SkyscraperCity Forum banner
447K views 855 replies 168 participants last post by  idkman 
#1 ·
Abu Dhabi says 'Yas' to the world

Leading property developer ALDAR Properties PJSC today announced plans for Yas Island, one of the largest natural islands in Abu Dhabi.


Marina at night.

Yas Island will be a prestigious world-class leisure destination, with mixed-use tourist attractions including beaches, entertainment, shopping, hotels, residences, golfing, equestrian facilities and motor racing. Yas Island will host the world's first 'Ferrari World'.

Outlining the scale of the project, ALDAR's Chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh commented on its size and ambitions: 'Yas Island will combine the many natural attractions of an island with the world's most popular leisure activities. We have taken mankind's passion for the sea, for racing cars, shopping, golfing, and luxurious living, and designed them all into a single unique setting. Yas Island will be the only destination in the world that combines our desert and maritime traditions with the fascinations of Florida and the elegance of Monte Carlo. It will be the world's most complete leisure destination. "

"At ALDAR Properties, our business model is based on strategically integrated residential and leisure developments, with particular emphasis on infrastructure, planning, and environmental protection. With the launch of Yas Island we are inviting the whole world to our land. We are inviting the world to say 'Yas'," he said.

CEO Ronald Barrott elaborated on Yas Island, and its many attractions: "We have been working to create a unique destination that will present Abu Dhabi to the global tourist market. Our intention is to bring together families, friends and individuals seeking options of entertainment, excitement, nature and peace in one location," he said.

Shopping will be one of the key attractions, with retail areas occupying a staggering 300,000 square metres. Ferrari World will be a major highlight, through ALDAR's rights to a Ferrari-themed park, museum and theatre. These attractions are linked to a top quality motor race track on which visitors can experience the thrill of the exclusive Ferrari Driving School (Pilota Ferrari), kart track and dune buggies. They can also test the limits of their own cars under professional instruction.

More peacefully, located on the island will be two major marinas and yachting facilities; resort hotels, lagoon hotels and hotel apartments; a water park, three golf courses, a polo field and equestrian centre, restaurants and cafes, and mixed type residences. Plans are underway to adapt sensitive and beautiful parts of the island into conservation areas. A number of very select individual homes will be made available on the island, at a later stage.

ALDAR said that more details would be announced in due course, but that Yas Island would feature a range of attractions and activities that will appeal to people of all age groups, and retain the interest of every member of a visiting family. The company also expects most people to stay on Yas Island for a minimum of seven days, and all activities - shopping, sports, leisure, recreation and others - are designed around long-stay visitors.

Yas Island, spread over an impressive area of 2,500 hectares, is roughly one third the size of the island of Abu Dhabi, and features a beach front shoreline of approximately 32 kms. Infrastructure will be developed around the Yas Island project in advance and to the operational benefit of the capital city. A new ten-lane highway will connect Yas Island to the new Abu Dhabi International Airport, the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, and the city of Abu Dhabi at Mina Port. Yas Island will also connect to ALDAR's signature Al Raha Beach development.

Yas Island is easily accessible by road, air and water. International visitors flying into Abu Dhabi will be able to see the bright glow of the red Ferrari World roof from the air, and can reach Yas Island within minutes of disembarking. Just ten minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport and a similar distance from ALDAR's Al Raha Beach, Yas Island is located at the gateway to Abu Dhabi, and will target the 1.6 billion catchment area located within six hours flying time to the UAE.
 
See less See more
1
#415 ·
Abu Dhabi medical facilities ‘excellent’, say F1 evaluators

Daniel Bardsley
* Last Updated: December 19. 2009 9:31PM UAE / December 19. 2009 5:31PM GMT

ABU DHABI // Hospitals that were placed on standby to treat anyone injured at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix have been praised by motorsport’s international governing body.

The Medical Commission of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) described the facilities at Sheikh Khalifa and Mafraq hospitals in Abu Dhabi as “high level” and “excellent”, while the medical team on duty at Yas Marina Circuit was judged to have given an “excellent overall performance”.

In the event, the 83 medical staff on duty at Yas Marina Circuit were not called upon to deal with any serious injuries during race weekend, which saw the German driver Sebastian Vettel emerge victorious. Professor Jean-Charles Piette, the commission’s Formula 1 medical delegate, and Dr Gary Hartstein, the Formula 1 rescue co-ordinator, gave their verdicts in a report recently presented to the World Motor Sport Council.

Mohammed ben Sulayem, the Emirati multiple rally winner who is FIA vice president for sport, said the Medical Commission’s observations indicated that the Grand Prix, held on November 1, had been “an all-round success”.

“Every element connected with the Grand Prix – the circuit, the organisation, the administration and now the medical facilities, both on- and off-track – have drawn high praise from all quarters of the FIA,” he said. “While the Race Promoters’ Trophy went to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for providing Formula 1 with a state-of-the-art circuit, the icing on the cake is the Medical Commission’s report.”

Mr ben Sulayem, who is also president of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, said the report highlighted “our determination to provide the best medical facilities possible”.

Both hospitals were noted in the report to have had direct helicopter access, while Mafraq Hospital was described as an “excellent hospital, exemplary for severe burn cases” and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City earned praise as a “high-level teaching hospital”.

The layout of the on-site medical centre at the circuit was said to have been “very prestigious” and to have met the specifications for a “Grade I circuit”.

The medical centre, located at the start of the pit, was also noted for its “perfect physical and visual isolation” and large area for two helicopters.

Other elements of the medical facilities said to have conformed to requirements include the anti-doping control centre, the back-up electricity supply from batteries and a generator, the television image reception, internet, oxygen installation and unimpeded access from the track.

dbardsley@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091220/NATIONAL/712199890/1010/national
 
#416 ·


Yas Island GMs debate its future

by Louise Birchall on Dec 24, 2009

Following the speedy departure of the F1 cars and the thousands of Grand Prix spectators, Louise Birchall investigates what lies ahead for Abu Dhabi’s seven new hotels

Sat in the peaceful Yas Island Rotana lobby early last month, it’s hard to imagine the “tsunami” of guests that Joe Batshoun, complex GM for Yas Island Rotana and Centro by Rotana Yas Island, recalls flooding into the hotel just one week before, during the first Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Now, guests are outnumbered by the many attentive staff. At breakfast, one polite employee carries my plate to the table, another carries my handbag and one pulls out a chair, while a fourth staff member pours some tea.

The quietness extends across the plaza to the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island, only there aren’t quite as many employees.

“Our staff didn’t have a day off in 10 days so I’ve given everybody five days’ holiday for all their hard work,” explains Radisson Blu and Park Inn Abu Dhabi Yas Island cluster general manager Torbjörn Bodin.

The hoteliers say this is just the calm after the storm, but to a sceptical onlooker there’s a distinct drought of guests, which raises the question of ‘what happens next?’

What does the New Year hold for the seven Aldar Hotels and Hospitality-owned Yas Island properties now, since the F1 cars have sped off, taking the spectators with them?

Only 2010 will tell whether Yas Island hotels will be able to attract enough guests without the hype of the Grand Prix. However, the hotels have proved sceptics wrong before and are convinced they can do it again.

Previously doubtful industry players have told Hotelier that the biggest surprise of 2009 was the speed at which the Yas Island development and its hotels came together. Even the Yas Island hotels’ management had their doubts.

“Two weeks before the race there was nothing on the plaza; there wasn’t even a road to the hotel, but when you saw how fast these things were appearing you were amazed. You’d go for lunch and come back and the landscape would have changed,” observes Bodin.

Similarly, Batshoun admits being “stressed and concerned” over whether the hotels would be ready for the looming race deadline.

“I was showing the Rotana chairman around the hotels and he just kept saying ‘wow’, while I’m saying ‘I don’t think it’s going to be ready’. But the last time that he had seen it, there had been nothing. The foundations were only laid in February 2008. It’s not only the quality and magnitude of what has been achieved on Yas Island that is mind boggling; it’s the speed,” says Batshoun.

Furthermore, in August, wholesale giant Gulliver Travels Associates (GTA) director of business development MEA Younes Ajdi warned Yas Island hotels that they were “unlikely” to achieve the 100% occupancy rates they expected during the race due to the global economic downturn.

A confident Paul Bell, managing director of Aldar Hotels and Hospitality, fought off such speculation saying the hotels would “not merely be full”, but would be “turning away many room enquiries”.

And Bell was right. All seven hotels open on the island, comprising two Rezidor hotels, two IHG hotels, two Rotana hotels and Aldar Hotels’ first owned and operated venture The Yas Hotel, claimed full occupancy of available rooms during the race days; though not without a few hiccups.

The Yas Hotel traded more than 400 bedrooms out of a possible 499, but “lots of hotels trade a year after opening with five to 10% of rooms out of order,” defends Bell. Similarly, technical issues meant that 40 rooms at the Radisson could not be sold.

“The room I stayed in was out of order. The bathroom mirror was broken, there were only two lights working, the TV didn’t switch on and the door wouldn’t lock,” says Bodin.

Forecasting performance

Anticipating that Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) would impose a cap on room rates during the race days, the hotels appropriately set rates in line with ADTA’s expectations (ADTA could not reveal the capped rate), but significantly higher than a normal demand period.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-6752-yas-island-gms-debate-its-future/
 
#417 ·

The Yas Hotel is Aldar Hotels and Hospitality?s first owned and operated venture.

Yas Island GMs debate its future

by Louise Birchall on Dec 24, 2009

Average daily rates (ADR) were around AED 2650 (US $721) at Rotana Yas Island, AED 2500 ($680) at Radisson and around AED 1850 ($503) at Park Inn, for example.

In September, IDeaS Advantage senior consultant Paul Van Meerendonk told Hotelier that during special events like a Grand Prix, it is especially important for hotels to keep a tight control on room inventory. He said appropriate overbooking levels should be set to account for the expected higher rate of cancellations.

In spite of having little experience managing host hotels for an event of that scale, hotel management at all seven properties wisely implemented minimum-stay periods and cancellation clauses, though most did not overbook. “People were paying a lot of money and we could not walk them somewhere else if we were full because every other hotel on the island was full,” explains Batshoun.

However, inexperience was evident in other areas. The “tsunami” of guests Batshoun mentioned certainly took Yas Island Rotana’s F&B outlets by surprise, so much so that Batshoun and the hotels’ department heads found themselves cleaning tables.

“There were scheduled events where up to 50,000 people were leaving at the same time and they all wanted something to eat and drink. The shuttle bus stopped just before the hotel and people could see guests on the restaurant terraces and wanted to come in. It was difficult trying to serve everybody and we tried to limit the number of people coming in, but they were just very upset. It was a huge learning opportunity,” says Batshoun.

On the other hand, Radisson and Park Inn expected the wave of guests. “We had a ‘tsunami’ warning out and we tried to channel as many guests as possible to our buffet restaurant, which is obviously easier for us to cope with”, Bodin says.

On the best race day, Radisson’s food and beverage outlets made 1480 covers, where as Choices buffet restaurant at the Yas Island Rotana had specific meal times that, unfortunately, didn’t synchronise with event timings. So people left an event at 2:30 pm and came to the restaurant at 3:30 pm to find the buffet had closed half an hour ago, for example.

The hotel extended its buffet timings for the remaining race days to open from around midday to the early hours of the morning, and on the up side, it doubled its forecast revenue from F&B over the race period.

Sufficient staffing

Opening to 100% occupancy with an enormous demand for F&B was never going to be easy, but aside from some slight oversights, all seven hotels had prepared well in terms of staff training and product supplies.

Crowne Plaza & Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi Yas Island prepared for full occupancy with more than 100 staff brought in from other properties that left just after the race, according to complex GM Dieter Franke.

Similarly, the two Rotana properties had around 70 staff assistants from other Rotana hotels.

Radisson and Park Inn, however, only had 25-30 staff brought in and Bodin probably wasn’t exaggerating when he said employees did a “tremendous job” as the hotels only staffed for around 50% occupancy to account for reduced demand after the race.

Bodin accepts that “of course there were some unhappy guests and on some occasions we compensated them for a stay that wasn’t perfect, but the majority was more than satisfied and we received many ‘thank you’ letters”.

The Yas Hotel didn’t have the benefit of having sister properties to pull its 800 plus employee base from, but the hotel put a successful operation down to pre-planning.

“We hired staff earlier and did a huge amount of off-site training that really paid off. You needed experience and flexibility,” says Bell.

In the months leading up to the race, up to 2000 staff members were recruited across the seven hotels; many flocked to Yas Island from Dubai properties that had frozen pay rises and promotions in the midst of the global economic downturn, but the Yas Island hotels weren’t offering anything “extraordinary” in terms of its staff packages, according to Bell.

“The excitement of the product, the location and the relative stability of the Abu Dhabi hotel market was attractive to staff inside and outside the UAE,” he says.

“We were fortunate because we were recruiting when a lot of other hotels were letting people go,” adds Batshoun, who says 40% of employees came from existing Middle East Rotana properties, around a quarter from Dubai and the rest from overseas countries, such as India and a new source market, China.

Luckily, the ‘excitement’ of the Yas Island project made it a priority for most suppliers too, who were very “committed”, say the hotels, but they were understandably “stretched”.

Rotana had some challenges with fresh produce and the Rezidor hotels faced problems with laundry, but considering that seven hotels opened on Yas Island to one deadline, the operation was relatively smooth.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-6752-yas-island-gms-debate-its-future/2/
 
#418 ·

Rotana was taken by surprise when hundreds of hungry fans descended on its F&B outlets during the F1 event.

Yas Island GMs debate its future

by Louise Birchall on Dec 24, 2009

This rare situation also meant the hotel management developed a unique relationship to the point where they borrowed items from one another.

“The fact that seven hotels have opened at the same time, in the same place, by three different hotel groups and one owner is unique in itself and presents lots of opportunities for a consolidated effort in creating a destination,” says Franke.

Going forward, Franke expects the hotels’ relationship to be a key driver of their success: “Each of the hotel’s products has been designed to complement each other. It’s in everyone’s interest to raise awareness of Yas Island and jointly build a destination that has so much to offer. Hence, we all work very closely together,” he says.

Driving demand

But what does Yas Island offer that can justify adding 2260 hotel rooms — plus more than 13 additional hotels planned in later phases of the development — to Abu Dhabi’s expanding hotel market? After all, the capital began 2009 with just 13,000 hotel rooms. It now has 18,300 and anticipates hitting the 25,000 mark by the end of 2012.

“The growth in the number of hotel rooms will match the expected growth in visitors to Abu Dhabi over the next few years as it develops into a cultural, leisure and business destination,” asserts Franke.

Similarly, Bell points out that Abu Dhabi has one of the strongest hotel markets in the world and he is backed up by Deloitte global managing partner of tourism hospitality & leisure Alex Kyriakidis.

“Abu Dhabi’s hotels have achieved double-digit growth for five consecutive years, but started to contract in June 2009 as the global economic crisis continued to dampen international travel demand during the low season,” says Kyriakidis.

“Despite this, hoteliers in Abu Dhabi still achieve the strongest occupancy (74.2%), average room rates (US $279) and revPAR (US $207) in the Middle East, year-to-September 2009,” he says.

Of course, the staunch support of the ADTA also stands Yas Island in good stead.

According to ADTA deputy director general Ahmed Hussein, the capital has already benefited from a “significant upturn in awareness of and interest in the destination following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix”.

And promotion of Yas Island will form part of ADTA’s overall destination marketing, which is to be significantly enhanced during 2010 with the planned openings of new overseas offices and the roll out of a global marketing campaign.

Bodin says that the race has put Abu Dhabi on the map. The focus has not been on promoting individual hotels; it has been on promoting Abu Dhabi and Yas Island.

Bell adds: “You have got to let people know that the product is out there and they should know what to expect, which is what we’re doing through the World Travel Market (WTM) and Institute of Business Travel Management (IBTM) in Germany, then we have to deliver as operators.

“We were at WTM, not on an Aldar stand or a Yas Island stand, but as part of ADTA’s presence supporting Abu Dhabi first and foremost and then telling people what we’re doing as part of Plan 2030,” he explains.

On an operator level, the seven hotels are focusing on three short-term goals: creating awareness of the product, raising the profile of their F&B outlets to attract weekend stays from surrounding emirates, and attracting meetings, conferences and events business to entice mainly GCC and European markets to the island. All express long-term intentions of looking beyond these traditional markets and targeting the leisure sector.

“We are currently working hard to attract business travellers and to make contracts with various corporate companies,” says Bodin.

“If you are a businessman and would like to do business in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Yas Island is the perfect spot. We’re just in between the two capitals of the UAE,” he adds.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-6752-yas-island-gms-debate-its-future/3/
 
#419 ·

Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi Yas Island staffed for 50% occupancy and brought around 25 staff in from sister properties.

Yas Island GMs debate its future

by Louise Birchall on Dec 24, 2009

Future focus

Franke believes that in the future, Yas Island could be a “strong contender” as the UAE’s number one MICE destination, given its extensive facilities, location and its infrastructure.

But ADTA’s Hussein emphasises that while Yas Island will be a “key MICE destination”, it will “by no means be the only one”, highlighting the development of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC) and new venues such as Qasr Al Sarab desert retreat in Liwa Desert, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr and Al Shaheen Conference Centre located in the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, among others.

It is clear that ADTA’s long-term ambition for Yas Island extends beyond meetings and events business. Hussein says Yas Island adds an important new dimension to Abu Dhabi’s attractiveness as a leisure tourism destination, helping to increase overall length of stay.

“And the potential to grow leisure tourism in the capital, which until now has been a business-dominated environment, should not be underestimated,” he adds.

Compelling conclusion

Yas Island’s potential as a leisure and business destination is a crucial piece of the jigsaw for Abu Dhabi in “aggressively competing” for its market share of visitors to the UAE, according to ADTA’s Hussein.

Yet, whether Abu Dhabi can compete against Dubai — or the ‘second capital of the UAE’ as Bodin refers to it — remains to be seen.

“Brand Dubai is a very powerful brand, now we need to go back and create brand UAE,” suggests Rotana’s Batshoun.

“Abu Dhabi and Dubai should be marketed jointly, we are one country with two phenomenal products; it’s important we sell them together. The emirates have something unique to offer, put it all together and it’s a treasure chest,” he adds.

That’s the tactic Batshoun has adopted in marketing five-star Yas Island Rotana and mid-scale brand Centro by Rotana Yas Island; selling the two different products together with the same vigour and leaving it to the customer to choose.

However, Hussein insists that Abu Dhabi is not attempting to steal the limelight from Dubai. “We are not trying to steal anything, but to develop our own compelling proposition, which will complement the varied offering now available throughout the wider UAE,” he says.

Whatever the motives for developing Yas Island, there’s no denying that it is being marketed as an “unrivalled destination”, with more than 20 hotels, three theme parks, a super regional mall, golf courses, several marinas and commercial and residential developments (see timeline).

Lucratively positioned just 45 minutes away from Dubai, 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi mainland and 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, the destination has the potential to become a must-visit for business and leisure guests to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The seven hotels on Yas Island believe it is the perfect stepping stone between the two emirates and, in spite of the current come down from the hype of the Grand Prix, speak positively of its potential.

“Dubai is growing towards Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi is growing towards Dubai, very soon they will come together and Yas Island will certainly be an important part of that,” says Batshoun.

“Yas Island will be able to position itself worldwide as a prime business and leisure destination,” adds Franke.

Hopefully so, as the success of the seven Aldar Hotels and Hospitality properties, and that of those hotels to come, relies on Yas Island becoming a year-round destination.

When that will happen remains to be seen, but with ADTA’s determination, Aldar’s vision and the seven hotels’ united front, it could be sooner than some think.

And it’s certainly not a case of waiting until the F1 returns in all its glory in a year’s time.

Before that, the launch of the golf course, yacht club, and most excitingly, the world’s first Ferrari theme park — already visible to anyone driving by Yas Island — will each attract a different audience.

But visitors to the island will have one thing in common — a need for somewhere to stay.

The opportunities are clearly wide open for these seven new Yas Island hotels; they now need to focus on ensuring that they have a strategy in place to capitalise on each one of the upcoming products, just as they did with the super-successful inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-6752-yas-island-gms-debate-its-future/4/
 
#420 ·

The mystery shopper would have liked to feel more welcomed at the Park Inn Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

Yas Island hotels respond to Hotel Spy report

by Hotelier Middle East Staff on Dec 27, 2009

This month, Grassroots mystery shoppers visited the seven new hotels on Yas Island, so Hotelier headed to Abu Dhabi armed with their findings. The hoteliers’ responses are below.

Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island (overall score 96%) and Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi Yas Island (overall score 86%)


“We are absolutely delighted with this result, especially when the review took place just two weeks after we opened the hotel. Not only is it a great acknowledgement for the hotel, but it reinforces the confidence that we have had in our team and their capabilities from day one.”

Dieter Franke
Complex general manager, Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites Yas Island Abu Dhabi

Yas Island Rotana (overall score 88%) and Centro by Rotana, Yas Island (overall score 92%)

“We’re learning and improving everyday. We opened both hotels less than three weeks ago, but we have a great team and I welcome feedback so we can continue to get better. We will look at putting a screen in the lobby so guest can make a printout of tourism activities. Also, our standard is just a greeting, but we can take that further by saying ‘how can we help you?’ or ‘would you like a drink?’”

Joe Batshoun
Complex general manager for Yas Island Rotana and Centro by Rotana Yas Island

Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi Yas Island(overall score 89%) and Park Inn Abu Dhabi Yas Island (69%)

“We also do a mystery shopper report on hotel services through an agency because we want to constantly improve the service.

“At the moment we’re really targeting meetings and events so we’re especially looking at our conference bookings. The first call was appalling, but it’s definitely improving now!”

Torbjörn Bodin
Cluster general manager, Radisson Blu and Park Inn Abu Dhabi Yas Island

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-6754-yas-island-hotels-respond-to-hotel-spy-report/
 
#421 ·
Yas Island's 2010 timeline

by Louise Birchall on Dec 28, 2009

Q4, 2009 Phase 1:

Yas Marina Circuit
The 5.55km circuit designed by Hermann Tilke hosted the inaugural 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from October 30 to November 1.

The Yas Hotel
Built in 22 months, The Yas Hotel is Aldar Hotels and Hospitality’s first owned and operated property comprising two buildings connected by a bridge; one sits on the Yas Marina Circuit and the other on the Yas Marina.

Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island (428 rooms)
Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi Yas Island (165 rooms)
Yas Island Rotana Abu Dhabi (308 rooms)
Centro Yas Island Abu Dhabi (259 rooms)
Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi Yas Island (204 rooms)
Park Inn Abu Dhabi Yas Island (204 rooms)

Yas Marina
The super-yacht marina has capacity for more than 140 yachts and is located in the middle of the Yas Marina Circuit. The project is Aldar’s flagship marina development.

Q1, 2010

Yas Links Abu Dhabi Golf Course
Expected to open in March, this links golf course is an 18-hole championship course designed by Kyle Phillips. The golf course is in close proximity to the seven hotels and is set against a coastal backdrop.

Q2, 2010

Yas Yacht Club
The yacht club is a multi-functional venue that caters to casual dining, private members dining and corporate entertaining.

Phase 2: Q3-Q4, 2010

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
The world’s first Ferrari theme park is expected to be the largest indoor theme park globally and home to the world’s fastest roller coaster and 20 ride attractions.

Yas Mall
(completion date to be confirmed (TBC))
The Yas Mall features a wide range of retail categories across 500 stores, including the largest IKEA store in MENA.

Yas Island Water Park (TBC)
Currently in the design and concept phase, preliminary plans include up to 26 water rides and attractions across 15 hectares of land next to Yas Mall.

Warner Brothers Theme park (TBC)
The delivery of the theme park is being finalised, but developers say it will include many of the Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera & DC comic characters.

Phase 2-3:

Ongoing
Residential
The island also will offer a variety of modern low-rise and mixed-use residential apartments, including villas to rent, lease and own.

Future hotels
In total, Yas Island is expected to have 20 hotels by the time it is completed.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-6753-yas-islands-2010-timeline/
 
#426 ·
Yas Island's 2010 timeline


Phase 2: Q3-Q4, 2010

Yas Mall
(completion date to be confirmed (TBC))
The Yas Mall features a wide range of retail categories across 500 stores, including the largest IKEA store in MENA.

Yas Island Water Park (TBC)
Currently in the design and concept phase, preliminary plans include up to 26 water rides and attractions across 15 hectares of land next to Yas Mall.

Warner Brothers Theme park (TBC)
The delivery of the theme park is being finalised, but developers say it will include many of the Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera & DC comic characters.
The mall is on hold and the two parks never started, so none of them will open before 2012 I'm afraid, maybe the Ikea in 2011 but that's not exactly a tourist attraction...
 
#424 ·
Federer and Nadal warm-up ahead of Capitala World Tennis Championship

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the world's top two players, warmed up for the Capitala World Tennis Championship today with a friendly knock-around on one of the most unique playing arenas - Abu Dhabi's stunning Yas Marina Circuit.

* Gulf News
* Published: 16:20 December 31, 2009










http://gulfnews.com/pictures/sport/...f-capitala-world-tennis-championship-1.560345


This is so cool! :D
 
#429 ·
Yas Marina Circuit bids to make UAE motorsport capital

Yas Marina beefs up 2010 calendar with five premier events that will appeal to all racing fans

* By Dina El Shammaa, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
* Published: 00:00 January 14, 2010


* Richard Cregan, chief executive officer of Yas Marina Circuit, along with Kawthar Bin Sulayem, YMC regional media manager, address the media in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

* Image Credit: Ravindranath, Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Five major motorsport events have been added to the Formula One 2010 calendar in an effort to attract more local and international race fans to the Yas Marina Circuit (YMC).

The move follows in the wake of last year's successful Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Headlining the new events will be the GP2 Asia Series which will take place on February 5-6.

Other exciting races to be staged are the V8 Supercars Australia and the new FIA GT1 International Series, all of which will all take place in the first half of the year.

The season will culminate in the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 12-14.

"The GP2 series will help develop awareness for open wheel racing in the UAE," said Richard Cregan, YMC chief executive.

"Famous Formula One drivers have progressed from the GP2 to Formula One, including names like Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), and Kamui Kobayashi (BMW Sauber) among many," he said.

The GP2 Asia Series was established in 2008, and is made up of 26 identical single-seat racecars. By 2010, after a history of just five years, nearly a half of the Formula One grid is expected to be made up of GP2 graduates.

The are a number of differences between the GP2 Asia Series and a Formula One car, the YMC management explained during a press conference, yesterday.

These include the fact that teams that compete in GP2 Asia Series do not build their own race cars; the total car is supplied to each team by the series organisers; teams operate at a cost of about one per cent of an average Formula One team budget; and laptimes are also on average three to six seconds slower than a Formula One back-of-the-grid-car.

Cregan also revealed that America's top fuel dragsters will also take part in the International Drag Racing Festival for the first time in the Middle East.

The event will be invitation-only for the top drag race teams in the UAE, and racers will be competing for a prize money close to Dh375,000.

"We intend on developing our own drag racing series as well as introduce our own circuit drag race school.

Entertainment

"Yas Marina Circuit has been created to provide world-class entertainment to local people and international visitors and that's exactly what these events will deliver," he added.

The V8 Supercars Australia is growing in stature worldwide as the premier touring car racing series.

"This action packed series will include everyday cars one sees in the streets of Abu Dhabi that will thrill the public as the Fords and the Holdens bump and grind around the circuit in their first-ever night race," said Cregan.

http://gulfnews.com/sport/motorsport/yas-marina-circuit-bids-to-make-uae-motorsport-capital-1.567712
 
#430 ·
Capital drivers get chance to drive round Yas Marina circuit

Matthew Chung
* Last Updated: January 13. 2010 11:48PM UAE / January 13. 2010 7:48PM GMT

ABU DHABI // Most people never get the chance to climb behind the wheel of a Formula One car, but later this month regular drivers will be able to follow in the tracks of Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel at Yas Marina Circuit’s first public track day.

The track day, on January 23, will be the first of many events this year that organisers hope will establish the circuit as a year-round facility.

The track will be open to residents who, for a fee, can bring their car to the track and race for up to three and a half hours.

Following a thorough briefing on track and driver safety, would-be race drivers will take a few test laps before being let loose. Additional training with an experienced instructor is being offered at an additional cost.

“Our target is to run the venue 300 days a year and have major events and make sure it becomes a centre of excellence for motorsport and indeed for leisure and activity in general,” said Richard Cregan, the chief executive for Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM).

Mr Cregan acknowledged it would take time to build a “motorsport culture” in the emirate, but said the organisation had a long-term plan to achieve its goal.

“If you create a new venue like this and expect to fill the venue every time, you have an event that is very difficult,” he said. “The only way you can do that is working with the public and local community to build up that culture.

“You do that by getting local drivers involved, by developing young drivers.” Mr Cregan urged residents to take advantage of the track, and added that training would be offered for those who wanted it.

The circuit will also position itself as a beacon for road safety by offering a safe, controlled environment for residents to race cars, and through initiatives such as a driving academy being launched in March.

ADMM is also hoping to push the circuit as a venue for corporate events and meetings, and expects the North Grandstand of the track, which can seat 10,000, to be the site of concerts and performances.

A schedule of planned track days will also be posted on January 23, Mr Cregan said, but more could be added.

“Depending on demand, we will make the track available,” he said.

“Because we have got the lighting facility, we can light up the track. In times when there is very hot weather, we will be opening later in the evening.”

But amateur racing will not be the only offering. Professional events will include the GP2 Asia Series next month and the International Drag Racing Festival in March, where cars will accelerate from zero to more than 480kph in less than four seconds.

The Yas Marina Circuit Drag Race Centre, opening with the racing festival, will be made available to members of the public as well for racing, learning to drive a 1,000-horsepower dragster at the race school and possibly obtaining a National Hot Rod Association competition licence. Also in March, a driving academy will open, offering safe driving and racing courses with two-seat sports cars and a single-seat open-wheel vehicle.

Mr Cregan said ADMM was working with the police and other authorities to improve the country’s road safety record, and is looking into launching courses for young people who have not yet applied for their driving licence.

“We can make sure that we try to get that speed on to the track in a controlled and safe environment,” he said.

“We are looking at getting young people into cars, in a safe, controlled car and allowing them to drive in a dynamic area on our track and give people an understanding of what responsibility they have when they go out there and get their driving licence on the general roads.”

mchung@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/NATIONAL/701149986/1010
 
#435 ·
Yas Marina circuit opens to the public

Matthew Chung
* Last Updated: January 24. 2010 12:43AM UAE / January 23. 2010 8:43PM GMT


Members of the public are led around the Yas Marina Circuit yesterday after taking up the opportunity to drive their cars on the Formula 1 track. Jaime Puebla / The National

ABU DHABI // The two friends were midway through their first session on the Yas Marina Circuit when a flashing light on the dashboard of their red Mustang GT threatened to end their fun early.

“The petrol tank said zero kilometres to empty,” said Lee Irvine, standing next to his car in the paddock at the circuit. “We were about halfway round and I said let’s just get off because that would be really embarrassing.”

A top-up with petrol at the circuit’s fuel station eased their minds and got them back on track again and clocking speeds of up to 220kmph. And there was no doubt, they were won over by the overall experience.

“After seeing the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to drive on the track is incredible,” said Mr Irvine, 28, a lawyer from London.

“I’ve been texting all my friends. I think Lewis Hamilton should be studying my tapes.”

Mr Irvine and his friend Joff Cowling-Bryant, who live in Abu Dhabi, were among about 60 drivers taking part in the morning sessions of the first public track day at the circuit yesterday. A second group arrived in the afternoon, bringing the number of people who registered for the day to more than 100.

Drivers paid up to Dh1,000 (US$272) for a full-day session, with additional costs for hiring a helmet, having an additional driver or carrying a passenger. Some opted to let an expert do the driving, and paid Dh350 to be taken around the track in a Porsche GTR. An F1 two-seater was available for Dh11,500.

A wide range of vehicles – from race-ready Porsche Cup cars and a turbo-charged, two-seater known as the KTM X-Bow, to a Ford SUV and a Nissan Sunny – were matched by varying degrees of driving experience and ability.

There were first-timers, excited to be among the first to follow in the tracks of F1 world champion Jenson Button and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner Sebastian Vettel. They mingled with professionals eager to test their cars ahead of racing season.

“The great thing with a day like today is we give people the chance to come out and experience the F1 track for themselves,” said Richard Cregan, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management.

“They are going to come back here and be familiar with the circuit. They are going to improve their time, and then they will start to feel that it is becoming what we set out – that it is their track.”


Members of the public got to race around on the same circuit as Jenson Button. Jaime Puebla / The National

Fahed al Mulla, 29, was among those thrilled by the chance to use the track. “We were waiting for something like this to happen in Abu Dhabi,” said Mr al Mulla, an Emirati who works in finance for Aldar Properties.

“Rather than people racing on the streets they can come here and race. I am spending money on my car and I cannot drive it.”

Mr al Mulla said he had spent more than Dh100,000 in modifications for his Mitsubishi Evolution and would like to see the track open to the public more often.

The one female driver, Nadine Berdury, 50, from Abu Dhabi, described her 180kmph ride in her grey Porsche Cayman as “fun”.

Mr Cregan said the plan was to have at least one track day per month.

Following a comprehensive safety briefing, drivers were allowed on the track for up to six half-hour driving sessions. The experienced drivers went first, followed by novices like Mr Irvine, who had to follow a pace car during his first session but was allowed to push more in those that followed.

Cameras and track marshals were on hand to ensure that drivers were on good behaviour and were ready to respond quickly to any incidents.

There were plenty of smiling faces and two people went so far as to say it was “an honour” to be able to use the track.

Professionals such as Saad Salman, 29, a Palestinian driver for Sayat Racing, who is practising in his KTM X-Bow ahead of the 2010-11 season, said he was impressed with the event’s organisation.

When a car suffered engine failure on the track, he said, it was quickly removed and the session was able to resume. “We were worried a bit. Having expensive race cars, we generally try to avoid coming to open events for the public,” he said.

“When you mix inexperienced drivers with much faster drivers, the speed difference is what is actually dangerous. But today seems to be very well run and any incidents were responded to quickly.”

As the “novice” drivers enjoyed themselves, they were learning a little more about how to control their vehicles and becoming better drivers, said Shahid Baloch, the Pakistani vice-president of Porsche Club UAE.

“When you are on the roads you certainly have a better understanding of what your car can do, particularly braking and handling,” he said. “That can only make you a safer driver on the road.”

For information on track days and other events visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com<;br>

mchung@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100124/NATIONAL/701239820/1010/national
 
Top