Riyadh to ring in the New Year with fireworks celebration for the first time

The Saudi capital set for grand celebration with music, fire shows and ziplines

Riyadh has previously had fireworks for a number of occasions, including the Riyadh Season Festival, held from October 15 to December 15. Bloomberg.   

UPDATE: Saudi authorities announce that the Malham fireworks celebration is unlicensed and will be cancelled.

Those living in Riyadh can expect a grand celebration to ring in the New Year.

On December 31, the capital of Saudi Arabia will be having an event taking place in Malham, from 6pm to 1am, with a countdown to 2020, a fireworks display, a music platform and more.

Revellers can expect a live DJ, an oud artist, a zipline, fire shows, a photobooth, and inspirational talks as they celebrate the end of 2019.

The event is organised by Shamal, a licensed organiser specialising in tourism and outdoor activities, and is priced at SAR460 (Dh450).

Extra activities such as buggy drift experiences, horse riding and paintball can also be booked. According to the event organisers, the event had to be moved to a larger venue with upgraded services to accommodate demand.

While Riyadh has had fireworks displays for different occasions, a New Year’s Eve celebration of this kind is largely unheard of.

December 31 will also see Arab artist Mohamed Abdou perform a huge concert titled The Godfather of the Night in Riyadh.