Festival for curious young minds

Awe-inspiring displays, workshops4 and laboratories will be used to entice curiosity, creativity, innovation and scientific research in the pupils and students of the country who will become its leadeShow more

ABU DHABI // The fifth Abu Dhabi Science Festival has found a new home in Mushrif Central Park, where it will debut out-of-this-world workshops that tie in with the country’s space ambitions and promote skills the future workforce will need.

The 11-day festival will run from November 12 to 22 and will offer more than 50 workshops, exhibits and shows to excited children about science, technology, engineering and maths.

“The science festival is one of the main engines for our students that encourages and nourishes their will to discover more, research more and invent,” said Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, director general of Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), which is organising the event with the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC).

“We really want to encourage, the spirit of creativity and innovation and scientific research among our students and children.”

Developing a highly-skilled workforce made up of science and technology experts is a “priority” for the country, said Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, director general of TDC.

“We live in an age full of many challenges on various levels and we understand the world around us is developing with a speedy pace, day after day, and we need to be ready to play an active role in such changes.

“Therefore, we need to build a very solid foundation on which this development could be built, – which is the building of our human capital.”

One of the workshops will be based on the Emirates’ Mars mission and feature a Mars space station, said Dr Linda Silver, the festival’s associate director of content.

The mission to Mars space station will look at life off planet Earth – and that ties in nicely with the UAE Space Agency’s announcement that it is going to launch an Amal probe, said Dr Silver.

“We also have a nuclear energy workshop and an oil and gas workshop. We are focused on content that will get kids excited about the areas in which we think the career opportunities will be in the UAE longer-term.”

Other new workshops included from DNA to cell, to the worms; the science behind your kid’s art; inventor school; magic Andy’s crazy chemistry lab. Past favourites such as the rocket rail and the blood lab will also be back.

In addition to Mushrif Central Park, science shows will also be held at Al Ain Zoo.

“In Al Ain, we will be bringing back one of the year one shows that was extremely popular – Tom Noddy’s bubble magic,” said Dr Silver. “Bubble shows are always a big crowd pleaser.

“There will also be a space show held out in Al Ain, which will be great as well.

“In Mushrif Park, there will be lots of physical science phenomena workshops, renewable energy workshops, big explosions on stage, liquid nitrogen drops, the things that really excite kids about science.”

The event will overlap with UAE Innovation Week – November 22 to 28 – which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in August.

For more information about the science festival workshops, shows and schedule, visit abudhabisciencefestival.ae.