The Palm Jumeirah may be famous for its five-star luxury, but travellers on a budget could soon be heading to the man-made island.
Dubai-based Byblos Hospitality plans to develop the Dh180 million Byblos Palm Jumeirah Hotel on the trunk of the island opposite the One and Only Royal Mirage Hotel.
The 144-room property is expected to be a four-star hotel.
Next month, the group will also open the Dh100m, three-star Al Sarab Hotel on Al Rigga Road in Dubai with 87 rooms.
“The Palm Jumeirah property will cater to tourists mainly but also to meetings and events [sector],” said Jean Samman, the chairman of Byblos Hospitality, which manages five mid-scale properties in Dubai. “Most of the beach hotels are five-star properties but with the new destinations that [Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing] and Emirates Airlines have opened up for Dubai, the tourist volumes have increased and budget accommodations are needed now; moreover, four-star hotels do not need huge investments.”
The Palm Jumeirah has luxury resorts managed by Atlantis, Waldorf Astoria, Sofitel, Fairmont and Rixos, with weekend room rates at the end of the month starting above Dh1,000, according to Booking.com.
While the group, which was formed in 2009, is yet to enter Abu Dhabi or neighbouring Gulf countries, last year it bought the 263-room Byblos Niagara Resort and Spa in upstate New York for US$10m in an auction.
Dubai has 38 hotels in the economy to upper midscale range accounting for 7,734 rooms, or about 11 per cent of its total hotel and room count, according to STR Global. Eight more properties in the same range are in the pipeline.
“The question whether [an oversupply of rooms in Dubai] will [adversely] affect the hospitality industry here has been discussed for the 35 years I have been here, and it has always been proven wrong,” said Mr Samman, a 62-year-old from Lebanon who has been living in the UAE since 1979.
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UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024
Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).
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Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
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Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).
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Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
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Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
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Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
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- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
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Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
Teaching in coronavirus times
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Engine: 3.6-litre, V6
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 285hp
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Price: Dh159,900
On sale: now
In the Land of Saints and Sinners
Director: Robert Lorenz
Starring: Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson, Ciaran Hinds
Rating: 2/5
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
