UAE goes green to celebrate Ireland’s National Day
dubai — Some of the world’s most iconic landmarks — including many in the UAE — went green to celebrate Ireland’s National Day as part of Tourism Ireland’s eight annual Global Greening initiative. InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Cayan Tower and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium went green for the first time on Friday and joined Burj Al Arab which has glowed emerald since 2011. The Yas Viceroy Hotel on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island also joined the campaign in 2016.
Tourism Ireland’s unique global campaign — which sees some of the world’s most famous attractions and sites go green to mark Ireland’s National Day — kicks off the organisation’s €21.5 / £15 million first half promotional drive to grow overseas tourism in 2017.
Cayan Tower, the 75-storey residential tower that spirals in a smooth curve lit up in green for the first time.
But it wasn’t just skyscrapers here getting in on the action. For UK-born expatriate Michael Ramsay, he was celebrating St Patrick’s Day for the first time too. “I never celebrated the occasion back home but I’ve finally given in and today I am celebrating with a mix of Irish and nonIrish in Dubai of all places. It’s fantastic. I’ve had shamrocks the lucky clover associated with Ireland - painted on my face too,” he told Khaleej Times on Friday.
Ramsay joined many other well-wishers down at the Media City Amphitheatre which was hosting ‘The Ultimate Paddy’s Day Party’.
And mother-of-two, Lisa R., who hails from Ireland herself, said her and her children were joining the celebrations too.
“We don our green tee-shirts and caps every year. We have so many Irish family and friends here that it’s like we’re home celebrating,” she said.
Over in the Capital, one of the city’s biggest icons, the Yas Viceroy Hotel located on Yas Island, has onlookers staring in admiration as the hotel’s green exterior illuminated the night sky, and it was the world famous Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, which completed the iconic landmarks in the UAE by going green to celebrate Ireland’s National Day.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com