Image Credit: AP
Dubai: Planning to see the fireworks at Burj Khalifa, The Palm or Jumeirah Beach? If you are, it’s important to note that roads will be closed to these locations ahead of the fireworks and unless you have a booking at a restaurant, you would need to head towards specific viewing points for visitors.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport (RTA) has announced the following traffic plan for New Year’s Eve, which you should keep in mind if you are in the area on December 31, 2022.
Road Closure and Timings
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard will be closed at 4pm, upon reaching capacity in the parking area.
Lower Deck of the Financial Centre Road will be closed at 4pm.
Al Sukook Street will be closed at 8pm.
A closure of Al Asayel Road, extending from Oud Metha Road and leading to Burj Khalifa district, is scheduled at 4pm for the exclusive use of public buses and emergency vehicles.
Al Mustaqbal Street will gradually shut down between Second Za’abeel Road and Al Meydan Road starting at 4pm.
Extra parking spaces
These locations will have additional parking spots for visitors:
• Al Wasl Club in Zabeel area (1,000 parking spaces)
• General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) headquarters in Al Jaffliya (500 parking spaces)
• Dedicated buses will take visitors from these parking spaces to the fireworks locations.
• You can also use the parking spaces at Metro stations to reach the fireworks locations using the Metro.
Metro timings
Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa Station will be closed from 5pm.
Other Metro stations, however, will remain open, with the Dubai Metro operating all through the night.
Plan your trip to the Burj Khalifa fireworks show
Dubai’s official tourism website – visitdubai.ae – also shared some advice that visitors should keep in mind, if they plan to watch the fireworks at some of the major locations in Dubai. Here is how you can plan your day:
Where are the viewing points?
You can watch the Burj Khalifa fireworks from the public viewing areas in Downtown Dubai. While you do not need to make any advanced booking, and entry is free of charge, it is important to arrive as early as possible, since entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
The area will have five access points across Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard for visitors:
Gate 1: Behind Downtown Command Centre
Gate 2: Behind Burj Vista
Gate 3: Near Emaar Square, adjacent to Boulevard Plaza Building
Gate 4: Opposite Address Boulevard
Gate 5: Opposite Address Downtown
Can I park at Dubai Mall?
While parking will be available at Dubai Mall, it will be closed when it reaches full capacity.
Can I take the Metro?
As mentioned earlier, Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa Metro Station will be closed by 5pm, or earlier if the numbers exceed the stations capacity. If you end up taking the Metro after this time, you may be able to catch a feeder bus from the nearby Metro stations – like the Business Bay Metro station or the Financial Centre Metro station.
RTA advised people to make sure that their Nol car has a balance of at least Dh15, to not face any delays while using public transport.
Can I take a taxi?
Taxis will be in operation as normal before road closures take place, but will not be able to access Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard once the road closures have been implemented.
Plan your trip to the Palm Jumeirah fireworks show
If you are planning on attending festivities on Palm Jumeirah, you may want to park at one of the 1,600 spaces at the Palm Gateway Station or get dropped off at that location and then take the Palm Monorail onto the island. The Palm Gateway Station is also connected to the Dubai Tram.
The monorail stops at Golden Mall Galleria, Al Ittihad Park, Nakheel Mall, The Pointe and Atlantis, The Palm, making it an easy way to travel down the main trunk of the island. To facilitate those who are heading for celebrations, Palm Monorail will be open from 9am on December 31, 2022, until 3am on January 1, 2023.
There will also be free shuttle bus services from Nakheel Mall to The Pointe, from 8pm till 3am for those who want to watch the fireworks from that prime waterfront vantage point.
Plan your trip to the Jumeirah Beach Residences and Dubai Marina fireworks show
Although there are no announced road closures in this popular area, it might be easier to get to your destination by using public transport like the Metro or the tram.
All you have to do is to take the Metro Red Line to the Sobha Realty Metro Station in Dubai Marina. From there, you can take the Dubai Tram to the Marina Towers Tram Station. From there, you can walk across to the Dubai Marina waterfront, to enjoy the fireworks. However, planning your trip and leaving early is very important, as this is a popular fireworks viewing spot.
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