DUBAI (Reuters) – An emirate in the United Arab Emirates, one of few Arab states that has official ties with Israel, has banned New Year’s Eve fireworks this year as an expression of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The decision was announced in a Facebook post by Sharjah police, warning on Tuesday that legal measures would be taken against those found violating the ban.
The ban is “a sincere expression of solidarity and humanitarian cooperation with our siblings in the Gaza Strip,” Sharjah police said in the post.
Sharjah is the UAE’s third-largest emirate by size and population behind Abu Dhabi and Dubai. There are seven emirates.
The UAE forged ties with Israel in 2020 in a move that paved the way for other nations to build relations with Israel.
The Gulf regional power has repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the war in Gaza, however, condemning Israel’s bombardment and invasion of the enclave.
It has also condemned Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack that started the war and called for the release of hostages taken captive that day into Gaza by the Palestinian Islamist group.
Sharjah’s decision on New Year’s Eve fireworks appeared to be limited to that one emirate, as public celebrations continue to be advertised in the country’s other emirates.
The UAE’s showpiece New Years Eve fireworks display are typically held in Dubai, the country’s most populous emirate and a regional tourism hub, centred around landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the palm tree-shaped artificial island, the Palm Jumeirah.
(Writing by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
