Posts Tagged ‘Gulf News’

Dubai Apocalyptic Billboards

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Interesting Gulf News article from the other day: “‘End of days’ billboards in Dubai to be removed, says official.”

Apparently some wacko church in the US is putting billboards up in Dubai that says the world is ending.

On May 21.

Wow, that’s soon.

Return of the Dubai’s Hard Rock

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

When we lived in Dubai we were fans of the Hard Rock Cafe. It was a ten minute walk from our house and they had burgers, salads and, most preciously, beer. Well, beer for awhile – right before I left they lost their liquor license (see Hard Rock Cafe Dubai Update).

Needless to say, shortly thereafter it closed altogether (see Hard Luck For Hard Rock In Dubai).

Well good news from today’s Gulf News: “Hard Rock Cafe to dish up a second serving in Dubai.”

Soon-ish there’ll be a new 26,500 square-foot restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel end of Dubai Festival City. Also, because it is after all, Dubai, the new Hard Rock will build the tallest ornamental guitar in the world outside.

Sadly Festival City is about an hour’s drive from our old apartment, so our friends who are still in Dubai probably won’t make the trek often.

Also there’s no new news about the Hard Rock Hotel Dubai was supposed to be getting (see Hard Rock Hotel Dubai).

Perhaps the recent economy has derailed that train?

UAE Male Infertility

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

This is the kind of shit that drove me batty about Dubai; check out this article from the Gulf News: “Pollution, diet blamed for male infertility in UAE.”

So you’d think there’d be, you know, facts and figures about pollution and diet trends to support the premise of the article.

Nope.

In fact, I wonder if there is any infertility at all. This quote specifically makes me wonder:

According to a recent World Health Organisation study, there has been a decline in births in the UAE from 5.7 children per woman down to less than two children, over the past two decades.

Perhaps this “male infertility” is just the UAE joining most other developed countries where fertility rates decrease to levels below replacement rates?

How about that?

Aquarium Leaking in Dubai

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

The world’s largest shopping mall (based on total area) is the Dubai Mall at the base of the Burj Dubai, er, Burj Khalifa. Inside the mall is the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre, which holds 10 million liters (2.6 million gallons) of water and has the Guinness World Record world’s “Largest Acrylic Panel”.

And it’s leaking.

So says the Gulf News: “Dubai Mall aquarium cracked and leaking.”

Uh-oh.

Remember when all they had to worry about was shark fights?