Sharjah bans New Year’s Eve fireworks in solidarity with Gaza

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SHARJAH, Dubai, Dec 27: In a notable move, the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which holds official ties with Israel, has decided to prohibit New Year’s Eve fireworks this year as a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Gaza. The announcement of this decision came via a Facebook post by the Sharjah police, who cautioned on Tuesday that legal measures would be taken against any violations of the ban.

Described as “a sincere expression of solidarity and humanitarian cooperation with our siblings in the Gaza Strip,” the ban aims to convey support to the residents of Gaza during challenging times, as stated in the post by Sharjah police.

Sharjah ranked as the UAE’s third-largest emirate in terms of size and population after Abu Dhabi and Dubai, is one of the seven emirates comprising the UAE. Notably, the UAE established official diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, setting a precedent for other nations to foster relations with Israel.

While the UAE has consistently called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, condemning both Israel’s military actions and Hamas for initiating the war on October 7, Sharjah’s decision on the New Year’s Eve fireworks ban seems confined to that specific emirate. Public celebrations with fireworks are still being advertised in other emirates across the country.

The UAE is renowned for its grand New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, with Dubai, the most populous emirate and a key regional tourism hub, hosting a showpiece event. These celebrations typically center around iconic landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the palm tree-shaped artificial island, the Palm Jumeirah

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