Global celebrities converge on Dubai to celebrate the New Year

As Dubai gears up to ring in 2020 with a diverse range of cultural and entertainment shows, some of the world’s biggest sports legends are in the city to celebrate the advent of the New Year.

Leading the list of celebrities is one of the globe’s most popular footballers Cristiano Ronaldo who is currently holidaying in Dubai with his family. The 2019 Serie A Player of the Year posted an Instagram picture of him with his children and wife Georgina standing alongside Santa Claus on a beach in Dubai.

The world’s No.2 ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic is another sporting celebrity who has chosen Dubai to celebrate the upcoming New Year. The Serbian tennis star, who has won 16 Grand Slam singles titles, got together with Ronaldo for a gym session in Dubai.

Instagram and Twitter posts of the session, which show the two attempting several run-ups, have attracted significant interest from followers across the world.  Ronaldo’s Twitter pictures on his Dubai visit attracted over 1.5 million views while his Instagram posts attracted over 20 million views.

Both A-listers are frequent visitors to Dubai. Ronaldo chose the emirate for an extended New Year vacation with his family last year. The Juventus star posted a picture of his meeting with Crown Prince of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He also posted a video of his helicopter ride across the city and a family photograph with Burj Al Arab’s New Year fireworks in the background.

Dubai is a favourite holiday destination for celebrities who love its extensive dining and luxury hospitality offerings as well as its cosmopolitan vibe and festive ambience. The fourth most visited city globally, according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index (GDCI) 2019, Dubai is also considered by many to be one of the world’s best New Year's eve holiday destinations.

Two other star footballers who are in Dubai to celebrate the New Year are Real Madrid teammates Dani Carvajal and Karim Benzema. The stars are in Dubai after leading a series of victories for Real Madrid that saw the club topping the La Liga table. Pictures of their Dubai vacation posted on Instagram showed Benzema astride a water scooter with the Dubai skyline in the background and Carvajal and his partner posing against the backdrop of the Burj Al Arab.  

Dubai is considered one of the world’s best hotspots for luxury travellers. The city has some of the world’s most magnificent hotels, apart from pristine beaches, championship golf courses, sumptuous spas, designer boutiques and an eclectic dining scene, which boasts some of the world’s best restaurants. Furthermore, Dubai's vibrant atmosphere, constant sunshine and unique culture and heritage make it an unparalleled destination for luxury travelers.

Dubai was ranked No. 1 among cities where tourists spend the most per day, in Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index 2019. The city welcomed 15.93 million international overnight visitors in 2018 and has already attracted over 15 million international overnight visitors in the first 11 months of 2019.

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