Home-grown UAE brand Cove Beach is setting up its first international outpost, with a new resort in Benin, Africa.
Cove Beach Hotel and Resort in Cotonou, located on the Gulf of Guinea on the West African coast, will be its first full-service hospitality offering, following the recent opening of the beach club's second venue at Makers District in Abu Dhabi.
The new five-storey hotel is scheduled to open in 2022 and will be managed by Dubai company Livit Hospitality Management. It will be home to bungalows and three-bedroom private villas, as well as a beach club and nightclub. A bar, business lounge, tea room, Japanese restaurant and steakhouse are also in development.
The beach club will house an al fresco restaurant and lounge, plus two pools, the nightclub, a gym, retail space, barber shop, hair salon, spa and ballroom with capacity for up to 700 people.
“In launching Cove Beach Benin, we set out to bring Dubai’s exuberance to residents and visitors of Cotonou, delicately balancing the very best in excitement and relaxation to elevate the city’s hospitality offering and put it on the map as a must-visit destination in West Africa,” said Charlie Weaving, managing partner at Livit.
"It not only marks a significant milestone as Cove Beach's first permanent international venue, but it is also the brand's first venue into a 360-degree, full-service hospitality offering."
Benin is a French-speaking West African nation that shares borders with Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso. It has a rich and vibrant history and culture, home to protected wildlife, beautiful beaches and a range of tourist attractions, including Se's artisan market, Ganvie stilt village and myriad museums.
The construction of the new resort is already under way, according to a statement, and a line-up of other resorts and beach clubs from the brand to open across Africa and Asia are also set to be announced.
"We have no doubt that the all-new destination will be a drawcard for many, particularly for those only a short direct flight away from Europe and surrounding countries,” says Weaving.
“Conveniently located just an hour and a half from [Nigeria's] capital Lagos, Cotonou, with its coastal beauty and safe environment, has already become the party and entertainment hub for Nigeria’s elite crowd.
“In a country that set out to increase its tourism GDP to 10 per cent by 2027, Covid has undoubtedly slowed down plans to develop the tourism industry; however, the opening of the new resort demonstrates confidence in the sector and the brand’s commitment to supporting Benin’s tourism plans. We’re hoping to alleviate the impact on the nascent industry by bringing fresh concepts and offering training and employment opportunities, stimulating intrigue and growth in the sector.”
It's not the first time Cove Beach, which first opened in Dubai in 2015, has ventured abroad. In 2019, the brand took over the Venus Pool + Lounge at Caesars Palace's Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis in Las Vegas for the summer.
In the UAE, the flagship beach club moved from Jumeirah Beach Hotel to Caesars Palace Dubai in 2018, where it is now located. There’s also a new branch that opened late last year at the capital’s Al Reem Island, in the Makers District.
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SPECS
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Meydan race card
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh185,000; (D) 2,000m
8.50pm: Handicap; Dh185,000; (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; (D) 2,000m
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
