After about a decade of uncertainty, we now have a clearer picture of what lies ahead for the QE2.
The initial plan for the 70,000-tonne vessel saved it from the scrapyard and would have seen the QE2 restored as a 500-room floating hotel on Palm Jumeirah. It was expected that the ship would undergo a significant refit, restoring the QE2’s original interior decor and fittings. And once complete, it would feature shops, restaurants, cafes and a museum showcasing the history of the ship.
Dubai World's Istithmar handled the purchase of the historic ship: "The QE2 is without a doubt one of the wonders of the maritime world and is easily the most famous serving liner in the world today," said Dubai World chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, at the time.
When the 2008 financial crisis scuppered these plans, what followed was years of rumour, conjecture and indecision.
In 2009, the QE2 was supposed to have travelled to South Africa in time for the World Cup the following year. It never happened. Another plan reported in 2013 was for the QE2 to become a hotel in either Hong Kong or Singapore. However, this also turned out to be an empty announcement. Other plans to bring the ship back to Scotland never came to fruition while reports she was to be scrapped refused to go away.
The QE2 was built in the famed shipyards of John Brown in Clydebank, Scotland. The liner was launched on September 20, 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II and had her maiden voyage in 1969.
It would go on to become the Cunard Line’s flagship for more than 30 years, only succeeded by the Queen Mary 2 in 2004.
When the QE2 was purchased by Dubai World in 1997, it had completed more than 800 Atlantic crossings and had carried 2.5 million passengers.
The 293.5m (963ft) vessel had also been used as a troop carrier by the UK during the Falklands War.
The ship could hold 1,892 passengers and 1,040 crew and could reach a top speed of 34 knots following its conversion from steam to diesel in the 1980s – faster than many modern ships.
Onboard the plush facilities included five restaurants, three swimming pools and a 481-seat cinema.
During its long career, it also attracted celebrities such as Nelson Mandela, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and Buzz Aldrin.
In 2011, QE2 enthusiast Rob Lightbody visited the ship in Dubai.
Mr Lightbody’s father had worked onboard.
“As a 14 year old, it was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen,” he says.
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A video of this trip can be seen on YouTube and it's clear that QE2 was in immaculate condition and was well maintained at a huge cost to the owners.
The lifts worked; the carpets and furniture has been maintained, while workers were varnishing parts of the wood by the pool. However, the QE2 was moved to the Dubai Drydocks in 2013 where the engines were switched off and the condition of the vessel deteriorated.
But the clearest indication of what lay ahead came in 2015.
DP World chairman, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, dismissed fresh rumours that the liner would be scrapped. The sale contract from Cunard stipulated that the QE2 could not be scrapped or put back into service for ten years. But Mr Bin Sulayem said that a new plan was in place.
“A few months after [Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem] mentioned the new plan the ship was featured in renderings of the new Port Rashid development. QE2 was depicted at a berth in those renderings, suggesting she will be used as a floating hotel,” says Shaun Ebelthite, editor of trade magazine, Cruise Arabia and Africa.
“So although DP World and its related entities have not publicly commented the plans for QE2, it seems clear that she is included in the redevelopment,” he said.
Read more: Anticipation builds as famed liner the QE2 undergoes major facelift at Port Rashid
This has now been borne out by the fresh developments at Port Rashid and the transformation of the old cruise terminal 1 into a new centre for the QE2. Refitting a ship as a hotel is also not without precedent. For example the SS Rotterdam, a former ocean liner and cruise ship, has been operating as a hotel at the Dutch port since 2010. Known as The Grande Dame, the ship also functions as a museum and centre for vocational training.
The QE2 is arguably only eclipsed in fame by Titanic. Among the events this week commemorating the fifty-year anniversary is a special cruise from Cunard to honour its former flagship and a conference by organised by Lightbody.
In pictures: Take a tour of the QE2
Its name alone conjures up images of a golden era of luxurious travel on the high seas and its legacy lives on today at Port Rashid.
“She's the last of her kind. Designed to cross the Atlantic in five days in all weathers,” says Lightbody.
“She's also the first of her kind - a purpose-built large luxury cruise ship. She's the last of a very long line of successful British liners that together changed the world and for the people of Clydebank, she's a symbol of what they created, 50 years ago. On top of all that, simply, she's still the most famous ship in the world, which didn't sink.”
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
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Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m