Above, the Burj Al Arab Terrace infinity pool. Courtesy Jumeirah Group
Above, the Burj Al Arab Terrace infinity pool. Courtesy Jumeirah Group

Membership at Burj Al Arab’s new beach resort – yours for Dh100,000 a year



The Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s landmark luxury hotel, is to open one of the most exclusive – and expensive – beach resorts in the world.

For an annual fee of a mere Dh100,000, members of the leisure club on the Terrace, the new resort extension built into the Gulf, will be able to enjoy unlimited access to two swimming pools, private cabanas with butler service, restaurants and bars.

They will also get a complimentary night at the hotel’s Royal suite, Rolls-Royce chauffeur, a helicopter tour of Dubai and a 24-carat gold plated membership card.

For those seeking family value, membership for a couple and two children under 16 seems a comparative bargain at Dh125,000.

Membership is also guaranteed to be exclusive. Numbers will be strictly limited on the football-pitch sized Terrace, but hotel guests will, of course, be allowed to use the facilities gratis.

Antony McHale, the general manager of the Burj Al Arab, which is part of the Jumeirah hotels and leisure group, said: “As the world’s most luxurious hotel, Burj Al Arab continuously evolves and reinvents our guest experience through state-of-the-art facilities. The Terrace is the ultimate destination for indulgence, socialising and relaxing and is another initiative in our endeavour to delight our guests.”

The Terrace is an innovative design in marine engineering. Designed and built in Finland, it was then shipped in eight pieces to the Arabian Gulf and lowered on to piling sunk into the seabed.

Mr McHale said: “The Terrace is our most ambitious project … It’s a global first in hotel construction.”

Stefan Leser, the chief executive of Jumeirah Group, said: “The Burj Al Arab Terrace is a new Dubai landmark and a symbol of innovation and engineering excellence.”

The 32 cabanas can accommodate up to four guests each, offering a dedicated butler service, a dining, beverage and bar menu, spa menu, fully stocked minibars, fresh fruits, espresso machines and Bang & Olufsen TVs. Eight exclusive “royal cabanas” also include a private bathroom, shower area and veranda.

fkane@thenational.ae

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The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Director: Peyton Reed

Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors

Rating: 2/5


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