TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Pronto, Enoc's fresh food and gourmet coffee offer, has opened its first offsite store at KidZania, the edutainment centre recently opened at The Dubai Mall. Located next to the parents' lounge, Pronto provides the same menu offered in onsite stores, with products ranging from baked goods, fresh juices, iced drinks, coffee and newspapers.

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, a quick-casual chain, has opened its first international location at the entrance of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. The menu features an array of tacos, burritos, salads and fajitas made from fire-grilled meats and produce. The restaurant also features a salsa bar. The restaurant said that the new 900sqft outlet is owned and operated by Khalil Asfour, of Vetra Investments. Mr Asfour also owns and operates a number of other concepts and has secured the rights to develop Baja Fresh’s sister brand La Salsa, with plans to open its first location in Dubai later in 2010.

Steven J. Backman, a San Francisco native has been designing sculptures from toothpicks since he was a child. What turned out to be his hobby soon turned in to a passion for creating miniatures of world famous monuments. His latest work of art is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world standing tall at 828 metres. From a replica of the Empire State Building to a thirteen feet long likeness of the Golden Gate Bridge, Steven has received worldwide recognition for his creativity. During an interview with Sharad Agarwal, CEO of DubaiCityGuide.com, Steven stated, “The miniature replica I created of Burj Khalifa took me 7 hours to create and a bucket of patience. As far as I know, it is the world’s smallest replica of the world’s tallest building.”

The world’s youngest ‘nation’ is born, and it is called ‘KidZania® Dubai.’ At a grand ceremony upholding the proud KidZania® traditions that first originated in Mexico, and now popular among KidZanians around the world, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, grand-daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled the Eternal Flame of KidZania®, in the presence of her brother His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

‘Spiderman’ has climbed the world’s tallest buildings without a harness or net, but now he has Dubai's Burj Khalifa in his sights. French climber Alain Robert, nick-named ‘Spiderman’ for his ability to climb tall buildings with his bare hands, is aiming to climb the record-breaking Burj Khalifa, Dubai's new 2,716 foot tower. “I already climbed five of the tallest buildings in the world. Now I want the Burj Khalifa,” he told the National, an English-language newspaper based in Abu Dhabi.

When a massive bolt of lightning hits the world’s tallest skyscraper, the results are sure to be electrifying...

It took an army of workers and thousands of tonnes of material to erect the world tallest tower in Dubai, but Steven J. Backman managed to replicate it single-handedly in the US.

For the less adventurous members of society, a trip up the Burj Khalifa would take around two minutes in the comfort of a high-speed lift. Not for Spider-man, however. Having already scaled landmark skyscrapers in Chicago and Paris without support cables, safety harnesses or nets, France’s nimble-footed “urban free solo climber” Alain Robert is now campaigning to conquer the 828-metre-high tower.

Bristol-based Cameron Balloons has created the balloon used at the opening night of the Burj Khalifa (The Caliph's Tower) in Dubai, the world's tallest building at 828m. The balloon was printed on the company's newly installed 3.5m-wide Durst Rho 351, which has doubled the width of the company's previous printing capabilities.

Internationally renowned fireworks specialist Groupe F will expand its operations in the Middle East this year, following its high-profile involvement in the Burj Khalifa launch in Dubai earlier this month.