NEWS

IF you can imagine it, Dubai will create it. Islands in the shape of palm trees, or the planet? No problem. In fact Dubai gets quite hung up on superlatives. It has the world's tallest building in the Burj Khalifa (formerly the Burj Dubai), which soars to 800m (2,625 feet) and has more than 160 storeys.

To get to "At the Top," the observation deck's, you have to enter through The Dubai Mall’s lower-ground level. Before you pop your ears on the elevator up, brush up on your knowledge of Dubai and the building with multimedia displays like "Dubai Then and Now," "From Earth to the Sky" and "From Vision to Reality." You'll also see a big illuminated model of the Burj Khalifa, formerly called the Burj Dubai, where you can learn about the skyscraper.

A last-minute decision to change the name of the skyscraper from Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa reflected a political shift within the United Arab Emirates. Dubai’s tower now carries the name of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the ruler of neighboring Abu Dhabi and the president of the emirates, who reluctantly rode to Dubai’s rescue last month with a $10 billion bailout.

A team from Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) went on an inspection tour of Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa on Monday ahead of the luxury property's scheduled opening in March. Armani Hotel Dubai, the first hotel to open under the collaboration between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties PJSC, is getting finishing touches.

Toddlers up to 3 years of age can join in the fun at KidZania®, the newly opened innovative children’s edutainment centre in The Dubai Mall. Urbano’s House at KidZania® is the ultimate fun destination for tiny tots who can revel in a range of specially designed activities. As the name indicates, Urbano’s House is the abode of Urbano, the mascot of KidZania®, who represents children’s ‘Right to KNOW.’

"Since the turn of the year and the opening of the Burj Khalifa, we have started to see people want to come back and talk to the bank about making investments outside the cash deposit," said Gary Dugan, chief investment officer, Private Banking, at Emirates NBD. "It's hundreds of millions of dollars being put on the table. It's real money that is coming back in."

After opening to the public on January 5th, the world's tallest skyscraper -- the Burj Khalifa has attracted more than three-thousand visitors each day. The ticket price to visit the tower is 100 Dirham, or 200 yuan RMB for adult, while ticket for children is 75 Dirham, or 150 yuan RMB.

Guests at The Address Dubai Mall can now take advantage of a range of fashion advior packages. Located next to the world’s largest shopping centre The Dubai Mall, the hotel claims to be the first in the region to offer the service.

The Address Dubai Mall's latest addition to their gamut of exclusive services is a personal fashion advisor for all in-house guests. The hotel is the first in the region to offer this unique service. This service is being launched just in time for the Dubai Shopping Festival for guests to benefit from this service. Avid shoppers can stay at the hotel and enjoy retail therapy at The Dubai Mall.

The world’s youngest ‘nation’ is born, and it is called ‘KidZania® Dubai.’ At a grand ceremony upholding the proud KidZania® traditions that first originated in Mexico, and now popular among KidZanians around the world, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, grand-daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled the Eternal Flame of KidZania®, in the presence of her brother His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.