Dubai Package Holidays

Taste The Best Of Dubai

2010-02-12T11:24:00.002Z

When you decide on your holiday destination you are deciding on the kind of food you will eat while you are there too. While you can get meals that remind you of home, wouldn’t you rather get a taste of the country and location you have chosen to stay in instead?

This is definitely what you should do in Dubai. There are various types of cuisine to be found in Dubai, including American, Arabic, Turkish and Lebanese. Although of course you will also find plenty of other options you could try as well. And if nothing will do but an American style burger you won’t have to go too far to taste it.

This is arguably the best part of eating out in Dubai. You can be adventurous and try some different dishes and culinary tastes that you wouldn’t have tried before. And you can also feel safe in knowing that more familiar foods are available too.

Arabic cuisine in particular is worth exploring, and since it includes both meat and fish quite widely you should be able to find something that will make your mouth water. Falafel will be found quite readily when you are in town; this consists of chicken, peas and sesame seeds all rolled together and then fried to perfection. If you want something quick and tasty when you are on the go you can’t do much better than opting for the Shawarma. This is Arabic bread rolled with either grilled chicken or lamb in the middle, complete with salad as well.

As you can see it is possible to visit either a casual stall to get a snack in Dubai, or you can go to a proper restaurant and enjoy a three course meal there. You should try both during your stay as this will open up many opportunities to try different tastes and dishes that you may otherwise miss.

There is no doubt that Dubai has plenty to offer in the way of cuisine. It’s good to know you can stick with English or American dishes if you want, but it would be a shame to miss the other delights awaiting you.

Get Your Golf Clubs Out In Dubai

2010-01-13T09:59:00.002Z

Many people travel to Dubai to experience a holiday that is unlike any other. Dubai boasts a manmade island – Palm Jumeirah – while it is also famous for such buildings as the Burj al Arab. This building looks like a sail and houses a luxury hotel for guests to enjoy during their stay.

But other people head to Dubai with one thing in mind – golf. And if the idea of playing golf appeals to you, you could do a lot worse than to try out some of the many golf clubs that exist in Dubai.

For starters the Emirates Golf Club gives you a view like no other. Imagine standing at the first hole ready to tee off, and being able to look up and see the towering buildings of Dubai not so far away. The stark contrast between the lush green grass and beautifully kept greens when compared to the tall skyscrapers in the city is quite something to see. You might end up with your camera in your hand far more often than your golf club!

The Dubai Creek Golf Club is another delight to discover. If you have ever wanted to play golf at night but thought it was impossible, you need to visit this club for sure. This is because they have floodlights so you can carry on trying to get that hole in one long into the night if you wish.

The final hole on this particular course is one of the most challenging ones you will ever play. The whole course is exciting and makes the most of its location, but there is no doubt you will be talking about your performance (or perhaps trying to live it down) for a long time afterwards.

Both clubs have great facilities to enjoy as well, so once you have completed your round you can sit down for a nice meal or a drink to congratulate or commiserate yourself on how you did. And if you took plenty of photos you will be able to relive every moment of playing golf in Dubai.

Marvel At The Dubai Aquarium And Underwater Zoo

2009-11-11T12:26:00.000Z

An underwater zoo certainly sounds like fun, and if you have kids to entertain when you arrive in Dubai for your holiday, you should certainly make sure it is a key part of your itinerary.

But what can you expect from the Dubai Aquarium?

For starters there are over 30,000 marine mammals, fish and other creatures to introduce yourself to. And the aquarium also has the honour of having the world’s biggest window looking into their aquarium, so you won’t be jostling for position with all the other visitors. You will be able to see more than you ever have at any other aquarium you’ve ever been to.

One of the key parts of the aquarium is the submerged tunnel. Kids of all ages love this because you can be right up close to all the sharks without being in any danger at all.

There are plenty of other areas of the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo you can see as well. The rainforest area is well liked by visitors and it has plenty of mammals and fish to spot too. In fact even though most kids love the attraction there is no doubt that their parents feel equally entertained by what they find here.

So where do you find the attraction? It is easy enough to spot if you happen to be going to the Dubai Mall. This is because the big window looks out on the mall itself, offering a truly unusual and fascinating shopping experience! The mall is on Doha Street and you’ll find different entrances on different levels depending on whether you want to try the underwater tunnel or the tunnel and the zoo. It’s well worth doing both.

And as if that wasn’t enough you can even try out a glass bottomed boat tour for an additional fee. This is another way in which you can get up close and personal with the many fish and other exhibits in the huge pool they call home.

So don’t miss the aquarium. You’ll regret it if you do, because it is one of the best sights in Dubai for the whole family.

Dubai world's fastest growing airport in 2007

2008-01-10T15:42:00.000Z

Dubai International was the world's fastest growing airport in 2007 in terms of international passenger throughput, handling 34.34 million travelers in a record growth of 19.31 per cent, its operator said.

Passenger throughput at Dubai International Airport is expected to reach 40 million in 2008. The record growth in 2007 over the previous year is likely to propel Dubai International higher on Airports Council International's list of the world's busiest airports in terms of international passengers.

In 2006, it was ranked 10th on the list with a passenger throughput of 28.78 million, a statement from the airport's operator said.

Mr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and Chairman of Dubai Airports, said "Dubai International's growth is a reflection of Dubai's robust economy, and its rising popularity as an international commercia l and tourism hub."

The high growth rate in passenger throughput registered in 2007 means that for the sixth consecutive year, Dubai International has maintained an average growth rate of well over 15 per cent.

Connected to over 205 destinations across six continents through 120 airlines, Dubai International accounts for over 27 per cent of all passenger and aircraft movement in the Middle East and Africa region.

The airport will open its new Terminal and an associated facility in the middle of 2008 and another A380 specific facility in 2009, tripling its total capacity.

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South Africa, Turkey and Dubai set to become new golf holiday hot spots

2007-11-12T16:11:00.003Z

South Africa, Turkey and Dubai could overtake Spain and Portugal as the most popular destinations for golf holidays, according to two exclusive surveys conducted by KPMG Golf Advisory Services. More than 70 tour operators and 50 golf course architects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were interviewed for the surveys. When asked which countries or regions had the most potential to become significant golf tourism destinations, both the tour operators and golf course architects tipped South Africa, Turkey and Dubai for future growth. And while golf tour operators anticipated continued growth in the established markets of Spain and Portugal, they were also seen to be the most threatened by the emerging golf destinations.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG's specialist Golf Advisory Services Team for the EMA region, said: "The golf industry as a whole is likely to benefit from the continued growth of the broader travel and tourism industry. However, the traditional golf markets of Europe and North America can expect increasing competition from the emerging golf destinations that offer high quality golfing experiences at affordable prices."

The Caribbean and Latin America were also seen as emerging golf destinations. Ireland, Scotland and England were viewed as the most stable markets over the next 10-15 years.

Overall, 33 per cent of golf tour operators said they expected spectacular growth in the golf travel market over the next 15 years, while 56 per cent believed there would be steady growth. Eleven per cent expected the market to stagnate.

"The results confirm the changing face of the travel and tourism industry, boosted by more frequent travel, lower air fares, greater accessibility of new destinations, plus increases in family travel and sports and activity based holidays," concluded Andrea Sartori.

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Emirates Airline may order more A380s in future to meet growing capacity

2007-10-31T15:00:00.000Z

Dubai's Emirates Airline is likely to place more orders in the future for the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane, to meet its expansion plans.

Emirates Airline and Group is Airbus' biggest customer for the massive jet, with 55 A380 planes already on order. It is expected to start taking delivery of the plane in August 2008.

"Fifty-five, so far. There could be more later," Executive Vice Chairman Maurice Flanagan told the Associated Press on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Singapore. He declined to give details.

Flanagan said the airline is expanding its capacity by more than 20 percent a year, and that its rapid growth is likely to continue in tandem with Dubai's increased presence as an aviation hub.

"We see that going on and on in the future," Flanagan said. "It's linked to what's happening in Dubai and the power of Dubai as a global aviation hub whereby we can connect any two points in the world now with one stop only in Dubai."

Flanagan said the 55 planes currently on order would take the airline into 2030. Future orders would depend on any restrictions posed by the handling capacity of the airport in Dubai, which claims to be the world's fastest growing city.

About 29 million passengers passed through Dubai International Airport last year, an increase of 16.2 percent from the previous year.

To cope with the growth, the airport is undergoing a US$4.5 billion (€ 3.1 billion) expansion that will allow it to accommodate 70 million passengers a year by 2009, according to the airport's Web site.

Flanagan said Emirates expected to have 599 "big," or wide-bodied, aircraft in its fleet by 2019 if there were no capacity constraints at the airport. The carrier's fleet comprises only wide-bodied aircraft, and it currently has 110 of them, he said.

Flanagan also said Emirates could afford to fund its own expansion and had no plans for an initial public offering. Reports earlier this week said the airline is seeking a US$20 billion-US$30 billion listing.

"There is no intention for an (initial public offering)," he said. "We are cash-rich with about US$4 billion (€2.7 billion) in the kitty. We can certainly fund our expansion."

Dubai Tourism Projects to Reach $122 Billion Dirhams by 2018

2007-05-08T09:18:00.000Z

4th May 2007

Tourism-related projects in Dubai would touch 450 billion dirhams ($122 billion) by 2018, or more than 50 percent of the 858 billion dirhams ($231 billion) being projected for the whole of United Arab Emirate (UAE), WAM news agency reported Friday.

In a press statement Thursday, the Tourism Development Projects and Investment Market (TDIM), quoting a survey, said the total value of projects for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region would be 1.2 trillion dirhams by 2018.

The survey by Reed Exhibition was commissioned in time for the first major TDIM show to be held Dubai on January 20-22,2008.

'The move to organise TDIM in Dubai underlines Reed's commitment to conceive and stage events that support the development objectives of governments and needs of the corporate sector in the region,' said Frederic Thux, president of Reed.

'And I believe the show will play a key role in acting as a catalyst in the region's tourism development,' he added.

In a press conference at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Thux said TDIM 2008 would address various important issues in the tourism industry, particularly the co-operation between and among key government institutions, private project developers, and key industry players.

TDIM said UAE's tourism projects would spread over 558 million square metres of space when completed in 2018, or more than 75 percent of the 737 million square metre area being planned for the entire GCC.

Marathon Tourism Lets you Combine Race, Vacation

2007-04-30T12:59:00.000Z

29 April 2007

Running an out-of-town marathon used to be a weekend experience: fly or drive down on Friday, go to the expo on Saturday, race on Sunday morning and head home Sunday night or Monday morning.

Now, according to travel industry experts (who are mostly people at travel agencies trying to sell trip packages), marathon tourism is on the rise. People are booking vacations around their marathons and visiting exotic destinations where they combine sight-seeing and racing, rather than zipping in and out as quickly as possible.

One thing to consider is how to fit the marathon into your vacation timeline. If you put the race at the end of your visit, pre-race anxiety and diet restrictions may limit your holiday fun. If you race first and tour later, you may have to set aside a day or two for recovery.

Many tourists head for the world's biggest marathons in New York, Boston, Chicago, London and Berlin or to other big-city races like Paris and Rome.

However, here are eight different marathons in exotic and touristy locations that promote themselves as ideal places to race and visit.

Great Wall Marathon

May 19, 2007 and May 17, 2008: Held in China's Tianjin province, the Great Wall Marathon includes six kilometres of running on the wall itself, including 3,700 steps, plus a

flatter portion through the Chinese countryside. "A little tougher than a usual course," the race website says, "but no extraordinary experience is obtained ordinarily." I'm not sure whether the second half of that sentence is Confucian or just confusing, but "a little tougher" might be an understatement. Last year, only four runners broke four hours.

Easter Island Marathon

June 10: Some marathon courses make you feel like you're running in the middle of nowhere, but Easter Island is 3,700 kilometres from any major population centre, a little dot in the South Pacific. You get to run past the giant monolith statues for which the island is famous and ... well, that's it really.

Safaricon Marathon, Kenya

June 23: Had enough of Kenyan runners coming to North America and winning our races? Then go win the marathon in Kenya. The race is run on dirt roads through an African game park and wildlife conservatory. Trying for a personal-best time? Consider that lion following you as a pace bunny. Seriously, the organizers actually provide armed rangers to protect runners from pesky animals.

Niagara Falls International Marathon

Oct. 28: The only cross-border marathon in the world, the race starts in Buffalo and crosses the Peace Bridge into Fort Erie, Ont. The course then follows the Niagara River Parkway and finishes right at the Falls. Once it's over, you can begin a second marathon of tacky souvenir shopping.

Venice Marathon

Oct. 28: The pace cars aren't gondolas but you do get to run alongside and across some of the city's famous canals. The race begins 25 kilometres outside the city and finishes in the heart of the City of Water. Just before the finish, you cross the Grand Canal on a pontoon bridge built specifically for the race.

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend,

Jan. 12-13, 2008: The perfect family vacation. You get to run through all the major theme parks and then limp along in a vain attempt to keep up with your kids as they race through them the next day. They hold the half-marathon the first day, the marathon the next. Finish both and you get a special Goofy medal!

Dubai Marathon

Jan. 18, 2008: It's one of the wealthiest cities in the world and the centre for banking and commerce of the Middle East, so perhaps it's no surprise that the 2008 race is being billed as the richest marathon ever.

You may not have a shot at the $1-million U.S. purse, but you can still make it your richest marathon experience by staying in a $1,500-per-night suite at the Burj al-Arab, which markets itself as a seven-star hotel.

Antarctica Marathon

March 5, 2008: The 2008 event is already sold out and the 2009 edition is half-booked. The marathon was created by a tour company, Marathon Tours & Travel, specifically so that some of its clients could form a Seven Continents Club by running a marathon on every continent. The trip starts with a few days in Argentina, followed by a cruise down to Antarctica including lectures and wildlife excursions. "You will come face to face with icebergs, penguins, seals and whales while exploring the most pristine corner of the planet," the marketing material says.

I didn't know icebergs had faces.

EasyGroup Set to Take its Budget Hotel Franchise into the Middle East

2007-02-27T11:21:00.002Z

26 February 2007

As per the information available, the first of six budget hotels planned for Dubai under the easyHotel.com brand will open in Karama early next year. The development follows a master franchise agreement signed last year between with London-based easyHotel Limited and Istithmar Hotels, a subsidiary of Dubai investment firm Istithmar.

“In some markets like Dubai you start with attention to luxury,” easyGroup Chairman said Stelios Haji-Ioannou reportedly said in an interview. “But you need also levels of hotel accommodations that represent value for money and plug a gap in the market.”

easyHotels aims to open 38 properties in the next five years in the region through a franchise agreement with Istithmar Hotels, whose $3 billion in investments last year included New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel and W Hotel Union Square.

Dubai will have about four of the hotels and the others will be located in 17 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, India and Pakistan, Haji-Ioannou said.

The total project will cost $400 million.

The specific countries where easyHotel will be present are: Dubai (six), India (eight), Saudi Arabia (three), Pakistan (three), Egypt (two)Lebanon (two), and one each in Sharjah, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Qatar, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Libya, Jordan, Tunisia and Algeria. Each hotel will contain between 80 and 120 rooms.

For more information visit eyefortravel.com

Madame Tussauds Soon in Dubai

2007-01-30T14:30:00.002Z

29 January 2007

The Tussauds Group is set to establish presence in Dubai, Mumbai besides United States by investing $75-million to open waxworks museums in Hollywood and Washington DC.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, the group, owned by the Middle Eastern investment firm Dubai International Capital sees overseas expansion as a key source of growth. After opening in Shanghai last year, it is now planning similar attractions also in Dubai and Mumbai.

In fact, the group is a large visitor attraction business operating primarily in the United Kingdom, in addition to five other countries.

Madame Tussauds in present in six cities: London, New York City, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Its attraction in the US capital is scheduled to open this autumn on the site of Woody's, an old department store.

Hollywood's branch of Madame Tussauds will follow next year. It is being built on a brownfield site next to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a Los Angeles landmark, and is the first overseas Tussauds to be built from scratch.

While the Hollywood attraction will mainly feature waxworks of film stars such as Cary Grant and Brad Pitt, Washington will have a more political flavour. One feature will be a replica of the Oval Office in the White House.

Tussauds has acrossed the Atlantic, with attractions in New York and Las Vegas, and it is active in Asia, having opened in Hong Kong and Shanghai. It is estimated that 4-million people visit Madame Tussauds waxworks every year.

Ronaldo Falls Under Dubai's Spell

2007-01-29T12:36:00.000Z

Manchester United and Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is in awe of Dubai after enjoying a five-day holiday in the emirate.

Ronaldo, 21, praised the emergence of Dubai as an ideal year-round business and leisure destination and was impressed by the various facilities in existence and the development taking place in the emirate.

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) organised a thrilling desert safari trip for Ronaldo in addition to a city tour. He was also shown a presentation on Dubai.

Hamad Bin Mejren, DTCM Manager Missions, who accompanied Ronaldo during the tour, noted that Dubai had become a popular destination for football players from around the world and that teams, especially from Europe, regularly conduct training camps or holidays in the city.

Also accompanying Ronaldo on the tour were Ahmad Sa'ad Al Shareef, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, and Mohammad Al Ka'abi, General Manager, Leaders Qualification Centre.

Mementos were presented to Ronaldo.

Ronaldo is considered to be one of the most promising talents in the modern game and is currently at the centre of a mega transfer battle with Real Madrid, who have said they are willing to lodge a £35 million bid for the winger before the end of the season.

But Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has slapped a 'not for sale' notice on his star.

A First: Brazil/Emirates by Air 6 Times a Week

2007-01-25T10:00:00.002Z

The Emirates Airline flight between Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and Sao Paulo is going to be a great success. This is the opinion of aeronautical consultant Paulo Sampaio, who talked about the airline's announcement this Tuesday, January 23, that they are going to start operating the route on October 1st.

The city of Sao Paulo will be the airline's first non-stop destination to South America. There will be six flights per week, according to a spokesperson for the company.

"Dubai is a very great air traffic center. Apart from servicing the Middle East, it offers connections to destinations like China, India and Japan, which are currently important destinations for Brazilian passengers," said Sampaio.

"This route will have a very great impact, it will be a success," he believes. There will be flights from Sao Paulo every day except Friday, and from Dubai, also every day, except Thursday.

Nowadays, to reach the countries in Asia and the Middle East, Brazilian passengers must fly to Europe, South Africa or the United States, in the case of Japan.

The route from Dubai will shorten distances and reduce the duration of the trip between these destinations, in the evaluation of the consultant. The flight from Sao Paulo to Dubai should take 14 hours and 40 minutes.

As an example he mentioned the existing flight by South African Airlines between Sao Paulo and Mumbai, in India, with a leg in Johannesburg.

"It will be much faster through Dubai," he said. Sampaio also mentioned flights to Australia and New Zealand, destinations that are greatly sought by Brazilian students, currently operated by Aerolineas Argentinas and LAN Chile, with legs in Buenos Aires and Santiago, respectively.

"Now passengers will also have an option through Dubai," he declared. Therefore, Emirates may attract clientele from other international companies and generate greater competition.

Offering South American passengers connections to a series of destinations in the Middle East and Asia, and vice-versa, is the objective of Emirates.

"The company is very good in terms of quality, and if it enters with competitive rates, the company is going to do well," said Sampaio. The company guarantees that the prices will be competitive, but had not disclosed the prices until yesterday.

According to the company, the route to Brazil will be operated in a Boeing 777-200LR, the first of an order of 10 to be delivered in the near future. The aircraft will have eight first class seats, 42 in business class and 216 in coach, and will have the capacity to transport up to 18 tons of cargo.

According to a spokesperson for the company, the president of Emirates, Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, said that the company has been planning to expand its operations in the Americas for a long time.

Currently, on the continent, the company only has flights to New York. "We are pleased to be starting this service to South America as soon as we receive our first 777-200LR," said Al-Maktoum, according to a spokesperson.

The executive also pointed out, always through his press department, that Sao Paulo is the main business hub in Brazil. It is also the main economic center in Latin America. In the same way, according to him, "Dubai is the main route to the Middle East for business and tourism". "We believe that this connection is going to stimulate business and tourism between both of these economies even more," he said.

The company has already chosen an executive to run its business in Brazil. Ralf Aasmann was hired in December last year for the position of director general. According to Aasmann, the company is going to open an office in Sao Paulo - probably in February - and is going to start hiring local personnel.

"We are anxious to work closer to our commercial partners in Brazil, to make this service a success and to promote Brazil as a destination for travellers from other cities in the Emirates global network," he said, according to his press office.

Since the trip by Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Arab world, in December 2003, the inauguration of a flight to Brazil has been expected.

In June 2004, aeronautical authorities from the Emirates visited the country and signed an aerospace agreement that permits up to 14 flights a week. There has not been a direct flight between Brazil and the Middle East since the Lebanese Middle East Airlines cancelled its flight in 1998.

The company from the Emirates already employs 80 Brazilians, men and women who work as stewards and stewardesses. Established in 1995, the airline has been growing on average 20% a year, according to the press office, and currently counts on a fleet of 101 aircraft. The company flies to 87 cities in 59 countries in Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Dubai World Central Phase 1 Construction Moves into Top Gear

2007-01-25T09:57:00.000Z

Dubai World Central (DWC), the 140-square kilometre urban aviation community being built in Jebel Ali near Downtown Dubai is taking shape with the award of two major construction contracts.

“This huge aviation city centred around Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB) will place Dubai in pole position for regional logistics, tourism and commerce,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai World Central –Dubai Aviation Corporation, Government of Dubai.

The turnkey construction of its Dh1.5 billion Dubai Logistics City (DLC) headquarters and office park has gone to Kuwait-based M.A. Kharafi & Sons - a$3.3 billion privately-owned group with interests across 33 countries. Completion is scheduled for March 2009. In a second award, the contract for the construction of two Central Utility Complexes (CUC) to meet the district cooling requirements for DWC’s phase 1 facilities has gone to The National Company, part of the Kharafi Group. The first CUC will serve the airport area while the second will cater to DLC’s HQ and Office Park.

DLC, which is the world’s first truly integrated multi-modal logistics platform, is central to Dubai’s business proposition as a global and regional hub for integrated supply chain management and multi-modal transport.

Dubai Property Market to See Major Additions

2007-01-22T12:55:00.002Z

A minimum of 125,000 residential units will hit Dubai's property market between 2007 and 2009, according to a recent report by Shuaa Capital and Colliers International.

"The majority of these units is due in 2007 and 2008, where 71,800 new units will be ready for handover in 2007, and a further 43,000 units in 2008," the report said.

Last year, only 4,000 units are estimated to have been completed in high growth locations, where construction has begun. In 2009, the report estimates an additional 10,600 units will hit the market.

Meanwhile, the demand side will fall significantly short of expected supply in 2007 and 2008, unlike in recent years. Such a mismatch between supply and demand will soften the Dubai residential market.

The impact's level of intensity on the various individual residential segments will be distinct. The segment most severely affected will be that of high-end apartment units targeting high-income buyers.

By 2009, there will be a total of 77,000 units targeting high-income occupants, while the projected total demand for these units is just 36,100 for the same year.

Accordingly, the occupancy level in the high-end apartment segment will fall below 50 per cent and thus make investor objectives increasingly difficult to achieve, as they typically require average annual occupancy levels in excess of 75 per cent.

In contrast, the mid-end apartment segment is expected to maintain attractive occupancy levels, exceeding 85 per cent in 2009.

Moreover, supply-side effects of the present pace of development activity are likely to soften rents by as much as 25 per cent in certain key developments.

To put this figure into perspective, rents in Dubai have increased by an estimated average of 20-25 per cent annually since 2002.

For Abu Dhabi, the report forecasts a continued sharp shortage of supply at least up to 2009. The current occupancy levels in Abu Dhabi city are extremely high, with most areas showing full occupancy levels.

Rents in Abu Dhabi city have increased by an estimated 25 per cent annually since 2004.

Supply in high growth locations in Abu Dhabi this year is expected to be a meagre 1,100 units while the additional annual demand in the same year is projected to be 21,900.

The first large-scale deliveries in Abu Dhabi are expected to take place in 2008 when 11,000 units are slated to be handed over. However, this figure is still expected to fall short of additional demand, which is projected at 24,000.

In comparison, supply in 2009 is estimated to be 150,000 units assuming no delays in construction.

In the run up to 2009-2010 rental rates in Abu Dhabi will continue appreciating at a pace well in excess of the 7 per cent cap put in place earlier this year.

The report assumes limited compliance from landlords and delayed enforcement.

Pakistan to Sell Land for 5-star Hotels in Dubai

2007-01-22T12:50:00.000Z

Pakistan Railways will hold roadshows for selling its eight plots of land located in prime commercial areas across the country for establishing five star hotels. The government is also looking for joint venture partners for launching a chain of 55 budget hotels, said Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan's minister for railways.

"We are finalising our programme, to make our presentation in Dubai to offer our prime land for setting five star hotels, budget hotels and electric power stations to lure Gulf investors", said Shaikh Rashid in an interview with Khaleej Times, yesterday.

He said that of these eight plots for five star hotels, three are located in the prime commercial localities of Karachi, and one each in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Sukkur.

Last year, he said, one plot in the heart of Karachi was sold out to a Sharjah-based group for constructing $200 million complex. He said there is tremendous need for budget hotels. Pakistan Railways has planned to launch 55 budget hotels on joint venture basis, in all the major metropolitan cities and towns in the country. The Pakistan Railways has invited Expressions of Interest (EoIs), which will be expired this week, for the establishment of the project. The EoIs will be extended to attract gulf investors.

Giving details of the project, Shaikh Rashid said Pakistan Railway, as joint venture partner would invest its "Land as Equity", while the lead partner will plan, design, finance, develop, operate and market the project, ensuring regular revenue streams to Pakistan Railways during the agreement period.

The partners would be responsible for obtaining any approvals, sanctions and certification from local or relevant agencies for setting up the project. "These hotels are aimed at providing better accommodation to the people at comparatively affordable rates. The locations where these hotels would be established include Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Chaman, Sibbi, Taxila Cantt, Rawalpindi, Jehlum, Sargodha, Golra Sharif, Peshawar, Attock, Kohat, Hassanabdal, Mardan, Charsadda ,Nowshera. Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot and other cities.

The Government of Dubai Land Department Launches its Certified 'Real Estate Broker Card'

2007-01-22T12:47:00.000Z

The Government of Dubai's Land Department launched the first stage of a groundbreaking initiative that will see all real estate brokers in the emirate certified as qualified to carry out business.

The new initiative will add a new tier of authorization to real estate trading in Dubai, one of the emirate's booming industries. The first batch of certificates will be issued by the Land Department on Monday at a special ceremony held in the Department's headquarters.

Sultan Butti Bin Mijrin, Director General of Dubai Land Department, said: 'This is an important step forward for real estate brokerage in Dubai and reflects how far the market has advanced. Real estate investment and dealing accounts for a significant proportion of the emirate's GDP and the market is becoming increasingly sophisticated to meet the demands of growing interest both within the region and globally.

'Given the interest from buyers in the most developed markets it is crucial that Dubai is able to offer them the reassurance of a strong credible system backed by a sound legal framework and well trained, well qualified professionals.

'This new certification system is the market's guarantee that it is being well conducted. Dubai Land Department is enormously pleased to have put in place this system and we believe it will add to the growing interest in Dubai real estate.'

The ceremony to award the certificates will be held in the Land Department and will offer the first opportunity for the special cards allocated to certified brokers to go on display. Only those brokers who can display the cards are certified and the Department expects these to become the norm in Dubai in the very near future.

The new initiative will clarify the position and qualifications of real estate brokers in Dubai and will resolve some practices that have detracted from the strength of the market. Dubai has rapidly become a major league real estate player, particularly since enactment of the new real estate law. The Department has responded quickly to make the necessary adjustment to ensure the market operates effectively and efficiently.

Registration is carried out electronically via the real estate evaluation and research department, as per a special programme that qualifies the broker to be one of the main participants in the real estate market.

Building Dubai's Image

2007-01-19T12:08:00.002Z

Whether it's a huge roadside billboard advertising the Palm Jumeirah in Paris, a digital representation of Nakheel's The World project hanging above a tunnel in Madrid, a CNN advertisement for the Dubai International Financial Centre on a TV screen in the USA or an image of the upcoming Burj Dubai tower embalzoned all over London's traditional black cabs, the conclusion is the same: Dubai is promoting itself all over the world.

As the city's profile continues to grow worldwide so does the ambition and scale of the global marketing campaign the leaders in Dubai are undertaking to push 'Brand Dubai' further and further.

Dubai's global marketing and public relations think-tank, under the leadership of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, seems to believe the perfect way to further build Dubai's image is to brand it as a modern, global capitalist powerhouse, delivering unparalleled benefits to international finance and consumer markets.

This, of course, follows what Dubai has already done on the world stage in terms of selling itself as a dream-like oasis where anything is possible.

The world has already been exposed to every variety of advertising campaign promoting Dubai as a tourist destination. It has become known that the Palm Islands are the largest artificial islands in the world, so big they can be seen from space.

Furthermore, anyone who likes plush hotels will be able to tell you that the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel, is the first seven-star hotel in the world and that its suites cost up to $15,000 a night, and come with an army of butlers and a fleet of helicopters and Rolls-Royce limousines.

People all over Europe - where Dubai has focused its marketing campaign - would know that Emaar's $8 billion Burj Dubai Tower is set to be almost a kilometre high, and will be the world's tallest building when finished next year.

Dubai: The Arab city of the future

2007-01-19T08:58:00.002Z

The skyline of Dubai is a tangible testament to the most spectacular economic transformation in modern Arabia, an emirate whose unique milieu defines the heartbeat of the globalist ethos.

Of course, the Dubai Creek was a hub of trade and finance for centuries, with the silhouette of its moored dhows a symbol of the Arab pearl diving fleets and merchant princes whose networks once extended to Bombay, Kerala’s Malabar, Basra, East Africa’s Swahili coast, Zanzibar, Aden, Kuwait, Iran’s Gulf ports and even the Indonesian archipelago.

Dubai embraced the logic of tree trade, laissez faire capitalism, an absence of xenophobia, an obsessive commitment to infrastructure roll out, a liberal social ethos a generation before it was fashionable. Dubai’s entrepreneurial spirit suffuses its traders to move goods, money and cargo in some of the most high risk emerging markets of West, South and East Asia. The gold, electronics, and textile trades, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Port Rashid, the dry docks, DXB, the establishment of Emirates Airlines, the freehold property revolution, DSF, the Monaco/Singapore style branding as a tourism and services hub, the DIFC, DIC and Media City have created a city–state that, like Venice Venice of the Serenessima or Rembrandt’s Amsterdam, has become an East–West entrepot of ideas, population exchanges and finance.

Dubai’s government is unique in the Arab world, with a ruler whose leadership model is the CEO and whose template for Arab socio economic renaissance is Cordoba, the medieval kingdom in Moorish Spain where Arabs, Jews and Christians created a unique mélange of cultures before the religious fanatics of the Reconquista engaged in one of history’s most ruthless examples of ethnic cleansing. In fact, even now, the Spanish word "convivencia" denotes more than tolerance, even pleasure in cross cultural exchanges, a recognition that the human family is a kaleidoscope, that values are relative and bigotry is abhorrent, that celebration of our common humanity is the essence of civilised existence. As the only global metropolis in the Islamic world, Dubai has resurrected the spirit of Cordoba, staked its claim as the Arabian city of the future. In fact, the Dubai model has become the DNA of iconic property projects and economic reinvention policies from Morocco to Oman at opposite ends of the Arab world.

The post 9/11 world of soaring oil prices, regional petrodollar flows, brand new financial markets, exponential wealth creation and capital flows in the emerging markets, cross border mergers and acquisitions, the bidding war for overseas infrastructure assets, even war in Iraq and Lebanon, repatriation of Arab private wealth from the US and, above all, the real estate El Dorado has transformed the economic landscape of Dubai. Without the huge oil reserves of Abu Dhabi or Qatar, without the population of Saudi Arabia, without the military power of Egypt or Iran, Dubai has carved out a unique role in the global village, become Arabia’s daring incubator of the social, urban, even financial avante–garde. Bahrain was the offshore capital market of the Gulf ever since Beirut’s descent into the Stone Age in Lebanon’s civil war in the 1970’s but Dubai’s DIFC has positioned its financial free zone as the hot new destination of international banking and fund management in a mere four years. Economic change that was measured in decades in conventional Arab economies is now telescoped by the decision makers of Dubai Inc in virtually Internet time. The bureaucratic inertia that defines societies East of Suez has simply been leapfrogged into oblivion in Dubai.

Unlike Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, Dubai was not a major player in the international financial markets. No longer. Dubai Holding’s DIC, in takeover mode with Liverpool FC, was established as recently as 2004 as a conduit for the investment of surplus state funds into trophy franchises all over the world. DIC, whose portfolio includes Daimler Chrysler and Doncaster, is only the latest example of Dubai’s diversification and global brand strategy. With a mere seven per cent GDP in oil and gas, Dubai is not the traditional Arabian Gulf petrocurrency emirate but nothing less than the cosmopolitan portal to the Middle East whose existence in mission critical in a region where the collision between global capitalism and East–West geopolitics has been traumatic.

When Israel bombed Hezbollah last summer, the best and brightest of Lebanon considered Dubai in the same league as a haven destination as London and Paris. When Iranian political risk escalated after the election of President Ahmedinijad and the uranium enrichment dispute with the West, Tehran’s merchant elite often bought properties in New Dubai, an alternative to squirreling funds in Swiss banks, the traditional mode of Persian capital flight since the reign of the Shah.

Dubai hosts the Gulf’s benchmark conferences for hedge find managers, Islamic financiers, even for travel agents and software engineers. From Australian pilots at Emirates to Gujarati gold traders, Sindhi textile millionaires, Lebanese advertising yuppies and Bohra hardware merchants, Dubai has its own ethnic clusters and professional networks that create value for the entire society and contribute to its role as the magnet for the young, the rich, the restless in societies elsewhere in the region wounded by war, terror and economic sclerosis. In an age of hyperkinetic offshore capital, a mass communications revolution and digital culture, Dubai is a compelling model and catalyst for change in Arabia, the ideal place to live for those of us who define our identify not by our passport, tribe or ancestry but our determination to live lives of excitement and intellectual self discovery, to evolve into quintessential citizens of the world in the new millennium.

Dubai: Sky's no limit

2007-01-18T10:46:00.002Z

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Tiny Dubai has big plans. Armed with riches seemingly as endless as its ambition, Dubai aims to exploit its Persian Gulf perch to become an aviation superpower.

Leaders of this booming Middle Eastern financial center have budgeted $82 billion to construct the world's largest airport on barren desert 30 miles from its downtown and make its home-town carrier, Emirates Airline, one of the biggest on the planet.

Dubai wants to make the most of its setting, a crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa and a natural link between new economic powers like China and India. Blessed with year-round sunshine, stunning beaches and azure gulf waters, Dubai also is pumping billions of dollars into turning itself into a layover playland.

Its plans threaten to redirect travelers from Europe's largest cities and upend American airline dominance of intercontinental travel.

"We want to be one of the biggest," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, who oversees Dubai's airport and is chairman, chief executive and co-founder of Emirates Airline. "Not only in size, but in being effective around the world."

But not if its next-door rival has anything to say about it.

The oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, is building a new airline, as well as an airport due to open in 2010, only a 90-mile drive from downtown Dubai.

Etihad Airways, the carrier that Abu Dhabi started a little more than two years ago, already flies to 35 cities, including New York, and has a fleet of more than 20 wide-body aircraft--with new planes arriving at the rate of about one per month.

Was Abu Dhabi driven to keep pace as Emirates started taking off as a global carrier?

"Of course, it played a role," said Geert Boven, vice president of commercial with Etihad.

But Abu Dhabi, too, believes that sufficient traffic will flow through the region to support another supercarrier. "That was one of the ideas of the government: We are an important financial center in the world, so let's connect the world to Abu Dhabi," said Boven.

Qatar, another tiny Persian Gulf state, harbors similar ambitions. In fact, the handful of carriers in that region account for nearly one-quarter of all the long-range airplanes on order at Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS. Some question whether the market will soon be glutted with aircraft and new airports.

"People are saying that this market is reaching its limits," said Habib Fekih, Airbus president for the Middle East. "I'm saying, check later and watch out."

Dubai is taking on plenty of risk in its bet. While Abu Dhabi has a financial cushion in that it sits atop one of the world's largest oil reserves, Dubai's oil is running out. Moreover, the airline industry is notoriously cyclical.

Oil shocks, terror attacks and war could all dampen demand for air travel in the gulf region, and especially hurt the economy of Dubai, the second-largest of the seven city-states that make up the U.A.E.

What's more, Dubai's aviation growth is timed, and designed to feed visitors into the mind-boggling welter of developments rising from the emirate's desert sands. Any turbulence at Emirates Airline sends ripples through Dubai's economy.

That's one reason why government officials were so angry at the well-publicized production snafus at Airbus. The delayed delivery of the A380 jumbo jets, which won't arrive until 2008, already have cut in half Emirates' planned growth for this year.

"You can imagine why the government is miffed," said Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline.

Dubai skyscraper touted as tallest-to-be marks 100 floors

2007-01-18T09:51:00.002Z

The Burj Dubai skyscraper under construction reached its 100th story on Tuesday, nearly two-thirds of the way in its relentless climb to become the world's tallest building by next year.

With 3,000 laborers adding a new floor nearly every three days, the US$1 billion (euro770 million) spire is days away from surpassing a neighboring skyscraper that is currently the tallest in the Mideast and Europe, Dubai-based developer Emaar Properties said.

When finished in two years, the Burj Dubai is expected to rise beyond 700 meters (2,300 feet) and more than 160 floors, dozens of stories taller than skyscrapers in Taiwan, Chicago or anywhere else. Emaar isn't releasing its plans for the final height so it can add more stories if a competing developer mounts a challenge.

Predictions on skyscraper Web sites say the cylindrical Burj will loom over the city from a height of 800 meters (2,600 feet) or more.

"The tower is a symbol of the city's pride and a statement of our arrival on the global scene as one of the world-class cities," Emaar chairman Mohammed Ali Alabbar said in a prepared release.

Exhibiting a flair for the luxurious that is typical of Dubai, one of the skyscraper's high-profile tenants will be the Armani Hotel, developed with Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The spire will also contain private apartments and offices.

The world's tallest current building, at 101 floors and 509 meters (1,671 feet), is the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, though, the CN Tower in Toronto is 55 meters (180 feet) higher, largely because of its huge antenna.

The dramatic concrete and steel framework of the Burj Dubai has risen 347 meters (1,140 feet) above the surrounding desert since excavations began in January 2004. The area surrounding the tower is the site of a US$20 billion (euro15.44 billion) overall development that includes several smaller towers set amid winding canals and a gargantuan shopping mall.

Motorists on the adjacent highway get dramatic daily views of the tower's progress, with 10 cranes and the world's fastest construction hoists zipping concrete slabs and giant bundles of steel rods to dizzying heights. The construction division of South Korean conglomerate Samsung is building the Burj Dubai, which is one of just six buildings in the world that are 100 or more stories high, Emaar said.

Samsung's three-day-per-story construction technique was pioneered on skyscrapers in South Korea and involves pumping liquid concrete into a form that is removed and jacked to a new level after fresh concrete is allowed to dry for just one day, said Beejay Kim, Samsung's Dubai-based business manager. "We're not breaking any speed records, just the height record," Kim said.

The silvery steel-and-glass building will restore to the Middle East the honor of hosting the earth's tallest structure, a title lost in 1889 when the Eiffel Tower upset the 43-century reign of Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza.

Only one building in the Middle East remains taller: the nearby Emirates Office Tower, a skyscraper resembling a razor blade that rises to 355 meters (1,165 feet).

Elsewhere in the Mideast, Dubai's sail-shaped Burj al-Arab hotel stands at 321 meters (1,053 feet) and the Kingdom Center in the Saudi capital Riyadh is 302 meters (991 feet).

Europe's tallest building, the Triumph Palace in Moscow, rises to just 264 meters (866 feet).

Asked how long the Burj Dubai would hold the world record, Kim said he was unsure.

"If anyone is looking for an even taller building, we are happy to build it," he said.

The Persian Gulf city of Dubai has staked its fame on bold engineering, building attention-grabbing projects including manmade resort islands shaped like palm trees, a mall with indoor skiing, and a vast Disney World-style amusement complex that includes plans for an apartment building that rotates on its axis.

Dubai began building skyscrapers to gain international prestige, not, like Hong Kong and New York, because of a shortage of land. But Dubai's skyscraper binge has jacked up land prices so much that tall buildings are the only feasible use for coveted building lots in the city's central district.

The Burj Dubai owes its shape to American architect Adrian Smith, of the Chicago firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Smith also designed Shanghai's 420-meter (1,378-foot) Jin Mao tower, the world's fifth tallest.

The other 100-story buildings are: The Sears Tower in Chicago (110 floors); Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea (105 floors); the Empire State Building, New York (102 floors); Taipei 101 (101 floors); and the John Hancock Center, Chicago (100 floors).

Jewel in the crown

2007-01-12T11:46:00.000Z

Dubai has long been touted as a popular winter sun destination but it aims to be so much more than just a place for tourists. Doris Lee Butterworth looks at recent developments in the most glamorous of emirates.

Dubai has huge ambitions to be a global leader in perishables handling and is looking to the sea and skies to fulfil its goal. Its logistics resources certainly take some beating. Millions have already been ploughed into the emirates’ facilities and with more initiatives coming into fruition in the next two to three years, it is a busy time for Dubai’s perishables sector.

Often referred to as the Rotterdam of the Middle East, Dubai has big aspirations to break through to supply the European market with Middle East, Asian and African produce.

Reams of column inches worldwide have been devoted to the US$70 million (£36.3m) Dubai Flower Centre (DFC), which is strategically located in Dubai Cargo Village at the airport.

As the only state-of-the-art transhipment centre for perishable goods in the region, the DFC promotes itself as a one-stop shop for local and international buyers, traders and exporters.

Facilities at the DFC cater not just to flowers but anything that is perishable and needs a cool-chain process, like fruit, vegetables and fresh meat or fish, marketing director Ibrahim Ahli explains.

The centre provides a closed-loop supply chain system that ensures the right temperature from aircraft to the climate-controlled zone, a state-of-the-art computerised tracking system and a duty-free environment.

The DFC has the capacity to handle 180,000 tonnes of perishable products each year. With so much investment, there are high hopes that the centre will spur exponential growth in the regional cargo sector.

Ahli claims: With the latest facilities and equipment, DFC is unique in the world technologically speaking, while the quality of service is second to none. This will give a boost to the cargo sector in the region, especially for transhipment of perishable goods, from the Middle East, Asia and African regions.

We have already received very positive responses from east African flower growers and exporters including from Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as from consuming countries like Russia and Japan.

DFC became fully operational in July 2006 and handled an impressive 3,475t of perishables in its first 10 days of operation.

The centre’s computerised tracking system enables exporters and importers to track the flight status, shipment loading and temperature of products through the supply chain.

DFC has also caught the eye of South American flower growers and exporters who, according to the centre, are looking for better transhipment of their perishable goods and to utilise DFC as a gateway to enter new markets in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, Middle East, and the rest of Asia.

DFC md Ian Strachan and Ahli recently visited farms in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, and also met with key government officials.

The official export promoting bodies Prompex of Peru, Corpei of Ecuador, and Proexport of Colombia along with the many growers in the region seek to expand their markets to cover the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and use Dubai as a redistribution centre,” Ahli says, adding that future alliances with Latin American logistics firms may be on the cards.

Ahli says that, in recent years, there has been renewed interest among Latin American companies to expand their presence outside of their traditional markets of Europe and North America.

Furthermore, Iran and other central Asian countries are looking keenly at DFC to boost exports to Europe and the Far East.

Iran’s floral sector is flourishing and, according to official figures, some 3,000 flower production units across Iran produce more than 1.4 million stems of cut flowers, 120m trees and shrubs and 38m pot plants a year.

The sector suffers from high wastage due to insufficient storage facilities. However, Ahli says Dubai is ready to offer its services. The DFC can surely support the Iranian floriculture industry as we have the necessary infrastructure to meet its requirements, he says.

Looking at Dubai’s logistics figures, it is impossible to be anything but impressed by the recent growth. The area’s port and airport are hoping to capture further business and significant investment has been ploughed into the facilities.

During the period of January to September 2006, Dubai Cargo Village handled 1.03mt of cargo, compared to 969,296t in the first nine months of 2005, an increase of 6.72 per cent. May was the busiest month for the Cargo Village, when it handled 124,366t of cargo, compared to 107,487t in May 2005, a 15.7 per cent increase.

Dubai International Airport has been growing at an average rate of 15 per cent annually since 2000, and HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and chairman and ceo of Emirates Group expects the growth rate to pick up pace over the coming years.

Ambitious plans are underway, including the expansion of Concourses 2 and 3 and Terminal 3. The expanded facility will be capable of handling approximately 60m passengers by 2010.

On the sea front, DP World-UAE aims to increase its current capacity of 20m TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) to an estimated 42m TEU’s by 2010. It has continued its expansion by adding terminals in Yemen, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, and China.

DP World-UAE has been at the forefront of implementing new technologies, says Mohammed Al Muallem, senior vice president and managing director, DP World-UAE. The UAE region and Dubai in particular, has seen buoyant growth in the economy with Dubai being established as a business hub within the Middle East. Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Terminal play a vital role in contributing to the strength of Dubai as a business hub.

DP World-UAE’s flagship facility Dubai Ports was ranked as the world’s ninth top container port, handling 7.62m TEUs in 2005.

DP World claims companies can benefit from its innovative services. These include the Container Terminal Management System (CTMS) which facilitates an integrated inter-port transfer of containers between Port Rashid and Jebel Ali; or the Container Freight Station System (CFSS), which computerises the entire operations of the station.

Company officials recently met with the Dubai Municipality’s Health & Food Inspection Section and foodstuff traders to discuss a number of issues, including quality certification standards, shelf-life requirements, production limitations and municipality inspection points.

Dubai Municipality is in the process of rolling out advanced shelf-life regulations, as well as improving the efficiency of its electronic systems for dial-up internet users. Talks are also underway to increase facilities for container inspections.

This will considerably improve efficiency and allow containers to continue their journey without any delay, says Khalid Mohd Sharif Mohd Al Awadi of Dubai Municipality.

Dubai Airport targets 33m passengers

2007-01-12T11:37:00.000Z

Dubai: Dubai International Airport, the busiest airport in the Middle East, recorded 16.17 per cent growth last year as passenger numbers grew to 28.78 million from 24.78 million in 2005.

This year the airport is targeting passenger throughput of more than 33 million, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) - operator of the Dubai International Airport, said yesterday.

The emirate's hotels and serviced apartments served 6.3 million guests in 2006, merely 3.27 per cent growth over the previous year, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the emirate's tourism regulatory body said on Wednesday.

This is the sixth consecutive annual passenger growth the airport has achieved, said Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai's Department of Civil Aviation and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

Dubai to get tower shaped like Gulf Arab man

2007-01-11T16:09:00.000Z

DUBAI: The bustling Gulf emirate of Dubai, home to several extravagant projects, plans to build a tower in the form of a Gulf Arab man wearing the region’s traditional garb, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Burj al-Arabi, or Arab’s Tower, will be the world’s biggest costume made of concrete and glass, Al-Emarat Al-Yom said, citing developers.

The 35-storey structure, which will be 140 meters (459 feet) tall, will take the shape of a man in a white dishdasha or thob, worn by men in the conservative Muslim region, and sporting the customary headdress.

Slated for completion in 2009 at a cost of half a billion dirhams ($136 million), the tower will host offices, restaurants and shops, the daily said.

It will be built near a vast airport currently under construction in the Jebel Ali area on the outskirts of the city.

Dubai, a member of the seven-strong United Arab Emirates, has in the space of a few years turned into a regional business and tourism hub where dozens of grandiose projects are under way.

These include Burj Dubai or Dubai Tower, which at more than 700 meters (2,296 feet) high is slated to be the world’s tallest skyscraper when it is completed at the end of 2008.

Even a turning tower is in the works. Time Residences will be a building that moves with the power of the sun to become the only rotating residential structure on the planet, the developers of the 30-storey tower said in November.

Newcastle to get direct link to Dubai

2007-01-11T16:03:00.000Z

Newcastle is to become the newest addition to the Emirates route network. The airline has announced that it will start daily non-stop services from the north-east airport to its hub in Dubai from September 1. The service will be Newcastle’s first ever scheduled long-haul service.

Vic Sheppard, Emirates' vice-president UK & Ireland, says: We firmly believe there is a significant potential market for Emirates in the North-East one that currently remains largely untapped and believe this new route will prove hugely successful for both Emirates and the North-East. With the involvement of the local community, it has the potential to boost inbound trade and tourism, whilst also helping to foster strong trade and tourism links between the North-East, Dubai and other destinations we serve.

Flight EK036 will depart Newcastle International Airport each day at 1340, arriving into Dubai International Airport at 0005 the following day. The return flight, EK035, is scheduled to depart Dubai at 0720 every day, arriving in Newcastle at 1210. The service will be operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Dubai's hotel ocupancy rise 3.27% last year

2007-01-11T16:00:00.001Z

(MENAFN) A report issued by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said that hotels guests in Dubai increased 3.27 percent last year, reaching 6.3 million compared to 6.1 million recorded in 2005, Gulf News reported.

Dubai's tourism regulatory authority, DTCM, said the city had 415 hotels last year, just eight more than the previous year.

With a population of about 1.3 million, Dubai's tourist arrivals are high in per capita terms, but the 2006 figure shows the slowest growth in hotel guest numbers in the last five years.

A shortage of hotel rooms has been cited in the past as hampering Dubai's ambitious goal of bringing in 15 million foreign visitors by 2010.

Dubai would need between 80,000 to 100,000 hotels rooms to cater for that number of visitors.