NEWS

"Study hard and follow your dreams." This is the advice Smith, internationally successful architect, gave to students pursuing architecture when he made a visit to the A&M campus last week. Smith spoke to students at the Rowlett 2011 conference this past Friday in Rudder Theatre about achieving their goals. He has designed some of the world's most recognizable structures, including the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, the world's tallest structure.

PwC, the leading international professional services organisation, has relocated its Dubai staff to bigger, more spacious offices in Emaar Square, Downtown Dubai. The customised space of over 50,000 square feet was chosen to accommodate PwC's growing multinational staff in support of its ambitious growth plans, particularly on the UAE, to meet the needs of the market. PwC currently has nearly 600 people based in Dubai, representing 45 nationalities, plus almost 200 people based in Abu Dhabi and 15 in Sharjah.

The next time you watch The Dubai Fountain sway to the rhythm of “Baba Yetu” in rapt attention, make a mental note that you are listening to a Grammy Award winning song. Composer Christopher Tin’s Swahili song, which also sets the theme tempo for the videogame, “Civilization IV,” won the Grammy this year for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.

When the Burj Khalifa opened a little more than a year ago, international attention focused, laser-like and rightly so, on this neo-Emerald City apparition in the Dubai desert. Its dizzying half-mile height and status as the world's tallest building were matched only by an elegant form that pierces, needle-like, the Middle East horizon. The 2,717-foot-tall building was designed by the Chicago office of Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM).

The Pullman doesn't have all the amenities of Dubai's resort-style hotels. I like business hotels, however: they're often quiet and well run. It appears to have a sense of humour, too: its Soda Box recalls a 1950s soda bar in bright, Willy Wonka colours. Businessmen with loosened ties and self-conscious grins scoop up ice-cream and multi-hued cakes. I opt for a last glass of Moroccan tea beside the rooftop pool, which has views all the way to the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. I feel happy to be here and reckon I can soon boast that I have spent 24 hours in a shopping mall.

I was expecting Burj Al Arab-esque tack, but instead found At.mosphere’s grill restaurant to be a most handsome venue: with its polished wood panels, crisp white tablecloths, glittering glassware and low lighting, it would look good anywhere, be it on the first floor or the 122nd. As it happens, its elevated location provides a spectacular view: to see Dubai lit up at night is a sight to behold.

Owning an apartment inside the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is the ultimate accomplishment for Daryl Patni. Mr Patni, 42, a Mumbai native who has lived in Dubai for much of his life, started out as a ground crew member for Emirates Airline before setting out on his own to become a commercial photographer. He lived in Bur Dubai and Jumeirah Lake Towers but dreamed of buying a home in the Burj.

Tennis ace Caroline Wozniacki went to the top twice in one week. On Friday, the Dane went back to the top of the WTA rankings to regain her title as World No 1 having cruised through her quarterfinal at the Dubai Duty Free Dubai Tennis Championships. Earlier this week she took a trip to At The Top — the viewing deck of the world's tallest building The Burj Khalifa.

The recently opened At.mosphere restaurant on the 122nd floor of Burj Khalifa in Dubai — billed as the highest restaurant in the world — could be exported to other major cities. According to executive chef Dwayne Cheer, the concept from Emaar Hospitality Group’s (EHG) Lifestyle Dining division is not a one-off.

World No. 2 Roger Federer arrived in the city ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and visited the spectacular Dubai Fountain. Set on the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake, the fountain shoots water jets as high as 150 metres, equivalent to that of a 50-storey building. The 16-time Grand Slam winner admired the 275-metre long fountain designed by California-based WET, the creators of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.