TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

The Ara Gallery certainly knows how to bridge the gap between art, glamor and alluring natural beauty. The opening reception for “Light From Life” exhibition was held in the tasteful interiors of the gallery at Burj Plaza in downtown Dubai.

Polish unicyclist Krystian Herba, the new world record holder of Stairs Climbing By Bicycle, hopes to conquer Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower measuring 828 metres, next year. “After going to Burj Khalifa today, I have this desire to climb it as soon as I get more information about it,” Kyrstian said.

The start and finish for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2012 will be in Downtown Dubai adjacent to the Burj Khalifa. The starts for the Marathon, 10km Road Race and 3km Fun Run will be from the same start gantry location just up from the Burj Khalifa outside the Pavilion. The finish area for the Marathon, 10km Road Race and 3km Fun Run will be through the same finish gantry location on the opposite side of the road from the start gantry.

The remake of 1990 cult classic Agneepath is long-awaited, but no-one is more nervous than its star, Hrithik Roshan. The actor shared his fears in a press conference at the Armani Hotel in Dubai on Thursday, and was joined by his co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt.

The show will start at 8pm will be held at The Pavilion Downtown Dubai. It is being organised by the Goethe-Institut German Language Center Dubai, liaison office of the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, and is part of the 2nd Berlin-Dubai Festival, which took place in October/November 2011.

The trio will jet into town to promote their much-anticipated drama Agneepath, a remake of an Amitabh Bachchan classic. Apart from meeting their fans, the team will also address the press at Armani Hotel and attend an invites-only high tea. The film will release in the UAE on January 26.

Alia Saeed Mohammed and Betlhem Belayneh Deslagn will be to looking to build on their success at the Arab Games when the compete in the 10,000 metres at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon later this month. A 3km Fun Run is also being staged during the Dubai Marathon event, which get underway from outside The Pavilion Downtown Dubai, opposite the Burj Khalifa.

"The Burj Khalifa is a global icon and I think many runners would love to say they have taken part in a race that takes place in the shadow of such an international symbol," said Ahmed Al Kamali, president of the UAE Athletic Federation, IAAF council member and general co-ordinator of the region's first IAAF Gold Label race.

The DSF Carnival is set to draw huge crowds, especially since it has the potential to woo thousands of shoppers from nearby Dubai Mall, the world’s most-visited shopping and leisure destination. The mall, which overlooks Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, attracted a record of over 54 million visitors in 2011, according to recently published figures.

Dubai got into the party mood early in the afternoon on Saturday. The roads were packed near the iconic Burj Khalifa. And the Global Village was another hotspot for visitors. At the crack of midnight, fireworks ushered in 2012 at the Burj as restaurants, night clubs and parties sported New Year themes.