Dubai is witnessing some of the largest shows-stopping events of this year in October – opening Ain Dubai and Gitex Global

October 2021 has been quite busy for Dubai in terms of cultural and business events. Earlier this month, the entire world witnessed the opening of the long-awaited Expo 2020 World Expo, which will run through to the end of March 2022 and has attracted more than 771,000 visitors in just 18 days. Furthermore, just last week, not only was there the opening of the first Madame Tussauds museum in the region, but the Emirate also held the first blockchain conference in the world – Future Blockchain Summit.

There is still plenty to look forward to, since Ain Dubai, the tallest and largest Ferris wheel in the world, will host a grandiose opening weekend on 21-22 October. The attraction will open its doors at 2pm on Thursday, starting the celebrations with a range of family activities and entertainment, alongside 12 food trucks, and it will last until 7pm. Meanwhile, from 8pm, visitors will be treated with a live music set by DJ Dany Neville, with music being projected in all the capsules on the wheel. In the evening, the stunning event will feature a range of light shows, including a spectacle with drones and fireworks at 8.30pm. As well as all this, the second day will have several artists and acts from Flash Entertainment and Virgin Radio Dubai’s Regional Artist Spotlight initiative to perform from 2pm until the evening, before the start of the light show. The names of the performers are yet to be revealed, nevertheless, they will not be limited to one genre, as stated by the organizer. The best news is that admission to this two-day extravaganza is free, but if you want to take part in a 38-minute spin with a spectacular sunset view, the official Ain Dubai website is where you can book and purchase tickets for AED 130 (USD 35.4). There is also a range of other experiences available such as the Seaview Lounge, Ain Dubai Premium Cabin and Dine in the Sky, just to name a few.

Dubai is also hosting the world’s largest technology show, Gitex Global, during 17-21 October at the Dubai World Trade Center. The major event, which appeals to thousands of tech enthusiasts across the globe, is set to showcase the latest achievements in artificial intelligence, 5G, cloud, blockchain, cybersecurity, immersive technology, finance and more. This year, some of the participating tech corporations include Cisco, Ericsson, Kaspersky, Honeywell, Dell Technologies, VMware, Infor, Epson, Etisalat, Avaya, Huawei, and AWS. Gitex Global 2021 includes 6 shows at once: Future Blockchain Summit, AI Everything, Marketing Mania, Fintech Surge, GITEX Global and GITEX Future Stars, gathering global innovators, emerging talents and creative change-makers. Visitors can expect to witness numerous never-before-seen offerings, such as the world’s first multi-sensorial room with aromas, breezes, videos and sounds, the first connected children’s smartwatch with Nickelodeon content, as well as autonomous, cognitive robots for home tasks. Additionally, it has been announced during Gitex that WhatsApp messenger is about to be used for paying parking fees and for registering deaths and births in Dubai, in order to facilitate quick and efficient government procedures for citizens and residents of the city.