One of Dubai's most anticipated hotels has opened on Palm Jumeirah.
The St Regis Dubai, The Palm, is now welcoming guests for a five-star stay in one of the city's most popular neighbourhoods.
Towering above Dubai, the hotel is spread across the first 18 levels of The Palm Tower. Offering guests sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf and the city's skyline, the hotel also brings the level of service that the St Regis is famed for to the Palm Jumeirah for the first time.
With two infinity pools – one exclusively for adults – an Iridium Spa and St Regis' signature butler service available for all, the luxury resort opens at a time when many are taking more staycations due to international travel restrictions.
“The St Regis Dubai, The Palm is an exquisite addition to our global portfolio and offers a century-old legacy of uncompromising refinement and bespoke service on Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah," said Sandeep Walia, area vice president for the UAE at Marriott International.
Guests can book one of 264 rooms, taking their pick from king, twin, family or deluxe rooms. For a little more space, there are also 25 Metropolitan and Astor suites, as well as a coveted 248-square-metre Presidential Suite.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in all rooms and suites make the most of the hotel's location, offering views over Palm Jumeirah, while guests will sleep on feather-soft mattresses with Frette linen and down-filled pillows.
The interiors are a mix of modern glamour and local influences that also capture the elegance the brand is known for. Case in point is the hotel's grand staircase in the lobby, which has a design reminiscent of the lobby in the first St Regis New York, built in 1904.
The Dubai version features gold detailing and encircles a sparkling chandelier inspired by the shape of the Arabian palm tree.
Ladies-only afternoon tea
Fans of the St Regis legacy will want to pay a visit to Her by Caroline Astor, named after the matriarch of the brand. This ladies-only tea room is where curated tea pairings and a locally inspired take on St Regis's signature afternoon tea will be served daily.
The St Regis Dubai, The Palm is an exquisite addition to our global portfolio and offers a century-old legacy of uncompromising refinement and bespoke service on Dubai's iconic Palm Jumeirah.
When it comes to St Regis legacies, they don't get much more famous than the Bloody Mary – a drink created more than 80 years ago at the King Cole Bar at The St Regis, New York City. In Dubai, mixologists at the new St Regis Bar have invented a local take on the beverage. The Glitzy Mary features traditional Emirati flavours including date syrup, an aromatic bezaar spice blend, sun-dried lime and earthy saffron.
Cordelia, the hotel's all-day fine-dining restaurant, has a dinner menu featuring seafood and prime cuts of meat. It also serves daily breakfast and lunch.
For some quality leisure time, there are two swimming pools – one for families and the other reserved for adults-only – as well as a whirlpool. Guests lounging poolside can enjoy light meals from Dip Pool Bar.
This is also where the hotel will mark the transition from daytime to evening with a daily bottle sabering at dusk, another of St Regis' famed traditions.
Pampering at The St Regis Spa involves a wide range of options, such as a signature spa treatment using 24k gold. Fitness enthusiasts can head to The Workout Room, open 24 hours a day.
Elsewhere, the soon-to-open St Regis Beach Club is a short walk from the hotel and guests will be able to access the private shoreline and 100-metre infinity-edge pool. Being developed in partnership with Nakheel, the luxury beach club will also be home to a variety of dining options.
Visitors checking in at The St Regis Dubai, The Palm have direct access to Nakheel Mall and The View at The Palm, a lofty observation deck at the top of The Palm Tower.
The hotel is also well-placed for sightseeing – it's one monorail stop away from Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis, The Palm, and a short drive from The Pointe, home to the world's largest fountain.
Rates from Dh1,400 per night, The St Regis Dubai, Palm Jumeirah; marriott.com
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Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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