1 December 2010
Mohammed bin Zayed officially inaugurates Aldar’s Ferrari
World Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2010: HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy
Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, last night officially
inaugurated Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Ferrari theme park,
on Yas Island.
Pressing a button in the shape of the iconic Ferrari World Abu Dhabi roof
structure, HH Sheikh Mohammed paid tribute to the vision of President His
Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “who is keen on turning the
UAE into a global magnet of sports and recreational tourism through a
diverse portfolio of projects that will have substantial impact on the
national economy and social development.”
“The ambitious development projects in progress in Abu Dhabi will help
position the Emirate prominently on the global map as a sought after tourist
destination. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a quality addition to our tourism
industry which is one of the pillars of our national economy,” Sheikh
Mohammed said.
Hosted by Aldar Properties and Ferrari SpA, the event attracted 2000 VIP
guests including HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s
Representative in the Western Region; Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed
Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister; Sheikh Dr HH
Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council; HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Finance Department;
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and
Scientific Research; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, Member of the
Executive Council; Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, Chairman of Abu Dhabi
Tourism Authority; Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi, Secretary General of the
Executive Council; and senior government officials.
Guests including Mr Franco Frattini, Italian Foreign Minister; Giorgio
Starace, Italian Ambassador to the UAE; Mr Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman
of Ferrari; and Ferrari Formula 1 team drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe
Massa were treated to a spectacular show to celebrate the achievement of
Aldar and Ferrari in delivering the world’s largest indoor theme park.
The show – titled Power meets Elegance – was inspired by the history of
Abu Dhabi and the story of Ferrari. Seen through the eyes of a young boy,
the vision-like story weaves these two strands together to the fulfilment of
the dream of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The two cultures are blended
together through an incredible mix of live action, acrobatics, advanced film
projection techniques and original music.
The show starts with an incredible aerial dance of the traditional UAE pearl
divers surrounded by a 3D marine world projection. The atmosphere then
escalates into a magnificent dance of flying dancers and Ferrari engine
pistons arriving to the first climax when Puccini's "un bel di" is sung by an
opera singer.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan launched the grand finale
which explodes with an incredible series of gigantic projections, flying pearl
divers, live orchestra and a unique and amazing firework display that
enhances to the rhythm of the music the whole Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
building.
Following the spectacular show, HH Sheikh Mohammed toured the park,
intermingling with the guests and congratulating the developers for what he
termed as an outstanding achievement.
A record number of more than 140 Ferraris travelled across the United
Arab Emirates to join the event guided to Yas Island by Abu Dhabi Police.
Ferrari Middle East & Africa in association with Al Tayer Motors, the official
Ferrari importer for the UAE, and the Emirates’ Ferrari Owners' Club
organized the event as a tribute to the grand opening of Ferrari World Abu
Dhabi.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has already captured the imagination of thousands
of visitors from around the globe with a range of unique and thrilling
attractions including Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, and
Speed of Magic, the region’s first four dimensional fantasy ride.
Ahmed Al Sayegh, Chairman of Aldar Properties:
“We are indeed privileged by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s presence
at inauguration of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, an achievement that coincides
with our celebration of the UAE National Day. It also gives us great pleasure
to welcome His Excellency Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister and
the distinguished guests to the grand opening. Aldar’s work with Ferrari
was a
meeting of minds with a clear vision to create an experience that is unique,
fun and inspirational.
This unique new attraction at the heart of Yas Island is creating excitement,
not just here in Abu Dhabi, but around the world. With more than 500
million people watching the final race in this year’s Formula 1 season only
three weeks ago, the eyes of the world will instantly recognize this amazing
structure.
Yas Island is an integral part of the government’s ambitious strategy to
develop tourism in the Emirate. We are extremely proud at Aldar to be able
to contribute to this strong vision through our development work here, and
across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Ferrari:
“I would like to thank all those who made this dream a reality, and in
particular our partners and the leadership of Abu Dhabi. The park just 4
years ago was a project, an idea, maybe even a too ambitious idea, and it is
now a fantastic reality.
We are very proud of our partners Aldar who share with Ferrari the same
passion, the same vision, the same will to go beyond. This park combines
innovative technology and tradition; it is dedicated not only to Ferrari fans
and car enthusiastic, but to the whole family. It has the real touch of Ferrari:
how things really are for us, with our exclusive GT road cars and racing cars,
but also our history and our cultural background.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a symbol, built actively on the heritage that Italy
represents for the world. But I also like to think that this Ferrari Theme
park
can be a small contribution to reinforcing the bridge between our two
cultures.”
For more information, please contact:
Mona Zayati
Tel: +971 2 696 4729, Mob: 050-4108400
Email: mzayati@aldar.com
About Aldar
Aldar Properties PJSC is Abu Dhabi’s leading property development, management
and investment company. It listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities market in 2004.
Aldar was established to support Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure through the creation
of high quality, attractive and sustainable communities equipped with residential,
commercial, retail, leisure, hospitality, education and medical facilities.
Aldar’s diverse property portfolio includes major developments and redevelopments within Abu Dhabi including Yas Island, Al Raha Beach, Central
Market, Al Falah, Motor World, Nareel Island, and Noor Al Ain. The company owns
over 50 million square metres of land in strategic locations throughout the
Emirate.