Entertainment

Ras Al Khaimah and Al Marjan Island introduced the New Year setting background with a spectacular firework display screen that secured the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest aerial firework shell.

Powered by 1.090 tonne (1,089.545 kg; 2,397 pounds) of fireworks, the New Year's Eve extravaganza was participated in by numerous countless site visitors, consisting of a considerable number of worldwide vacationers, positioning Ras Al Khaimah on the global map of engaging New Year's Eve celebrations.

Developed by Phil Grucci, CEO and Creative Director, and carried out by Fireworks by Grucci for Al Marjan Island and with the support of key governmental entities of Ras Al Khaimah, the occasion was verified by a main Adjudicator from GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, and the proposal for the Largest aerial firework shell was formally recognised. The award was presented to Eng. Abdullah Al Abdooli, Managing Director of Al Marjan Island, and Phil Grucci, CEO and Creative Director of Fireworks by Grucci.

Eng. Abdullah Al Abdooli, Managing Director of Al Marjan Island, said: "The 2018 Ras Al Khaimah New Year's Eve Fireworks by Al Marjan Island was a stunning success that welcomed site visitors from around the world and sealed the track record of the emirate as a must-visit destination for New Year's Eve galas. Contributing to the pride of Ras Al Khaimah and our country, the event is a true testimony to the collaborations of different governmental entities, which guaranteed a secure and seamless celebration. The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest airborne firework shell, a part of the celebration, brings added happiness as it highlights our commitment to provide a genuine extravaganza for our visitors."

This exceeds the 2014 title set by the Kounosu fireworks festival in Sitama, Japan, on October 11, 2014. Compared with the 464.826 kg firecracker released then, Ras Al Khaimah released over two times the amount. The largest aerial firework shell in Ras Al Khaimah got to a stunning 1,100 metres (1.1 Km; 3,600 ft) from the ground to the top-end of the display screen, 650 metres (2,150 feet) from the ground to the centre, and gauged 1 km (3,300 ft) metres in size when it was introduced. On a relative note, the Kounosu record had the firecracker getting to a height of 907 metres to the top-end, 533 metres to the centre, and 748 metres in diameter.

In a fitting homage to the UAE, the stunning screen of the 2018 Ras Al Khaimah New Year's Eve Fireworks by Al Marjan Island - extending over a period of 10 mins - was set to action from 120 sites. The airborne shell had a size of 1,450 mm (145 cm). The covering packed 390 comet stars of size 100 mm each blooming right into white, red and green, to recreate the colours of the National Flag. It took 15 secs to get to the apex with the glittering comets changing to fantastic red suggestions with the centre of the flower presenting in a green shimmer.

Al Marjan Island dealt with Ras Al Khaimah's government entities including Ras Al Khaimah Public Works to produce a number of public watching areas across the beachfront development. Greater than 5,000 added public car garage were offered this year to welcome the visitors.

The ideas for the fireworks display was the all-natural appeal of Ras Al Khaimah and Al Marjan Island, and the show was choreographed to 7 chapters, and set to global songs by 14 renowned composers.

Starting with a 10-second pyrotechnical countdown to welcome the New Year, the initial experience was that of a cover of glittering chrysanthemums greeting visitors. This was complied with by the 4 islands of the Al Marjan Islands being separately highlighted in a single colour.

What followed was a magnificent transition into the colours of the UAE National Flag with glittering comets in white, red and green spraying with the night skies. A large ruptured of golden willows ended the session prior to the visual imagery of a green vine sprawling the 9 Kilometres straight length of Al Marjan Island and large followers of comets bathing the sky in enhancement to airborne coverings shaped as swimming fish.

The third phase wrapped up with the Gold Horse Tails result, paving the way to the fourth phase - where aerial shells in the shape of butterflies came to life from all four islands in addition to gold shine chrysanthemums and low-level swimming comets and fish. This was symbolic of the link of the islands with nature.

The fifth phase presented a series of rainbow colored arcs competing from island to island even as fireworks patterns handled different shades - from red, orange, yellow, green, blue to purple, symbolizing the peace, harmony, peacefulness and community spirit that Ras Al Khaimah and Al Marjan Islands stand for.

Successive was a scintillating white strobe scene brightening the entire size and breadth of Al Marjan Island with matching strobe lights showing up on the roofline of the Waldorf Astoria hotel prior to culminating in a dazzling display of Golden Willows with green centres.

The grand ending started with a rousing cover of silver and gold, establishing the overture to the GUINNESS WORLD DOCUMENTS title proposal for the Largest aerial firework covering. The remarkable fireworks were powered by the exclusive SkyEtchingTM modern technology of Fireworks by Grucci.

The record-setting task, noting the launch of the 1,500 mm aerial shell, filled the night skies in great hues. Reaching its apex in 15 seconds, the covering burst into a marvelous flower with the effect being a cover of silver coming down comets with the colour altering to ruby red pointers. It transformed the entire location into one of the brightest areas on Earth on New Year extending an area of over 1 km.

Prep work for the celebration began in early 2017 with the large location of Al Marjan Islands working as an excellent theme for a stunning show. While it took over 600 hours to design the show by Phil Grucci, another 70,000 man-hours entered into transitioning the design with a team of 40 professionals including programmers, manufacturers, pyrotechnicians and documentarians dealing with the project. The firework components for the aerial shell were hand-crafted exclusively by Grucci in their manufacturing facilities in New York and Virginia over a two-month period.

Phil Grucci said: "Our short was to supply a 'Beyond a Trip' design and to make and display this fantastic wonder in fireworks. The ideas of the design was the unique natural resources of Ras Al Khaimah and the all-natural elegance and large room of the Al Marjan Island with a sense of celebration to invite in the New Year 2018. We pushed the limit to clinch the GUINNESS WORLD DOCUMENTS title for the 'Largest aerial fireworks display' that adds to the public satisfaction of Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah and the UAE. With the occasion, an efficiency art, we wanted to highlight the feeling of consistency and tranquility and the exhilaration and celebration of just what Al Marjan Island is and is readied to come to be. We are happy to secure this honour for Ras Al Khaimah, which takes its New Year's Eve celebration to the following level."

Taking signs from the natural surroundings, the music for the program was meandering and often rapid, signaling horizontal motion from one end to another of Al Marjan Islands. Starting with a custom countdown by Dan Mullins, the music coordinator of Fireworks by Grucci, the songs that added to the tempo of the fireworks include Race to Dakar (performed by Marvine Bounds Gordy-Benoit Pierre Grey), Barbarossa (Antti Martikainen), Sacred Warrior (Timo Paul Spekkens & Thomas Zbornik), Serpents of Vengeance (Evripides Evripidou), Desert Horizon (Ivan Anthony J. Bertolla), Arrival of the Stars (Felix Thoma), Counter Strike (Robert J Etoll), Wings of Eagles (Frederick Jason Kron), Seven Swords (Kenji Kawai), Everlasting (Two Steps from Hell), Caped Crusader (James Price) and countdown cues set to music by James Warburton and Dan Mullins.

For additional information, please see: www.RAKNYE.com

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