DUBAI, RAK NY EVENTS SET RECORD
Two of the UAE’s New Year celebrations on Monday made history by making their way to Guinness World Records. While the Light Up 2018 display on the facade of the Burj Khalifa became the holder of the largest light and sound show on a single building, the Ras Al Khaimah fireworks on Al Marjan Island set a record for the largest aerial firework shell. Here is a look at how it was made possible:
828MTR
Highest search light and laser installations in the world on Burj Khalifa
5MIN
Duration of the Burj Khalifa laser light show
76.3M
Lumens is the total brightness of the show
1.1M
Pixels resolution of LED screens on Burj Khalifa
5 MONTHS
Time taken for preparation and installation of the spectacle
1.1KM
Height of the largest aerial firework shell
1KM
Diameter of the shell when it was launched
390
Number of comet stars the record shell packed
10MIN
Duration of the firework display on Al Marjan Island
600HRS
Time taken by firm Phil Grucci to design the RAK show
New year and another new world record for Dubai. ‘Light Up 2018’, a dazzling spectacle at the Burj Khalifa to usher in 2018, established a new Guinness World record for the ‘largest light and sound show’ on a single building after topping the previous standard set in Hong Kong in 2013.
Hong Kong’s ICC Building covered an area of 46,641.52sq.m. By contrast, Burj Khalifa’s laser and light show on New Year’s Eve spanned an impressive surface area of 109,252sq.m. or the size of about 20 football fields — more than double the previous record.
But ‘Light Up 2018’ was much more than a recordbreaking event. The highlight of the show was a visual tribute to the founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to celebrate his 100th birth anniversary and to mark 2018 as the ‘Year of Zayed’.
According to the organisers, Downtown Dubai hosted more than a million visitors from across the world and reached an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide through live television broadcast and social media live streams.
The five-minute ‘Light Up 2018’ took five months of preparation that “put Dubai and the UAE in the global spotlight through its futuristic approach to New Year’s Eve gala celebrations in an environment-friendly, safe and spectacular way (that) served as a testament to the ‘can do’ ability of the nation”, according to the organisers.
A burst of colours engulfed Downtown Dubai as searchlights beamed artworks across buildings and skyscrapers while upbeat and traditional music, composed by more than 80 musicians from the UAE, went in sync with the laser light spectacle. The rich Emirati tradition was also very much evident throughout the show, highlighted by a falcon plummeting down from the top of Burj Khalifa.
“The UAE celebrates positivity and hope. The nation and its leadership inspire the world through breakthrough achievements while creating opportunities for people and businesses to thrive. The ‘Light Up 2018’ spectacle is our tribute to the nation, celebrating its accomplishments, and putting the UAE on the global map as a true hub where inspiring minds meet and connect,” said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, urges us to push our boundaries and to be innovative and creative. With ‘Light Up 2018,’ we have set a new template for New Year’s Eve galas, where the focus is on leveraging the newest technologies to present a spectacle that is novel and breathtaking,” he added.
Brilliant laser beams in multiple hues enveloped the night sky over Downtown Dubai, complementing the new LED panel displays of the Burj Khalifa with over 1.1 million pixels, and the musical water performance of The Dubai Fountain.
‘Light Up 2018’ required a total installation of lights, beams and accessories weighing over 118.44 tonnes, and more than 28.7km of cables — including 7.7km of power cabling and 21km of network and signal cabling. More than 300 professionals worked on-site including 100 rope-access experts; collectively they travelled over one million kilometres to join the project.
With 76.3 million lumens of brightness, the show transformed Downtown Dubai into one of the world’s brightest spots on New Year’s Eve. In all, more than 40 specially modified outdoor lasers as well as 230 high power Xenon searchlights and 280 outdoor beam moving lights were deployed.
The show also established the highest searchlight installation and highest laser installations in the world at 828 metres — the height of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.