More than a decade ago it was held next to the Danube River, in Austria, the first drone show of which you have registration. It was during a local music festival, with Few flying devices But with a huge technical deployment. Since then, this type of exhibitions has not stopped evolving.
Today, drones have become an increasingly popular alternative to fireworks. The United States and China have taken the lead with mass shows, but the United Arab Emirates want to take the proposal a step further. And are willing to strive to achieve it.
Emirates wants to lead the future of shows in heaven
Talking about Arab Emirates is talking about a country accustomed to megaprojects. From the Burj Khalifa to the artificial island Palm Jumeirah, through the future tower with the highest clock in the world, their ambitions do not know limits. Behind this deployment there is a clear strategy: diversify the economy and reduce oil dependence.
One of the last steps in that direction is to turn Abu Dhabi into a cultural and technological pole. Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed al Nahyan has opted for an unprecedented show: the largest drone exhibition in the world. The objective is to launch more than 10,000 illuminated drones, coordinated in real time to form three -dimensional images.
The challenge is not less. Until now, few have managed to operate such a number of drones simultaneously. The record is held by Shenzhenin China, with 10,197 devices in 2024, in a sample that beat two Guinness records. The United States has also advanced, with exhibitions of up to 5,000 drones in Texas.
Although Abu Dhabi has not yet confirmed the date of the ambitious event, it is known that it will be in charge of Nova Sky Stories (a Colorado firm) with Analog, a Emiratí company specialized in mixed reality and physical intelligence.
Arab Emirates was a pioneer in adopting this technology, and the shows began to gain popularity in 2020. Today they are a habitual part of large conferences and festivals. According to Rest of World, an average show in the region costs some $ 112,000 and implies around 400 drones, well above what a traditional fireworks show costs, which is around $ 13,000 and $ 41,000.
The global market is also taking off. In 2023 it was valued at 338.9 million dollars, with the Middle East representing 41 million. And, from what we have seen, there is still a generous margin of growth.
The AI is already changing the way these shows are designed. Skyvertise, one of the most active companies in Emirates, explains that algorithms allow reducing manual labor time to Automize much of visual planning. The future of air entertainment is changing, and the Emirates want to be in charge.
Images | Cyberdrone Drone Show
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