The image of Beyonce raised high above the water as fireworks light up the sky around her during the grand reveal of Atlantis The Royal will go down in Dubai history –— but it also highlighted one of the central themes of the new hotel’s design. H2O.
As the name, a reference to the mythical underwater kingdom, implies, water is integral to Atlantis resorts. At Dubai’s original Atlantis, The Palm, this manifests as underwater suites, expansive aquariums and a record-breaking water park.
At the new Atlantis The Royal, which will begin welcoming its first official guests this week, the aim was to explore “the idea of connecting with water” in novel ways, explains Terry McGinnity, executive design director of GA Design, the company tasked with creating the interiors for the 795-room property.
“When you talk about the DNA of Atlantis The Royal, you talk more about the precious nature of water in this environment. We looked at ways we could express that,” he says.
The concept is explored most emphatically during the arrival experience. Stepping into the hotel, guests are flanked by two walls of water, unexpectedly interspersed with bursts of fire. The lobby’s centrepiece is an 11.5-metre-tall silver sculpture, Droplets, which is meant to represent the first drop of rain in a dry desert. On either side, there are aquariums that are designed to house jelly fish, with digital backgrounds that transform them into a new breed of technologically driven nature-centric art.
Meanwhile, floor to-ceiling glass at the far end of the lobby frames views of the sea, with the hotel’s piece de resistance in the foreground. Cascades of water flow down into Skyblaze, a 28-metre-high feature that combines water, fire bursts, lights and performative music. This is the body of water that Beyonce traversed during the finale of her groundbreaking performance, before a platform lifted her majestically into the air.
But while water is at the essence of the hotel, it is the sheer scale of the property that defines its design. Its dominating silhouette has already become an integral part of Dubai’s skyline, as it sits brazenly on the outer crescent of Palm Jumeirah, adjacent to sister property, Atlantis, The Palm.
“We were asked to dream big on this project. To create something unique and iconic for Dubai — and when I look at it now, I’m amazed by the audacity of the whole undertaking,” says James von Klemperer, president and design principal of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the architecture firm that brought the ambitious project to life.
Spanning about 40 hectares, Atlantis The Royal is 500 metres long and extends 43 storeys and 178 metres upwards. Its distinctive form consists of six towers shaped like a stack of individual blocks, connected from above by a 90-metre by 33-metre sky bridge.
It would be easy, with such numbers, for the interior of the property to feel cold and overwhelming. But the GA team has done a good job of humanising that scale. “It was about breaking it down into moments and journeys. That was really the whole story for us,” says McGinnity.
“Because you have to walk quite a distance from the reception to the last lift lobby, it was about creating moments on that journey that made it worthwhile continuing, and creating destinations within the whole layout.”
The property’s all-day dining restaurant, Gastronomy, is an interesting case in point. “That was a huge challenge,” says McGinnity. “It can sit 1,000 people, but we worked really hard to make sure it didn’t feel like it was just a sea of tables, but rather smaller restaurants within restaurants.
“It feels quite intimate. You can sit in a corner and feel quite comfortable and come back at night and sit over by the grill and it will feel different. All the way through, there were efforts like that, so you don’t feel dwarfed by the space.”
Despite its size, the illustrious overtones of its name and the spectacle of its grand reveal, the hotel is relatively pared back. This, says McGinnity, ties in with how perceptions of luxury are evolving in the hospitality sphere. “Luxury is really about space and time for people now, rather than the big accoutrements,” he says.
“We tried to pare it down a little bit, so it was really all about reflectivity and light and the outdoors — creating those moments where people felt like they could step back and take some time, and not always be on show.
“A lot of work was done in the gardens to create quiet moments and corners and layering. Inside, we tried to break it down so it feels more intimate, like you can get away from things.”
Rooms are defined by their clean lines and calming palettes, ensuring the design doesn’t detract from the main event – vistas of the open ocean on one side and, on the other, sweeping views across the sea, the Palm and the skyscrapers of Dubai Marina, framed by Burj Al Arab on one side and Ain Dubai on another.
“For us, luxury is actually more minimalist. What you touch and taste has to be top quality, but you are not overwhelmed with the unnecessary. We really love the idea that whatever’s there should be there for a reason and if you took it away, you’d miss it,” McGinnity explains.
“One of the things we always argue in the office is, you should be able to justify everything you put in there; there should be a logic to it. It’s got to be beautiful, but it must serve a purpose.”
That’s not to say there aren’t moments of good old-school Dubai bling — Graff amenities and gold-hued toothbrushes, razors and loofah brushes in the bathrooms, just to keep things regal.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
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
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
SHAITTAN
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
FIGHT%20CARD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
