The coastal Chinese city of Qingdao is set for a major tourism boost after the completion of its sprawling new airport – which is twice the size of London's Heathrow.
According to Chinese state media, construction on Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport is now complete, but no opening date has been announced.
According to CNN, the airport has taken five years to build and comes at a cost of $5.8 billion (Dh21.3bn). It was built to replace the overrun Qingdao Liuting International Airport, which is the main airport in Shandong Province. It will enable the city to welcome 35 million arrivals by 2025. But that's only the start.
Located in China’s eastern Shandong province, Qingdao is known for its skyscrapers, parks and beaches, as well as being the birthplace of Tsingtao Brewery, a legacy of the city's German occupation.
Qingdao Jiaodong will be the city's first 4F-class airport – meaning it is big enough to accommodate the world's largest commercial aircraft, including A380s and Boeing 787s. This will position Qingdao as a new major transport hub for the northern Asian region.
It spans an area of 3,066 hectares – twice the size of London's Heathrow Airport, which is 1,227 hectares, according to CNN.
Shaped like a starfish, like Beijing's new Daxing International Airport, it offers five connected concourses.
It's also focused on environmentalism and sustainability. Qingdao Jiaodong has been dubbed a "sponge airport" due to its design, which absorbs and stores excess rainwater that can be recycled and reused when needed.
The new airport also features an ultra-thin stainless-steel roof that's just 0.5 millimetres thick – about the same as a piece of A4 paper. The roof, covering a total area of 223,000 square metres, is said to be the largest of its kind in the world.
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
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