Lighting plays a major role in bringing the Emirates to life at night.
Flying into Dubai at night is a spectacular treat. Thousands and thousands of lights illuminate the city below - a carpet of sparkling jewels against a backdrop of the black velvet sea. Just as in all leading cities of the world, lighting plays a very important role in bringing Dubai to life at night. And it is not just Dubai; all the cities of the Emirates, and many other cities in the region, have glittering night identities that are special to each one.
When the skyscrapers and the Corniche of Abu Dhabi shimmer brilliantly at night, Dubai's creek-side museums, heritage areas and commercial towers beckon with their lighting. The breathtakingly beautiful mosques, government buildings, lagoons and Al Qasba canal complex of Sharjah, the sea front of Ajman, downtown Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah and all the little towns and villages in the UAE radiate with light every evening.
According to an official, Dubai Municipality tenders out the job of the internal and external lighting for government buildings of all kinds, including the Grand Mosque in Jumeirah and the Shaikh Saeed House in the Shindagha Heritage Area.
When selecting the lighting, the main factors in consideration are good visibility, ability to attract visitors, safety of users, endurance for years and high quality that meets international standards. The department considers this a major investment and chooses the best quality products from among leading global brands.
The UAE municipalities are particular about presenting their cities and towns in the best light. Private companies and individuals erecting buildings are also aware of the importance of good lighting to promote themselves at night. The UAE market is filled with lighting products of all kinds to suit every imaginable need or budget for domestic, commercial and industrial lighting.
In these days of increasing environmental awareness, manufacturers are producing highly efficient energy saving lamps for both indoor and outdoor use. Lamps that give white light and yellow light are used effectively and imaginatively to spotlight the beauty and grandeur of mosques around the UAE. Within these mosques are crystal chandeliers and other lamps that bathe worshippers in day-like lighting.
Spotlighting that is either wall-mounted, ceiling-embedded or on stands, is used to great advantage in museums, such as Shaikh Saeed House, to highlight historical pictures, coins and artefacts.
In a city with a skyline as impressive as Dubai's, nighttime lights are the jewels that keep the city sparkling after the sun goes down.
