Tag Archives: arabic
Didier Drogba attends Vogue Cafe launch in Dubai
Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba joined a number of top international models to launch the glamorous Vogue Cafe in Dubai.The establishment is Conde Nast's first restaurant in the region and the company pulled out all the stops to ensure the grand opening was an occasion to remember.Drogba – who played for Turkish club Galatasaray last season – shared the red carpet with renowned models Karolina Kurkova and Petra Nemcova at the glitzy even in the Dubai Mall.The 35-year-old Ivory Coast striker told the National he was glad to be back in Dubai.”I love being here, especially right now when the weather is so bad in Europe,” he was quoted as saying.Drogba made his name playing for Chelsea in the English Premier League, having signed for the Blues from Marseille in 2004.He won numerous trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge, most notably the Uefa Champions League in 2012. The powerful forward scored the goal that took the final against Bayern Munich to extra time and then later stepped up to take the decisive penalty in the resultant shootout. Dubai is accustomed to welcoming such high-profile stars and there is a strong chance you will see a celebrity during your stay in the city, especially if there is a swanky new club or restaurant being unveiled.This is the second Vogue Cafe launched by Conde Nast, as the firm previously opened one in Moscow and the organisation's director of restaurants Stuart Nielsen said plans are in place to expand even further in the UAE.”The Middle East is a very exciting market for us and one that we are proud to be a part of,” he commented.It is fair to predict the high-end Vogue Cafe will be a big hit among the rich and famous holidaymakers who flood into Dubai every year and it will certainly be very interesting to see exactly where Conde Nast opens its next Gulf-based venue. Continue reading
DTCM chiefs outline ambitious tourism plans
Leaders of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) have outlined ambitious plans that are aimed at boosting the number of people visiting the emirate.Chief executive officer of strategy and tourism sector development at the DTCM Dr Ahmad Belhoul told Emirates 24/7 that money spent by holidaymakers currently accounts for five per cent of the city's gross domestic product and he is hoping this will reach double figures by 2020.Although 66 million people are expected to fly into Dubai International Airport throughout 2013, many of this number will be business travellers or merely stopping over on long-haul flights to places like Australia.Dr Belhoul hopes that a wave of exciting new projects – such as the Al Fahidi historical district redevelopment – will encourage more people to stay in the emirate. He is targeting 20 million annual visitors in the next seven years.”The average tourist in Dubai spends [between] $250 and $300 (£164 and £197) per day, with annual income generated at AED 600 million (£107 million). Our plan is to increase this number to AED 840 million by 2015,” he was quoted as saying.In order to reach its target, the DTCM is looking to diversify Dubai's tourism offerings, giving visitors a lot more to explore.Mr Belhoul continued: “In the past, the core strength in tourism has been beach holidays, shopping and sightseeing. To hit the 20 million tourist figure, we are looking at different targets where gaps remain.”The emirate will focus particularly closely on promoting sports and heritage trips and a lot of emphasis is being placed on cultural tourism too.Numerous studies have shown that Dubai is already an immensely popular place to take a holiday and the city was recently hailed as the leading destination in the Middle East at the prestigious World Travel Awards.The emirate will also benefit from the plethora of brand new upmarket hotels and resorts that are being built throughout the area. Continue reading
Michel Salgado to speak at Dubai event
Former Real Madrid and Spain star Michel Salgado will be one of the guest speakers at the Dubai International Football Academies Forum this weekend (June 1st and 2nd).The ex-fullback – who ended his illustrious career in the 2011/12 season while playing for Blackburn Rovers – will be joined by Uefa official Ioan Lupescu and Fifa representative Jean Michel Benezet on the opening day of the event.They will talk about how both football governing bodies plan to boost the development of young players in the future.Although the UAE is not renowned for being a footballing hotbed, the game is undoubtedly becoming more popular in this part of the world.Salgado, aged 37, has been living in Dubai for a few months and he is certainly well placed to offer advice on how the game should be played.The rightback amassed 53 caps for Spain between 1998 and 2006 and won a plethora of trophies throughout his career, particularly during his stint at Real Madrid.Indeed, Salgado lifted the La Liga title four times and he also won the Spanish Cup on three occasions. In addition to this, the dependable defender scooped the Uefa Champions League trophy in 2000 and 2002.This is the second time the Dubai International Football Academies Forum is being held and Salgado is not the only famous face being lined up to appear at the event.Argentine legend Diego Maradona – who is currently working as an ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council – will talk about how to succeed in football, while ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will also be on hand to tell the audience just how important it is to get the basics of the sport right.Eriksson has had a glittering managerial career to date and the Swede has landed numerous honours – most notably with Italian club Lazio in the late 1990s/early 2000s. He is now employed as a technical director at UAE-based club Al Nasr. Continue reading
