ABU DHABI // A giant LED screen, one of the biggest of its kind, is to be installed in the capital. The advertising screen, named The Opulence, will be 28 metres by eight metres, and will be between Hamdan Street and Zayed the First Street on Airport Road. Located above the Marks and Spencer store on one of the busiest corners of the city, the screen will be visible from almost a kilometre away. The screen, similar to those used at sporting events, will be the biggest outdoor screen in the Gulf, Africa and Europe and is the vision of Synaxis Media and Advertising, an Abu Dhabi company. Abu Dhabi Municipality has supported the project.
Fahad al Absi, Synaxis' managing director, said: "Opulence is an apt name. Physically, the screen's pixels look like thousands and thousands of glittering little gems. "It's like a monument reflecting an era of wealth and prosperity." Mr Absi said the partners involved in the project "shared our belief that innovation through digital media will uplift communications in the Gulf, and that Abu Dhabi is the upcoming hub for the impending media boom".
"This is a monumental moment, not just for advertisers, but for citizens as well as it puts the Emirates on the map," he added. It will be able to display static and full-motion images similar to those displayed on similar signs throughout the world. LED (or light-emitting diode) screens are used for iconic displays in Times Square, New York, Piccadilly Circus, in London, and in Tokyo, Japan. The screen will be installed above the Fotouh al Khair shopping centre, which houses Marks and Spencer, and will be unveiled to the public on Sept 30.
@Email:rhughes@thenational.ae
