Emirati to scale Dubai’s Burj Khalifa on NYE

Travellers Emirates has organised the Travellers Festival 2012 in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, which is considered the first of its kind in the Arab world and the Middle East.

The festival aims at the convergence of travellers from around the world who share distinct experiences and unique adventures in a variety of excursions, in addition to experiencing dangerous adventures such as climbing mountains peaks and exploring the two poles of the earth.

Emirati climber Saeed Al Memari, who claims to hold the honour of being the first UAE national to climb the Mount Everest twice, is all set to create another record by scaling the Burj Khalifa and skydiving on New Year’s Eve.

Al Memari is planning to scale the Burj Khalifa with his special safety gear by 5pm on the New Year’s Eve. “I hope I will get to the top by midnight and I’ll see the fireworks and 2013 from my parachute, Insha Allah,” he is reported to have said.

Al Memari says he will set a record when he jumps from the top of the 828-metre-tall Burj Khalifa, the highest tower in the world – a feat that he claims will be tougher than climbing mountains.

Speaking at a press conference at the Heritage Village in Dubai’s Al Shindagha area on Tuesday, Awad bin Mejren, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Traveller’s Festival 2012, said “The festival aims to honour the travellers who have achieved success and contributed significantly in setting records in various kinds of traditional sports, especially towards those who were not honoured in a way befitting their achievements.”

The festival also aims to enrich visitors with information acquired by the travellers while they were roaming across the world to be put up, circulated and discussed by organising seminars and lectures that will be part of the festival.

Awad added: “Some travellers participating in the festival will provide a brief overview of their journeys and adventures and the knowledge they have acquired while traveling, including the first Arab woman to climb Mount Everest, the first local man to climb mount Everest twice consecutively, the first family to spend 28 years travelling around the world with cars, in which they drove 665,000km and the first Arab who sailed around the world in a sailing boat. Red Crescent in Dubai is also taking part in this (humanitarian trips), in addition to many Emirati, Arab, and foreign travellers”.

Hamad Mohammad bin Mejrin, Executive Director of Business Tourism in the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, said: “Such events will place Dubai on the global map as a distinctive tourist destination, not just at the regional level, but at a global level. Dubai is now able to offer a unique diversity which is sought after on an international platform.”