Hundreds of people clamoured for a slice of the giant 2,000-kilo cake that marked the first day of the National Day Festival. Baked by 29 chefs and covering 29 square metres, the cake was a tribute by the Jumeirah International group, a festival sponsor, to the 29th National Day.

According to the project manager from the group it took 29 days to bake. Adib Moubadder, who was responsible for the transport and building of the support base for the cake on site, said, "The cake was baked piece by piece and kept in the chiller. There are two layers of sponge cake with 290 kilos of assorted fruit in the filling."

The cake was covered with hard icing, brown sugar to portray sand, and aquamarine slabs of jelly to depict water. It displayed scale models of the Burj Al Arab hotel, Wild Wadi Water Theme Park, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Emirates Towers, all made of wood and styrofoam.

The cake was cut by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, son of General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, to mark the opening of the six-day festival.

The theme of the festival is the formation of the Federation. Its exhibitions portray the political, social and cultural conditions of the time. Poetry readings, traditional games, handicrafts, food, music and interactive question-answer sessions aim to inform visitors about the country's history.

Awadh Al Seghayer, Manager of Heritage Sites and Events at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, "Around 40 per cent of the events during the festival chart the history of the UAE. The others focus on traditions and culture.

"We expect about 100,000 visitors each day for the festival, which is a five per cent increase from last year's Eid festival. These kinds of festivals, especially focusing on heritage, help provide an impetus for tourism.

"For the first time we are having a National Day Festival, and this combines three major events: the safe return of President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, National Day celebrations, and Eid.

We were very lucky with the way the dates of the holidays lined up so a lot of people can attend. "We have 55 activities each day which involve the entire family. We would like everybody to come and enjoy the experience."