The Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek Grabs winning two titles and two titles Finalist in the Middle East Hotelier Awards 2009 Ceremony

From the Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek Grabs winning two titles and two titles Finalist in the Middle East Hotelier Awards 2009 Ceremony

For the third consecutive year, the Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek makes it to the top hotel in the Middle East Awards, one of the best industry events in the region recognize that the talents of the hospitality industry in the Middle East .

Of the 19 categories, the Radisson SAS Hotel Dubai Deira Creek high scores in 4 different categories and emphasized in the ceremony of the Middle East Hotelier Awards, winning two awards Top and reached number one, followed by a prize Mention in First three finishers and a prize in the list of five finalists in three different categories, among all the hotels in the Middle East Region.

Uwe Micheel wins the title of Chef of the Year for the reputation and credibility in the industry, and for his dedication to the hotel of the culinary scene in Dubai.

Asif My wins the title of IT: The Person of the Year for his professionalism, great “Yes I Can” attitude, as well as for its dynamic to come up with innovative ideas and cost efficient.

Andreas Flückiger is highly recommended in The Three Great Teachers of the Year for always by example, his critical attitude Balanced and strong commitment to their responsibilities.

Chamil Lasantha a finalist in the Top five Oversight During the year for being an exceptional team player, and by their ambition and their passion for their work and for the hotel.

“Uwe Micheel truly deserves the title of Chef of the Year, while playing an important role in the success of our food and beverage portfolio, as I am very happy to see Asif to win My IT Person of the Year as he has shown a extraordinary dedication and hard work. Furthermore, I am very proud of Chamil Lasantha to be in the Top 5 finalists from among all the Commissioners in the Middle East. Of course, also a great honor to be included in the Top 3 grams of Year In an industry so great. Results Hoteliers Awards were very rewarding for all team members and for the hotel. “said Andreas Flückiger – General Manager.

As seen on 60 Minutes Dubai Inc. reported by Steve Kroft.
The Biggest Story in the World — Dubai – home of the world’s largest construction site and one of the most amazing stories in our world today.

While millions flock to Dubai annually, from an American perspective it’s “the Middle East we don’t know”.

Still surrounded in misunderstanding by so many in the US, the massively positive story of Dubai and Middle East 2.0 is the real story of change in the Gulf.

It is a story of peaceful, constructive excellence and the pursuit of dreams. A story very much in line with true American values.

Dubai is a city in the emirate of Dubai which is part of the United Arab Emirates or UAE in the Persian Gulf. The UAE is part of the GCC, Gulf Cooperative Council, an economic group of nations along the lines of the European Union (EU). The GCC includes the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The growth in Dubai is representative of the growth in the region. While many in America associate the Arab world, the Middle East, the Gulf or sadly Islam and Muslims with terror and terrorism, war and violence, the real story of the Middle East is what is going on with construction, commerce, art, development and millions of people making a better life for themselves.

There is clearly a big difference between the perceptions of Iraq or other areas in the region and reality. Some people tend to think that Iran, the UAE, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are all the same – the region is as varied as the Americas.

Richard Branson, Tiger Woods, Martha Stewart, Madonna and Donald Trump all have business ventures in Dubai. The area is known mostly for real estate but many other projects continue there daily.

Festival City, Dubai announced yesterday the launch of Casper Theme Park, the first of its kind in the Middle East.

The 6340 square feet of entertainment was launched in partnership with Kuwait based on the future child’s reception and Real Estate Company. It is expected that construction will begin soon and the theme park scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year.

Casper the friendly ghost, is a popular actor in the famous series of theatrical cartoons of the same name. As its name suggests, is a very friendly ghost who prefers making friends with people instead of scaring them. Currently, Casper is a $ 1 billion (Dh3.67bn) for retail, with over 60 years of heritage and a series of hit movies including a new TV series launching in 2009.

Casper Theme Park will be the first of its kind in the region has the largest in the Middle East monorail. A wide variety of the latest games and rides around the world, we offer a larger than life in Russia. The entertainment center will also have a cafe and gift shop with a huge collection of toys and souvenirs Casper.

Philip Evans, Director, Retail Leasing, Al Futtaim Group Real Estate, said: “Festival Center has always been recognized as a leader in entertainment. This success, along with some other interesting concepts that we will announce shortly, strengthens our conviction that Festival Center is the number one sales and leisure destination in Dubai. ”

Rasha Khalid Al Ghunaim, Chairman and Managing Director of the future child, said: “This is our first of many projects in Dubai. Reinvented Casper theme park entertainment in the region. We have maintained the high level of quality and sophistication as the Festival Center popular and it is hoped the creation of an entertainment center that will bring one of the most famous children’s characters closer to home. ”

Festival Centro has over 400 retailers, 60 restaurants, cafes and bars, a 12-screen Grand Festival Cinemas complex and parking for more than 10,000 cars.

UAE. Dubai Outlet Mall has appointed Mediastow as its regional media intelligence agency. The move is part of a strategic plan to strengthen its presence in the UAE market by getting better media intelligence on the shopping industry in the Middle East in general and UAE in particular.

“Market trends have identified the Middle East region as one of the fastest growing as far as shopping is concerned,” said Vishal Mahajan, Director, Dubai Outlet Mall. “Considering Mediastow’s extensive experience and media knowledge in the region, this partnership will help Dubai Outlet Mall to effectively promote its expertise and product differentiation.

Dubai Outlet Mall is poised to dramatically increase its market share in the months to come through a well orchestrated media communications campaign.”

Being the first completed retail project at the DUBAILAND® development, Dubai Outlet Mall, which commenced operations in August 2007, is the ultimate value shopping destination in the UAE with big brands and big savings every single day of the year.

Dubai Outlet Mall has introduced the ‘Outlet’ concept for the first time to this region with savings between 30% to 90% on over 800 premium and top fashion brands.

Mohamed Elzubeir, Founder and Managing Director, Mediastow, said: “Mediastow has successfully handled media intelligence programs for a number of reputed companies through a professional approach and extensive reach of the regional market. As a media analysis agency, we are well-versed with the shopping industry.”

He added: “We are extremely pleased to partner with Dubai Outlet Mall as a leading client. We are a media intelligence agency that is led by credibility, which is crucial to the success of any media intelligence and research company in the Middle East considering the highly competitive environment we work in,” added Elzubeir. “We are in a strong position to tailor specific monitoring solutions for Dubai Outlet Mall.”

“We are very active with our marketing strategies, including PR, to increase the awareness of Dubai Outlet Mall, the first and only value shopping destination in the region, and Mediastow is assisting us with our media monitoring and progress in this regard. With the current global economic challenges, more and more people are converting to ‘outlet’ shopping and being delighted with the savings to be made on our premium and top fashion brands.” concluded Vishal Mahajan.

An exciting array of theme park adventures awaits families at The Dubai Mall. The largest-ever SEGA Republic in the Middle East region will open at the mall shortly. A high-adrenaline ride, adventure and gaming zone, SEGA Republic is developed in association with Japan-based SEGA Corporation, one of the global leaders in hi-tech entertainment.

Finishing work on SEGA Republic, the newest leisure attraction at the mall, is currently progressing for opening this summer, for which The Dubai Mall has set apart 76,000 sq ft across two levels. An indoor roller-coaster, thrilling rides and motion simulators, many of which are bespoke attractions for Dubai, are the highlight of SEGA Republic, which will appeal to all members of the family.

Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “As the world’s largest family shopping and entertainment destination, The Dubai Mall is continuously adding to its retail and leisure portfolio. The opening of SEGA Republic, the largest indoor theme park of its kind in the Middle East region, will complement the successful leisure attractions of the mall such as Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink and The Waterfall.”

He added: “In the coming months, even as more retail outlets open, the mall will unveil newer leisure concepts such as KidZania®, a unique edu-tainment concept for children and Reel Cinemas, the 22-screen cineplex. Leisure components are a strong draw for families and, in turn, further support retail sales.”

SEGA Republic will feature numerous key attractions including SPIN GEAR, HALFPIPE CANYON, SONIC HOPPER, INITIAL D4 LIMITED, STORM-G and OUTRUN2 SP. With most of the major attractions being based on skill levels, visitors are guaranteed that no two rides are ever the same, providing a unique experience every time. While the bespoke roller-coaster, SPIN GEAR, is set to become a rage among families, HALFPIPE CANYON, a snow/skateboarding simulator that has gained a phenomenal following at SEGA’s Joypolis theme park in Japan, is also keenly awaited by theme park enthusiasts in the region. “Drifting” fans can now experience the thrill of INITIAL D4 LIMITED and SONIC HOPPER, the 9-metre drop tower that provides a breath-taking ride. Visitors can also enjoy up to 250 amusement games, a climbing wall and a host of food and beverage options at SEGA Republic.

Mr Suresh Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail LLC, explained: “Most of the attractions in SEGA Republic will be a first-time experience for visitors to the mall and in the region. The selection of rides, roller-coaster, motion ride simulators and games in this all-season indoor theme park, have been made to meet the demands of the fun-loving young population of the region as well as families. Safety aspects are given the highest priority, and SEGA Republic will have a dedicated team of professionals on hand to assist visitors.”

He added: “A judicious leisure mix is one of the biggest attractions of shopping malls today. The Dubai Mall is setting the trend in the region and globally too, with unprecedented leisure concepts which have all been well-received. The indoor environment of SEGA Republic has also been specially developed for the varying rides, keeping the convenience of visitors in mind.”

KidZania®, another leisure concept in the mall to open this year, is a novel concept that introduces children to a scaled-down version of a city in which they can experience the ultimate in role-playing. They can choose from over 70 preferred ‘roles’ and be provided with costumes and other accessories for the complete real-life like experience. Reel Cinemas, the 22-screen cineplex due to open this summer, the largest in the city, will house up to 2,800 seats. Over 900 retailers have already opened at The Dubai Mall and the remaining 300 will open in the next three months. Several of these are flagship stores or mark the Middle East launch of global brands.

About The Dubai Mall:
The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination spread over a total area of 12 million sq ft. With a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft, the mall has 3.77 million sq ft of gross leasable space which hosts 1,200 retail stores including over 160 food and beverage outlets in food courts that have a capacity to seat 3,000.
The Dubai Mall offers an unparalleled retail mix combined with world-class dining, entertainment and leisure attractions. The leisure attractions include The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, which features the largest acrylic viewing panel in the world and a walk-through tunnel. The Olympic-sized Dubai Ice-Rink is another key leisure attraction and a destination for skating enthusiasts.
Fashion Avenue, a 440,000 sq ft fashion precinct dedicated to haute couture, positions the mall as the fashion capital of the region; while the Gold Souk is a sprawling gold and jewellery retail showcase with over 200 stores.
The strong family entertainment theme includes KidZania®, an innovative children’s ‘edu-tainment’ concept that is being introduced to the region for the first time; SEGA Republic, a 76,000 sq ft high adrenaline indoor theme park; The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof, and the 22-screen Reel Cinemas with a total capacity of 2,800 seats.
For the convenience of visitors, the mall offers over 14,000 car parking spaces.

About Emaar Malls Group LLC:
Emaar Malls Group LLC, is the retail and shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC. Emaar has announced investments in shopping malls of over US$4 billion (AED 15 billion) with 10 million sq ft of retail property in operation or under development in the emerging markets of the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia and is on target to become one of the largest developers of shopping malls in the world. At the forefront of these developments is the flagship The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest mall, in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai.
Emaar Malls Group also operates two other malls in Dubai; Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque shopping and entertainment development on The Old Town Island, and Dubai Marina Mall, a lifestyle shopping mall for residents of the Dubai Marina community. Internationally, Emaar Malls Group is planning or developing shopping centres in Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and continues to drive the company’s expansion strategy on a global scale.

About Emaar Retail:
Emaar Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emaar Malls Group LLC and is the vehicle for all retail operations. Emaar Retail is developing a portfolio of brands in key growth markets and is strategically building new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licenses for all mall developments under the Emaar Malls Group umbrella.

Emaar Retail also manages the business operations for The Dubai Mall’s leisure and entertainment brands including KidZania®, SEGA Republic, the Olympic-sized ‘Dubai Ice Rink’ and Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. Emaar Retail has also entered into a joint-venture with Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd in Singapore, to form Reel Entertainment to develop cinemas across the region including the flagship 22-screen cineplex at The Dubai Mall.
Emaar Retail was established to drive Emaar Malls Group’s developments in key emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent through creating the right retail mix for the various markets.

International has won the Middle East’s Leading Airport award at the 16th World Travel Awards – Middle East held in Dubai.

This is the second year in a row that Dubai International has won the award.

Labelled as the Oscar Awards of the travel and tourism industry, the World Travel Awards aims to encourage competition, inspire innovation and creativity resulting in exceptional value for travellers worldwide.

The award recognises Dubai International’s consistent delivery of quality customer service over the years.

Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO, said that Dubai International’s success at the World Traveller Awards is the direct result of the airport’s customer-centric approach to enhancing service quality.

He said, “Service excellence is the single most important priority for any airport after safety and security. As one of the world’s fastest growing international airports, we realised that the emphasis on customer service has to be more pronounced and consistent.”

“The opening of Dubai International’s Terminal 3 late last year – now acknowledged the world over as the most successful launch of a terminal of its size ever, has not only doubled our operational capacity but is also an important addition to our state-of-the-art facilities. It has helped us to considerably enhance customer service experience at Dubai International,” he added.

Thousands of votes are cast by travel professionals from 167,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organisations in over 160 countries across the globe.

Votes are cast globally by fellow industry professionals in some 919 different categories.

Dubai is planning to set up the region’s largest solar energy manufacturing plant. They are expected to start producing by the last quarter in 2010, and will manufacture photovoltaic panels that can generate 130 megawatts of power annually.

The building plans call for a 1 million square foot plant, with solar panels to be produced as big as 5.7sqm. Similar plants will be built in China, Mexico and Bulgaria. The announcement was made during this week’s Green Dubai World Forum 2008.

According to the Khaleej Times, it will be the Middle East’s largest solar panel plant, and it will be located in Dubai’s Technopark. The intent to build the solar plant came with the announcement that that UAE intends to adopt green building legislation, the first of its kind in the world. Dubai hopes to become a sustainable building pioneer, and has started incorporating green building practices into new projects since the beginning of 2008.

Dilip Rahulan, the CEO of Solar Technologies said: “The energy from sunlight striking the Earth for 40 minutes is equivalent to the global energy consumption for a whole year. The mission of Solar Technologies is to accelerate the adoption of solar photo-voltaic by rapidly expanding manufacturing capacity and significantly reducing the cost of solar modules through innovations and manufacturing excellence.

“We intend to become one of the largest solar photo-voltaic module manufacturing units in the world over a period of time.”

You wondered why Italian restaurants failed in Dubai and other middle east countries. Well guys this videos has all the answer of your question. I still cant stop myself laughing on this video..