The National

“The best compliments people can have is they don’t notice them or complain about them,” said Jim Fortune, a consultant who helped design Dubai’s most popular lift, a 124-storey system that takes visitors to the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa.Around midnight every night hundreds of lift technicians like Mr D’Mello fan out across Dubai, pushing buttons and checking motors to make sure the machines can handle another month of ups and downs.

The elite world of fashion is no longer limited to the clothes on your back. Famous brand names such as Armani and Bulgari can now be found in the hotel rooms in which we sleep and the food we eat as they increasingly stake their claim in hospitality.

The Burj Khalifa may have set another record yesterday when Afif Hanna, a five-day-old boy, visited the 124th floor. Afif’s parents, Amjad Hanna and Maram Haddad, said they took him to visit the observation deck of the world’s tallest building because it represented the sky-high ambitions they had for their first child. “If he can achieve the highest point in the world in five days, hopefully he can achieve much more,” said Mr Hanna. “I want him to be a big man.”

Why not head for the Observation Deck of the Burj Khalifa where you’ll be offered complimentary dates and water at iftar? At the Top, Burj Khalifa. (800 28 843 867; www.burjkhalifa.ae) Dh100 per person, Dh75 for children up to 12 years. Fast-track entry tickets are Dh400 per person.

Metro commuters travelling on Emirates Airline flights can now check in 24 hours in advance at kiosks in three stations as the carrier extends services available at Dubai International Airport. Kiosks have been installed at the Mall of the Emirates, Burj Khalifa and Financial Centre stations. The self-service devices are expected to provide an added convenience and to reduce waiting time at the airport, Emirates officials said. Passengers will need their reservation code or ticket number to use the service, which will be available until two hours before departure.

The practice is standard operating procedure in many four-and five-star hotel chains, said seven employees who have 30 years of combined experience in more than a dozen companies in Dubai. Several asked not to be named to avoid repercussions. The most common mistake was missed wake-up calls, causing travellers to miss flights, the workers said. Breakages were also punishable.

Contractors aiming to build what could become the tallest tower in the world have been asked to resubmit their bids after design changes were made. At least two contenders will place new offers for the 1.1km-high Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia next month, making it the third time in a year the project has been re-tendered. Six Construct, a Belgian companythat helped to build Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest tower in the world, is bidding for the contract in partnership with El Seif Engineering Contracting, a Saudi Arabian company.

Blame it on the Burj. The slow delivery of homes in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, was the main drag on Emaar Properties’s profits for the second quarter. The Dubai developer’s share price fell 3.56 per cent yesterday to Dh3.25 as investors responded to news that its net profit for the quarter came in at Dh802 million, as opposed to the Dh958m forecast by analysts.

Dubai’s economy passed important milestones yesterday as the Dubai World conglomerate presented its final debt restructuring plan to bankers while the emirate’s largest developer posted a big rise in quarterly profits. After more than a year of subdued property sales, Emaar Properties posted a net profit of Dh802 million (US$218.3m) for the second quarter after a loss of Dh1.2 billion in the same period last year. Profits also rose 6 per cent from the first quarter this year as homes were delivered in Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world.

The decor and mood at the Armani Ristorante is a blend of conservatism and luxury; muted shades of beige and taupe are enlivened by tasteful flickers of glistening gold, from the stylish cutlery or the rim of a delicate china plate.