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Abu Dhabi festival starts on Thursday
An eight-week family festival tipped as the UAE capital's largest will begin on Thursday, organised jointly by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec).
- By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:33 June 23, 2008
- Members of the UAE football team to make guest appearances;
- Thani Al Qamzi, the current UAE speedboat champion and a strong contender in the Union Internationale Motonautique F1 Powerboat World Championship, will grace the opening day
- Special guests such as Noddy, Pink Panther, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more!
Abu Dhabi: An eight-week family festival tipped as the UAE capital's largest will begin on Thursday, organised jointly by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec).
'Summer in Abu Dhabi' will be spread over 13,000 square metres of air-conditioned indoor space and will consist of seven themed entertainment islands - Adventure Island, Action Island, Island of Creativity, Fun Island, Imagination Island, Culture Island and Discovery Island.
The event, which will go on until August 18, is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors. Tickets are priced at Dh30 for adults and Dh20 for a child over four years and under 16 years of age. Children under four will be allowed free admission.
Ahmad Al Mazrouie, managing director of Adnec, told Gulf News that the aim of organising the event is to create a "family edutainment extravaganza and bring all areas of the community together".
"We have a retail village where visitors will be able to buy certain items. We also have a food court providing refreshment for visitors, but this is not a business event. The sole focus of the show is to provide visitors with the best family day out in the UAE. This event does not focus on revenues; we are doing this for the community," he added.
Al Mazrouie said that for Adnec and Adta, "this is a long-term investment designed to extend the tourism season in the capital to a full 12 months.
Partners
"We have been lucky to work with some of the UAE's most prestigious organisations in staging this event. Our sponsors are etisalat, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage, and Capital Centre. Our media partners are MBC3, Spacetoons, Gulf News Broadcasting and Abu Dhabi Media Company. We have also had a great deal of support from Etihad Airways."
Faisal Al Shaikh, head of ADTA events section, said: "Summer in Abu Dhabi will redefine national and regional summer events; it will harmonise interactive exhibitions; theatre productions; mini-shows; workshops; and extreme sports to provide a uniquely segregated environment offering interesting intellectual and social activities."
Hot list: Prominent attendees
Timing
Summer in Abu Dhabi runs at Adnec from June 26 to August 18. The show is open from 12pm to 9pm daily.
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