Most hotels in Downtown Dubai sold out of rooms for New Year's Eve months ago, but for those looking to book a last minute stay, there are a few very expensive options left.
With the return of the Burj Khalifa's firework display for 2019, there will be hundreds of thousands of people all trying to get the best view, and being able to watch in the comfort of your hotel while avoiding the crowds has clearly appealed to a lot of people.
It's not too late to book yourself in for front row seats though, but don't expect the privileged to come cheap. At the top end of the scale, there's space at the Armani Burj Khalifa, a luxury hotel in which every detail was overseen by Giorgio Armani. One night here on December 31 is going for Dh21,270 on Airbnb. The apartment will sleep four and offers a 180-degree view of Downtown Dubai and all its New Year festivities.
You can also still book yourself into Address Downtown, a luxury serviced apartment offering direct views over the fountains and the Burj Khalifa. A one-night stay on New Year's Eve will set you back Dh7,999, with the apartment accommodating up to three guests.
However, if you're happy to just have the view and don't want to be in the heart of the action, you can stay in a downtown hostel in the clear line of sight of the Burj Khalifa. The cost of a bed in a 10-person dorm will set you back Dh1,135 on December 31.
While there's no denying a New Year's stay in Dubai is expensive, when you consider fast-food chains like Tim Hortons in Downtown Dubai are charging up to Dh2,000 for a New Year's Eve meal, the cost of an overnight stay suddenly doesn't seem quite so steep.
Of course, you could just watch the display from the promenade, although expect it to be extremely busy. Another option for those wanting to take in the view for free is to head to Satwa or one of the suburbs that look over at the Burj Khalifa from across the other side of Sheikh Zayed Road, or somewhere like Ras Al Khor (you can, after all, see the Burj Khalifa from most of Dubai).
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Read more:
Abu Dhabi to light up New Year with world's largest sentence made of fireworks
10 exciting New Year’s Eve parties in the UAE to attend this year
Where to ring in 2019 in the UAE
Flipping 'eck: Dubai Mall Five Guys charging Dh1,500 for New Year's Eve burger dinner
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
