Photos by Anzal Nazim.
You don’t have to be a kite enthusiast to enjoy watching floating sea animals, stuffed toys, flags against a blue sky.
Home to some of the most popular foodie joints in Dubai, Kite Beach has quickly grown to become a local hotspot for the outdoorsy. Last week, from March 17 to 19, it hosted the Dubai Kite Festival witnessed by laidback picnickers.
The event was free of cost, but if you’re not careful, you have to pay for it in steps. With very little parking available, we suggest you park at Sunset Mall and walk about 1.5 km.
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30 different cultures met by the shores for the Dubai Kite Festival 2016, kite in hand, and we asked them their stories:
The Kuwaiti team leader Bu Hamad said,
“Ours is not just a hobby as it represents our patriotism to all the Gulf countries. Kuwait isn’t our only home country because UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman are too. We try to show how we feel through our flag-shaped kites.”
Jim Martin said
“I have been flying kites for 35 years. My uncle and I used to fly kites when I was younger and when we got a little older, we saw people fly kites with two or four strings and we thought it looked very interesting, so we tried it and here we are at an international festival. Never give up on your dreams.”
The quirky Dutch team said
“We have 35-40 years of experience in kite making and flying. We think it’s cool to see animals that usually live in the sea up there.”
Be on the lookout for next year’s edition! Tell us what you thought of the event in the comments below. Which was your favourite kite?
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