Millions in cities around the world watched the celebrations of "Burj Khalifa" on screens and entered the New Year on "Emirates time"

2021 This is how the world celebrated ... This is how Dubai celebrated

  • Photography: Arik Arazas, Patrick Castillo, Osama Abu Ghanem, Naguib Muhammad, Ashok Verma, Ahmed Arditi

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At a time when the streets and squares of large cities and global capitals were empty of any celebrations, and New Year's Eve became under a sad and applied silence, the sky of Dubai was ablaze with dazzling fireworks and overwhelming celebrations, as the emirate did not disappoint its residents who were used to making joy and joy, and it did not let down millions in Capitals and cities of the world who used to watch their celebrations on television, and the entry of the New Year on "Emirates time".

Amid very little attendance in Times Square in New York, virtually empty beaches in Rio de Janeiro and deserted streets on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, the new waves of the spread of the epidemic have forced billions of people to celebrate New Year's at home and virtually follow celebrations after months of tight restrictions or even measures. Seclusion, and in Sydney, Australia's largest city celebrated the fireworks display in the absence of spectators.

To prove Dubai once again that it is one of the few cities in the world that is able to organize New Year celebrations and direct events, within the framework of strict precautionary measures and measures that contribute to preserving the health and safety of the public and visitors, allowing them at the same time to enjoy the happy atmosphere in welcoming the new year.

From the "Burj Khalifa" area, where the New Year begins, when millions of people in the world set their watches to watch and enjoy the laser shows and the fireworks that set off from it, Dubai welcomed 2021 with an impressive and exceptional display of fireworks, animation shows, lights and lasers.

In light of the exceptional circumstances witnessed last year, this year's celebration came in a different way and carried many messages such as support for "team work", the outstanding success and great achievements made by the UAE, as well as praising the heroes of the front lines to combat the "Covid-19" epidemic.

Burj Khalifa has turned into a masterpiece that brought together shows of lights, lasers, photos and music in exquisite harmony with the performance of the Dubai Fountain, which provided viewers, whether online or in nature, an unparalleled experience.

Burj Khalifa will display a daily New Year's Eve celebration until January 7, while new shows with lasers and lights will run until March 31.

At the Atlantis Resort, The Palm in Dubai, the KISS band members dazzled their celebratory performances. Jane Simmons surpassed the usual company of his quartet, which sits on the throne of Hard Rock music and is also famous for its unusual shiny costumes, through the band’s amazing performance with the performance of the band. The most difficult musical compositions, with impressive professionalism, stunned the attendees, in addition to more than two million people around the world following the event through a live broadcast that lasted for two hours.

The world is closed

Internationally, New York's Manhattan district was closed, and revelers were encouraged to watch the televised countdown from homes and performances by singer Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Gaynor with the performance of her famous disco song "I Will Survive" (I Will Live).

And in Times Square, which is usually filled with New Year revelers, the crowds this year have been replaced by a group of frontline workers in the face of the epidemic and separated by barriers to impose social distancing.

"It couldn't be worse than last year," said 31-year-old Jordan Mann, a 31-year-old actress who spent her stay at home. "I really hope the country's leaders will show more wisdom (in 2021) and be able to help us."

And in Brazil, the second country most affected by the epidemic in the world, this year’s celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, which usually hold one of the largest New Year celebrations in the world, have been canceled.

The famous Copacabana Beach was nearly empty at midnight, as police pushed the revelers away.

In China, thousands of Wuhan residents celebrated the arrival of the new year, exactly a year after the World Health Organization was informed of the first cases of the emerging corona virus in this city of 11 million people.

"It's something we will never forget," said a Wuhan resident, Shu Du.

"We stayed in isolation for months, but we managed to survive," she added.

Selfie

In Hong Kong, despite the restrictions, some ventured out to celebrate the beginning of 2021 and gathered near the Victoria Harbor waterfront to take selfies.

On the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia, where temperatures reach -35 degrees Celsius, about a dozen Russians took part in an ice dive on New Year's Eve.

And in Tokyo, although the New Year holiday is the most important holiday in Japan, this year's celebrations took place on a limited scale after the record increase in new cases of Coronavirus and the government's calls for residents to stay at home.

Emperor Naruhito appealed to the people to cooperate to overcome the pandemic crisis in a video recording, in which he said, "I hope with all my heart that everyone passes this difficult time by supporting and helping each other."

The speech was broadcast in place of the imperial family's usual public appearances during the New Year holidays.

Celebrate on YouTube

For its part, the British government urged citizens to stay home, to avoid the spread of the virus, with the slogan "Behave as if you have the virus."

The 74-year-old American singer and songwriter, Patty Smith, commemorated the new year by honoring the National Health Service workers who died from the "Covid-19" epidemic, in a screen broadcast in Piccadilly Square in London and by streaming on "YouTube".

In Paris, the Champs-Elysées Avenue was empty, as hundreds of thousands of people usually flock to it on New Year's Eve to greet the New Year, and the police stopped the few cars that passed to make sure that drivers had the necessary permissions to exit under the curfew in effect in the country, as it is prohibited to go out in France between It is eight in the evening and six in the morning, except for professional reasons.

In Madrid, one of the European cities hardest hit by the epidemic, the famous Puerta del Sol Square was also empty.

In the South Korean capital of Seoul, traditional bell-ringing ceremonies were held without an audience and broadcast on television.

Usually tens of thousands of people see a large bronze bell in the Bossenjak ward that rings 33 times to bring good luck.

Outdoor celebrations have also been canceled in other South Korean cities.

Celebrations in India were also muted, with restrictions on large gatherings and nightly curfews imposed in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and several states.

The evening began in Berlin much quieter than in previous years.

Fireworks were heard in many Berlin neighborhoods, but less than usual.

Some 21 million Scandinavians in Denmark, Norway and Sweden welcomed the New Year amid the restrictions.

The fireworks display began in the Copenhagen sky, with many Danes standing on chairs, tables or sofas just before midnight to jump into the New Year as the clock approached 12 at night, according to tradition.

The fireworks were canceled in Oslo and Helsinki, while in Stockholm the fireworks were launched over the Skansen open-air museum, but only to the public on television.

Global Village lights up the Dubai sky 7 times

In keeping with the global village tradition of celebrating with countries and cultures from all over the world to multiply the fun seven times, the family destination continued to count down until midnight, to launch fireworks displays in conjunction with midnight in seven countries around the world.

At midnight, officially marking the beginning of the new year in the UAE, the most spectacular fireworks display began to the rhythm of the global village song "Together," with the voice of Ahlam and the international superstar Redwan.

The celebration did not end at midnight, as the last fireworks display in the United Arab Emirates took place over the Global Village at one o'clock in the morning, coinciding with the entry of the New Year in the Russian capital, Moscow.

Sheikh Zayed Festival breaks two records

The Sheikh Zayed Festival broke two world records recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, while receiving its visitors for the first minutes of 2021 with huge fireworks displays that lit the Al Wathba sky for 35 continuous minutes, and were launched from 16 towers in multiple formations and colors that dazzled the visitors.

The festival succeeded in breaking two world records recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, as the Girandola technique was used for the first time in the world to break the record in the number of shots by firing 300 Girandola rounds in a time of 30 seconds, and for the first time in the world the record recorded by the Guinness Book of Records was broken. For the largest straight-line fireworks display.

The visitors also enjoyed hundreds of various artistic, show and folkloric events presented by dozens of local, Gulf, Arab and international teams.

Millions in cities around the world watched the celebrations of "Burj Khalifa" on screens and entered the New Year on "Emirates time"

Several governments have canceled fireworks and required people to stay indoors to reduce injuries.

Celebrations without spectators in Sydney ... and deserted streets in Paris, New York, London and Tokyo.

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