#COMPLETED: MALL OF THE EMIRATES (DUBAI)

[minime]

Originally Posted by AltinD

very nice designed shop, like most of shops in MotE.

I like the Mall of the Emirates a lot. The shops are fab and the Carrefour is the biggest I've ever seen in the world. :-) Also, the decorations are absolutely stunning..

Did you try the robocoaster in the funland department (I forgot the name, but they have all the video games there) Robocoaster is cool! Like an indoor roller coaster experience on a robot arm.

[Imre]

Lebanese star Nourhanne spotted at Superdry Store at Mall of the Emirates

Arab celebrities, like international stars, are increasingly adopting Superdry as preferred wear



Dubai, UAE, 22nd December 2011: Nourhanne, the popular Lebanese singer, was spotted at the Superdry store at Mall of the Emirates recently. Nourhanne’s visit created huge excitement at the store as fans vied with each other to take pictures with the famous singer.

Superdry is one of the fastest growing international retailers and wholesalers of youth fashion which is patronised by several international celebrities, including David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Shakira, to name a few.

Commenting on the visit, Nourhanne said: “I can’t hide my fancy for the store and fashion. Mixing with an international community encourages me to indulge in smart casual fashion. This is where Superdry fits perfectly.”

“I am pleased to be here shopping with my fans. I have had a great time and thanks to the professional team at the store I am pretty happy with my purchases,” she added.

Emad Hussein, Superdry brand manager in the UAE, said: “We are thrilled with Nourhanne’s visit. Superdry has proved that the brand is a hot favourite not only with international celebrities but also with Arab celebrities.”

In addition to the Mall of Emirates, Superdry stores are located in the UAE in Deira City Centre, Mirdif City Centre and Dubai Marina Mall. One more store is due to open in the first quarter of 2012 at The Dubai Mall.

Superdry store at MoE is distinguished by a unique interior design of rustic finish achieved using real bricks, iron beams and concrete and natural oak. Superdry is a mix of modern and casual styles that express individuality, combined with unique patterns, to portray the true feel of elegance and style. Moreover, the brand features designs that are perfectly suited for everyday use.

http://imredubai.blogspot.com/2011/1...potted-at.html

[Imre]

24/December/2011

MOE

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[Face81]

Artificial 25-storey freezing ski hills will have a colony of Antarctic birds year-round in a specially-created area

By Derek Baldwin, Chief Reporter Published: 00:00 January 24, 2012

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Image Credit: Photo courtesy: Ski Dubai
A colony of snow penguins get acquainted with the environment at Ski Dubai. The seafaring birds are part of what Ski Dubai said is a “multi-generation breeding programme at Sea World” and were born and bred in captivity.


Dubai: Snow penguins now living permanently at Ski Dubai's 25-storey snow-covered wonderland don't usually give interviews to the media.

But at month's end, Dubai's newest stars will meet the press in a media briefing before the mountain-themed ski hill opens its newest attraction, Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai, to the world sometime in February.

To be housed year-round in the 22,500 square-metre facility chilled to a constant -1 degree C to -2C and covered with snow, the colony of penguins "will live in a specially created environment which mirrors the Antarctica", Ski Dubai said in a statement.


Exciting attraction

The seafaring birds are part of what Ski Dubai said is a "multi-generation breeding programme at Sea World" and were born and bred in captivity.

Organisers billed the environmental awareness project as "the world's first exciting attraction of its kind" and pledged that patrons young and old will be offered a rare chance to see penguins in their new environment. "Visitors will soon have a rare opportunity to interact with these remarkable birds in a one-of-a-kind intimate encounter and learn about their unique traits and habits. Mall of the Emirates visitors will also be able to enjoy viewing the snow penguin's natural antics during the grand presentation of the ‘March of the Penguins', starting in February 2012," the ski resort said.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/en...guins-1.970159

[Face81]

His beady eye is trained on me suspiciously, his beak tense, his yellow chest proudly puffed up. Slowly I edge my hand towards a flipper – I’m certain the flipper makes a small movement towards my hand. I grab the foreign, leathery thing empathetically; I’ve just become one of a minority of people in the world who can claim to have shaken hands with a penguin.

Looking up from my triumph, I watch as a dozen other penguins waddle, frolic and make friends on the powdery snow beneath my feet. Only this isn’t natural snow. In fact, we couldn’t be farther from the penguins’ native South Pole – I’m actually in Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates. If it wasn’t fantastical enough to host an artificial ski slope inside an air-conditioned shopping mall in the middle of the desert, someone decided they needed to take it one step further. That step was flying in 20 perky little penguins to make the mall their permanent home, to be introduced to the Dubai public during the first days of February. Time Out was lucky enough to get an exclusive first meeting with the new arrivals in mid-January, so I suspect I won’t be in the hand-shaking minority for much longer.

The loveable arctic animals arrived in Dubai in the first week of January from SeaWorld in Texas, where they were born and raised in captivity. They’re sure to be a hit, in part thanks to their species’ starring role in flicks such as Happy Feet and March of the Penguins. But why do they hold such a fascination for young and old alike? ‘It’s because they’re birds that can’t fly,’ ventures Ski Dubai operations manager Tom Scheffer, 39, as he reaches down to stroke a particularly cute specimen. ‘Just look at them,’ laughs the Dutchman. ‘They’re amazing!’

Visitors can get to know Dubai’s newest residents in two ways. There will be a ‘march of the penguins’ event three to four times a day, when the friendly flappers will wander around a secluded patch of snow (far out of the way of skiers and snowboarders) and mingle with guests. The event will be free of charge to anyone already visiting the Snow Park, and will be visible to shoppers on the other side of the glass. For a more intimate experience, visitors can buy a face-to-face encounter with the birds. Dhs175 buys a 15-minute touchy-feely session in a group of 10 people, while the Dhs500 VIP option sees the group size shrink to four, with free hot chocolate and souvenirs.

‘You can see penguins anywhere in the world, but normally they’re behind glass,’ says Ski Dubai marketing manager Omar El-Banna, 35, who hails from Egypt. ‘They’re naturally very friendly creatures, and when you encounter them face to face you forge an emotional link between yourself and the bird.’

Dubaians will be relieved to hear that the friendly flippers aren’t just in town for entertainment; there’s a very real hope each of the young birds (all but two are less than 24 months into an average 25- to 30-year life span) will mate and bring new lives into the centre. There are two species housed in Ski Dubai – the large, magisterial kings, and the smaller, perky gentoos – and each breed is split into equal groups, with five of each gender to create the maximum chance of some Antarctic romance. ‘We hope the birds will feel the love and start mating,’ says Tom. ‘We’ve seen a few blossoming romances already; there are two gentoos who are already winking and smiling at each other.’

Time Out’s initial concerns were for the penguins’ wellbeing, but there’s no doubt these birds receive exemplary care. There’s a team of 14 staff catering for the needs of the 20 birds, and Ski Dubai claims it well exceeds guidelines laid down by the international Penguin Taxon Advisory Group, which monitors penguin populations. The -6° climate is carefully maintained by pumping in 10 tonnes of artificially made snow three times a week. ‘The climate is ideal for them,’ explains Osama. ‘They’re from Antarctica; what is there but ice and snow? What do we have here? Ice and snow.’ But the birds have to earn their keep; it’s an eight-hour working day, with guests welcomed between 1pm and 9pm daily, and noon to 9pm at weekends. Yet they receive plenty of rewards for their work. ‘We feed them restaurant-quality fish,’ adds Tom.
‘The penguins are weighed and groomed daily, they each have a personal butler; they recieve a five-star service.’

After spending just an hour with the birds, it’s possible to start detecting their individual character quirks. ‘Blue Wing’ likes to climb on the ledge and gaze into the mall, ‘Squeaky’ is defined by her high-pitched call, ‘McFatty’ is named after his huge appetite for fish, and ‘Pumpkin’ is just plain cute.

Yes, this may be a clever ploy to keep punters interested in Ski Dubai six years after its opening. But we defy anyone to look into the eyes of one of these comical, waddling, non-flying birds and not feel a pang of warmth inside.
Ongoing penguin encounters are set to launch at Ski Dubai between February 1 and 5. Mall of the Emirates, www.skidxb.com (800 534 7873).


http://www.timeoutdubai.com/aroundto...ubais-penguins

[bledi]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77348166@N05/7697313466/

[Burj Khalifa fan]

Several outlets express interest in scheme that heralds extended celebrations

Dubai: Malls across Dubai are gearing up to welcome shoppers and holidaymakers by extending business hours during three weekends this Eid, Eisa Adam of the board of directors of the Shopping Malls Group told Gulf News.

to read the full article
http://ahmaddubaiblog.blogspot.com/