The Dubai Expat Diaries

The much hyped about Apple gadget is now available for sale in Dubai stores. But it seems buyers in Dubai have to pay a heavier price than the  customers in the US.

According to The National, given below are the comparative costs of buying an iPad from a store in Dubai vs the purchase price in the US.

16GB model – AED 3,899 in Dubai (approx $1088) and only $499 in US

Continue reading ‘Why does iPad cost more than double in Dubai?’

The Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing has announced an exciting new promotion to attract more tourists during this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises.

According to The National :

Two children under 16 with every family travelling to Dubai on Emirates Airline in the summer can claim free flights, free meals, hotel stays and entrances to attractions, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said yesterday…

Continue reading ‘Kids go free holiday package for Dubai visitors!’

The popular food festival loved by Dubai foodies is on its second day today and will be running till Saturday, March 20. It features live cooking by a number of renowned chefs with live music playing in the background. The daily timetable with details are available here. Some of the best restaurants in Dubai are participating in this event.

It is being held at Main Entrance A near the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City. The tickets are cheaper if bought in advance than at the door. For more information, please have a look at the above website.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has given the go ahead for VoIP phone calls to be allowed in the UAE, but only four companies have the license to offer these services – Etisalat, du, and the satellite firms Thuraya and Yahsat.

Skype which arguably is the most popular among consumers, is still banned and can enter the market only in partnership in one of the above license holders.

It remains to be seen whether these services will provide the low cost telecommunications expats are eagerly waiting for.

The 4 star hotel, located in The Old Town, has been revealed to be the most popular in Dubai by TripAdvisor out of 370 hotels in the city.

It comes as a surprise with the number luxury hotels here.

For all the shopaholics eagerly waiting for this year’s DSF – here are the dates. It is going to run from 28 January to 28 February 2010.

The details of this year’s events and shopping offers will be listed here as soon as they are available.

Watch this space!

It seems the 5 – 15% services charges, that we are often hit with while eating out, is illegal after all. Only restaurants and cafes operating in hotels are allowed to add these charges to the bill. Which is good news for those of us who dine out frequently, as we get to decide how much we would like to tip, and who knows it may help improve the quality of service as well.

For more details, click here.

Dubai has been in the limelight ever since the highly anticipated opening of the world’s tallest tower was announced. The unveiling of the tower was watched and admired by thousands around the globe.

The height was revealed on a counter in the opening ceremony – 828 meters. By no means a small feat, especially for a small city like Dubai, it was a proud moment for citizens and expatriates alike.

Continue reading ‘Burj Dubai renamed Burj Khalifa’

Dubai is set to make history today, with the opening of its very own superscraper and the world’s tallest building Burj Dubai scheduled to open at 8pm.

Major General Mohammad Eid Al Mansouri, Director of the General Department of Protective Security and Emergency Department at Dubai Police told Gulf News: “His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum orders the opening of the gates for the public to the opening ceremony of Burj Dubai.”

London Business School, which set up it’s Dubai campus a couple of years ago at the DIFC continues to see strong growth and interest for its Dubai-London Executive MBA program. The only institution of its caliber to set up in Dubai, LBS has taken significant strides to ensure its Dubai campus are world-class and the learning experience parallels that in the London campus. The Dubai-London eMBA is now offered in two intakes every year – September (SEMBA) and January (JEMBA). Here’s a recent video from LBS about the Dubai-London Executive Masters program:

For more information and contact details, visit www.london.edu