It’s that time of the year when many establishments in the UAE get creative with lavish festive decorations. One Dubai hotel has gone above and beyond with a seven-and-a-half metre long gingerbread display that celebrates UAE’s 50th National Day and Expo 2020.
The H Dubai, located on Sheikh Zayed Road, has built a sweet structure that features the metro journey from the hotel to the Expo 2020 site.
Scroll through the gallery above for a look at it
Visitors can marvel at a two-metre-tall replica of the hotel made out of gingerbread, and a four-metre-long Dubai Metro track, starting from the World Trade Centre station to the Expo 2020 station, along with a pedestrian walkway and a moving train that goes around the track,
The gingerbread model also includes a 1.4-metre-tall number 50 displayed with UAE flags to celebrate the country's Golden Jubilee and the pavilion at Expo 2020.
Located in the hotel lobby, the piece took a team of eight members – led by executive chef Laurent Petit and pastry chef Heirida Marica – and about 700 hours to build.
The H Dubai has gained a reputation for its truly unique festive decorations. In the past, it has created a 60kg reindeer sleigh made from chocolate and an eight-metre-long Sheikh Zayed Road replica from gingerbread and chocolate.
In 2020, the hotel created a 4.9-metre-tall gingerbread Burj Khalifa to celebrate the season.
“This festive season, we are celebrating Expo 2020 and the Golden Jubilee which marks a momentous occasion in the region, and we are truly blessed to be a part of this historical event” says chef Laurent. “The display is a mark of our appreciation for everything that Dubai has to offer.”
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
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Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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