Standpoint Residences photos , Downtown Dubai, April 2012

Standpoint Residences photos , Downtown Dubai, April 2012

NEWS FLASH!! – DAY ONE AT ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET 2012

NEWS FLASH!! – DAY ONE AT ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET 2012

UAE TO JOIN UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary-General Taleb Rifai revealed today that the UAE has applied to join the UNWTO.

“The UAE is currently the only country within the region that is not a member of UNWTO. The government has been talking to us about becoming a full member following the establishment of the National C ouncil for Tourism and Antiquities,” he said.
“We have almost concluded an agreement, and I have received news that the cabinet has held discussions, and it is - in principal - approved. We are awaiting official notification and would be delighted to welcome the UAE as a member,” he added.

Commenting on this year’s Arabian Travel Market, Rifai remarked: “ATM has grown to be a very important and significant gathering that continues to gain strength. This is a dynamic region and tourism is a pillar of the economy; and there are some great examples of how economic diversification policies have paid dividends.

“As well as being an important destination for inbound tourism, it is also a tremendously valuable source market for outbound travellers from the region, who are sought after by many international destinations.” “As the post-Arab Spring movement takes wings there will only be increasing interest and focus on this part of the world. Events at the end of last year and beginning of this year are showing that even in the middle of these challenging times, destinations close to the hub that is the UAE are doing very well under these circumstances,” he added.

PINK LIMO’ LAUNCHED FOR DUBAI HENS

Dubai Exotic Limo Services recently launched the ‘Dubai Pink Limousine’ for female customers to enjoy in special occasions such as bridal showers and birthdays. Their wide range of luxurious services also include the Hawaii inspired “Scoot C oupe”, Yacht C harters and fully equipped entertainment system Limousines.

The limousines are part of a wider service offered by Travel C afé, a new concept which fuses the traditional travel agency services, but in a modern, personalised and customer friendly manner. All of the waiting staff are in actual fact professionally trained travel agents dressed as flight attendants which complements the theme.


MAJOR PHASED REFURBISHMENT FOR DUSIT THANI DUBAI

The flagship Middle East property for Thailand ’s Dusit International hotel group – Dusit Thani Dubai – will undergo a complete refurbishment in Q2 2012, after 11 successful years of operation.

This spring, Dusit Thani Dubai will begin the refurbishment of its guest rooms as part of a major project due for completion by the end of September. “This is an exciting time for us as a hotel. The property has just celebrated its 11th anniversary and we’ve seen a lot of change in the city landscape around us.

While we have done soft refurbishments throughout the hotel over the years, an extensive refurbishment will firmly place us in a more competitive position,” said James Wilson, General Manager. The refurbishment will see the hotel rooms take on a modern, light and crisp appearance, creating a welcoming and relaxed ambience, but still reflecting the hotel’s Thai cultural heritage.

“Being a Thai hotel brand, it is important that while we embrace our location and incorporate international design, we remain true to our company DNA. With the Dusit brand expanding internationally we have chosen a design which will put our rooms more in line with international standards while ensuring that there are still strong elements of Thai design throughout the rooms,” added Wilson.

Phase two of the project, focusing on the refurbishment of the hotel’s 147 one and two-bedroom residences will start in summer 2013.

HRH Sheikh Mohammed opens Arabian Travel Market

HRH Sheikh Mohammed opens Arabian Travel Market

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai inaugurates ATM 2012 Middle East’s biggest travel and tourism event underscoring importance of sector to regional economies

HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, today officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2012, in the presence of senior government officials, leaders of the regional and international travel industry as well as high-profile participants.

The event programme for day one of ATM brings together some of the most prominent travel and tourism organisations in the Middle East and internationally, from both public and private sectors.

Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market, said: “As the first promising signs of democratic progression emerge in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring, the region’s tourism figures show that it is growing once again.

“This year’s ATM serves as a timely reminder and strong indicator of the vital role the travel and tourism industry plays in the region’s socio-economic development.
“A recent World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report showed the direct contribution of the travel and tourism trade to GDP is forecast to increase by 4.6% to over $250 billion over the next decade.”
The 2012 instalment of ATM has seen a 46% rise in visitor pre-registrations, against 2011 figures, for its 19th edition, as well as travel agent registration up by a whopping 213%.

“The record figures we’re receiving for this year’s event reflects the region’s positive approach to the tourism sector as a major economic driver. 18-months on from the Arab Spring, we have seen a significant jump in interest from within the gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States, which is confirmed by the positive pre-show figures we have seen across the board,” remarked Walsh.
HRH Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed, toured the exhibition with other dignitaries including HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group and Akbar Al Baker, CEO Qatar Airways. This year, ATM features representatives from 87 countries, with 54 national tourist organisations exhibiting at the International Exhibition Centre floor over the next four-days.

Among international officials participating in the event are Alain Azouaou, Ambassador, French Embassy Abu Dhabi and Gonzalo De Benito Secades, Ambassador of Spain. Jean-Paul Tarud Kuborn, Chilean Ambassador to the UAE, also joined senior figures from tourism ministries in Cyprus, Malaysia and the Philippines.
ATM is a comprehensive four-day travel trade event held from 30 April - 3 May 2012, comprising exhibition, conference and seminar programmes, along with specialist industry days including travel agents day and careers day.

Topics discussed on day one included bouncing back from the ‘Arab Spring one-year on’ and ‘luxury hospitality in the modern age of globalisation’.
Speakers on the first day included some of the region’s most influential business leaders, such as Akbar Al Baker, CEO Qatar Airways, and Rudi Jagersbacher, President, Hilton Worldwide.

Highlights of the sessions tomorrow will include challenges facing aviation growth in the Middle East, attracting the Chinese traveller to the UAE, the Euromonitor travel industry global overview, along with the impact on tourism of the holy month of Ramadan.

With a diverse range of international participants ATM unlocks business opportunities within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.
Now in its 19th year, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.



Photo caption: HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, cuts the ribbon to mark the opening of Arabian Travel Market 2012.

About Arabian Travel Market:
Arabian Travel Market is part of the Reed Travel Exhibitions’ portfolio, which includes 15 of the world’s leading travel industry events. For more information visit
www.arabiantravelmarket.com

Reed Travel Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions organise the world's leading travel industry events for trade professionals around the globe, incorporating the travel trade, corporate, meetings and incentives sectors including Arabian Travel Market, The World Travel Market and the International Travel Luxury Market. www.reedtravelexhibitions.com
Reed Exhibitions
The world's leading organiser of trade and consumer events running over 470 events in 37 countries. Reed Exhibitions excels in creating high profile, highly targeted business and consumer exhibitions and events to establish and maintain business relations, and generate new business.

Reed Exhibitions network of offices and promoters extends to 65 countries. www.reedexpo.com

Reed Elsevier
Reed Elsevier is a world leading provider of professional information and online workflow solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal, Risk Information and Analytics, and Business sectors.

Based in over 200 locations worldwide, they create authoritative content delivered through market leading brands, enabling their customers to find the essential data, analysis and commentary to support their decisions. www.reed-elsevier.com

The Summit , Burjside Boulevard photos , Downtown Dubai, April 2012

Burj Al Nujoom photos , Downtown Dubai, April 2012

Infinity Tower photos , Dubai Marina, April 2012

Marina 101 Tower photos , Dubai Marina, April 2012

Pentominium Tower photo , Dubai Marina, April 2012

Marina Mosque photos , Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

Marina Star photo , Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

Two stations added to Water Taxi at Rixos The Palm, Dubai Marina Mall

Two stations added to Water Taxi at Rixos The Palm, Dubai Marina Mall The Roads & Transport Authority – Manal Khalid: The Public Transport Agency at the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has boosted its Water Taxi stations list by adding two new stations at Rixos The Palm Hotel, and Dubai Marina Mall; bringing the total number of stations to 25. Essa abdul Rahman al Dosari, The CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency, said: "Adding two new stations to the Water Taxi's route fulfils the vision the Agency is seeking to realize in expanding the reach of mass transit systems in general and marine transport in particular in order to make them the first mobility choice of the entire community members. This is particularly relevant as the Water Taxi has affordable fares, offers full privacy for passengers, and has a capacity to house up to 10 passengers. Besides that it offers a dedicated compartment for special needs, luxurious setting, and stunning panoramic water view away from roads congestion hassles. "The Agency opted to communicate with the community in a bid to provide mass transit services for individuals by coordinating with selected entities the provision of designated places in mass transit modes; be it marine modes or public buses, based on the numbers of peoples visiting these places, accessibility to such places, and the need for the provision of all transit means. The selection of Station 56 of the Rixos The Palm Hotel, and Station 57 of the Dubai Marina Mall was prompted by the huge number of visitors received by these two places, and the Agency's endeavours to scale up the transit routes in Dubai in the near future," he elaborated. In a related development, Al Dosari noted that the RTA was keen on achieving multi-modal integration of all mass transit means by integrating all the metro stations on the Red and Green Lines with the marine transit stations and public buses such as integrating the Dubai Marina Mall marine station with both Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers Metro Stations, integrating Al Ghubaiba marine station with Al Ghubaiba Metro Station & Al Ghubaiba Bus Station, and integrating Al Fuhaidi Metro Station with Al Fuhaidi Water Taxi Station. It is worth-mentioning that the fares of transiting aboard the Water Taxi from a station to another are fully published in the fares schedules approved by the Dubai Government. The Water Taxi also offers tours as it can be hired for one hour or chartered for a full day at a rate of 400 dirham per hour per boat. The fares list can be viewed through RTA's portal (www.rta.ae) or by calling the Call Center at 800 9090.

Empower urges Gulf real estate developers to abandon conventional AC systems in favour of new cooling technologies

On sidelines of launch of Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2012: Empower urges Gulf real estate developers to abandon conventional AC systems in favour of new cooling technologies Dubai, UAE, 22nd April 2012: Empower, the leading district cooling services provider in the region, has urged local and Gulf based developers to adopt district cooling technologies and gradually move away from conventional AC systems to save environmental resources. Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2012, Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said that the time had come when adopting district cooling in the real estate units is no longer just “lovely to have it” but a critical necessity.” He stressed on Empower’s firm belief that district cooling has huge potential in the region as an alternative to conventional AC systems. He added: “The real estate sector is still in its early stages in most of the Arab countries and it is regarded as one of the most dynamic sectors. This makes it critical to disseminate awareness of the winning features of district cooling technologies which reduces power consumption significantly.” Cityscape Abu Dhabi is being held between 22 – 25 April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, from 10am to 7pm daily. “Apart from consuming less power, electricity or water, district cooling supports the green building concept as well as the green economy elements. Moreover, within the district cooling sector, Empower is creating alternatives with less cost and eco-friendly by using polished water. Empower operates in a range of real estate projects in Dubai, including Business Bay, Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Mirdif and City of Arabia”. Empower was established to provide energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. District cooling service achieves economies of scale by using centralized plants instead of individual cooling units in each building. The centralized system results in lower capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building.

Eden Blue Tower plot photo , Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

RTA starts construction of two 45 km-long cycling tracks at Seih Assalam

In implementation of Mohammed bin Rashid's directives RTA starts construction of two 45 km-long cycling tracks at Seih Assalam The Roads and Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji: In implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has embarked on the construction of two cycling tracks at Seih Assalam and Al-Qudrah areas extending 45 kilometers, at a cost of about 19 million dirham. The project is set to be a prominent sports landmark as Seih Assalam and Al-Qudrah areas are poised to shape into a rendezvous for cycling enthusiasts in Dubai Emirate. The tracks have been designed with much attention to the safety as well as the security of cyclists. His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, commented on the project saying: "The project started at the end of last February and takes about 120 days to complete, so it is scheduled for completion next June. It spans an area of 45 km at a total cost of around 19 million dirham. The first cycling track stretches 18 km and runs besides the northern part of Al Qudra Road. It starts off the first R/A following the bridge over the Dubai Bypass Road and extends up to the R/A on the intersection of Bab Al Shams Road and Al Qudrah Roads; where it joins with the second track to ensure continuity for the enthusiasts of long-distance cycling sport. "The second track stretches about 27 km and starts off the front of Bab Al Shams Hotel and runs till the R/A at Al Qudrah Road, before it moves southward along the road leading to Seih Al Dahal," explained Al Tayer. "This project comes in the context of RTA Master Plan developed for providing dedicated cycling tracks covering all parts of the Emirate to be used as environment-friendly mobility means or for practicing sport, besides epitomizing RTA's Vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All. "Construction works have been completed in the initial phase of the cycling tracks running 24 km; which included completing the cycling tracks at Jumeirah Street and Street No 7 intersecting with Jumeirah Street and linking Al Mankhool Street in a sector extending 8.6 km. The RTA has also constructed cycling tracks around Mall of the Emirates Metro Station extending 1.5 km as part of Roads Entry & Exit Points Project around the Metro Stations. RTA has also accomplished the allocation of a large number of cycling racks besides the metro stations on both the Red and Green lines out of the total planned 3,000 cycling racks," said Al Tayer in a final remark. Captions: - Mattar Al Tayer - Layout of cycling tracks

The Lighthouse plot photos , Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

Dubai Marina Hotel Tower plot photo,next to Silverene , Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

West Avenue construction photos, Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

Buta Marina Hotel plot photos, Dubai Marina, 30/March/2012

Dubai Marina photos, UAE, 30/March/2012