Dubai, 23 July 2016 — Prince Rahim arrived at the Dubai World Trade Centre this afternoon, as athletes, spectators and volunteers prepared for the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Jubilee Games. With countless hours, weeks and months having been spent preparing for the ceremony, anticipation fills the air.

Prince Rahim is expected to attend the opening ceremony, which is due to start shortly before 4:00 PM GST (Dubai time) and can be watched around the world through a live webcast at TheIsmaili.org/live.

The event celebrates the official start of the 2016 Jubilee Games and is a chance for the host city to welcome participants and honour the athletes. It will feature a number of performances by dancers and musicians from around the world.

Sheroz Naimov, a Tajik dancer, can’t stop talking about how happy he is to be meeting his brothers and sisters from other countries. “While I am not a professional dancer, I hope to perform from my heart and hope the world will be proud,” says Naimov.

Thousands will watch the ceremony and athletes from around the world will take part in the procession.

Rameez Karim, a Canadian choreographer and dancer, is also part of the Ceremony. “Everyone is coming from different parts of the world,” he says. “We’re celebrating health, we’re celebrating fitness, we’re celebrating art and we’re all just coming together and spreading love, joy and the healthy spirit of competition.”

Another dancer who will feature in both opening and closing ceremonies, Pakistan’s Yumna Panjwani, is impressed by the quality of performances she’s witnessing. “It’s really exciting to see the level of professionalism, hard work and dedication that has gone into this.”

With all the talent and preparation that has gone into this showcase event, it promises to be a breathtaking affair.