Dubai's MJ fans flock to This Is It premiere

Their excitement at the heavily-hyped release of This Is It last evening was tinged with sadness that one of the world's all-time biggest music stars died before he could bring his live comeback to the stage. "It's a strange feeling. I am happy because I will be watching the movie, but I am sad that the King is not amongst us," said Bur Dubai resident Joseph 26, who had come for a special premiere of the movie at Dubai Mall's Reel Cinemas.

Culled from 80 hours of videotape taken of Jackson's final days of rehearsals for a series of London concerts planned for July, the film hit 8,500 screens in 99 cities including Dubai.

Jackson, 50, died suddenly in June just weeks before he was due to launch This Is It shows in London. Early reviews of the movie, which runs for just two weeks, were positive.

Critics have described the film as a fitting tribute to a star who fascinated the world with his slick dance moves and versatile vocals as well as his bizarre appearance and legal troubles.