Preparing Dubai’s biggest Christmas trees is a months-long process, often taking up to nine months, as teams meticulously decorate and light them to create a spectacular festive display.
Dubai’s Largest Christmas Trees Require Up to Nine Months of Preparation to Shine Bright
Every December, Dubai comes alive with stunning Christmas trees that grace malls, hotels, and entertainment venues. Decorated with thousands of sparkling lights, ornaments, and festive trinkets, these trees draw families and visitors from over 200 nationalities, serving as perfect photo spots.
While the final displays appear seamless, they are the result of months of meticulous planning, with some locations beginning preparations up to nine months ahead. This year, Global Village erected two grand trees, each 21 metres tall — roughly equivalent to a seven-storey building. Dubai Festival City (DFC) showcased a 15-metre tree featuring a reinforced metal frame, wrapped in 3,000 metres of warm LED lights, adorned with over 3,200 decorative balls, illuminated snowflakes, reindeer figures, and topped with a 1.5-metre star.
A spokesperson from Global Village explained that creating the trees required a large team effort. “Over 75 professionals, including designers, installation technicians, electricians, operations staff, and safety specialists, collaborated to bring the two magnificent trees to life,” they said.
Other venues took a unique creative approach. Dubai’s The Lana hotel collaborated with Spanish designer Manolo Blahnik to design a fashion-themed tree, with work starting about nine months in advance. “This timeline allowed for detailed creative development, partner collaboration, bespoke production, and careful logistical and technical planning,” the hotel noted. The resulting five-metre tree features custom ornaments inspired by Blahnik’s iconic shoes, wrapped in his signature pink ribbon.
Meanwhile, the Accor Dubai Deira and Dubai Gold District Cluster showcased a 4.5-metre tree decorated in warm gold tones to reflect the area’s heritage. The unveiling included a festive tree-lighting ceremony. “We hosted a grand celebration with a parade, live bands, Santa Claus, a Christmas market, carol performances, and a gala dinner,” said Mohamad Ali Shaikh, Cluster Operations Manager.
Assembly challenges
Global Village revealed that the entire process, from the initial assembly to the final decorative touches, took around four weeks. A spokesperson explained, “The main challenge was handling the scale — from moving massive structural parts to coordinating work at height — all while minimizing disruption to park operations and maintaining top safety standards.”
At Dubai Festival City (DFC), setting up their tree took approximately three weeks, including site inspections and arranging electrical connections. The team faced several logistical hurdles that required detailed planning.
“Transporting the large tree sections and ensuring sufficient space for access platforms during assembly is crucial,” the venue noted. “Weather can impact the lifting process, and much of the work is done during night shifts, which need special permits from authorities.”
Dismantling and storage
After the holiday season ends, taking down the festive displays can take anywhere from a few hours to two days. All venues emphasized that decorations — and sometimes the trees themselves — are carefully removed and preserved for future use.
“The tree is dismantled with great care and securely stored, so it can be refreshed and reused for next year’s celebrations,” explained Mohamad.
At The Lana, the team ensures that all ornaments and custom elements are safely packed away. “Whenever possible, components are stored, reused, or repurposed for upcoming installations, reflecting our commitment to sustainability and responsible production,” a spokesperson said.
