Driving in the UAE...

....can be dangerous


How Ferrari's U-Turn In Dubai - Watch more free videos

Atlantis Dubai on the Palm and Kylie’s Two Million Pounds

After seven years of construction into the sea, Dubai has a new piece of eye candy for its growing skyline called Atlantis Dubai. The three mile mega resort – The Atlantis Dubai boasts 1539 rooms due to open on schedule this month - 24th September despite a fire destroying its lobby beginning of September. A mix of opinions anticipate the opening of this impressive but unnatural concept of a themed hotel. Built on a man made island which overlooks the palm, another man made island and its dolphin conservation centre including shipped mammals caught in the Soloman Islands doesn’t really make it an eco tourist destination.



Although we are not a hotel review site for Dubai, we can’t help but appear impressed at the length of creativity and thought that has gone into this super project.The £750m 5* hotel is in the same vicinity as the multimillion properties owned by the celebrity footballers Beckham, Owen and Ferdinand. However critics question whether it will match its breathtaking sister property, the Atlantis Bahamas. The façade is a mix of concepts – Hollywood, arabesque and glam finished in a pale pink shade – not appealing to all perhaps and parts of the interior have been described as a mish mash of the 80’s Dallas series with a cutting edge contemporary feel. Still, some of the top world class restauranteurs have a spot here including the chic Nobu and renowned Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli. The standard rooms are said to be either chic and simple (which is unusual for a 5* Dubai joint) or bold if you go for mid range, with large picture windows looking into the hotel’s 11 m litre lagoon filled with sharks, rays and other sea life. The most expensive room at £15,000 a night will give you 3 bedrooms, four staff and a grand dining table to seat 18 and breakfast.

For kids and adults alike the fabulously designed Aquaventure - a 42 acre waterpark in the hotel grounds will be the resort’s main pulling attraction. It is non- stop water with amazing rides and a 90ft drop near vertical slide called the Leap of Faith. The Lost Chambers – the main themed attraction is an underground maze filled with tunnels and extensive marine exhibits. It is said the total number of fish at the resort is twice as much as the London Aquarium and is managed by 165 marine specialists.



The most extravagant launch party has been planned at £16m with A-list celebs, politicians and royalty on the invite list. The per head cost is anticipated at £5000 and pop princess Kylie Minogue is reported to be paid £2m for a 60 minute concert. It is also rumored that Michael Jackson and Madonna are to perform on the opening night. To pump things up even more, the designer of the Beijing Olympics will stage a £3m firework display promised to be even more exhilarating than the 2008 Olympics.

Atlantis Dubai
Atlantis Dubai
Atlantis Dubai Review
Atlantis Bahamas

English Schools in the UAE

English schools are extending themselves overseas to reduce the fees they need to charge in the UK. This extends brand, especially where quality is high, and in the Gulf, where supply is way below demand, these schools will be able to charge what they want for a good few years to come. By then, they will have associations with the larger companies who will hold places for senior employees and for expats moving out to the UAE. And so the circle of life maintains itself:

In recent years, English private schools have sought additional sources of income by opening private schools in the Far East. Until now, however, they had shied away from the Gulf, deterred by fears that Islamic culture would make it hard to create sister schools with any resemblance to the original home model.

The business opportunity arises from the attractions of an English private school education to the growing number of expats and Middle Eastern families. Fluency in English, internationally recognised qualifications and centuries-old brands are part of their appeal.

Tradition and Englishness are also a selling point. There are already several international schools in the region. But Charles Bush, head of Oundle, says traditional English private schools have “a tremendous amount of expertise to offer”. Above all, some enjoy a reputation that could give them a head start.

Schools look to expansion in the Gulf
SCHOOLS IN DUBAI AND ABU DHABI

Who is SHEIKH MANSOUR BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN?

SHEIKH MANSOUR BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN Believed to be the main financial backer of the purchase of Manchester City. The Abu Dhabi royal is married to Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the ruler of neighbouring Dubai, and chairman of Al Jazeera Football Club and the Emirates Horse Racing Authority. The Al Nahyan family fortune is more than £560bn

Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed al-Nahyan is also a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal family whose wealth is estimated at more than $26 billion (£16 billion). He is the half-brother of the President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi, as well as a full brother of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and therefore is one of the most influential sheikhs in the Gulf.

In his investments he is thought to be acting for the al-Nahyan family as it invests its oil-generated fortune. Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City Football Club for £200 million and has spent a further £3.5 billion for a 16.3 per cent stake in Barclays.

You would never get the ruler or crown prince investing directly, so these investment are on behalf of them, so that there is no direct repercussion. These investments are brand building, smart business moves, and leverage some power in the world at a time where there is no money in the west.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 1970, and he graduated from the United States with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science.

His Highness held the ministerial seat of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs since its inception in November 2004. Besides, he is the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Petroleum Investment Company; Chairman of the Board of Directors, First Gulf Bank (FGB); Member of the Higher Council for Petroleum, Emirate of Abu Dhabi; and Deputy Chairman for Sheikh Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation.


Key players in the tale of the City

Emirates investor has all the right connections

H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Dubai buying Manchester United

You have got to love rumour. A great article in the Sunday Times detailing the real reason for buying Manchester City but also some great info on the tit for tat between Dubai and Abu Dhabi:

Indeed it is in sport where the rivalry is best expressed, with a series of tit-for-tat deals to sign up the world’s best sporting properties. When Dubai became the home of the International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body, Abu Dhabi offered English cricket $750m over 10 years to play host to its Twenty20 one-day competition. After Dubai became the venue for a top event on the men’s professional tennis tour, its rival funded a women’s championship. Aware of Dubai’s attempts to host a Formula One grand prix, Abu Dhabi bought a stake in Ferrari and secured a place on the circuit for next year.

And then, tucked in as the last paragraph - BOOM - where did they hear that?

The only thing that could put a damper on such gloating would be if the gossip circulating this weekend proves to be true. The American owners of Manchester United, so the rumours go, will soon receive an offer to buy the club that they cannot refuse – from the Dubai royal family.

And if that was the case, then the Manchester Derby would become the Emirates Derby. They may even have to hold it at the Emirates Stadium. Can you believe it? Probably not. Could it happen? Hell yes!

Abu Dhabi: the Sheikh's real goal