The hotel promises "breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean", but guests who recently booked into the new Cove Rotana Resort in Ras al Khaimah on the strength of its website might have been forgiven for thinking they should be somewhere else.
Where, specifically? Perhaps thousands of kilometres away at the English beauty spot Durdle Door in Dorset - pictures of which the resort used to illustrate the charms of RAK on its site.
"It's nothing unusual; it's just a bit surprising that someone so far away is interested in using it," said James Weld, one of the owners of the British estate surrounding Durdle Door. "I know it's a great shot, but it's completely unconnected."
Although the Cove Rotana is located on about 600 metres of "idyllic" Arqoob beach, it does not include the dramatic - and distinctive - limestone arches of Durdle Door, part of the Jurassic Coast Unesco world heritage site over 5,000 kilometres away.
After the disparity was pointed out by British newspapers yesterday, the hotel took down the image and replaced it with an aerial view of the sprawling resort, which has 202 hotel rooms and 76 villas.
Durdle Door, part of the Lulworth Estate, recently celebrated its 400th anniversary. Built between 1608-1610 as a hunting lodge, it was bought by Humphrey Weld in 1641 and has been in the Weld family since. Mr Weld said many people had used the image of Durdle Door without permission.
He said tourists who travelled to the Cove Rotana Resort might be disappointed to find that there was no Durdle Door in the Emirates.
"I worry for them," Mr Weld said. "Some of their visitors may be disappointed, because it is an amazing natural rock formation."
Attempts to contact the management of the Cove Rotana Resort for comment were unsuccessful.
But at least one other error persists on the resort's website: the hotel looks out on the Arabian Gulf, not the Indian Ocean.
klewis@thenational.ae
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
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.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
