#PROJECT: THE PALM JUMEIRAH

[Parisian Girl]

Plans for a base on Palm Jumeirah for Canadian firm 'set aside'

By Parag Deulgaonkar | Published Sunday, June 05, 2011


In May 2007, Nakheel and Cirque du Soleil had announced a 15-year partnership (SUPPLIED)

Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian entertainment company, will not have a permanent base in Dubai, Emirates24|7 can reveal.

“There is no plan for a Cirque du Soleil permanent base in Dubai at all right now. This project has been set aside,” company’s Corporate PR Manager Chantal Côté said.

In May 2007, Nakheel and Cirque du Soleil had announced a 15-year partnership to develop a permanent show on Palm Jumeirah. The two companies were to jointly design and build a 1,800-seat theatre that will be home to the first ever Cirque resident show to be staged outside of the United States and the Far East.

A Nakheel spokesperson declined comment.

Asked if Cirque was in talks with any other companies in the UAE to host a permanent show, Côté said: “We are not speaking to any other party in the UAE.”

Besides, the company has no active plans right now for a show in Dubai this year. Cirque has performed twice in Dubai – Quidam in 2007 and Alegria in 2009.

Headquartered in Montreal, Cirque is owned largely by its founder, Guy Laliberté. In 2008, Nakheel and Istithmar purchased a 20 per cent stake in the firm.

Asked if Nakheel or Istithmar were in talks to sell their stakes, Côté said: ““They cannot sell their stake without the consent of Cirque du Soleil's founder Guy Laliberté. There are no discussions to that effect at the moment. They still own 20 per cent of Cirque du Soleil.”

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emir...06-05-1.401036

[Parisian Girl]

June 14, 2011

Luxury Dubai hotel One&Only The Palm has reported high uptake from the GCC market, which is expected to help fill rooms during the low season.

Hotel general manager Michael R. Payne said: “The GCC market has really come very strong, there are times when it has been number two, number three. If you add Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, all the GCC [countries], they at times make up number two market share for the month”.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/11...ng-gcc-market/

[EmiratesAirline380]

This doesn't look like its caused by a water pipe leakage to me! I guess the 10 - 15 year life span of the Palm that people predicted was too optimistic.

Palm Jumeirah sinkhole swallows taxi
Essam Al Ghalib
Jun 15, 2011

DUBAI // A taxi fell into a sinkhole on the Palm Jumeirah yesterday morning that authorities say was caused by a ruptured underground water pipe.

The hole, about three metres across and one-and-a-half metres deep, appeared between buildings six and seven in the Golden Mile and was full of water when the car plunged into it. Dubai Police sent a rescue squad to remove the driver from the taxi, then the taxi from the sinkhole.


Workers from Wade Adams, a development and construction company, were at work repairing the ruptured pipe and filling in the hole soon after the incident. Joining them were emergency responders from a gas company, checking nearby gas lines for damage.


"The broken water main caused the sinkhole," said Ahmad Fanari, a Wade Adams engineer. "The Palm is built on sand, and where the pipe burst, the sand was washed away, weakening the roadway. The area was flooded so the sinkhole was not visible.

"The driver would have had no way to know he was driving into a hole. He must have thought that the road surface was just wet."

Gina, a concierge at the Southern Residences building of the Golden Mile, was being dropped off at work at 7am and saw the taxi in the hole. "It was halfway in the hole, and behind it was a bus," she said. "The police were there talking to the driver, who looked really puzzled. He didn't look hurt."

Wade Adams engineers said repairs would be completed by tomorrow morning.

[EmiratesAirline380]

Wait! Ignore that post. I didn't view the pictures that came from the source. Sorry about that. Here's the source:

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-n...-swallows-taxi

[paul.c.martens]

Glad it wasn't Roger Federer who landed in that hole. Watch him drive around the Palm in a brand new SLS AMG Roadster

[Parisian Girl]

Cool vid! Roger having a lot of fun here behind the wheel.

This SLS AMG Roadster is a very nice car indeed. Sweet purrr.

[Parisian Girl]

Rosemary Behan | June 17, 2011


The Premier Room at One&Only The Palm in Dubai. Courtesy of One&Only Resorts. The Spa's Cloister Pavilion.

The welcome

The entrance to the hotel has all the company's classic hallmarks: style, exclusivity and a dash of opulence. The cars parked outside the entrance are expensively understated, the driveway and entrance foyer beautifully elegant. Inside, I loved the arched ceilings, marble floors and fountains. A large number of shopping bags belonging to myself and a friend were offloaded and made it to our rooms in reasonable time, and check-in was done in a relaxing manner, sitting on a sofa.

The neighbourhood

To get to the hotel, you drive all the way up the trunk and right to the end of The Palm's west crescent, past the behemoth still-under-construction Kingdom of Sheba, Taj Exotica and Kempinski hotels. A vacant site separates One&Only The Palm from the newly opened and very different Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. From that end of the crescent, it's a fantastic view across the water to Dubai Marina and JBR.

The scene

The property itself is heavenly - "airy, floaty and light" were my friend's immediate comments. The area between the main building and the beach is well-laid out and stylishly done, with palm trees and daybeds surrounding a pool worthy of a film set. At night, it's brilliantly lit. Inside, the restaurants and other common areas are beautifully designed, with fabulous lamps, furniture and fabrics. The One&Only crowd is immediately apparent: the other guests are smarter and look more refined than those you'll find in most Dubai hotels, but the overall air is of relaxed intimacy. Those staying are mostly western couples, either on holiday or honeymoon, in their 30s and 40s. In the evenings the terrace fills up with Emiratis and other Arabs out for the evening. Perhaps thanks to the helpful welcome letter, which states that "for dinner, the dress code is smart-casual and full-length trousers for men. Plastic slippers, flip flops and rubber sandals are undesired", this isn't the sort of place you'll see platform heels, mini-skirts and football shirts - or big hair, screaming children and bling-bling jewellery.

The service

Swift, accurate and generally efficient. I was impressed that housekeeping had found and kept a pair of shorts I'd left at the hotel three months previously. Yet apart from our room staff, who were lovely, and the man who cleans your sunglasses by the poolside, we seemed to have few genuine interactions. I found some of the higher-ranking restaurant staff a little patronising; at breakfast, for example, it was often cloyingly inferred that I might like a particular smoothie or fruit juice - when I would rather have simply been given the menu.

The room

The hotel has 90 rooms and four villas, although many of the "rooms" are in what look like villas. I had a very spacious downstairs room in one of the "Palm Beach Mansions". It came with a large entrance hall, sitting area, stunning bathroom and outdoor terrace with a private swimming pool. The view from here to the beach made you question where you were: squint and it could be Mauritius. What's not to like? The air conditioning seemed to have been fitted or programmed to European rather than UAE standards of coolness. I like the room to be cold, but I couldn't get it down to less than 21.5 degrees - which for me is too hot. The bed was sublime, but unfortunately I was jolted awake by three mistaken internal calls to my room at around 3.30am, which left me exhausted the next day.

The food

The hotel has three restaurants: Stay, by the Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alenno; Zest, the resort's main restaurant; and 101, a cool Mediterranean restaurant in a building built over water at the resort's own marina. In Stay, we delighted in a six-course "Epicurean" menu of sea bass tartar, fregolasarda pasta, Dublin Bay prawn ravioli, black-peppered beef fillet, a selection of cheese and, finally, a whole metre of desserts from the "pastry library". Each course was paired with drinks by the head sommelier, Azedine Dhaheri. My friend complained that she wasn't allowed to choose her own desserts, but I was happy to go with the flow. Six courses costs from Dh495 per person without drinks. In Zest, starters, fish and meat are each grouped under "Asian", "Middle Eastern" and "Western" headings; there is also a vegetarian selection. We loved the salmon sashimi (Dh60), steamed sea bass in lemongrass sauce (Dh190) and the grilled tuna with vegetables (Dh155). My friend said the cheesecake (Dh45) was the best she'd ever had. We loved the setting at 101 but were less impressed by the food there: my charcoal-grilled duck breast (Dh120) was large but rather dry; my friend's tandoori tiger prawns (Dh165) were delicious.

Loved

The design and ambiance and the Andalucian-style spa; also the Bastien Gonzalez Mani:Pedi:Cure studio where I had one of his peerless pedicures (Dh450 for 60 minutes). The calm emptiness and peacefulness of the beach area and the clean, jet ski-free water for swimming. The air-conditioned poolside cabanas, complete with bathrooms, televisions and a fridge full of cold drinks, gives a luxury upgrade to a day by the pool. The free speedboat transfers which operate to and from the One&Only Royal Mirage also add a touch of glamour.

Hated

The disturbing internal phone calls to my room and less-than-responsive air conditioner. "Light" use of the wireless internet is free, but users must re-register every 24 hours, which is one more thing to have to fiddle with.

The verdict

A place to go for quiet rest and relaxation, peace and pampering - that's as long as you don't get those random phone calls.

The bottom line

Until September 30, a manor house premiere room costs from Dh1,740, including taxes. Two children under 12 can stay for free when sharing the parents's accommodation.
One&Only The Palm, Dubai ( http://thepalm.oneandonlyresorts.com/ ; 04 440 10 10 ).

The Villa Pool of One&Only The Palm in Dubai.

http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/...morous-setting

[Face81]

Master developer working on extension of Ibn Battuta Mall and Dragon Mart

By Parag Deulgaonkar
Published Monday, June 20, 2011

Dubai-based master developer Nakheel has not given up the idea of building the Palm Mall, Palm Jumeirah, and the project has not been cancelled, Emirates 24/7 can reveal.

Although it did not disclose any details on when the project will restart, the company said: “We are reassessing the plans for the mall.”

The company is also working on a plan for extension of Ibn Battuta Mall and Dragon Mart. Similarly, no details were shared.

In 2008, Nakheel’s Retail Shopping Malls division had said it plans to commence development of 13 million square feet of new retail space across five separate mega projects. This website had then reported that construction work had commenced on the Palm Mall.

According to Jones Lang LaSalle, total retail supply across Dubai, as of fourth quarter 2010, was around 26 million square feet, with no significant additions to stock being recorded. The global property consultancy said Dubai retail malls will continue to experience vacancies of 15 per cent to 30 per cent.

Colliers International, a real estate consultancy, earlier said cumulative retail supply in Dubai reached 2.48 million square metres gross leasable area (GLA) by 2010-end and will witness additional supply of about 52,500 square metres GLA in 2011.

http://www.emirates247.com/property/...06-20-1.403666

[bizzybonita]

Great News ! BACK ON TRACK NAKHEEL

[seagulls]

Originally Posted by bizzybonita

Great News ! BACK ON TRACK NAKHEEL

dont get carried away, all they are saying is thta its not been cancelled on the palm. No mention of the landscaping on goldenmile which is a tiny job compared to that! You can not believe a word they stay until you see some kind of movement.

[panchiito]

sorry..........

[Parisian Girl]

[Chakazoolu]

Taken 2 days ago

http://browse.digitalglobe.com/image...geWidth=natres

[Palm-Host]

http://www.thenational.ae/business/p...arket-recovery



Visa change for homebuyers to spark UAE housing market recovery
Kevin Brass

Jun 29, 2011


The Government's move yesterday to extend visas for homebuyers is expected to provide a much-needed spark to the struggling property market.

The unavailability of long-term visas has been one of the key issues restricting home sales, property executives say. Under the new law property buyers will be able to obtain a visa for three years instead of the current six months.

"This is welcome news," said Richard Paul, an associate director of Cluttons, a global property company. "It's been something we've been waiting for ever since they reverted it to six months."

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Under current federal law foreign owners of property worth more than Dh1 million (US$272,253) are able to apply for a six-month visa, which has to be renewed every six months for Dh2,000.

Residency visas were a controversial issue in Dubai during the boom years, when several developers said they would provide visas to homebuyers. In 2009 the law was changed, restricting visa validity to six months.

"This was another thing that made buyers insecure," said Tomas Ghassemi, the managing director of The Property Store.

No details on the costs or restrictions on the new visas were available as The National went to press.

"As long as there are no conditions and as long as the fees are reasonable it will be fantastic for the market," Mr Ghassemi said.



Dubai property values have fallen by more than half in some places since the peak in 2008 as the flow of international buyers dwindled. Analysts expect prices in many neighbourhoods to decrease another 10 to 20 per cent in the next year.

The new visa law is "positive news", said Jesse Downs, the director at Jones Lang LaSalle's UAE office. "But there are still severe hurdles to overcome before the market enters recovery."

Another 20,000 homes are expected to be built in Dubai in the next year, according to Jones Lang LaSalle data. In Abu Dhabi 16,000 homes are under construction.

Although sales are picking up, property experts say it could take another two years to use up the stock of available homes.

"Theoretically [the visa] will unlock second-home demand, but it is our opinion that it will not be sufficient to absorb the supply overhang," Ms Downs said. "This will just be a step in restoring confidence in the market."



The number of sales in Dubai has steadily increased in the first half of this year compared with last year, property agents say.

But many of the sales have been the result of people moving up in the market to take advantage of lower prices, not of international buyers.

"We need something to stimulate the property market," said Mario Volpi, the sales director for PowerHouse Properties. "With prices coming down people are starting to come back."

This year Qatar moved to grant residency visas to property buyers, adding a new twist to the regional competition for second-home buyers.

"Qatar's move to liberalise its visa regulations could exert further pressure for similar changes within the UAE," Jones Lang LaSalle noted in a report released in April, adding a residency visa extension in the UAE would "represent a major boost for the Dubai residential market".

The new law is unlikely to have an immediate impact, property executives say. The summer season is traditionally the slowest time of the year for sales.

But it should help position the market in the autumn.

[Parisian Girl]

This luxury residence at the Fairmont on the famous Palm Jumeirah was to be inhabited by a Russian globetrotting family. Its purpose was that of a holiday home in the glitzy shopping capital of Dubai. The very nature of its residents' requirements meant glamorous movie star appeal and their design preferences leaned towards Italian and classic American. In other words, luxury and comfort

By Lena Moosa, Features Editor, InsideOut magazine | Published 15:20 July 4, 2011
























>> http://gulfnews.com/pictures/life-st...ences-1.832809

[Salty]

Now that is how all the apartments on PJ should have been fitted out PG!

[Parisian Girl]

Yeah, that's a nice thought alright, Salty. Personally though, I love simplicity and not a home that resembles something right out of a brochure.

Of course, the costs here would be astronomical. It would help to have disposable money I guess. But then again, money can't buy you taste imo. Some of these so-called "luxury residences" are so tacky and cheap looking.

[Salty]

Originally Posted by Parisian Girl

Yeah, that's a nice thought alright, Salty. Personally though, I love simplicity and not a home that resembles something right out of a brochure.

Of course, the costs here would be astronomical. It would help to have disposable money I guess. But then again, money can't buy you taste imo. Some of these so-called "luxury residences" are so tacky and cheap looking.

I understand what you mean PG. The problem with our finishes though was not so much that they were "tacky and cheap looking" but that they actually were tacky and cheap.

This is what I thought we were buying with our F-Type Shoreline:



This is what we actually got:





And my expectations for the canal was for something that looked kinda like this:



Not this:



Oh well, C'est la vie ...

[Parisian Girl]

There's a hell of a contrast between the first and second/third pics! Well, at least it's nice to see you still have a sense of humour about it Salty! That's something you can't put a price on!

What can you do eh?? Anyway, just as long as you are happy with the location of your property and it's in good condition then over time you can build it up to be the kind of home you are really happy with. Not saying you're not happy with it now, but you know what I mean here right?! That's the best way forward I think. Make the best of it.

But hey, you have a small piece of PJ in your pocket so enjoy it! hehe

[Salty]

Absolutely. I am actually very happy with the apartment. It is well located (9th floor), spacious and, most importantly, structurally sound. Interior re-decoration/refit is a relatively minor matter.

I do wish that they would get on with the landscaping of the Golden Mile and the setting up of the retail outlets there though. It would make such a difference to the entire trunk.

Au revoir pour maintenant PG.