UAE National Day show designed by Rolling Stones concert creator

Millions of people will witness the majesty of the UAE’s mangrove forest during a special National Day broadcast designed by a visual artist who has worked with the biggest names in music.

Es Devlin is a British stage designer who has created jaw-dropping stage shows for the Rolling Stones, Kanye West, Jay-Z, U2, Stormzy, Adele, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. Along with a team of Emiratis, she has devised a spectacle that’s inspired by the saltwater forests of the UAE.

Showing live in Abu Dhabi on December 2 and simultaneously beamed to people at home, Seeds of the Union will mark the UAE’s 49th National Day with themes of hope, optimism and unity. The visual extravaganza will “reflect the UAE’s natural environment, history, values and hopes” according to organising committee member Khalfan Al Mazrouei.

For many Emiratis, the mangroves represent the stunning growth of the country from its birth in 1971. In the decade that followed the country’s inception, huge mangrove plantation programmes were implemented by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE.

Now flourishing along large stretches of the UAE coastline, the mangroves are home to many species of birds and fish and act as an aquatic playground for tourism and water sports, especially kayaking. Mangroves also protect the coastline from erosion and aid the environment by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Details of the show’s storyline are top secret but, judging by Devlin’s impressive body of work, Seeds of the Union will perhaps feature a dazzling light show and giant image projections, as has been seen in the numerous large-scale rock and pop concerts she has designed to great acclaim.

Devlin designed the closing ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics and the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics in 2016. She said, “I have been greatly impressed by the brilliant, determined, and creative Emirati women on the team. Honestly, as a newcomer to Emirati culture I had not anticipated the predominance of female voices within the creative teams and it’s been a real joy to interweave the voices of my predominantly female design team, with the voices of very creative Emirati women.”