Multiple moments of joy!

DUBAI - It will be a first for the Middle East when twins, triplets and multiples will come together at Dubai’s Safa Park on March 23-24.

The festival, bringing together these siblings and their friends and families, has been conceptualised to celebrate the multiplicity through a colourful spectrum of events and activities, including group photos, contests, games, exhibitions and special performances.

X2 has been conceptualised to celebrate the multiplicity through a colourful spectrum of events and activities

“We noticed that, internationally, events such as this one that celebrate multiplicity were hugely successful and well attended by local communities, so we thought why not the UAE, where we’re seeing the numbers of families with multiples grow everyday,” said Suman Manning, a mother of triplets and one of the co-organisers of X2.

Suman also runs Multiples UAE, a well-established support group assisting moms of twins, triplets or more since 2003 with a daily growing database of more than 300 families.

“X2 will be different from anything that has been done in the UAE before: entertaining, educational, informative and, most of all, a fun day out for the whole family,” added Nathalie Attar, the mother of twins, a member of Multiples UAE and Suman’s partner in this endeavour. Nathalie also runs Babies.ae, a website dedicated to making parenthood simpler.

As the festival will be spread over a relatively large area of the park, dedicated zones will define the different activities and attractions. The zones include Mom and Newborn, a haven for new moms; Toddlers, an interactive area that keeps toddlers busy and entertained with activities and games for children between two and five; and Big Kids, a section with age-appropriate areas for gaming, gadgets and physical activities guaranteed to keep the bigger kids challenged.

The Mom and Dad Zone is a space where parents can finally have some ‘me time’, with a wide range of wellness features from shoulder massages to health and lifestyle related programmes.

The X2 Bazaar will feature everything from handcrafted goods to gifts the whole family will love, while the outdoor cinema will showcase a string of twin-related blockbusters.

The liveliest area of the show, the Entertainment & Contest stage, with its constant stream of music and entertainment throughout the weekend, will entertain and impress every visitor with the unique talent of its performers. It will also be a platform for amusing contests from ‘The biggest belly’ and the ‘Most identical twins’, to fashion shows, singing contests and more.

There will also be a Demo stage for exhibitors to showcase their products and a Safety Zone where professionals will be giving you all the details about the most important issues such as first aid, child-proofing your home, the importance of buckling up in the car and lots more! — news@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE