The National

An architect who meticulously designed and built a 141,971-piece Lego sculpture of the Burj Khalifa wants the model to serve as an inspiration to others. The 2.7m tower of unglued plastic bricks went on display yesterday at Dubai Mall.

Now that Emaar Properties has written off its Dh172 million investment in Dubai Bank, investor attention is turning to the prospects of its much larger stake in Amlak, the troubled mortgage company. Amlak is carrying about Dh4 billion worth of property on its balance sheet at the original acquisiti0on costs.

The builder of Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, may write down the entire value of its Dh172.4 million investment in Dubai Bank as soon as the second quarter, the investment bank EFG-Hermes told investors in a note yesterday. The Dubai Government has taken control of the lender and says it will inject capital "to ensure that Dubai Bank's business continues uninterrupted".

The UAE's newest art gallery has opened with a show inspired by photographs taken by children in Lesotho and a charity auction that raised Dh163,000 for orphans in the southern African country. Six Emirati artists were then invited to base artworks around some of the 1,400 images, and the results were unveiled this weekend at the Ara Gallery in Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai.

Both residential developments are popular among expatriates and have their own fan base, say experts. Arabian Ranches and Springs, both popular residential communities developed by Emaar, are neck and neck when it comes to preference among the expat community.

On the gallery wall, the painting immediately catches your eye. It would look great, you just know, in your living room. Wondering about the price, you head for the counter. But you are politely told: "Sorry, it's not for sale." For this is the Pavilion Downtown Dubai, the city's newest contemporary art space and the first to operate on not-for-profit lines.

The lights of the Burj Khalifa will go out and cities across the nation will be plunged into darkness this evening as the UAE's landmark buildings join the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House and New York's Times Square in observing the biggest climate change awareness event in the world.

The French “spider-man” Alain Robert will climb the Burj Khalifa on Monday after the building’s owner gave him the go-ahead. The 48-year-old, who has made his name free climbing other towers around the world, has agreed to wear a safety harness to satisfy a condition set by Emaar, the owner and builder of the tower.

The Missoni hotel, reflecting the designs of the Italian fashion house, has bold colours and striped and floral patterns throughout. Missoni, along with Versace, Armani and Bulgari, is part of a trend that has emerged in recent years for fashion names to move into hospitality.

The event, which took place at the Armani hotel in the Burj Khalifa two weeks ago, was so successful that Unicef doubled the initial estimates of what could be done with the money. The organisers now plan to run an annual fund-raiser that focuses on a different element of the reconstruction and rebuilding effort in Pakistan.