Construction of Ciel Tower in Dubai — set to be the world's tallest stand-alone hotel at 365 metres — has reached the halfway stage of 52 storeys, said the skyscraper's developer, The First Group.
Work on the megaproject in Dubai Marina is on track to meet the scheduled completion date in the fourth quarter of 2023, and the hotel's opening in the first half of 2024, the Dubai-based developer said on Tuesday.
When completed, the tower will surpass Dubai's 356m Gevora Hotel, which is currently the world's tallest hotel. Designed by architectural company NORR, it is being built by The First Group’s chief development partner, China Railway Construction Corporation.
“Ciel is a landmark development for Dubai that will not only enhance its status as one of the world’s great tourism and business travel destinations, but will set a new benchmark for upscale accommodation in what is recognised as one of the most dynamic and competitive hotel markets on the planet,” said Rob Burns, chief executive of The First Group.
Dubai's hospitality and tourism industry is continuing to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The emirate hosted 7.28 million international overnight visitors between January and December last year, up 32 per cent year-over-year, Dubai Media Office said in February, citing data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.
The emirate’s hotels, meanwhile, outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all measurements in the fourth quarter of 2021, with occupancy levels exceeding 81.4 per cent, compared to 80.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2019. Average occupancy reached 67 per cent in 2021 compared to 54 per cent in the previous year, Dubai Media Office said.
Ciel Tower will have more than 1,000 guestrooms and suites, as well as premium amenities, such as the Ciel Observatory & Lounge on the 81st floor and a signature rooftop Sky Terrace with infinity pool and bar.
A key feature of the hotel will be a 300-metre atrium with vertically stacked landscaped terraces that will span the building’s 82 floors.
The Gevora Hotel was named the world's tallest hotel when it opened in 2018, beating the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, situated less than four kilometres away, by only six metres.
The ever-evolving Dubai skyline has also recently been enhanced by the emergence of Uptown Tower, which is located between the southern end of Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the Jumeirah Park community.
Uptown Tower reached 329m last week, when concrete was poured for the roof at the 79th level. It will eventually reach 340m when a steel crown is placed on top of the building.
It will be the world's 80th tallest building, according to data from Emporis.
World's tallest towers - top 10
1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai - 828m
2. Shanghai Tower, Shanghai - 632m
3. Makkah Clock Royal Tower, Makkah - 601m
4. Ping An International Finance Centre, Shenzhen - 599m
5. Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin - 597m
6. Lotte World Tower, Seoul - 554m
7. One World Trade Centre, New York - 541m
8. CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou - 530m
9. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin - 530m
10. Citic Tower, Beijing - 528m
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
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'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Company%20profile
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