A special 80-minute Arabic opera chronicling 50 years of the nation's history is being planned as part of this year's National Day celebrations.
The opera titled Glorious Wedding will be performed by about 115 artists from all over the region and will be directed by Mohammad Al Nabolsi.
The opera will be performed at Live Dubai, a threeday event which will be held at Zabeel Park from November 30 to December 2.
As an homage to the spirit of UAE, the production aims educate the world about the country's culture.
"It is not just the business opportunities offered by the country that we want the world to know about.
"There is so much more about the UAE that we want the world to know about and what better way to do it than a musical portrayal," said Marwan Al Ajmi, chief operating officer of Dubai Development Information, which is organising the event.
Al Ajmi said the culture and heritage of this land is deeply rooted in mysticism.
"The opera incorporates poetry and story-telling in the form of a true musical that relives the vision and genius of a nation's leadership and its stride. Today, the UAE reflects the cultures of people from more than 192 different countries," he added.
Each evening the event will include an exhibition highlighting the development and growth of some of the bestknown names in the UAE's business sector. The exhibi tion will then be followed by a display of traditional entertainment and will conclude with dinner.
The opera is being choreographed by Omar Rajah, a Lebanese artist.
Rajah said he has tried to make it appealing to an international audience.
Artists have been preparing the production for about a year, said Al Ajmi.
"The opera will tell the story of one land, its leaders and their vision that has enabled this tremendous growth. Interlaced with the entertainment will be refreshment breaks offering authentic cuisine of the UAE," Al Ajmi added.
He said Live Dubai is the first opera to speak about the people of the UAE and their leaders and how they built a successful nation out of their union and made 192 cultures believe in one goal.
UAE's history
The UAE was formerly known as the Trucial States or Trucial Coast. In 1820, Britain established its presence in the region with the signing of several agreements, including a maritime truce, which gave the area its name. In 1968, having maintained its presence in the Gulf for well over a century, Britain declared its intention to withdraw by the end of 1971.
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum took the initiative to form a federation among the trucial sheikhdoms. On December 2, 1971, the flag of the UAE was raised for the first time, marking the beginning of a new era.
By Joseph George
© Emirates Today 2007
