Abu Dhabi Science Festival opens

The Abu Dhabi Science Festival opened on Thursday and is set to welcome more than 100,000 visitors over the next 10 days.

The event, now in its ninth year, is being staged at three separate locations around the Emirates to allow as many people to attend as possible.

Running until February 9, shows and workshops can be seen at Al Bahar on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, Al Jahili Park in Al Ain and City Mall in Al Dhafra.

This year organisers have focused on the theme of art and innovation, while also incorporating new ideas in engineering and mathematics.

Maitha AlMarzooqi, 16, a grade 11 student at Al Shomoukh School in Abu Dhabi, said she and her team had entered the event's annual competition showcasing new ideas and inventions.

She said her project’s goal was increase the air speed of rocket technology to enable faster space travel.

“The concept will help rockets reach Mars faster,” she said. “If we win we might take the idea to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre or the Space Agency in the UAE.”

This year’s Science Festival is the largest yet, covering 35,000 square metre of space at the Abu Dhabi city location alone.

Organisers said there would be 95 activities for visitors to enjoy, including a variety of workshops and interactive exhibits.

The event is expected to attract 120,000 visitors including more than 27,000 pupils.