Video: Dubai Frame opens to public today

UAE residents have one more reason to look forward to the New Year as they can see the city from an entirely new perspective the Dubai Frame which is thrown open to public today.
People can access the newest landmark that stands tall in Zabeel Park from 10am on Monday - the first day of the new year- till 7pm for Dh50 for adults and Dh20 for children children between 3 to 12 years old. People above 60 and people of determination will get free entry along with two companions.
Speaking to the press on a media tour inside the Dubai Frame, Eng. Hussain Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, said the frame is the New Year gift to the public from Dubai.
The frame visitors can pick up their tickets at Zabeel Park Gate 4 based on time slots. An integrated online platform will be launched, in cooperation with Etisalat, in the next two weeks to allow people to purchase tickets for Dubai Frame and Dubai Safari Park.
 
"The frame will only accept 200 visitors per hour with groups of 20 per slot. The ticket will mention the date and time, so people who purchase their tickets must note the date and time of their visit to avoid delays and jams," said Lootah.
The Dh260 million project tells the story of the past, present and future of Dubai. The two 150-meter high transparent glass towers are connected by a 93-meter bridge where visitors can get a 360-degree view of the city: the North shows the landmarks of old Dubai, including Deira, Umm Hurair and Karama, while the South portrays the modern shopping malls, Sheikh Zayed Road skyscrapers and Burj Khalifa.
The golden structure is expected to attract two million visitors a year
What makes the experience special in Dubai Frame?

The experience of the frame, which design is inspired by Expo 2020 logo, is marked by the allocation of 3D technology, virtual reality and immersive experience.
Entering the frame to a stunning dancing foundation at the main gate, visitors are led to the Old Dubai museum on the mezzanine floor that tells the history of the city. "Welcome to the past," a staffer at the Dubai Frame will tell you, before you enter into big projections on the wall of the Bedouin life, camels and sands of the desert takes the viewer on a unique journey to the past.

The experience is further illustrated by little souqs of spices, tailors and heritage artifacts with 3D projections and imagery of shopkeepers who welcome visitors to the stalls in the Emirati dialect. Projections, mist effects, smells, and motion create the immersive mood setting of the space.
Moving on, visitors then take a one-minute panoramic elevator where they enjoy the views up to the main highlight: the Sky Deck that gives an uninterrupted view of the entire city, both old and new.

"Welcome to the present," you will hear before stepping on the blood pumping glass bridge that would definitely give you an adrenaline rush as you see the city beneath you. On the right side lies modern Dubai with its skyscrapers and high-rise estate, while on your left lies the contrasting past of Dubai with Karama, Bur Dubai and Umm Harair's short old buildings.
Visitors can relax with a snack and cup of coffee at two small modern cafeterias and take pictures for memory at interactive screens to be purchased downstairs and sent by email. Augmented reality activated screens help visitors identify different buildings and explore interesting facts about Dubai landmarks in 3D.
 
Moving downstairs in a closed elevator, visitors are then led to the fascinating Future Dubai Gallery where an immersive huge virtual reality screen that walks visitors through the future Sheikh Zayed road 50 years from now marked by flying cars and self-driving vehicles. People will get the imagination of advanced healthcare, e-learning and virtual classrooms and technology. The virtual reality will also take visitors on a short trip to planet Mars.
At the end, a souvenirs shop will allow people to purchase an item they can remember their journey through time with.
Through the frame, Dubai's message is clear: the past and future are connected with the bridge of the present. Our ancestors led us that far and what we want to reach in the future goes back to what we do today.
- sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
Quick facts about the Dubai Frame
- The design of the exterior façade of the frame was inspired by the Expo 2020 logo.
- Standing at 150-meter tall, the frame is the higher than the Great Pyramids of Giza that stand at 139 meters high.
- Over 3600 engineers, architects, technicians and laborers worked together to make Dubai Frame dream a reality.
- A 116 square-meter switchable smart glass covers the floor of the upper glass bridge. Like magic, the glass changes from translucent to transparent when a person walks over it.
- The view-deck was lifted by four giant hydraulic jacks, each capable of lifting 300 tons in a process that took over two days.
- Over 2900 square meters of the laminated glass was used to build the Dubai Frame.
- Over 15,000 square meters of stainless gold cladding was used to cover the exterior of the Dubai Frame.
- Like a classic picture frame, the structure 'frames' old and new city of Dubai.
- Two giant cranes atop each tower lifted materials to respective towers. The cranes were capable of lifting 12 tons each.

• Dubai

Sherouk Zakaria

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com