Piers Morgan on Dubai

What is Piers Morgan's view on Dubai? "Bonkers" is the word he used. He paints a picture of money and more money and even more money. Some would say that it isn't balanced as he doesn't necessarily show the other side. He touches on it, but doesn't really get to the implications. It was filmed a couple of months ago, but it is very topical. The best moment is when he gets Mishal Kanoo to admit that the Global Economic Downturn has affected Dubai. If you don't believe Mishal Kanoo, then you wont believe anyone. Enjoy! This is definitely worth watching if you are interested in what is going on in Dubai. Even if you are well aware of it, it is worth watching for the interviews with Alabbar, Kanoo and some minted expats.

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Last night's TV
The grass is always greener in Dubai

The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi

You would have expected more PR about the leaning tower or Capital Gate as it will be called, when it was announced last year. But the fact of the matter is that Abu Dhabi and crazy things don't necessarily mix. Dubai is used to announcing the crazy projects, but somehow, this doesn't necessarily fit. But maybe that is just the PR. In fact the leaning tower will probably look quite classy, maybe a little bling, but become part of the ever changing landscape that is Abu Dhabi.





Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi is set to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the 'world's most inclined tower.' It will lean 4 times as far as Leaning Tower of Pisa. Capital Gate will accommodate the 5-star Hyatt at Capital Centre hotel and will provide the most exclusive office space in Abu Dhabi. The tower forms a major part of the Capital Centre development, a $2.2 billion business and residential micro city being constructed around the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Hyatt Abu Dhabi to Lean 4 Times as far as Leaning Tower of Pisa
Abu Dhabi Hyatt to Put Leaning Tower of Pisa to Shame

Rotating Buildings Are Becoming a Luxury Trend

Dubai may not have been the first to do it, but the fact that Dubai did it added to to the PR around the Emirate and the amazing things that were being undertaken in architecture.



Dubai wont be the last place to have such towers or houses. And no doubt there will be more than a few that will exist in up and coming places. Gone are the days that rotating restaurant are cool - they seem a tad old fashioned these days.

What does that mean for places like Al Fanar and Al Dawaar?

Rotating Houses Are Becoming a Luxury Trend, Not Just a Gimmick, Says The Economist
Revolutionary buildings

Don't gulp if you get caught in a rift

There's something in the water:

A noxious tide of toilet paper, raw sewage and chemical waste has transformed Dubai’s most prestigious stretch of shoreline into a foul-smelling health hazard.

A stretch of the exclusive Jumeirah Beach — a magnet for Western tourists and home to a string of hotels — has been closed. “It’s a cesspool. Our tests show too many E. coli to count. It’s like swimming in a toilet,” said Keith Mutch, the manager of the Offshore Sailing Club, which has posted warnings and been forced to cancel regattas.The pollution is a blow to Dubai’s reputation as an international holiday destination offering almost guaranteed sunshine and clear seas.

The fact that this has been picked up by the Times in the UK is worrying for the face. Something like e coli in the water is not a great story to tell, and thus the headlines become polarised to either ends of the spectrum - either the amazing or the disastrous. Poo!

Sun, sea and sewage in the playground of the rich in Dubai

Middle Eastern Art

A new exhibition launches this weekend in London, entitled "UNVEILED: NEW ART FROM THE MIDDLE EAST" at the Saatchi Gallery. The reviewers are calling it "Star Wars meets Middle East", but the reviews have been more than astounding proving that art, travels across boundaries and countries.


Ghost by Kader Attia



A selection by Shaadi Ghadirian

UNVEILED: NEW ART FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Eden Project Abu Dhabi

According to the Times, Eden is coming to Abu Dhabi. Whether Adam and Eve will be joining is not yet known.



Emirs of the Gulf to plant offshoot of Britain’s Eden Project

Dubai Rental Prices

There has been much criticism of the Rera's Dubai rental ranges that were issued last week. We have covered the basics and put it into a handy spreadsheet. Essentially, with everything that is going on right now, this data represents a ceiling benchmark of the maximum you would expect to pay.

Dubai Rental Price Index 2009

Superbling: Bling for bling's sake....only in Dubai

Imagine you had the money to do it, would you wrap your car in gold? Is that taste - or just showing of that you can? Either way, you'll always get compared to a the McLaren-Mercedes that was unearthed last year, which is super bling!






More from autoblog:

Gold(finger's) Mercedes C63 spotted in... where else? Dubai

McBling: Chrome SLR holds (food) court in Dubai

The Burj Al Arab PC

There is a newly designed PC that looks remarkably like the Burj Al Arab. Or maybe this is a new line of revenue generation?!?!?!?



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The Oprah Effect in the Middle East

Whether you like Oprah or not, she is world known - and through channels such as NBC4, topics that some have considered taboo become topical discussions in the Middle East. Check out the video from worldfocus.