Dubai's RTA creates 11,000 parking spaces for NYE

An additional 11,000 car parking spaces will be made available in Dubai for the New Year's Eve celebrations, it has been announced.

The move is part of plans by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to set up a comprehensive traffic plan to control the movement of vehicles and public transport during the celebrations, the transport authority said in a statement on Monday.

A total of 130 buses will be deployed to ferry reveller while a separate RTA statement said the Red Line of the Dubai Metro will offer continuous service starting from 5.30am on December 31 up to 1am on January 2. The Green Line will operate non-stop from 5.50am on December 31 to midnight on January 2.

Maitha bin Adai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency, said: "The team has taken all necessary measures to facilitate the traffic movement at Burj Khalifa area during the celebration of the New Year's Day.

"The traffic plan included the provision of additional 11,000 parking spaces, in addition to feeder buses for metro stations, which will be running around-the-clock."

She added that dedicated bus and taxi lanes have been earmarked and called on motorists not use the two express lanes in both directions of Al Saada Street from Dubai World Trade Centre to the Business Bay district.

"We have got a ready and approved plan to control the traffic movement during the New Year's Eve, where the team would play a key role in giving way to vehicles leaving the area after the end of the event."

Of the 11,000 extra parking slots being made available, 1,500 will be at the World Trade Centre, 8,000 at Meydan, 500 at Al Jafliyah, and 1,000 at Zabeel Park.

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About 130 buses will be deployed to commute riders between the parking spaces and the events site to ease congestion, the RTA said.

It added that during the celebrations, public transport in Dubai is expected to carry 820,000 people, with 490,000 expected on the following day.

Maitha called on the public to use the metro and public buses rather than private vehicles for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

The 828-metre high façade of Dubai's Burj Khalifa will feature an illuminated LED screen to project the emirate's New Year's Eve fireworks.

Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala is set to be the grandest yet with a six-part firework, laser and light show while the LED screen wrapped around Burj Khalifa is billed to create one of the world’s brightest illuminations to date, Emaar Properties said in a statement on Sunday.

Gold and silver strobe light effects will illuminate the tower in the first act, which will be complemented by fireworks displays from across buildings in Downtown Dubai illuminating the Dubai sky.

The second act will dress Burj Khalifa in colourful rings and volcanic waves, lending the tower a rainbow effect with the displays scaling up and down the 828 metres high building.

The third act creates a constellation of twinkling golden stars in a glitter of pink resembling a shower of stars over Downtown Dubai, while the next will feature a wave of cyclonic light effects enveloping the tower.

The final two acts will be the crescendo, with quivering light sequins covering Burj Khalifa, before the final countdown begins for a never-before-seen spectacle. The highest manmade point on earth will become home to a million stars in this brilliant finale.

Welcoming millions of visitors for the live event and watched globally through live satellite feeds, online viewers can also choose from four different camera angles to watch the livestreaming on www.youtube.com/DowntownDubai