There is not much information on the network about how they mark New Year in the United Arab Emirates. Someone will say that the country is Arab and the holiday, it seems, is not quite theirs. But, in fact, this is not at all the case. New Year is a common holiday, and it occurs in many countries, regardless of the religious affiliation of the inhabitants.
How the New Year is celebrated in the UAE
It is worth noting that the New Year in the UAE occurs more than once! Residents of the UAE respectfully treat Lunar calendar, according to which there are 354 days in a year, and all religious holidays are calculated according to this calendar.
- Muslim new year
For reference: Muslim New Year is a religious holiday without reference to a date. The date of the celebration is constantly changing, moving back 11 days annually. Therefore, according to the Muslim calendar, today we have 1439. This holiday is met calmly and without a big scale. In 2017, it passed - from September 21 to 22.
- Traditional New Year
The second time the New Year in the Emirates is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1, traditionally, as in most countries of the world. This holiday is held with fun and on a large scale.
The largest fireworks in the world
Residents of the UAE tend to shock the rest of the world with the size of their hotels, skyscrapers, recreation parks and more. In 2009, the UAE conquered the whole world with the largest fireworks display, which entered the Guinness Book of Records.
It is customary to celebrate the New Year in the UAE with fireworks. The main events take place near the Burj Al Arab Hotel on Jameirah Beach, as well as at the Atlantis Hotel. Each hotel tries to make the maximum impression on the arriving tourists. And there are so many tourists these days that you have to take places to watch the fire show in advance.
For those who are not eager to contemplate the delightful fireworks, entertainment programs are provided in hotels with a Christmas tree, Santa Claus and Snow Maiden. When choosing a hotel, pay attention to the duration of the New Year's program. In some hotels, the festivities end with the chimes, which very often discourages tourists from the CIS countries. Therefore, clarify this point in advance so that later there will be no conflict situations.
By the way, prices for tours to the UAE during the New Year celebrations increase by an average of 2-2.5 times. Although, even this does not stop those wishing to celebrate this cheerful holiday in the Emirates.
If you are ready, there is still time to book tickets and hotel!
New year and spirits in the UAE
Remember - spirits in the UAE under strict ban and in new year's eve! Even in relatively liberal Dubai, we strongly discourage you from drinking anything on the street or in any other public place other than a hotel and restaurant where drinking is allowed.
Otherwise, your mood can be very badly spoiled by the police, and as a New Year's gift there is a chance to get a night at the police station and a substantial fine. And in Sharjah you have to do without alcoholic beverages- there, as you know, drinking is prohibited completely.
What other options are there for meeting the New Year
If you are not interested in fireworks, and gatherings at the hotel are boring, then you can choose an alternative option for celebrating the New Year in the UAE. What else does the Emirates offer:
- New Year's jeep safari to the desert to the Bedouins. Exotic? - More than! Instead of snow, sand, campfire gatherings and a bewitching belly dance. Most of the guides offer this program. The estimated cost is about 100 USD per person.
- Beach parties are another way to celebrate the New Year in Dubai in an interesting and exciting way. Discos from December 31 to January 1 on the beach with the participation of world famous DJs. The cost of such parties varies depending on the hotel on the beach where they are held, the drinks included, the program and the stars who are performing. The split can be from 100 to 1000 USD.
If you celebrate the New Year in other Emirates
Remember, Dubai is the most pompous New Year. Neighboring emirates do it more modestly. Fireworks are also given in Abu Dhabi in honor of the arrival of the new year. If you are in Ajman, Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah and decide to visit Dubai for the New Year, then take care of leaving in advance.
By lunchtime on December 31, all highways at the entrance to the city will be standing, and you have a chance to skip all events, staying in the car for the night.
Weather in the UAE for the New Year
The UAE is a country of year-round summer, so worry about weather not worth it. The weather is as comfortable as possible for the New Year: on average, about 22-27 degrees during the day. It can be 12-17 at night, so it makes sense to wear something over a T-shirt or shirt. The water temperature is about 20 degrees - not so cold and you can even swim. Rain is unlikely - the wettest month in the Emirates is February.
How to be parents with children
Many shopping centers have special premises designed in the style of a Santa Claus house. You can have a lot of fun there: read poetry, sing, take pictures with Santa. The average cost of a visit is from 10 to 20 USD. All children are given gifts - sweets.
What else can you do during the holidays?
If you like to combine business with pleasure, then you have a chance to save a lot even on the New Year 2018 celebration in the UAE. This year the world famous dubai shopping festival kicked off on December 26, 2017 year and will last a whole month - until January 26, 2018. Discounts on many products during this period reach 70%! So there is a chance not only to celebrate the New Year in an interesting and exciting way, but also to make many interesting and profitable purchases during the holidays!
By the way, many expensive prizes are drawn during the festival. Last year there were Lexus, Nissan cars, several kilograms of pure gold, and even a helicopter! Who knows, maybe this year you will get lucky too?
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In the United Arab Emirates, the New Year is celebrated on two calendars: secular and Muslim.The secular New Year is celebrated along with the rest of the world on January 1, but the Muslim, Al-Hijara, in accordance with the chronology based on lunar cycles, "floats" throughout the year. In 2016, it fell on October 3, and in 2017 - September 22.
"Hijara" in translation from Arabic means "resettlement".In the meaning of this word lies the central event that marked the beginning of the Muslim chronology. According to Islamic historical sources, on July 16, 622, according to the Julian calendar, the Muslim community of the city of Mecca, fleeing from opponents of the faith, was forced to abandon all their property and move to Yathrib, later renamed Medina. It was from this place that Islam spread throughout the world. The symbolic meaning of the holiday of Al-Hijar lies in the voluntary abandonment of material values \u200b\u200bin favor of serving Allah. The Muslim New Year is not celebrated magnificently and violently in the United Arab Emirates, the first day of the first month of the year - Muharram - is dedicated to prayer, going to the mosque, good deeds and family gatherings. Recently, it has become customary to congratulate relatives and friends, give cards and symbolic gifts. The first ten days of Muharram, one of the four holy months of the year, is a very important time in which it is customary to marry and start new meaningful affairs.
Secular New Year, celebrated on the night of January 1, in the UAE, they celebrate mainly for the sake of the numerous tourists and expats living in the country. One of the most popular offers of the tourism industry, flourishing in the country, are new year tours... Hotels prepare banquets with their own performances and fireworks, discounts start in stores, and if you stay a little longer, you can visit a shopping festival. But the opinion that, in addition to the holiday at the hotel, to find a worthy occupation on New Year's night is impossible - wrong.
In the center of the largest and most luxurious city of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, near the famous Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the city authorities annually arrange fireworks of fantastic beauty. The only thing that should not be forgotten, when going to this magnificent celebration, for example, from neighboring emirates, is that at the same time the city center can flood about a million people and flock there human flows will begin in the afternoon on the 31st, while forming many kilometers of traffic jams. Another equally colorful spectacle is the enchanting Jumana show, which takes place in the middle of the desert. These are laser and pyrotechnic special effects and a mesmerizing performance of actors, dancers, acrobats, trained horses and camels.
The Arab winter for a European or Russian is characterized by a very comfortable temperature: + 23- + 28 degrees Celsius. Water in Persian Gulf most often it also keeps in the region of 23-25 \u200b\u200bdegrees. So in the absence of stormy weather, New Year's days can be safely spent on the beach. Other cultural features of the lifestyle of the United Arab Emirates that a foreigner simply needs to know about is a special dress code that does not imply open and provocative clothes, the presence of a dry law in some emirates, the need to agree to an invitation to visit, and many others.
As you know, The UAE is a country that always wants to be # 1 in everything and constantly surprises with its luxury and scope.
How was it in 2015?
Attention!!! From what you see, the gift of speech can be lost for a short time!
Don't miss your chance to see something like this live.
It's nice to get from cold winter to summer, so tourists love to spend new year holidays in the UAE. We tell you about the weather, the meeting points for the new 2020 in Dubai, prices for tours and hotels. We share reviews and tips from tourists.
Weather in Dubai for New Year
New 2020 in the UAE will bring you many pleasant experiences. The weather in Dubai at the height of winter pleases the inhabitants of the middle zone, the northern regions of Russia and Siberia. This is not surprising! When we have frosts, in an Arab country, the daytime temperature does not drop below + 24 ° C. Rains are rare here, and they are not prolonged.
In the evenings, the air in Dubai cools down to +13 ... + 15 ° С, and in the desert - to 0 ° С. So bring warm clothing and a hooded windbreaker.
The Persian Gulf is warmed up to +18 ... + 21 ° С. Heat-loving Arabs do not bathe in the cold season, but Russians and residents of Northern Europe who are accustomed to cool water enter the sea with pleasure. In addition, in many hotels, guests can swim in outdoor pools heated.
Preparations for winter celebrations in the UAE begin long before December 31st. A lot of tourists come to Dubai from different countries the world, because a huge modern city offers guests different New Year's activities.
Look at fireworks and salutes. Colorful light shows arranged in different parts of Dubai. The most spectacular are the fireworks over the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah and. Pyrotechnic shows turn into amazingly beautiful light and musical performances!
Square in front of tall building the world is filled with tourists. Up to 1 million people come to see the bright New Year's extravaganza at Burj Plaza! A beautiful view of the fireworks opens from the entertainment complex Souk Al Bahar, from the Dubai Canal, from the fashionable City Walk shopping center and nearby hotels. To enjoy full overview fireworks in Downtown, some tourists from the center go to the Meydan racecourse or celebrate the New Year in hotels that stand along the Sheikh Zayed highway.
To admire the light show on Palm Jumeirah, you need to come to the Atlantis complex. Colorful fireworks are clearly visible from the long Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk and from the island hotels.
(Photo: Armin Rodler / flickr.com / CC BY-NC 2.0 License)
Dance in nightclubs. Want to spend the new 2020 in Dubai on the dance floor? Incendiary dances are held in nightclubs and in the city's lounge bars. Famous DJs are invited here, and the most popular establishments organize concerts of world famous bands and performers. The ticket costs from 590 AED.
Keep in mind that it is forbidden to sell alcohol to people under the age of 21 in Dubai! Some nightclubs set a stricter age limit - 25 years.
Have fun at the New Years party. Festive banquets and entertainment programs are offered by most restaurants and beach clubs in the city. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the New Year with friends or with your family. The restaurant menu includes unusual dishes from the chef. Guests can relax with live music, while young children can play in the children's corner or have fun at the children's party.
Nice evening in budget restaurants will cost 770-1250 AED per person. Celebrating the New Year in one of the five restaurants of the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel costs from 8000 AED. Don't forget the stylish and elegant dress code!
According to tourists, the brightest New Year in the UAE happens in the famous Atlantis complex. People come here to show each other the best outfits, enjoy gourmet food, dance to live music and watch the pyrotechnics show. Admission to the party for adults costs 2900 AED, and for guests 12-20 years old - 2030 AED. Children under 12 years old can take part in a free themed party.
Many tourists tend to get to the holiday at the At.mosphere restaurant, which is located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa. From here, the whole city is visible at a glance! From 19:00 to 1:00 the restaurant holds two New Year's programs - for families with children and for adults. A seat at a table will cost 2700-2900 AED.
Take a boat trip. A good solution is to celebrate the New Year in Dubai aboard a large wooden dhow Rustar or a comfortable yacht Amwaj Al Bahar. Sea vessels cruise along Creek Bay, and their passengers have fun with a DJ and taste delicious dishes prepared in the city's restaurants. From the water, you can see the new city blocks and fireworks over the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. The holiday cruise runs from 10pm to 1am and costs between AED 800-1500.
Celebrate in the desert. Tourists who want to celebrate the New Year in the UAE with comfort, but in a more secluded atmosphere, choose the 5 * Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa. It is located in the sand dunes, 45 minutes from the airport. The hotel complex was built in the style of an exotic Arab fort and has green gardens and cozy courtyards with fountains.
Hikers can take jeeps or camels into the desert or relax at the Satori Spa. On the main night of the year, the hotel restaurant Al Hadheerah Desert surprises guests with traditional Arabic cuisine.
Have a beach picnic. Collect your picnic basket and spend time with your friends on New Year's Eve by the sea! The pyrotechnic show at the Burj Al Arab is clearly visible from any of the beaches of Jumeirah.
(Photo: marcelocampi / flickr.com / CC BY-SA 2.0 License)
What to do during the holidays
Tourists who come to the UAE for the New Year easily find entertainment to their liking. Some are gambling shopping and trying to profit on New Year's sales. Others, despite the middle of winter, enjoy swimming and sunbathing.
Desert Safari. For those who are not indifferent to the Arabian exotic, trips to the sand dunes on SUVs and ATVs are popular. Such excursions are organized by several travel companies, for example, Platinum Heritage. During the trip, you can admire picturesque sunsets, participate in a falcon show, visit a Bedouin camp and taste Arabian food. A ride for adults starts from AED 2090, and for children from 5 to 11 years old - AED 1740.
On the sand on a sandboard. From the Dubai-Hatta highway (E44), the Big Red dune is perfectly visible. It organizes riding on boards similar to snowboards. This is exciting entertainment for fans active rest! Local tour operators offer full-day excursions that include desert trekking and sandboarding training.
(Photo: Daniel Jo / flickr.com / CC BY-SA 2.0 License)
Skiing. It is difficult for everyone who came to a hot country for winter holidays to imagine that in the very big city The UAE has a real ski center. Ski Dubai is located in a modern mall Mall of the Emirates. For 22.5 thousand sq. m equipped with five tracks and a freestyle area. There is a snow park with caves and slopes for sledding, a real alpine cafe and a small penguinarium.
Amusement parks. It is interesting to visit the Global Village - the city's seasonal park with a child. During the winter holidays, they organize a festive parade, stunt performances, theatrical performances under open air, fountain shows and other entertainment for adults and children. A visit to the park for a family will cost about 100 AED.
For family vacation the rides at the Riverland Dubai theme park are great. It is located in Dubai Parks and Resorts. In order to see animals from different parts of the world, it is worth going to Dubai Safari Park.
Last Minute Tours search on services and - they will find best offers among different tour operators. Want to save money? Explore our.
Winter trips to the UAE are in demand among vacationers, so the prices for tours to Dubai for the new 2020 cannot be called cheap. At the end of December, vouchers from Moscow for a week for two cost from 92 thousand rubles. For similar tours "all inclusive" you need to pay from 117 thousand rubles, and if you are accommodated in a 5 * hotel - from 184 thousand rubles.
If you want to save money, buy tours in advance or, conversely, look for last minute tours.
(Photo: Sarah_Ackerman / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 License)
Hotels
Look for hotels with discounts on Hotellook. Here are the main ones.
We advise you to book a hotel several months in advance - this will allow you to find the best option in terms of price and quality. According to reviews, closer to the New Year in Dubai, housing prices jump. Here is the cost of a double room on New Year's Eve in hotels of different categories:
How you can celebrate the New Year in the United Arab Emirates and can you save money, says Nadezhda Burmak, director of the tour operator PROtravel.
Question: How is New Year celebrated in the United Arab Emirates?
Answer:Many tourists from all over the world are eager to celebrate the New Year in Dubai to see the famous fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa. In early 2014, the fireworks were listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest and longest in the world. The main problem is that a lot of people gather on the square every year - a real pandemonium! - therefore, to see the fireworks, you will have to come to the square in advance. Immediately after the end of the fireworks, it is impossible to go back to the hotel either by metro - the nearest stations are closed, or by taxi - due to traffic jams.
To celebrate the New Year in the UAE economically, you can choose to stay in a hotel in an inexpensive emirate, for example, in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah or Ajman, book a table in a restaurant within walking distance of the center of Dubai to celebrate the New Year until the main stream subsides tourists, and in the morning calmly return to the hotel by bus.
The ideal, most comfortable, but also the most expensive option is to choose a hotel next to the tower for relaxation, book a table for the New Year's show directly at the hotel, watch the fireworks, the New Year's show program and return to your room after it ends.
Question: What is the weather in the United Arab Emirates in January?
Answer:Personally, I vacationed with my family in Dubai several times in January, and I can note that year after year is not necessary. Despite the fact that January is considered the coldest month of the year in the Emirates, the air during the day is from + 20 ° С to + 25 ° С in the sun, so a great tan is guaranteed. In the evening, the temperature drops to + 14 ° С .. + 19 ° С, so a warm sweater will be useful for evening walks. The water warms up to + 23 ° C during the day, however, for those who are used to warm seas South-East Asia, water even in the Persian Gulf or Indian Oceanwhich are considered the warmest will seem cool. In addition, there are rains and quite windy weather in January. One option is to choose a hotel with a heated pool. In the UAE there is a very large selection of hotels of various stars, where there are pools with water at a comfortable temperature for swimming.
Question: Is it possible to somehow save money on vacation in the UAE?
Answer: If we are talking about a trip for the New Year, then in order to keep within reasonable money, we need to start organizing our own new year trip back in the spring. First, you can buy air tickets in advance at the lowest possible airfare. Secondly, there will still be a fairly large selection of hotels at the beginning of the year. As a rule, by summer, there are no more places for New Year's dates in the most popular hotels, as well as places for New Year's shows in famous restaurants. In the United Arab Emirates, hotels do not provide any discounts for the period from December 27 to January 7, but starting from January 8, you can relax much cheaper.
Hotels on the first beach line are very expensive, as well as in the center of Dubai. For a more economical holiday, you can consider hotels on the outskirts of Dubai or in one of the other emirates. Another budget option is to stay in an aparthotel with a kitchenette. Basic groceries in supermarkets cost about the same as in St. Petersburg, so you can save on food.
If you do not consider New Year's dates, then according to the action early booking you can win 20-30% of the cost of living depending on the hotel.
Question: Are there any difficulties in obtaining a visa to the UAE?
Answer: For almost nine years of work, we have not had a single case of visa refusal to the UAE. Every year, visa formalities are becoming more and more simplified - now you can get a visa in one working day.
Traditionally, the New Year in the United Arab Emirates is met with a wide feast and is celebrated during the first two weeks of January. It is typical for the indigenous inhabitants of the Emirates to finish their dinner with the last chime, which for a long time was reflected in the opening hours of restaurants in resort cities, which began to close at 12 noon. Over time, the owners of the hotel business took into account the peculiarities of the Russian people, for whom the main festivities, on the contrary, begin after midnight. Most hotels hold a special festive program designed for Russian tourists, with contests, songs, dances and the mandatory participation of Santa Claus and Snow Maiden. The event comes to an end at the beginning of 3-4 in the morning. When purchasing a ticket to the Emirates for New Year's Eve from a travel operator or by booking a hotel room yourself, be sure to check whether it provides festive programheld at the hotel, the opportunity to observe the fireworks.
How to save money on vacation? First of all, choose the right tour to the Emirates.
An extraordinary meeting of the New Year in the Emirates
For adventure lovers who will remember New Year's Eve for a lifetime, the UAE offers a lot of unusual places:
A distinctive feature of the New Year's celebration in the UAE is a world-class fireworks, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records by the number of volleys. Fireworks are traditionally launched in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Burj Khalifa skyscraper and the Burj Al Arab hotel on Jumeirah Beach. Those wishing to celebrate the New Year under deafening volleys begin to gather on the beach at about 19 o'clock, by 23 o'clock to find comfortable spotfrom where the fireworks will be visible in all its glory is almost impossible. Every year, a special musical accompaniment is developed to launch the fireworks. The final salvo is followed by a 10-minute performance using laser special effects. The rest of the Emirates also celebrates the New Year, but on a smaller scale. Another fireworks display that may merit attention is being launched in Abu Dhabi. In all other areas, fireworks are identical in scale to those launched by residents of Russian cities in their yards.
New Year in Dubai, video:
Features of New Year's Eve in the Emirates
When planning to celebrate the New Year in the UAE, be sure to take into account the features typical of the night from December 31 to January 1:
- Transport. If the accommodation hotel is located far from the center of Dubai or in a completely different area, be sure to think about how to get to and from the New Year's place. On the eve of the holiday, most of the roads in the Emirates are filled with traffic jams, in which you can stand for several hours. Experts recommend giving preference to the metro.
- Alcohol. Drinking alcoholic beverages in the UAE on the street is prohibited, even on New Year's Eve. In Sharjah, there is a "dry law", according to which it is impossible not only to drink alcohol, but also to appear drunk in public places and on the streets. Otherwise, tourists face a fine, up to deportation from the country.
Going to a distant country, it is advisable to get acquainted with the cuisine in the Emirates.