Shangri-La Hotel celebrates 5th year anniversary with dragon boat festival 2012

The Hotel hosts the festival on the 1km stretch of beachfront that overlooks Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and spectators are also welcome to enjoy the fun with entertainment including a live DJ, a massage kiosk, volleyball, kayaking and a gathering of Abu Dhabi's adventurous crowds.

A challenging and exhilarating water sport, dragon boating is full of adrenaline and sportsmanship, placing emphasis on team spirit, making friends and having fun while promoting a healthy lifestyle.

This year, the Shangri-La and Traders Dragons, a team of colleagues from both Shangri-La Hotel and Traders Hotel in Abu Dhabi, look forward to competing once again.

Jason MacKenzie, Technical Director of the UAE Dragon Boat Association, says, "Dragon boating is experiencing phenomenal success in the UAE. Several of our elite teams took part in the Dragon Boat World Championships this year and achieved fantastic results which is a real credit to their professionalism and dedication."

With the Hotel celebrating its 5th year anniversary, this year's Dragon Boat Race is certainly set to be bigger and better.

Arbind K. Shrestha, general manager, Shangri-la Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi states, "We are delighted to witness continuous successes of the Dragon Boat Festival in the Hotel as much as we are celebrating our five years of established Arabian luxury."

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 73 hotels under the Shangri-La, Kerry and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 30,000.

Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in Canada, mainland China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkey and United Kingdom.