Gulf News

It all begins with the very jazzy DJ Jazzy Jeff - former partner of Will Smith — at Armani/Prive at the Armani Hotel in Downtown Dubai Wednesday from 10pm to 3am. To continue the weekend on a thrilling note, British Ghanaian R&B artist Donaeo will be performing this Thursday at the Jamrock night at Sublime Lounge at the Ibis Hotel - Dubai World Trade Center.

Dubai's Department of Finance, which launched a roadshow for a benchmark-sized sovereign bond issue in London yesterday, is likely to launch a dual tranche issue with 5-year and 10-year maturities, bankers familiar with the fundraising process said yesterday.

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday attended a dinner banquet hosted by Dubai government at Armani Restaurant in Burj Khalifa in honour of 500 Global Forbes CEOs who are taking part in the Forbes Global CEO Conference, held for the first time in the Middle East.

The public in the UAE can attend the opening of Burj Dubai on Monday, the fourth anniversary of the accession of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Ruler of Dubai.

Just as the lights around the area go dim, everyone stops and cranes to watch the Dubai Fountain spectacle: a few minutes display of water dancing to music, rocketing up to 275 metres in the air. When the music stops, some onlookers and diners at outdoor tables clap their hands in awe.

Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) says Burj Khalifa builder Emaar has not shared blueprints in order for the 828-metre Dubai skyscraper to be truly certified as the world's tallest structure. "No, we haven't got a blueprint yet, but we'll probably get one sooner or later," Jan Klerks, CTBUH spokesman, told XPRESS from CTBUH's headquarters. "We'll sure let the world know when we do."

Chilean attacking playmaker Luis Jimenez and Emirati Amir Mubarak were unveiled before the media at the Armani Hotel here yesterday in the presence of Ahmad Hamad Khalifa, CEO, Al Ahli, and former Italy skipper Fabio Cannavaro, who now acts as the club's brand ambassador.

Dubai: British photographer Stu Williamson is "proud" to have won a competition with a shot of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, and to have seen the iconic building being constructed. "It's an iconic building for the world, not only the UAE," he told Gulf News from his Jumeirah Beach Road studio. "Dubai has got some fabulous buildings. We're spoilt for choice, really."

Almost four weeks after its sudden closure on February 6, the observation deck at the world's tallest tower is yet to reopen. While staff at the booking counter at the Burj Khalifa were seen telling guests on March 1 that At the Top on the 124th floor would be reopened within a week's time, an official statement from the tower management maintained that it continued to be shut down for maintenance.

Jesse Downs, director of research and advisory services at Landmark Advisory says, "Lower-limit rents for high-end units in Downtown Burj have increased by 13 per cent." Meanwhile Landmark's latest report found that prices for one- and two-bedroom units in the Downtown Burj area increased by about 5 per cent (lower limit) between July and December.