The Talise Spa on the 18th floor of Burj Al Arab offers visitors a luxurious way to relax with their masssages and treatments. Courtesy Jumeirah Group
The Talise Spa on the 18th floor of Burj Al Arab offers visitors a luxurious way to relax with their masssages and treatments. Courtesy Jumeirah Group

Pure bliss with Burj Al Arab spa treatment



The Burj Al Arab can be a little intimidating; it is not so much the heightened security or sheer indulgence, it has more to do with the clientele. A visit to the hotel requires one to traverse around the gaggle of super-rich Russian and Chinese tourists taking time to “experience” Dubai.

The spa in the hotel is a concentrated experience of the lobby – there is the indisputable luxury, plumped up with Botox and fillers. It is not a place to just relax, it is a place to be seen to relax.

The hotel’s Talise Spa is located on the 18th floor, 150 metres above sea level offering stunning views of the Arabian Gulf. The decor befits the overall extravagance of the seven-star hotel with deep green and red marble and plush chairs. Guests are greeted with raspberry and ginger water, then led down corridors that house individual treatment rooms. No one speaks here, they just whisper.

Before the treatment, guests are required to fill in a form that requests expectations, problem areas and the aim of their visit.

The changing room is communal, but with individual stalls and showers for those less comfortable with public changing. With each locker comes a candle, a pair of slippers and a bathrobe, and disposable underwear.

Besides the array of massages and treatments, the spa offers two experiences – a romantic moonlit swim and an “Arabian Journey”. As a solo attendee, I opted for the latter, designed to relax and revitalise the body – perfect after a gruelling week of conferences.

It is an 85-minute journey, infusing elements from the region that included a verbena-scented sand scrub followed by a patchouli and argan oil full-body massage.

The treatment begins with a foot wash, which for me is always a troubling affair. The practice seems out of place in the modern day world and belongs to the subservience of the Roman era.

But I stayed quiet, convincing myself it ensures customers have clean, nice-smelling feet before the masseuse ploughs away with a foot massage.

Once on the massage table, the amber aromatherapy and sandy body scrub begins.

The scrub is not abrasive, it is enough to exfoliate and soften the skin. It does, however, get everywhere and the shower at the end comes as a great relief.

After that is the massage – one of the best thought-out and attentive I have had in Dubai. It leaves you so relaxed you need to be helped to the relaxation room to sip fruit juice and eat dates to wake up again.

q&a indulgence in total luxury

Gopal Kumar, director of spa and retail at Burj Al Arab, reveals more about the spa offerings for executives to Triska Hamid.

How does the spa cater to busy execs?

Our spa not only provides treatments but rather an experience to each guest. Each guest can use the lavish spa facilities including steam, sauna and Jacuzzi plus our indoor infinity pool. Guests are also welcome to wind down in our relaxation room while enjoying healthy refreshment. Our spa treatments are carefully hand-picked to suit each individual, whether for a guest who has plenty of time to enjoy the spa for the whole day or a busy executive with limited time who is looking to totally unwind in a couple of hours.

Which treatments are most popular?

For those looking to thoroughly enjoy and unwind in a short time, our Four Hands Abhyanga experience is very popular, where two highly-trained synchronised therapists work on the guest for 55 minutes using luxury Ayurvedic oils to stimulate the flow of life force energy.

How do you compete with other spas in Dubai?

The moment you arrive at Burj Al Arab’s Talise Spa, you are welcomed with luxury and space that only Burj Al Arab can offer. The state-of-the-art facilities exclusively created for male and female along with two separate world-famous infinity pools overlooking the magnificent Arabian Gulf and coastline sets us apart from any spa in the UAE and Dubai.

thamid@thenational.ae

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Other workplace saving schemes
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  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
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Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
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 1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
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School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira

Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

Dream City: San Francisco

Hometown: Dubai

City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala

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Pathaan
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

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Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

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“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Funding to date: $5.5 million

THE%20FLASH
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THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.