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This Armani Hotel is the second in the Armani Hotel chain, the collaboration between Giorgio Armani and Emaar Properties (one of the Arab world’s largest developers) opened another Armani Hotel in Dubai in the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa last year.

Thousands of energy-efficient decorative lights have started shining along the three-km long Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, which will continue through the entire festival season, including the UAE National Day celebrations, Emirates Classic Car Festival, New Year’s Eve and the Dubai Shopping Festival, up until April 2012.

Construction work on the $1.2 billion Kingdom Tower, the 1,000m super skyscraper that is set to exceed Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building, “is scheduled to begin in January,” a spokesperson from Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, designers of the superscraper, said.

Armani is focusing on its plans to open resorts in Egypt and Morocco before expanding its joint venture with Emaar further. Upheaval has forced developers to reassess plans throughout the region, while many projects have been shelved until there are signs of stability.

The hotel features 95 rooms and suites (from Armani Deluxe Rooms to Armani Signature and Armani Presidential Suites) and super-luxe details like showers with one-way glass (to see out, but not in), Amrani/Casa furniture, and “lifestyle managers” to cater to guests’ every need.

At the launch of its new venue adjacent to the Burj Khalifa, McLaren executives told Gulf News that the company plans more showrooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which will be operated by Al Habtoor Motors, as well as establishing a presence in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Emaar Malls Group, the shopping malls and retail subsidiary of global property developer Emaar Properties PJSC, has joined hands with the Dubai Shopping Malls Group to host the 40th UAE National Day promotional campaign offering visitors to all its shopping malls the opportunity to win attractive prizes.

Certainly the Gulf has seen a minimal number boutique hotels developed to date, but examples are popping up in certain locations. "The prime example is of course the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa, which appears to have filled a glamourous and exclusive top-end niche in the market,"

The film was shot extensively in the UAE, with shoots taking place in and on top of Burj Khalifa, at The Palace hotel, in the streets of Satwa and at a purpose-built set in the International Media Production Zone on Emirates Road. Releasing in the UAE on December 15, the film is expected to be a centrepiece of the Dubai International Film Festival, with Cruise and company rumoured to be in town for a screening.

Emaar plans to swap penthouses for affordable housing as the developer of the Burj Khalifa looks to capitalise on the need for 3.5 million affordable homes in the Middle East. Known for its luxury master-planned developments, Emaar has launched a division to focus on building low-cost homes in the region.