the world’s tallest building last year (left) and they were also released from the side of the building to mark the opening of the world’s tallest building on January 4, 2010 (right), as well as on many other occasions
The display itself lasted for around 10 minutes and wowed spectators below, who filmed and shouted during the course of the show
Emaar Properties, the developer of the iconic building, claimed that more than 300 experts and 100 rope access professionals had worked for several months to help prepare the lights show