Roasted by summer temperatures too hot for the beach, Dubai has turned to an innovative solution: opening them at night, complete with floodlights and lifeguards carrying night-vision binoculars. The idea, in one of the world's hottest regions, with temperatures climbing ever higher through climate change, has proved popular – more than 1 million people have visited the night beaches since last year, an official said. Even with much of the region preoccupied with the widening conflicts, the night beaches remain busy on weekend evenings.
"The temperature drops down in the evening after the sun sets. So, yeah, it's amazing," said Mohammed, 32, from Pakistan, who brought his children to enjoy the sea without having to worry about the burning Gulf sun. For residents of Dubai, a coast-hugging, desert metropolis of about 3.
7 million people, the hot season from June to October is an annual trial. With temperatures regularly topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), often with high humidity, outdoor activities are severely limited. The city now has more than 800 meters of designated night beaches fitted with shark nets and illuminated by giant, bright floodlights.
"While you're ...
bathing inside the water, you can see the sand even on your foot and your hands and everything," said Mohammed, who has lived in Dubai for a decade. Lifeguards are posted 24 hours a day and, beyond the floodlights' glare, they use the night-vision binoculars to keep an eye on swimmers or kayak.
