• Atlantis The Palm. All pictures courtesy Dubai Media Office.
    Atlantis The Palm. All pictures courtesy Dubai Media Office.
  • Movenpick Grand Plaza in Dubai.
    Movenpick Grand Plaza in Dubai.
  • Windows of the Park Inn hotel at the Alexanderplatz square are lit in the shape of a heart, next to the TV tower in Berlin, Germany. EPA
    Windows of the Park Inn hotel at the Alexanderplatz square are lit in the shape of a heart, next to the TV tower in Berlin, Germany. EPA
  • Address Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
    Address Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
  • City Premiere lights up in Dubai with the shape of a heart.
    City Premiere lights up in Dubai with the shape of a heart.
  • Window lights are illuminated in the shape of a heart at three San Francisco hotels. Getty Images / AFP
    Window lights are illuminated in the shape of a heart at three San Francisco hotels. Getty Images / AFP
  • The windows of the Danubius Hotel Flamenco lit in the shape of a heart as the hotel expresses its solidarity with other hotels that have closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. EPA
    The windows of the Danubius Hotel Flamenco lit in the shape of a heart as the hotel expresses its solidarity with other hotels that have closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. EPA

Dubai hotels project heart shape from windows in show of coronavirus solidarity


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

From financial assistance to daily applause, acts of kindness and solidarity have become a frequent sight across the UAE since the coronavirus outbreak.

And now a new way of marking the fight against the pandemic has been witnessed in Dubai.

Hotels in the city, including Atlantis The Palm, lit up windows creating a heart shape to show their commitment to the battle.

The spectacle has been caught on camera by Dubai residents.

The campaign was part of a global initiative, with lights turned off during the evening from 6.30pm local time, and has been seen around the world from Madrid, to Canada to Poland.

Other buildings to light up in recent days in solidarity are the Burj Khalifa and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) headquarters in the UAE capital.

The travel industry has been hard hit by the pandemic, with residents in dozens of countries placed into lockdown and airline flights grounded.

JA Resorts and Hotels said it is giving away 1,000 Dubai staycations to healthcare workers across the UAE.

The Dubai-based hotel group is offering complimentary stays at six of its properties.

Meanwhile, thousands of UAE residents have been showing their appreciation of the efforts by medical workers by taking to their balconies and open windows to clap and cheer, while the sound of bagpipes has become a regular addition in Dubai Marina.

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Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

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What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.