Fireworks explode from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, in Dubai to celebrate the New Year. Dubai kicked off New Year with a dazzling bid for a new world record to cap those the Gulf city state already holds for its mammoth property developments. The glittering fireworks display that lasted around six minutes spanned over 100km (60 miles) of the Dubai coast.
Dubai attempted to smash the fireworks world record as it ushered in 2014 with a bang, as a wave of pyrotechnics swept around the globe to celebrate the New Year.
The Middle East hub was hoping to break the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever display, pledging to set off more than 400,000 fireworks.
People crowded in the streets below took pictures on their mobile phones as the salvo lit up the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower at 830m high.
To the strains of Arabic pop music, the five-minute thundering display filled the skies above the United Arab Emirates’ main city.
Kuwait set the record in 2011 with an hour-long blast of 77,282 fireworks.
Sydney had the first of the world’s major pyrotechnic shows, with seven tonnes of explosives lighting up Australia’s biggest city.