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Five things to do in Dubai

<p>Having won the bid to hold the Expo 2020, Dubai continues to cement it’s position as one of the travel hotspots you should be adding to you to-do list. A thriving metropolis with world-class attractions on its doorstep, one of the best things about Dubai is its accessibility to Australia.</p> <p>Furthermore, the city stretches some 40 kilometers along the coast, a straight up-and-down journey from one place to the next. Taxis are cheap and plentiful and now, with the metro up and running, getting around is all too easy. Offering culture mixed with newfangled architecture and a melting pit of cultures thanks to its large expat population, it’s an experience like no other.</p> <p>A couple of tips for those interested in visiting, Dubai is a Muslim emirate. So while it is relaxed compared to other areas in the UAE, you should be respectful of their ways such as covering up even though it can often be very hot. Covering ones shoulders and wearing trousers or skirt to the knee should be enough. Also, while there is plenty of alcohol to be had, drinking is limited to licensed venues that are housed in hotels.</p> <p>Other than that, there is a lot to explore and amazing things to see in the Arabian city. Enjoy!</p> <p><strong>The Burj buidlings</strong> <br />Both the Burj Khalifa 
and the Burj Al Arab are sites to behold. The Khalifa is the most amazing of the two. As the tallest structure on the planet, it's impossible to miss from the moment you arrive in Dubai. The opportunity to view the city from the observation deck on the 134th floor is not to be missed – either day or night, the view is truly spectacular. Then the Burj Al Arab is the world’s only seven-star hotel and has been an icon for Dubai for many years now. From the aquariums that flank the escalator to the underwater seafood restaurant or the exotic glass elevator, it is all eye candy for new visitors. Definitely stop in for high tea or cocktails in the Skyview Bar, but book at least a week in advance.</p> <p><strong>The Dubai Mall 

</strong><br />You’ve likely heard of the infamous shopping in Dubai and until you experience Dubai Mall, you won't really understand the scale of its amazement. It is simply huge, with something for everyone inside. The shopping and eating are almost a side attraction. With a 22-screen cinema; an indoor theme park, called Sega World; a world for children, called Kidzania; a giant Aquarium with an underwater zoo; and a full-sized ice rink you, will want for little. Just be sure to be wearing comfortable shoes. To top it all off is the Dubai Fountain, which has shows – set to music – every evening at 6.  </p> <p><strong>Walk down Jumeirah Beach Walk</strong> <br />Locally known as JBR, it is the largest single-phase residential construction in the world. Made up of 36 towers dotted along the beach front in Dubai Marina, JBR is a lovely, wide promenade flanked on one side by shops, cafes and restaurants and on the other by a single-lane road. This is the ideal spot to enjoy a leisurely meal while people and car watching. You’re guaranteed to see some jaw-dropping sites such as a gold-plated Porsche Cayenne, a two-tone Ferrari or a monkey or cheetah hanging out a local’s car window as they drive by.</p> <p><strong>Desert safari</strong><br />Be sure to book in a desert safari. There are many carriers you can choose from, but most include a camel ride, four-wheel driving and a traditional Arabic BBQ in the desert complete with belly dancers. Arabian Adventures is known to be one of the best to book with.</p> <p><strong>Souk it up

</strong><br />Whatever you do, don’t leave Dubai without visiting at least one souk. Some of the better ones include the Old Souk for textiles and materials, The Gold Souk for some great deals on gold and the Meena Bazaar. Walking through the souks offers a real chance to soak up the Arabic culture, shop like a local and come home with some fabulous Middle Eastern treasures.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Former princess of Qatar found dead

<p dir="ltr">A former princess of Qatar who accused her ex-husband of sexually assaulting one of her cihldren has been found dead. </p> <p dir="ltr">Kasia Gallanio was involved in an ugly custody battle for her three kids with billionaire and former Qatari oil and finance minister Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani, 73.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 45-year-old was found dead in her bed on Sunday from a suspected overdose after her youngest daughter, who lives in Paris, was unable to get ahold of her mother. </p> <p dir="ltr">There were no forms of physical violence. </p> <p dir="ltr">The couple have been in a bitter legal battle fighting for 15 years for custody over their three children - 17-year-old twins and another 15-year-old daughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">The twins initially lived with their father before moving to Marbella to be with their mother who claimed Al Thani actually “cut them off as punishment”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Their youngest daughter still lives with her father in an apartment in Paris after Al Thani was exiled from Qatar due to a coup led by his half-brother Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in 1995.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was reported that a Paris court had dismissed the Gallianio’s case on May 19 after she had spent multiple months in hospital due to nervous breakdowns.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gallianio was accused by Al Thani of being an alcoholic with mental health issues, while she  accused him of abusing one of their daughters.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the accusations of aggravated sexual assault which Al Thani vehemently denies. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Dubai's Burj Khalifa builder plans even taller viewing tower

<p>Dubai is reaching for the sky once again, with the developer of the world's tallest building vowing Sunday to build an even taller tower bedecked with rotating balconies and elevated landscaping inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon.</p> <p>The government-backed company behind the project, Emaar Properties, hopes the new tower will entice a fresh wave of view-seeking homeowners even as it raises numerous other promised skyscrapers and repairs a prominent one gutted by fire on New Year's Eve.</p> <p>Company Chairman Mohamed Alabbar said the new observation tower would be "a notch" taller than the 828-metre Burj Khalifa. Just how much taller he wouldn't say.</p> <p>Unlike the Burj Khalifa, the new US$1 billion (AU$1.46 billion) tower will not be a traditional skyscraper but more of a cable-supported spire containing "garden" observation decks graced with trees and other greenery. Emaar says it will also contain a boutique hotel, restaurants and glass balconies that rotate outside the wall of the tower.</p> <p>The structure's design means it is unlikely to be widely recognised as a taller "building" than the Burj Khalifa even if it surpasses it in height.</p> <p>The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, for example, says at least 50 percent of a structure's height must contain usable floor area for it to be considered in its ranking of the world's tallest buildings. That typically disqualifies telecommunications and observation towers that have only a small number of floors.</p> <p>It and the Burj Khalifa could also be surpassed by a skyscraper being built in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, that promises to rise more than 1 kilometre high.</p> <p>The new Dubai tower will be the centrepiece of a new 6 square-kilometre development on the edge of the Dubai Creek, near a protected wildlife sanctuary that regularly attracts flamingoes and other water birds.</p> <p>Alabbar likened the structure, designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava Valls, to a 21st-century Eiffel Tower that can act as a magnet not just for tourists but also for property buyers willing to pay a premium for nearby apartments with a view. It is due to open by the time Dubai hosts the World Expo in 2020.</p> <p>"Many ... of our customers would like to have that view. And if you ask me what is the financial model, that is the financial model," he said.</p> <p>Emaar followed a similar strategy when it raised the Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010. The silvery skyscraper is flanked by fancy low and high-rise apartment complexes, some of which are still being built, as well as hotels, restaurants and one of the world's biggest shopping malls.</p> <p><img width="499" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/24781/big-tower-in-text_499x280.jpg" alt="Big Tower In Text"/></p> <p>The area is also home to The Address Downtown, a 63-story luxury hotel built by Emaar that went up in flames on New Year's Eve.</p> <p>Dubai police have blamed exposed wiring for sparking the blaze. Outside experts say the type of cladding used to sheath the building was likely a factor in fuelling that fire and several others that have engulfed skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates.</p> <p>Emirati authorities have ordered a nationwide safety survey of existing buildings and promised to tighten regulations in the wake of the fire.</p> <p>Asked about fire risks Sunday, Alabbar said it was important to learn from the accidents but suggested there are limits to how much builders can do.</p> <p>"Safety rules are good, but can you really eliminate all risk? I don't think human beings are able to eliminate all risk," he told reporters. "Risks are there as long as we are progressing ... These things do happen, and you have to go and fix them and make sure if they happen, they happen to a minimum."</p> <p>Not long after the plan was revealed, Emaar Properties announced its group chief executive officer, Abdulla Lahej, had quit.</p> <p>Lahej's responsibilities were being handled by Amit Jain, group chief operating officer, Emaar said in a statement, without elaborating further.</p> <p>What do you make of this move to make the world’s biggest tower? Do you think they should be applauded for their ambition, or more realistic? Share your thoughts in the comments.</p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/03/qatar-airways-longest-flight-world/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Qatar Airways announces the world's new longest flight</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2015/12/largest-flower-garden-in-the-world/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">14 images from the world’s largest flower garden</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2015/12/10-tallest-buildings-in-the-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The new tallest building in the world</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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Five things to do in Dubai

<p>Since recently winning the bid to hold the Expo 2020, Dubai continues to cement it’s position as one of the travel hotspots you should be adding to you to-do list. A thriving metropolis with world-class attractions on its doorstep, one of the best things about Dubai is its accessibility to Australia.</p><p>Furthermore, the city stretches some 40 kilometers along the coast, a straight up-and-down journey from one place to the next. Taxis are cheap and plentiful and now, with the metro up and running, getting around is all too easy. Offering culture mixed with newfangled architecture and a melting pit of cultures thanks to its large expat population, it’s an experience like no other.</p><p>A couple of tips for those interested in visiting, Dubai is a Muslim emirate. So while it is relaxed compared to other areas in the UAE, you should be respectful of their ways such as covering up even though it can often be very hot. Covering ones shoulders and wearing trousers or skirt to the knee should be enough. Also, while there is plenty of alcohol to be had, drinking is limited to licensed venues that are housed in hotels.</p><p>Other than that, there is a lot to explore and amazing things to see in the Arabian city. Enjoy!</p><p><strong>The Burj buidlings</strong> <br>Both the Burj Khalifa 
and the Burj Al Arab are sites to behold. The Khalifa is the most amazing of the two. As the tallest structure on the planet, it's impossible to miss from the moment you arrive in Dubai. The opportunity to view the city from the observation deck on the 134th floor is not to be missed –&nbsp;either day or night, the view is truly spectacular. Then the Burj Al Arab is the world’s only seven-star hotel and has been an icon for Dubai for many years now. From the aquariums that flank the escalator to the underwater seafood restaurant or the exotic glass elevator, it is all eye candy for new visitors. Definitely stop in for high tea or cocktails in the Skyview Bar, but book at least a week in advance.</p><p><strong>The Dubai Mall 

</strong><br> You’ve likely heard of the infamous shopping in Dubai and until you experience Dubai Mall, you won't really understand the scale of its amazement. It is simply huge, with something for everyone inside. The shopping and eating are almost a side attraction. With a 22-screen cinema; an indoor theme park, called Sega World; a world for children, called Kidzania; a giant Aquarium with an underwater zoo; and a full-sized ice rink you, will want for little. Just be sure to be wearing comfortable shoes. To top it all off is the Dubai Fountain, which has shows – set to music – every evening at 6. &nbsp;</p><p><strong>Walk down Jumeirah Beach Walk</strong> <br> Locally known as JBR, it is the largest single-phase residential construction in the world. Made up of 36 towers dotted along the beach front in Dubai Marina, JBR is a lovely, wide promenade flanked on one side by shops, cafes and restaurants and on the other by a single-lane road. This is the ideal spot to enjoy a leisurely meal while people and car watching. You’re guaranteed to see some jaw-dropping sites such as a gold-plated Porsche Cayenne, a two-tone Ferrari or a monkey or cheetah hanging out a local’s car window as they drive by.</p><p><strong>Desert safari</strong><br>Be sure to book in a desert safari. There are many carriers you can choose from, but most include a camel ride, four-wheel driving and a traditional Arabic BBQ in the desert complete with belly dancers. Arabian Adventures is known to be one of the best to book with.</p><p><strong>Souk it up

</strong><br> Whatever you do, don’t leave Dubai without visiting at least one souk. Some of the better ones include the Old Souk for textiles and materials, The Gold Souk for some great deals on gold and the Meena Bazaar. Walking through the souks offers a real chance to soak up the Arabic culture, shop like a local and come home with some fabulous Middle Eastern treasures.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

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