Boys and Their Toys

By Sumayyah Meehan, TMO

What has been touted by event organizers as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) “premier consumer and lifestyle event”, the Big Boys Toys Expo was officially opened this past Wednesday and will run for four days. Preparations have been under way for weeks at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, which is hosting the event. Organizers expect an estimated 60,000 toy enthusiasts to descend upon the tiny Gulf sheikdom. Most visitors are expected to be from countries around the GCC, like Kuwait and Qatar. However, a small percentage of International tourists are also expected to attend.

What makes the Big Boys Toys Expo so unique is that it exhibits some of the wildest, most expensive and never before seen toys around. According to event organizer Bijou Jayaraaj, who is the CEO of the Artaaj Agency, “We will have at least 10 to 15 unique products there. Anything from trucks to a shelf that doesn’t look like a shelf, to a DNA portrait.” Other unique products available, and with a hefty price tag, include a bike that rides across the water, a Swarkovski encrusted “Foosball” table and the Maxximus G-Force super car which goes from 0-60mph in just over two seconds. The toys on display are organized in several categories including: off-road, marine, wired and aviation.

Organizers have also focused on providing entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. There will be an outdoor music lounge as well as performances from a wide array of internationally recognized performers including contortionist Lilia Stepanova and specialty bike stuntman Humberto Ribeiro. Countries with entertainers participating in the entertainment segments of the exhibition include the USA, UK and Portugal. Local performers from around the UAE will also be offering performances. The rock n’ roll bands Nikotin and Behold the Locus will play their music stylings for sold out crowds.

This is not the first time that the Big Boys Toys Expo has been held in the UAE, however organizers have high hopes that it will be an annual event with its own cult following. Tickets are already starting to sell out. As an added incentive for visitors, the Artaaj Agency is raffling off big-ticket items including a Jet Ski, trip for two to Thailand and the world’s largest LED television. Each ticket purchased includes several raffle tickets that can be filled out and dropped off at a central collection hub. Winners are announced, at different intervals, during the event.

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