Overview
- Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Festival staged a 62-minute continuous fireworks display and a 20-minute formation by 6,500 drones, with organisers pursuing multiple Guinness World Records.
- Ras Al Khaimah confirmed a Guinness World Records title for the largest aerial phoenix formed by multirotor drones during a 15-minute coastal show using 2,300 drones, including 1,000 pyro drones.
- Dubai delivered 48 fireworks displays at 40 locations, including Burj Khalifa and Atlantis The Palm, backed by nearly 9,900 police and large medical, firefighting and ambulance deployments that enabled smooth crowd management.
- Authorities reported heavy turnout, including 163,000 visitors inside the Abu Dhabi festival and more than half a million watching nearby, with about 120,000 attending Ras Al Khaimah’s shoreline show.
- UAE leaders shared New Year messages of hope and prosperity, and officials confirmed January 1 as a public holiday with January 2 designated for remote work for federal government employees.