Dubai City Magazine

[Lunchphoto] Dubai’s Metro

Reinout Ebskamp — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:50:40 +0000

Throughout the year, photographer Brian McMorrow takes photos of Dubai’s newest rising project: a metro network containing 2 lines with 47 (including 9 underground) stations and a system length of 70 kilometers. Upon completion in 2010, the network is projected to carry 1.2 million passengers on an average day and 355 million passengers per year.

Take a look at the whole photogallery by Brian McMorrow right here.

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[Video] Highest tennis court

Reinout Ebskamp — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:47:29 +0000

In 2005, in preparation for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Open, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played eachother in an unofficial game at the highest tennis court of all times, situated on the helicopter deck of the Hotel Burj Al-Arab. Take a look at the stunning video which resulted out of this remarkable event.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Dubai in low cost industry

Reinout Ebskamp — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:47:39 +0000

Today, flydubai announced that it is set to launch it’s low cost airline flights in mid-2009. According to Kenneth Gile, flydubai’s chief operating officer, the new airline received 11,500 applications from flight and cabin crew. 80 candidates survived. The first groep of 21 cabin crew and 24 captains are currently undergoing training in preparation for flydubai’s launch in a few months time.

Remarkable for a low cost airline company was the aquisition of 54 brand new Next-Generation 737-800 aircrafts from Boeing at the Farnborough Air Show last july. These airplanes are considered ‘topnotch’ and will be able to fly at destinations 4.5 hours from Dubai. Which destinations is unknown yet, but all plains will leave from the modernised and enhanced Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport.

flydubai is a company started by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, brother of the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who is already swaying the sceptre at Emirates Airlines.

Nakheel Tower more than one kilometre high

Reinout Ebskamp — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:51:12 +0000

Inspired by Islamic design and geometry, developer Nakheel announced today that it is building Dubai’s Nakheel Harbour & Tower. The new development was launched at a VIP event hosted by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World.

At the core of the Nakheel Harbour & Tower development is a tower more than a kilometre high and the world’s only inner city harbour. The development will cover an area of more than 270 hectares and become home to more than 55,000 people, a workplace for 45,000 more and attract millions of visitors each year.

“There is nothing like it in Dubai”, His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said at the launch. “Nakheel Harbour & Tower is located in the heart of ‘new Dubai’, where we have focused on creating a true community, a location for living, working, relaxing and entertaining, for art and culture. All of this is concentrated in one area.”

The multibillion dollar Nakheel Harbour & Tower will be completed in 2020 and will become, of course, the world most highest skyscraper by leaving Emaar’s Burj Dubai (818 metres) behind. The development will include 250,000m² of hotels and hospitality space, 100,000 m² of retail space and huge expanses of green spaces including canal walks, parks and landscaping. The new development is geographically central to the Emirate of Dubai, at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed Road and the Arabian Canal; and will also complement Nakheel’s surrounding developments including Jumeirah Park, Jumeirah Islands, Discovery Gardens and Ibn Battuta shopping mall.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Reinout Ebskamp — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:44:41 +0000

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was born on July 22, 1949 as the third of four sons from Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Mohammed was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies at a very young age and went to school in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

On January 4th 2006 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AL Maktoum became the ruler of Dubai following the death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. On January 5th, the members of the Supreme Council elected Sheikh Mohammed as UAE Vice President. President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan also nominated Sheikh Mohammed for Prime Minister, the council approved this.

Sheikh Mohammed is a major figure internationally in horse racing and known for the stables he owns in England, Ireland and the United States. He also oversaw the development of numerous projects in Dubai including the creation of the Palm Islands and the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel. At the moment, he is promoting the construction of Burj Dubai, which is now the tallest free-standing structure in the world, and will become the official world’s tallest building upon its completion in 2009. During his tenure as Crown Prince he set up Dubai Holding, a holding company with multi-diversified businesses and investments. He currently owns 99.67% of the company who made a bid on Liverpool F.C. on 4 december 2006 through it’s investment group Dubai International Capital.

In September 2007, Sheikh Mohammed launched a campaign, Dubai Cares, to raise money to educate 1 million children in poor countries. The campaign is Dubai’s contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing Children’s Primary Education to every child by 2015. The amount donated to this campaign has exceeded $910 million dollar.

Before that, on May 19, 2007 he already announced plans to give $10 billion to set up an educational foundation in the Middle East, one of the largest charitable donations in history. But he can afford it, by holding the fourth place on Forbes’ richest Royals list with an estimated fortune of $16 billion.

$20 million opening party Atlantis Hotel

Reinout Ebskamp — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:55:13 +0000

Last week, the Daily Mail wrote that the “owners of the sole resort (including Atlantis Hotel) on Dubai’s extraordinary Palm Jumeirah manmade island are throwing the most expensive private party ever staged - at a cost of more than €20 million for the one-night bash.” At this party, Kylie Minogue would also perform 60 minutes for an mythical amount of money, €2 million dollars.

After some research from Dubai City Magazine, we found out that the party will cost 20 million dollar Dirham (about €4 million), instead of 20 million Euro’s. Dutch topchef Jerry Bastiaan who works for the exclusive Capital Club in Dubai reported this. He also stated that the gig of Kylie Minogue could be replaced for a show with Britney Spears who ‘accidentally’ performs the next day in Abu Dhabi. But, whoever plays that night, she will get €2 million for an hour of work.

The opening will take place on November 20, 2008.

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UAE Football League set for new professional season

Reinout Ebskamp — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:15:06 +0000

The Emirates football season started with yesterday’s Super Cup between UAE League winners Al Shabab and Emir Cup winners Al Ahli (0-1). The final was an extra-time game in which both teams were awarded with a penalty in the second half of extra-time. Clederson Cesar made no mistake from the spot for Al Ahli while Carlos Renato de Abreu missed for his team, Al Shabab.

With Super Cup winners Al Ahli, the UAE Football League (UFL) will start a new professional season in which many hope the UFL will prepare the players better for the rigours and demands of international soccer. UAE lost both opening qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and that means any hope of winning a place at the World Cup finals in South Africa has effectively gone.

This new season, local players are expected to take more time to adapt to life as professional footballers, having not experienced it before and always have been thinking and living like amateurs, according to Gulf News.

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British Airlines expends Dubai flights

Reinout Ebskamp — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:24:31 +0000

On wednesday, British Airlines (BA) announced that it is to add a third daily flight from Heathrow to Dubai from October. With the new flightschedule, BA hopes to outplay it’s biggest rival Virgin Atlantic from multimillionaire Richard Branson. According to BA boss Willie Walsh, Virgin will be “struggling” to go forward the coming years due to higher costs and smarter rivals such as BA, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa.

This winter, BA will also be rolling out it’s new Club World on the Dubai route. The product, which features flat bed seats, a pantry for snacking and video on demand, has been installed on BA’s 747s and will be installed on all 777s in the first half of 2009. Paul Starrs, British Airways’ commercial manager, Middle East said: “The arrival of new Club World on the Dubai route, for the winter schedule, further enhances our commercial proposition and demonstrates the Dubai market’s enduring importance to the airline.”

Dubai in low cost industry

Radio DJ Grooverider jailed

Reinout Ebskamp — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:49:46 +0000

British Radio 1 DJ Grooverider has been jailed for four years in Dubai for possesion of drugs. The 40-year-old, real name Raymond Bingham, was arrested at the city’s airport on November 23 after flying in for a nightclub gig. Officials found 2.16 grams of cannabis in his luggage he had ‘forgotten’. Recently, Dubai City Magazine already posted this much commented article.

DJ Grooverider has been with Radio 1 since 1998 and co-hosts the weekly Fabio and Grooverider show at 2am each Sunday. Since his arrest, Radio 1 continued the show without him.

In the last 12 months, 64 British nationals have been arrested in the UAE for drugs offences, according to the Foreign Office. Grooverider has two weeks to appeal.

Tourists facing Dubai jail

Cinnovation Group buys The World’s Nova Island

Reinout Ebskamp — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:44:22 +0000

The Singapore-based firm Cinnovation Group announced that it has purchased the Nova Island, part of The World. Cinnovation Group intends to build a $200 million resort and spa on the development. Varun Chaudhary, director of Cinnovation’s Dubai operations, said on Monday that the project will be a private luxury retreat, offering both tourist and residential facilities. He did not reveal the island’s purchase price.

Islands on The World, located four kilometres offshore from Dubai, are being offered for sale on a freehold basis to selected investors, and are only accessible by marine or air transport. The average price for an island ranges from $15 million to $50 million, but the total cost of developing an island is much higher as owners are expected to provide all necessary infrastructure. The most expensive island costs $263 million. Around 50% is sold at this moment.

Cinnovation Group already own resorts in Maldives, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, including its flagship Maldives property Taj Exotica Resort & Spa.

Dredging company Van Oord completes The World