Year of Zayed Drone Show: First-of-its-kind Light Show in the Middle East to Light Up Abu Dhabi Skyline at Mother of the Nation Festival

29 Mar, 2018

In tribute to the deeply-rooted values and cherished principles of the late founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) presents the ‘Year of Zayed Drone Show’ on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:20 pm, the Middle-East’s first-of-its-kind drone light show, for the closing weekend ceremony of the Mother of the Nation Festival.

Closing this edition’s Festival with spectacular scenes across the Abu Dhabi Corniche, the sky will light up with 500 Intel® Shooting Star™ Drones, creating a new form of night-time entertainment and storytelling. The LED-emitting drones will hover several metres high above visitors crowding the Abu Dhabi Corniche to usher out the third edition of the Mother of the Nation Festival. Set to last for more than 5 minutes, the drones will form into the official logo of the Year of Zayed to pay tribute to the nation’s founding father and his inspirational values through mesmerising shapes and symbols.

HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi is the first city in the Middle East to host this unique drone show. This remarkable event truly captures the Emirate’s spirit, which is grounded in heritage and tradition but with a look to the future. Merging the best of technology and art, this captivating show will enable us to tell the Abu Dhabi story in an impactful way and to pay tribute to our founding father using the night sky as our canvas. We would like to invite everyone across the UAE to join us for this spectacular show and to enjoy the hugely eclectic mix of entertainment options we have on offer throughout the festival.”

The third edition of the Mother of the Nation Festival launched in celebration of the inspirational legacy of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation and Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, who was also honoured by the League of Arab States recently and given the title of "Mother of Humanity-Mother of the Arabs” in recognition of her efforts in supporting Arab women and promoting their conditions in various domains.

The Main Stage is set to host some of the biggest artists on the Mother of the Nation programme this weekend, including: Emirati Superstar Eida Al Menhali and Lebanese-Canadian singer-songwriter Danny Aridi on Friday, percussionist and table player Daneel Sayegh and Superstar Adel Ibrahim on Saturday.

Press Release