Eye On The Capital
Summer In Abu Dhabi
The UAE capital's annual summer family festival, Summer in Abu Dhabi, has made a welcome return. And the good news is that has tripled in size and scale this year, with more attractions aimed at attracting residents and tourists in excess of 150,000.
The festival, which is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and runs until August 13, will feature a wide variety of family activities, with its main attraction being a six-week carnival-like event staged across nine halls at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).
"This major initiative is another example of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority living up to its mandate of delivering quality experiences which enrich the lives of both visitors and residents alike," says Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA. "Other than the highlight attraction at Adnec, we are encouraging our hospitality and retail stakeholders to leverage on this major umbrella event by rolling out special activities and packages for residents and visitors.
"We will also undertake an intensive marketing campaign to garner substantial visitor support from our neighbouring GCC states."
The five themed islands at the Summer in Abu Dhabi event will comprise science and technology, adventure, art, culture and heritage, sports, and entertainment. Three world-class entertainment productions – a renowned magician show, a branded ice show and a top-name circus – are also in the pipeline.
"Each island will have a host of activities. These range from visitors being able to get hands-on experience of cutting-edge technology in entertainment, music and the arts in the science and technology island, to workshops by professional trapeze groups in the adventure island, which will engage visitors in the latest exercise craze," says Faisal Al Sheikh, ADTA's Events Head of Section. "In sports island visitors will get to grips with archery, bowling, go-karting and try their skills on wave and ski simulators.
"We will also be working with educational providers for special needs students to ensure this important segment of the community does not miss out on this edutainment opportunity."
Summer in Abu Dhabi 2008, which attracted over 130,000 visitors, recently won the Best Theme in The Middle East award at the Middle East Events Award, dubbed the 'Oscars' of the regional event industry.
Al Sheikh adds: "We are looking to expand on this award-winning start, and build on the highly positive post-event feedback visitors gave.
"We're also out to increase the event's repeat visitation trend, which last year saw one quarter of the visitors returning more than once."
- For more information about Summer in Abu Dhabi 2009 and a timetable of events, visit www.summerinabudhabi.com
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