Eid Al Etihad 53
Grounded in nature
A national celebration usually asks for a stage. Jebel Hafeet asked to be one instead.
For the UAE’s 53rd National Day, we were asked to honour Emirati heritage and prove the country’s commitment to sustainability, in one of the most dramatic landscapes on earth. We staged Eid Al Etihad inside Jebel Hafeet Desert Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on 2 December 2024
We called it Grounded in Nature. Rather than build a stage and place it in the desert, we built the desert into the stage: Jebel Hafeet’s mountains formed the backdrop, the night sky became a storytelling device, and drones traced constellations across it as part of the narrative. A 630-strong cast carried the audience through a story of history, community and the UAE’s enduring relationship with its land.
Our remit ran the full length of the experience: venue design, guest journey, creative, staging and storytelling, through to roads, parking, shops and F&B. Three majlis, each 3,000 square metres, gave Leadership, Sheikhas and invited guests spaces that felt native to the setting rather than added to it.
Sustainability wasn't a side brief. It shaped sourcing, staging materials and the story itself.
