FUJAIRAHBeethoven can be played on a mountain roadway in the distant reaches of the United Arab Emirates by the common road rumble strip, which is employed all over the world to warn swerving vehicles of possible dangers or lane departures.
Drivers entering the city of Fujairah in the right-hand lane can listen to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for about a kilometer (half a mile) along the E84 expressway, also known as the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road.
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The director of Fujairah Fine Arts Academy, which just completed the project in cooperation with local authorities, Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti, stated, “Of course, the ‘Street of Music,’ is an art project that exists in some countries… but we wanted this project to be in our country.”
The project’s main goal, in my opinion, is to promote art culture. the integration of music into our daily life,” he continued.
At first glance, the rumble strip appears to drivers entering Fujairah as a bigger, rectangular representation of the dashes that divide the three-lane highway. That is, until you get to the first block, where the road’s grooves and your car’s speed create a musical effect.
The most well-known sections of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the latter movements frequently referred to as the melody “Ode to Joy,” or, in its more contemporary incarnation, the official anthem of the European Union, are audible as you drive over each block. To get the melody just perfect, Al Hefaiti advised drivers to start at about 100 kph (60 mph).
Along its eastern shore with the Gulf of Oman, the road has become a social media craze, attracting tourists to one of the UAE’s lesser-known emirates.
As they enter the city, drivers have been observed slowing down to enjoy the musical road. Although cars frequently arrive quickly, bystanders can achieve the same effect by standing on the side of the road.
The idea is not new; singing shoulders have been used in other nations, such as Iran and other countries around the Persian Gulf. However, according to Al Hefaiti, this is the first in the Arab world. Al Hefaiti believes that in addition to becoming viral, it will increase awareness of the value of art culture and introduce classical music into daily life.
Al Hefaiti explained that he constantly encourages his students to investigate diverse cultures, which is why an Emirati fine arts school chose an 18th-century European musician to represent Fujairah.
