ABU DHABI // A 91,000 square-metre luxury tourism development will begin in the capital this year, the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) announced.
The 366 room and luxury beach villa resort, scheduled to open on the Saadiyat Island Beach District in 2015, will be developed by the Bin Otaiba Investment Group.
Khalaf bin Ahmad Al Otaiba, Chairman of Bin Otaiba Investment Group which already has hotels such as the Hilton Sharjah and Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi among its portfolio, said: "We are pleased to be investing on Saadiyat island as this is a promising destination... [which] will be positioned among TDIC's distinctive world-class cultural, leisure, hospitality and residential developments on Saadiyat."
The new development will follow strict compliance with TDIC's high standards of construction and design guidelines, to ensure the ecosystem remains intact. Particular attention is focused on TDIC's turtle conservation programme which respects the nesting and hatching seasons.
Ali Al Hammadi, Deputy Managing Director of TDIC, said: "We are pleased with the high level of interest we continuously receive from reputable global and regional investors keen on becoming part of Saadiyat and its emerging success story. The sale of this land plot to Bin Otaiba Investment Group reassures the leading position of Saadiyat as a strategic location for investment and an ideal residential and tourism destination. We are looking forward for the completion of this new luxury resort which will be a great addition to Abu Dhabi's hospitality sector."
The resort is one of a number of hotel and leisure developments which is emerging on the island, alongside the likes of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and the Monte-Carlo Beach Club.
The Saadiyat Cultural District is set to become an internationally renowned arts hub featuring world-class museums designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects, which will open on the island starting with the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2015, and followed by Zayed National Museum in 2016 and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017.
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Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
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Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
GCC-UK Growth
An FTA with the GCC would be very significant for the UK. My Department has forecast that it could generate an additional £1.6 billion a year for our economy.
With consumer demand across the GCC predicted to increase to £800 billion by 2035 this deal could act as a launchpad from which our firms can boost their market share.
Company profile
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Started: 2019
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Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
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Investment stage: Pre-series B
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Total funding: $1 million
Investors: Sanabil 500 Mena, Hambro Perks' Oryx Fund and angel investors
Number of employees: 8
Company Profile
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Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Company Profile
Company name: Cargoz
Date started: January 2022
Founders: Premlal Pullisserry and Lijo Antony
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 30
Investment stage: Seed
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
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
Indika
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Publisher: Odd Meter
Console: PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox series X/S
Rating: 4/5
'Brazen'
Director:+Monika Mitchell
Starring:+Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
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Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
Sonchiriya
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Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
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Engine: 3.0 twin-turbo inline six-cylinder
Transmission: eight-speed
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Torque: 600Nm
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Year started: June 2021
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The past Palme d'Or winners
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Add:
Parippu – moong dal and coconut curry
Sambar – vegetable-infused toor dal curry
Aviyal – mixed vegetables in thick coconut paste
Thoran – beans and other dry veggies with spiced coconut
Khichdi – lentil and rice porridge
Optional:
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Olan – ash gourd curry with coconut milk
Pulissery – spiced buttermilk curry
Rasam – spice-infused soup with a tamarind base
Avoid:
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Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
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Torque: 900Nm
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