The Dubai Expat Diaries

There’s been quite a lot of coverage as well as rhetoric in the British media of late, regaring Dubai and a possible terror threat, posed to the Palm Jumeirah and the Burj al Arab hotel. Some snippets from various media reports:
From The Telegraph:
Expats – who make up perhaps as much as 90 per cent of [...]

Westin ATM party draws over 2,000: Pre-ATM bash declared ‘hottest’ party of the year
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 6, 2008 – It was Open House at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina last night as the five-star resort flung open its doors to welcome in the world’s travel industry and give them [...]

The Bride Show and Emirates Business 24/7 report that the wedding industry grew 20 % in 2007:
The cost of tying the knot can be anything from Dh20,000 for a small expat union to Dh500m for the most extravagant Emirati nuptials. But according to IIR – the Bride Show event organisers – the average cost is Dh300,000. [...]

Barasti at Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina is back on tour once again, with the first set of Barasti on Tour winners returning slightly hoarse from a three-day rugby spectacle after attending the Wales Vs France Six Nations match in Cardiff on March 15.

Charl and Eugene Roberts, Robin Ali, Nigel Smith, Stuart [...]

While rumors were flying thick and fast, the official take on the ”worst car crash / pile-up in the history of the UAE” was that 3-4 people were killed and more than 350 injured in a devastating 60 vehicle pile-up (caused by fog and reckless driving, it is presumed) on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway near Ghantoot on Tuesday (11th March 2008). The [...]

Here are a couple of interesting and entertaining videos from the Mina Seyahi complex in Dubai (home to the popular Barasti Bar and the upcoming flagship Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi hotel). The first is of a recent show-around of the Westin hotel to 120 members of the American Women’s Association in Dubai (appropriately termed Hard [...]

 Barasti – Jameson St. Patrick’s Party - On Saturday March 15th, Barasti hosts the Jameson 360 St. Patrick’s Day Party, allowing you and your friends to enjoy perfectly balanced Jameson served by the best bar team in town while watching Ireland vs. England in Twickenham. You may also be in with a chance to win [...]

The hot clubber’s delight at Madinat Jumeirah has closed down! The club, which recently introduced a membership scheme says it will be cancelling all existing memberships and those under review. The Trilogy site had this to say:
Please be informed that as of February 24th, Trilogy will be closing its doors for redevelopment. We are currently [...]

 
Starting March 1st, 2008, motorists in the United Arab Emirates have yet another set of caveats to watch out for. Traffic violations and offences will now be penalized by a new Black Points system (called the Unified Federal Traffic Law). These new laws place heavy monetary fines as well as penalties aimed at driver licenses. Vehicles [...]

Everyone living in Dubai / the UAE or the Middle East have probably wished they could get their hands on great products from the UK or US… be it books, music, movies, games or electronics. But very few people shop online with Amazon or other online retailers and auction sites due to the shipping [...]