Desert Hopper

Tarkan in Dubai

Ali — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 19:03:15 +0000

International pop icon Tarkan will be performing in Dubai’s Media City on November 9th. Find more information about the show and tickets here.

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Oman Off-Road

Ali — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 20:21:10 +0000

Explorer Publishing’s new book Oman Off-Road sounds like a fantastic resource for adventurous travelers in Oman. From Amazon UK:

The ultimate accessory for any 4WD, “The Oman Off-Road Explorer” helps drivers to discover Oman’s ‘outback’. Detailed, yet easy-to-use maps feature superimposed routes, GPS coordinates and points of interest. The off-road routes are split into sections by area, featuring desert, wadis and mountains. It also includes driving tips, first aid advice and information on flora and fauna.

Oman Off-Road is available on Amazon UK, along with a number of other travel books by Explorer Publishing that include other countries in the GCC.

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It’s getting taller!

Ali — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:16:00 +0000

“With 2,400 workers daily on-site, Burj Dubai, the super tower developed by Emaar Properties, completed 80 levels today rising to a height of 277 metres. The iconic structure, at the heart of the AED 73 billion (US$20 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai, is billed to be the worldâ€™s tallest tower when completed in 2008. ”

Read more here.

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Gowealthy.com wins award

Ali — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:07:41 +0000

Gowealthy.com, a real estate and lifestyle website, has been awarded the CNBC Arabian Property Award, 2006 for the best property portal. Gowealthy.com looks like a good resource, with lots of information and news on the global property market but with a particular focus on Dubai.

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Wallpaper City Guides

Ali — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 14:07:52 +0000

These fabulous looking, pocket-sized city guides are now available and currently cover 20 major cities. None of these are in the GCC but their guide on Dubai will be out in April 2007, along with many more cities worldwide.

Muscat Duty Free’s award nomination

Ali — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 01:38:12 +0000

It might not be the biggest or the best airport Duty Free in the GCC, but Muscat Duty Free’s website is managing to get some attention. Times of Oman reports that the website has been nominated as a finalist for the International Travel Retail Website of the Year Award, at the International Frontier Awards to be held in Cannes. If you’re planning on spending some time in transit there, it might be worth checking out the site before hand.

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Young Pretenders

Ali — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:55:31 +0000

Want to get a Dubai-style holiday without actually having to go there and possibly paying less? Referring to the island as a
‘young pretender’, The Guardian recommends a stay at Bahrain’s luxurious Ritz Carlton and points out the golf courses and malls for tourists which don’t happen to be ‘in the same overdose quantities as in Dubai.’ Another young pretender highlighted is Ras Al Khaimah, just 45 minutes away from Dubai and relatively cheaper.

Also on the Guardian is a snippet on Oman as a place to find some reliable winter sun:

From being closed to the world 10 years ago, Oman is in danger of becoming “the new Dubai” over the next 10 - so visit it before swathes of it become another Arabian Blackpool. A tour is perhaps the best way to see its varied attractions: the capital Muscat, a spectacular coastline with white sand beaches, excellent diving, rugged mountain ranges, sleeping under canvas in the desert, excellent hotels and a real taste of old Arabia.

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Budget Hotels in the GCC

Ali — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:04:53 +0000

A new concept is reaching the GCC - the budget hotel. Local Dubai media is reporting :

“The UAE’s first Express by Holiday Inn property, currently being built at Knowledge Village in Dubai is due to open in summer 2007. It is the first of 20 budget hotels planned by the brand in GCC countries by the end of 2010. The hotel will have 244 rooms over four floors.”

More information about this development:

“‘Express by Holiday Inn is the largest budget hotel brand in the world, with proven results, and the launch in the Middle East will help fill the gap for affordable accommodation at guaranteed quality.”

GlobalHotelSellers.com

Ali — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:57:25 +0000

A new website has been launched which allows travellers to book hotel and airline tickets online:

“GlobalHotelSellers.com is a portal where the suppliers from hotel to excursions to car rentals to airport services come together to offer you the best of what they have offer and at the rates which you can’t find yourself.

GlobalHotelSellers.com is a carefully selected portfolio of hotels that guarantee clearly-defined, high quality standards and service levels as well as the individual charm, local hospitality and history of independently-managed hotels.”

This month is their Discover Dubai special promotion, which features the Dubai Shopping Festival, so there are going to be some interesting deals on offer!

Borders arrives in the GCC

Ali — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:35:08 +0000

Another giant retailer has arrived in the GCC. Adding to Dubai’s bookstores is Borders, the American books-music-stationery chain which will be opening by the end of this month in the Mall of the Emirates. Gulf News reports that Borders will also be opening an outlet in Muscat next year. We hear that it will be located in Muscat’s City Centre.