The National

Dubai's Palm Jumeirah has two new luxury hotels with more to follow, just as strong signs of recovery in tourism begin to appear. A US$150 million (Dh50.9m) One&Only hotel, with room rates starting at an average Dh3,500 a night, opened on the palm-shaped cluster of man-made islands in November. This month, the Zabeel Saray hotel, managed by Jumeirah, opened its doors.

The recently-launched At.mosphere at the Burj Khalifa, the world's highest restaurant, located on the 122nd floor of the tower, which demands a minimum spend of Dh450 per person was fully booked for the night. "At.mosphere ... is fully booked for February 14 - for both lunch and dinner, at both The At.mosphere grill and The At.mosphere lounge," a spokesman for the restaurant said. "The regulations, announced much earlier, have not impacted bookings. In fact, the restaurant has received overwhelming response since its opening in January."

A sculpture of a traditional Gulf couple, unveiled in Downtown Dubai yesterday, is intended to contribute to the area's evolution as a cultural and arts centre, said Mohamed Alabbar, the chairman of Emaar Properties. The white marble and black granite figures of a man in a khandoura and a woman in an abaya, called Together, have been placed on Emaar Boulevard, close to the entrance of the Burj Khalifa.

The country's main indexes rebounded yesterday as declines posted last week were seen as overdone, fund managers said. The Dubai Financial Market General Index gained 1.5 per cent to 1,605.89. Emaar Properties, the developer of the Burj Khalifa, gained 1.5 per cent to Dh3.30.

Mark Coady from Australia agrees. "Business Bay is 10 minutes to virtually all the places that one needs." Apart from the traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road, he says, the area is quiet. "All the buildings are big and new. The views of the Burj Khalifia are pretty great. There are not too many buildings blocking the views and there are plenty of wide-open spaces." The Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall are a 20-minute walk away. Al Manzil Hotel in Old Town houses the Hayya Gym, which allows non-members to attend classes.

The Burj Khalifa has unveiled two gold-dispensing ATMs, the first of several such machines that will begin selling gold bars in Dubai during the next few weeks. One of the ATMs is housed on the 124th floor of the building, the At The Top observation deck; the other is in the souvenir shop on the ground floor. Gold fans can purchase as little as 2.5 grams of the precious metal up to as much as 1 ounce.

It was the promise of goat on the menu that prompted my visit to Asado, the Argentinean steak restaurant at The Palace-The Old Town. We sat outside at a table facing the Burj Dubai lake, the Khalifa looming in the background and every so often, we saw the tail end of the Dubai fountain. Goat or no goat, first impressions were good.

When the Burj Khalifa opened a year ago in a blizzard of lights and fireworks, it was hailed as the new champion among the world's tallest buildings. But the 828-metre tower is simply the latest leader in a never-ending quest to reach for the sky.

Studio. The specs: Measuring an ample 548 square foot, this studio flat with separate bathroom has just enough room to comfortably fit a bed, television and dining table. This particular studio is located on the 24th floor, and has an excellent view out the front of the building with the ocean in the distance.

Two construction workers died this week after falling from the 27th floor of a building next to the Burj Khalifa. The Indian men, ages 24 and 27, were installing glass at about 4.30pm on Tuesday when their cradle encountered a "mechanical error", said an official from the project site who declined to be named. Another anonymous source said the side winch of the cradle had failed, and a statement issued by Dubai Police said the men's cradle had "lost balance".