Singapore National Day celebrations planned for the UAE

Asia-Pacific

The Singaporean community of the United Arab Emirates is preparing to mark the 41st anniversary of their country’s independence with a series of events this week – the first time Singapore National Day has been…

The Singaporean community of the United Arab Emirates is preparing to mark the 41st anniversary of their country’s independence with a series of events this week – the first time Singapore National Day has been formally celebrated in the Emirates.

With the support of the increasingly-populous community based in the UAE, there will be a special National Day celebration at the newly-opened Somerset Jadaf Residences on August 10th, along with a number of art and cultural activities running throughout the week.

This will include a display of artwork by renowned Singaporean artists from Singapore’s “Seven Pendekar” collective, which will be exhibited at Jumeirah Beach hotel, to coincide with National Day celebrations.

With the artists set to attend the evening event on Thursday, the organising committee will hold an auction for some the artists’ works, with some of the proceeds donated to charity.

These events will bring together Singaporeans from across the Emirates along with the welcoming to the event of H.E. Dileep Nair, Singapore Consul-General to the UAE, who will address guests from across the community.

“National Day is a time for Singaporeans to reflect on their ties with Singapore, their home, and with one another. This reflection is especially important as more and more Singaporeans work, study and live overseas,” said H.E. Consul-General Dileep Nair.

“This is the first time that we are holding National Day celebrations in the UAE, which is a testament to the growing number of Singaporeans making their home in this country,” he added.

Meanwhile, visitors to Singapore this week will be surprised by the range of concerts, spectacle and pageantry held to celebrate National Day. The Singapore Fireworks Festival 2006, in conjunction with Singapore’s 41st National Day celebration, will be held at Marina Bay over a four-day period.

Individually choreographed musical fireworks display, lasting 12 to 15 minutes, will see bursts of water shells and parachutes shots that will travel up, down, across and onto the waters of Marina Bay, lighting up an area spanning 500 meters and filling the night sky with its breathtaking and stunning effects.

Travel between Singapore and the Middle East has risen significantly in recent years, driven by ever-closer business ties and an increase in tourism numbers.

In June 2006, Singapore welcomed 786,704 visitors, registering a 5.3% growth over the same period a year ago. This is a record high for June, with visitor days reaching 2.8 million, an increase of 5.5% in comparison to June 2005.

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