ArabianBusiness.com

The 64 million sq ft Business Bay is set to become home to about 191,000 people across 240 towers when completed. “The location they are in right now gave them such a favourable rate it is actually cheaper to rent than to fit out a new office so we said we will wait for a couple of years,” Lufti said.

Marriott International, the US-based hotel operator, plans to snatch the title of world’s tallest hotel tower building with the opening of its eighth Dubai property next year, it was revealed Monday. The current title holder, the Rotana-owned Rose Rayhaan hotel in Dubai, stands at 330m-high but will be eclipsed by the 355m JW Marriott Marquis Hotel after its 2012 launch.

One of Emaar’s biggest hospitality brands, The Address, has confirmed that it is interested in expanding into the Indian market.

“Even if events remain fluid and the impact on the property sector is difficult to gauge at this stage, we believe the Egyptian real-estate market is likely to remain uncertain for some time,” analysts Nabil Ahmed and Athmane Benzerroug said in a note to clients dated on Thursday.

More than $6bn worth of hotel projects are due for completion in the Middle East by 2013 but greater emphasis is being put on sustainability, an industry expert said on Sunday. The Hotel Show will place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on May 17-19, with 400 exhibitors representing 25 countries.

Arab construction projects have wowed the world in recent years, and there is a lot more to come. The opening of the Burj Khalifa in 2009 represented just the latest in a stream of projects over the course of the last 60 years that have shaped the Arab world.

Even with the limited amount we know about the project, it is impossible to conceive of how it could mirror the success of the Burj Khalifa, and thereby pay for itself. As anyone who has been to Jeddah will tell you, the idea of a Jeddah Mall, with starry-eyed tourists lining up to have their photos taken in front of the world’s tallest tower is not just implausible, it’s laughable.

As the Burj Khalifa lit up the Dubai sky with fireworks in the early hours of 2011, the world’s tallest tower was days away from another anniversary – its first birthday. From his office on the 42nd floor of Emirates Towers, Eric Tomich wouldn’t have been able to see the fireworks, because although the southern side of the twin towers commands excellent views of the Burj Khalifa, Tomich’s office faces Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai Creek.

Dubai-based internet startup, Yadig.com, which provides real-time feedback on restaurants and entertainment, has revealed the UAE’s top five most popular restaurants and entertainment outlets, as picked by its uses. The site sourced more than 1,500 local user reviews to rank the best eateries, night clubs, bars and coffee shops in the Gulf state.

A new gallery that will showcase the best in Arab contemporary talent is planning to open its doors in Downtown Dubai during April. The 3,000 square foot Ara Gallery, located near the base of the Burj Khalifa, has also earmarked community engagement as a key pillar of its strategy.