Mother of the Nation Festival to end today

abu dhabi — The Mother of the Nation Festival will conclude today in grandeur with a tribute to the late founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), a spectacular ‘Year of Zayed Drone Show’ was held on Friday. The show will also be held today for the closing weekend ceremony of the festival.

On Friday, the sky in Abu Dhabi Corniche was lit up with 500 drones, creating a new form of night-time entertainment and storytelling. The LED-emitting drones hovered several metres high above visitors crowding the Abu Dhabi Corniche to usher out the third edition of the festival.

Set to last for more than five minutes, the drones merged into the official logo of the Year of Zayed to pay tribute to the nation’s founding father.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, directorgeneral of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi is the first city in the Middle East to host this unique drone show, which is grounded in heritage and tradition but with a look to the future. Merging the best of technology and art, this captivating show will enable us to tell the Abu Dhabi story in an impactful way and to pay tribute to our founding father using the night sky as our canvas. We would like to invite everyone for the last show today to enjoy the eclectic mix of entertainment options we have on offer throughout the festival.”

The festival was launched in celebration of the inspirational legacy of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, president of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and supreme chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation. — Wam