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At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2021, Dubai Downtown will light up with spectacular fireworks at the Burj Khalifa accompanied by a laser show, 'Eve of Wonder', at The Dubai Fountain.
Tourists and residents rush to make their last-minute restaurant bookings in the area to watch the spectacular New Year's Eve celebrations on Friday.
Restaurants in Dubai Mall and Souq Al Bahar overlooking Burj Khalifa are offering their tables for a whopping price tag that ranges from Dh1,500 to Dh5,500 per person on New Year's Eve.
Restaurant managers confirm that most outdoor tables are already booked, with only a few still available.
This year, the fountain area at Dubai Mall will be open strictly only for restaurant guests who have to make their reservations in advance and download the QR code from the 'U by Emaar' app to access the facility.
Gunaydin Dubai in Souq Al Bahar is offering outdoor tables with Burj Khalifa view with packages that range between Dh4,500 and Dh5,500 per person with only a few tables available. Tables with partial view ranges from Dh5,000 to Dh2,500, including a set menu.
Abdulwahab Restaurant, which directly overlooks the Burj Khalifa, has its outdoor seating with the World's Tallest building view fully booked for Dh4,000 per person, including a set menu. Some of the tables reach up to Dh4,500 per head, while indoor reservations cost Dh2,500 per head.
At Dubai Mall, dedicated spaces extending to the fountain view outside have been granted to restaurants to provide a unique New Year experience with a cap of customers.
Some restaurants will be adopting the wristband system to distinguish customers seated at different sections. Those with indoor seating at Dubai Mall will be prohibited from stepping to the outdoor terrace to watch the fountains.
"When you pay for a table outside for a closer view of the fireworks, it is unfair that someone sitting inside to come and block your view," said Islam Osman, reservation manager at Tim Hortons Dubai Mall.
The Canadian-based multinational coffee shop offers one of the highest rates for tables by the fountains, priced at Dh3,000 per person, including a set menu. The outdoor extension will take up to 15 socially distanced tables by two meters. Open-air terrace tables are offered at Dh2,500.
Outdoor fountain tables at Wafi Gourmet go up to Dh2,500 per head, while the middle open-air terrace cost Dh1,800 per person and indoor bookings are for Dh1,300 per person. Tables will accommodate a maximum of four people.
Similar prices are offered at Bosporus Dubai Mall as 15 fountain tables outside are priced at Dh2,500 per person and an open-air terrace at Dh1,800.
PF Chang's Dubai Mall's fountain tables, priced at Dh1,500, are fully booked, with only a few available on the outdoor terrace for Dh1,100 with a set menu. Seating inside will be based on a first-come-first-served basis.
Reservation managers said the restaurant has been receiving international calls from tourists seeking to reserve a table for the New Year's Eve celebrations.
The restaurant will be implementing Covid-19 safety measures, accommodating a maximum of 56 people in the extended outdoor area.
Guests will wear wristband according to the section they’re seated in, and will have to stick to the table they have reserved.
Outdoor tables at Texas Roadhouse Dubai Mall are already fully booked at Dh1,500 per person, and the open-air terrace, priced at Dh1,100 per person, is still open for reservations with a maximum of 100 seats for the whole area. Once the celebrations start, guests will need to remain in their seats to watch the show, while security guards will be allocated to prevent indoor guests from going outside.
Dubai Police announced strict Covid-19 safety measures ahead of New Year’s Eve, including a Dh3,000 fine for failure to wear face masks. Social distancing of two meters is mandatory in open and closed spaces.
How to access NYE celebrations
Guests with reservations in the mall and the Downtown Boulevard need to arrive to the area before 4pm on Friday.
The Dubai Fountain area will be closed off for restaurant guests who need to make their booking in advance and use a QR code to be downloaded from U By Emaar app to access the celebrations.
Those who want to watch the fireworks must register on the U By Emaar app to book their viewing zone around Downtown Boulevard area. An individual QR code will allow access to the celebrations on December 31.
The Dubai Mall will remain open to shoppers, but access to the viewing areas will be closed off to QR code holders.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
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