As the second edition of the annual Dubai Motor Festival (DMF) gets ready to enthral residents and tourists alike with its exciting calendar of world-class motoring-related events, the sprawling grounds of Meydan are being transformed to host the region's first fully-fledged Motor Village on Friday November 28.
A purpose-built motoring destination designed to create a fun day out for families and individuals to enjoy and experience motoring-themed activities and entertainment, the Motor Village at Meydan promises to create a unique and unforgettable experience for visitors as it plays host to a diverse array of events intended to inspire, thrill, entertain and educate. The venue offers plenty of photo opportunities for car enthusiasts and families who will have a unique chance to get up close to some of the most stunning cars in the UAE.
One of the primary objectives behind organising the Dubai Motor Festival, which begins on November 19, is to take the concept of motoring beyond its traditional realms and make it more accessible to the entire family, and the Motor Village with its full range of spectator-friendly activities offers the most wholesome expression of DFRE's desire to make DMF 2014 a community-oriented festival that creates engaging motoring experiences for everyone.
The Media Centre of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and organisers of Dubai Motor Festival 2014 noted that the concept has never been introduced before in the region and visitors at Motor Village can look forward to enjoying a fun-filled day of motoring entertainment.
The Motor Village at Meydan will feature an impressive line-up of activities and world-class events including:
7.30pm: ‘Inspired Light by Infiniti '
The ‘Inspired Light by Infiniti' will be the first car light show of its kind in the world. The ‘painting by light' show will be performed exclusively by cars, in this case the Infiniti QX70S Elite. Using high-performance engines in a blend of art and technology, the QX70S will be decked out in multi-colored fluorescent lighting. The intricate choreography will be conducted by world-renowned light painter, Patrick Rochon.
2pm onwards: dubizzle Live!
Online marketplace dubizzle is gearing up to spread the love at the Motor Village at Meydan with dubizzle Live! - the first automotive event of its kind in the region. Based around the community spirit of dubizzle, the event will host an incredible mix of cars, live music, interactive games and competitions with plenty of on-the-day giveaways. One of the many highlights of this distinctively designed event is the live art installation where a masterpiece will be completed on-site by dubizzle's in-house talent using a car as his canvas.
2pm onwards: AW Rostamani Group Events
Presenting a full complement of events, activities and promotions at the Motor Village at Meydan will be Arabian Automobiles (AW Rostamani Group), the exclusive distributor of Nissan, Infiniti and Renault in Dubai and Northern Emirates. This will include an exclusively engineered 4x4 obstacle course, an experiential test drive demonstrating the tough capabilities and latest technology of its flagship vehicle, the Nissan Patrol; the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Champion League Zone, an on-ground competition activation; GT Academy Zone, which will turn ordinary video gamers to real professional race car drivers; and an active test drive of the Nissan X-Trail 2015 giving visitors the opportunity to experience the all-new 7-seater SUV. Arabian Automobiles will also offer visitors the chance to win a range of fabulous prizes includingaNissan 370Z limited edition as a grand prize and 12 travel vouchers to attend UEFA matches abroad. Additionally, five visitors will get the opportunity to participate in the Infiniti Performance Driving Experience with Infiniti Red Bull Racing's drivers to win VIP hospitality at the Infiniti Red Bull Racing suite at the 2014 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
28 November, 8pm-10pm: Red Bull Car Park Drift Grand Final
The Red Bull Car Park Drift Grand Final returns to Dubai for the second year in a row under the umbrella of the Dubai Motor Festival. The adrenaline-packed, high-octane spectacle will see 16 contestants from across the region and beyond compete to be crowned the ‘King of Drift' after having qualified from their respective country qualifiers. The event promises plenty of thrills for spectators as the contestants take drifting to new heights with stunning displays of high-speed drifting manoeuvres, steering, braking and power sliding techniques.
28 November, 3pm-4.30pm: Dubai Grand Parade
A spectacle like no other, the Dubai Grand Parade offers a unique and unforgettable experience for participants and spectators alike as it sets off on a memorable journey through Dubai's iconic streets. Residents and tourists can look forward to watching the most stunning collection of show-stopping vehicles ever assembled in the UAE led by Dubai Police's fleet of supercars. Meydan will act as the starting and finishing point of this citywide motoring extravaganza.
3.30pm-6.30pm: Jump Start Sessions
In addition to the numerous events and attractions, the Motor Village at Meydan will also host a series of engaging and educational talks covering all aspects of motoring.
3.30pm: Dubai Roadster
Kicking off the Jump Start Sessions will be prominent road safety expert Dr. Mostafa Al Dah and Emirati racing car driver Rashid M. Al Shaali - the creative founders of Dubai Roadster, the UAE's first indigenously built supercar. The duo will share their journey with the car so far and discuss how this breakthrough project aligns with the UAE's quest for pushing the frontiers of innovation and knowledge as well as the huge fillip it will give to the country's image and reputation as an innovation-based economy. They will also take the audience through what goes into the making of a good race car.
4.00pm: Women within Motoring in the UAE
Nahla Al Rostamani, the first female Emirati driver to receive a Formula One racing license, will speak on the challenges facing women driving within the UAE while offering an insight into her personal journey in acquiring the F1 license. She will further share her views on how women within the region can gain access to the world of motorsports.
4.30pm: Concept of the Gumball 3000
Next up is well-known British entrepreneur, skateboarder and race car driver Maximillion Cooper who is the founder of Gumball 3000 - an annual British 4,800-km international motor rally which takes place on public roads. Cooper will take audiences through the history of Gumball 3000 and share insights into organising a successful global event before listing out his five favorite cars over the last 16 years.
5.00pm: Top 5 Car Maintenance Tips
Car owners in the UAE can look forward to receiving useful tips from one of the country's best-known car maintenance experts as a senior representative from AutoPro walks through the top five basic and everyday car checks anyone can carry out.
5.30pm: Road Safety
Rounding off the Jump Start sessions will be a senior representative from RTA, who will give an in-depth presentation covering various aspects of road safety, with a special emphasis on safety around schools and child passenger safety.
The second edition of Dubai Motor Festival, the region's biggest annual motoring extravaganza, takes place from November 19 to December 6 2014. Held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai Motor Festival forms part of the emirate's strategy to use festivals and events as a means to drive tourism growth in line with Dubai's Tourism Vision 2020.
Source: WAM