Ras Al Khaimah, the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, welcomed the New Year 2024 with two new Guinness World Record titles.
In a press statement, the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) says that as a part of the celebrations, the city hosted a record-breaking eight-minute-long firework and drone display in a spectacle that lit up the skies along 4.5 km stretch of Ras Al Khaimah’s waterfront, earning two new Guinness records.
It adds that the festivities attracted over 50,000 spectators and saw hotels across the Emirate fully booked, making it the most visited show to date. The event offered various viewing areas open for the public to enjoy, with family activities, food trucks and live entertainment. Other revellers experienced the celebrations at the ticketed event experience, SoundFest, where global bands performed live in the wee hours of 2024.
Already a holder of several other Guinness records, the Emirate has made history once again with a show that earned the ‘Longest chain of aquatic floating fireworks’ for a grand total of 5.8 km and the ‘Longest straight-line drones display’ for a total length of 2 km, RAKTDA says in its statement.
RAKTDA says that the show featured a combination of 1,050 LED drones, a ‘carpet’ of aquatic floating fireworks and acrobatic pyro planes display inspired by Ras Al Khaimah’s natural wonders, the desert, the sea and the mountains, all choreographed to music specially composed for the celebration.
“Breaking two more Guinness World Records titles has set stage for an unforgettable night of celebration bringing together thousands of visitors and residents. As we kick off the new year, 2023 has been an exceptional year for tourism in Ras Al Khaimah with numerous achievements and the highest ever annual number of visitors recorded, propelling the Nature Emirate further in attracting over 3 million annual visitors by 2030,” says Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.