Dubai Lifestyle News
Who are the most popular celebrities in the UAE?
The UAE seems to attract more than its fair share of celebrities, which is no surprise given the country's glorious beaches, hot temperatures and stunning range of facilities.Dubai is a playground for the rich and famous and you do not have to look too far to find a recognisable face.The emirate is clearly a very attractive holiday destination, but it also appeals to top-class performers who have finally realised that the Middle East is an extremely lucrative market.Not only do musical artists receive huge sums to hold shows in the city, but they also make massive amounts of money through merchandising in this part of the world.But who do the UAE people like to see the most?Social media analytical platform SocialBakers has compiled a list of the ten most popular celebrities in the country based on Facebook statistics, Emirates 24/7 reports.The company scrutinised traffic from 3.4 million UAE-based Facebook accounts to see which stars have the most popular fan pages and the results were somewhat surprising.Colombian singing sensation Shakira was the most revered performer, with her page attracting more than 290,000 fans from the UAE.RnB singer Akon was next on the list, having amassed 260,000 “likes” from his fans in the Gulf.The rest of the top five was made up by Michael Jackson, Indian music composer and Oscar winner AR Rahman and Enrique Iglesias.Global megastar Justin Bieber – who recently took to the stage in Dubai – only managed sixth position in the rankings, which was perhaps the biggest shock.Although the Canadian singer's actions caused controversy during his recent stay in the UAE, his immense worldwide popularity cannot be questioned.Taylor Swift also made the top ten, while Bollywood playback singer Shreya Ghosal was included in the list too.The final two places went to Usher (with 126,247 UAE fans) and Lil Wayne, who had 124,177 Facebook likes in this part of the Middle East. Continue reading
Dubai residents crave new technology, study shows
Dubai is one of the most forward-thinking cities on the planet and it seems that locals are desperate to make use of the very latest technological innovations.A new study by Gemalto showed that 80 per cent of people in the emirate want to utilise near field communication (NFC) systems on a regular basis.NFC is a contactless technology that is being integrated into bank cards and mobile phones. The encrypted development allows consumers to pay for goods simply by flashing their mobile handset or card against a point-of-sale machine in a shop or when using public transport.With Dubai boasting the largest malls on the planet, it is no surprise to find the demand for NFC solutions is particularly high in this part of the world.According to Gemalto, 87 per cent of survey respondents felt the technology would help to reduce queues and the majority of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would relish the opportunity to have one card that can perform multiple tasks, thus removing the need to carry lots of cards and cash around with them.Eric Claudel, senior vice president of telecommunication at Gemalto Middle East, highlighted a recent study by ABI Research, which suggested 85 per cent of payment terminals will be contactless-ready by 2016.”The feedback suggests that the momentum behind contactless payment technologies in the Middle East is reaching a tipping point, and it is no longer an 'if', but rather 'when', it will become a part of everyday life,” he remarked.Dubai has become a global technology hub in recent years, with a stream of influential IT companies setting up new headquarters in the city.Like many other countries, the UAE is increasingly reliant on the internet and there have been suggestions that a major outdoor Wi-Fi network will be launched across the city in the near future.Leaders at Cisco Middle East told Emirates 24/7 that web services are set for rapid growth in Dubai and free wireless connections could soon replace 3G and newer 4G networks. Continue reading
Dates confirmed for inaugural Dubai Tour
Organisers of the highly anticipated Dubai Tour have confirmed the four-day cycling race will take place between February 5th and 8th 2014.Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has joined forces with Italian firm RCS Sport to stage the competition and it will be the first event of its kind to be held in the UAE.Although the plans still need to be approved by the International Cycling Union, it is fair to assume that some of the world's finest cyclists will be competing in the Gulf next year.RCS Sport certainly has a fantastic pedigree when it comes to laying on prestigious races, as it is the brains behind the Giro d'Italia – cycling's second biggest race (after the Tour de France).Michele Acquarone – chief executive officer at the company – thanked the DSC for its support.”We are proud and pleased with the agreement reached with the DSC for organising the Dubai Tour. This milestone is in line with the strategy of RCS Sport to extend more and more its scope of operations into new international markets,” he remarked.Although it is the youngest race on the world circuit, Mr Acquarone is confident that it will quickly establish itself as the best in the region. Cycling has become increasingly popular across the globe, with events like the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia attracting millions of TV viewers.This is the latest example of how Dubai is steadily attracting more and more world-class sporting events.The city is set to host part of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in October and November 2013 and the emirate has also staged a leg of golf's European Tour.In addition to this, some of the world's finest tennis players head to the Gulf each year to take part in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.World number one Novak Djokovic emerged victorious in this year's event – overcoming Tomas Berdych in the final – and he was full of praise for the excellent organisation that goes into the tournament. Continue reading
