Dubai: Hundreds of people visited the Dubai Frame to get the first view from the top of the emirate’s latest tourist attraction on the first day of the new year.
The 150-metre tall Dubai Frame that had been taking shape for the last couple of years, opened for public on Monday, offering people a 360 degree view of Dubai’s skyline.
Latest in a series of iconic landmarks to open in the city, Dubai Frame houses the UAE’s first glass sky bridge that straddles the twin towers of the gold-cladded frame.
“It was an amazing experience walking over that glass bridge, it gave me goose bumps looking down through the glass as I walked on the bridge. It’s something you don’t get to see everyday. I had read about it in newspapers and it was something I always wanted to do, so this morning we woke up early and drove from Sharjah to catch the first glimpse of the city through the frame,” said Jenifer Delatore, a Filipina teacher.
Delatore visited the Dubai Frame with her husband Jero Sayco, who said it was nice to get a view of both sides of Dubai from a single vantage point.
“It is wonderful to have both the views. I also like the Hologram projections that take you back to the past of Dubai and the Future Gallery that gives a glimpse of what Dubai will soon look like,” said Sayco.
Apart from the Sky Bridge that has a clear span of 75 metres with glass panels covering the facade and the floor, the Dh250-million project also features the Past Zone that tells the story of the development of the city and the Future Gallery depicts Dubai 50 years from now.
Last week, Dubai Municipality had announced that a maximum of 200 people would be allowed per hour to the top of Dubai Frame, which would mean only 1,800 people were lucky enough to get the view on day one.
Among the lucky few was an Indian couple Kurian Thomas and Celine John, who stayed indoors on New Year’s Eve to wake up early and visit the Dubai Frame on New Year’s Day.
“I have seen the Dubai Frame coming up everyday going to work and I always wanted to visit it. So when I heard that it is opening for New Year, we though it would be nice to start the New Year with a different experience and enjoyed being there at the top. We had a good time taking in the views,” said Thomas.
The 93-metre long sky bridge, from where the visitors get a view of the old and new parts of Dubai, is 48 floors above the ground.
Long lines of vehicles could be seen heading into the parking area of the Dubai Frame, while queues of people waiting to buy their tickets could be seen snaking back several metres.
“My brother has been waiting for more than 30 minutes to get the tickets. My sister has travelled from Abu Dhabi to see the Dubai Frame. The entire family is here to enjoy the New Year on top of Dubai Frame. We are all really excited to go on the sky bridge,” said Saleh Abdullah, as he waited for the tickets, which cost Dh50 per head.
According to Dubai Municipality, tickets are currently available only from Gate 4 of Zabeel Park and within two weeks, people will be able to purchase the tickets online also.
