BUSINESS & JOBS

Dubai officials plan to introduce a gold coin – with the face of the UAE President on one side and the Burj Khalifa on the other – as legal tender. If approved, it will be the first of its kind in the Middle East, the Khaleej Times reports on Thursday.

Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, accompanied President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, when he toured Khalifa Burj, the world's tallest tower.

Not many people from Danville can say they work in Dubai, rode a camel in Egypt, visited the Dead Sea, and attended the grand opening of the tallest building in the world — the Burj Khalifa (located in Dubai). But Kevin Melton, who graduated from Schlarman High School and attended Danville Area Community College, has done all this in the Middle East, and more.

When the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, officially opened in Dubai amid a flurry of fanfare, former Texas A&M architecture student Adrian Smith was among the honored guests. It was he who designed the shimmering spire that soars more than a half mile above the desert in the United Arab Emirates, rising to an official height of 828 meters, or 2,716.5 feet.

Crowds of tourists visiting the Burj Khalifa have boosted retail sales near the world’s tallest tower by as much as 30 per cent. Since the 828-metre-tall building opened its observation deck to visitors on January 4, the bustling activity has trickled down to the tills in neighbouring Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar, retailers say.

British engineering firm Hyder Consulting said on Tuesday that it was on track to beat profit forecasts in its full-year results, despite still being owed GBP9.4m ($14.9m) by Dubai clients.The company, which advised on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa project, said it was poised to report full year revenue and operating profit “slightly ahead” of market expectations, after absorbing operating costs of around GBP3m.

International public relations agencies have expanded their presence in the UAE in the past two years to establish direct offices and forge permanent partnerships with local agencies, given the potential of a growing market that is still in the process of comprehending the full length of communications practice as an essential element to business and to the country's image.

In case you weren’t in Dubai last month and you missed Emaar Properties’ announcement that their ‘obelisk’ Burj Khalifa, (the tallest building in the world), has reached completion, we thought we’d tell you all about the party that they threw in celebration! But is Dubai back from the brink with the launch of this tower? Well, one thing is certain, Dubai certainly isn’t going down without a fight!

The spectacular opening ceremony that marked the Burj Khalifa's appointment with history is now receding into memory, but the sense of anticipation has only started to build up for the home and office owners in the skyscraper.

Dubai's crown prince inaugurated the first international branch of the Manhattan institution, famous for its "big brown bag" totes, in the Middle East's biggest shopping mall Sunday. Bloomie's Dubai outpost includes a 13,600 square metre clothing and accessories store and a nearby 5,000 square metre home furnishings store. Both stores are in the Dubai Mall, next to the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa.