Following the record-breaking show in 2007, the Dubai Airshow continues to grow. New for 2009 is an additional exhibition hall ‘Emirates Hall’; named after its host and sponsor Emirates Airline the new hall provides an additional 5,000sqm of exhibition space, an increased Press Centre and an extra registration building to accommodate trade visitor traffic.

This years exhibitors include:
Bombardier
Gulfstream
Hawker
Cessna
Lockheed
Aero Toy Store
Bell Helicopter
Al Jaber Aviation
French Air Force
Sikorsky
Dassault

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that the Dubai International Air Show, which is one of the top three air shows in the world continues to establish its position through the steady growth in the number of participants, the volume of participation, the number of visitors and the quality of the exhibits that represent the finest produced by the human mind in the aviation industry.

In his statement to Dira’a Al Watan, on the occasion of the 11th Dubai International Air Show 2009, Sheikh Mohammed said: “The success of the exhibition concurs with enhancing the status of our nation in air traffic across the world, and its goal of becoming an international station and a bridge linking East and West and the region with the world.”

This year the private jet industry has a large presence, despite the economic downturn. The Dubai Air show is expected do drum up a lot of business in the private jet sector “wheeling and dealing” cutting deals and writing up new contracts. Privé International will be staying informed on all the latest news and products being announced during the course of the show. Look for updates on our Twitter account.

Privé International is always on the lookout for the latest destination spots for our members. Many of our members are automobile enthusiast which is why we thought Ferrari World Abu Dhabi was well worth looking into.

Currently under construction in the UAE capital’s Yas Island entertainment district, also home to the new Formula 1 race track and Yas Hotel, is Ferrari World – the world’s largest indoor theme park with an enclosed footprint of 100,000 sq m. To give you perspective from tip to tip it stretches seven football fields. The building itself is tri form encompassing two roller coasters which will push the limits at 200kph and a 60metre high G-Force Tower which is designed be the most extreme free-fall ride in the world.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi boast many impressive figures. The 201,000 sq m roof, which will show Ferrari World as the centrepiece of Yas Island, contains enough aluminium to cover 16,750 Ferrari’s or, alternatively, the Vatican City in Rome. And if the building was put on end, it would be the world’s tallest building with 300 stories.

Ferrari and Aldar Properties employed the well-established design talents of international firm Benoy to design the ground-breaking Ferrari World development which has now reached an advanced stage of construction in line with its expected opening next year 2010.

Releasing these extraordinary images, which show the true scale of the project as the exterior body is complete, Benoy talked of a clear inspiration for the project: “Externally the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi building expresses the language and values of the Ferrari brand itself. Benoy’s vision – to create a building that reflects Ferrari’s sinuous form, is directly inspired by the classic double curve side profile of the Ferrari GT chassis. The double curve was proportionately applied in elevation to set the structure’s length and height. This proportion gave rise to the dynamic scale of the building at 700 metres from tip to tip of the tri-forms.”

As expected, the spectacle is not limited to the project’s exterior and the ‘Grand Funnel’ which acts as the adjunction point for the three spokes, also functions as the main point of architectural interest. The fully glazed funnel is latticed with a spider system that floats over the Mero space frame within, creating a floor to ceiling light well of over 100 m in diameter. The building has capacity for 15,000 people to experience the Ferrari-themed rides which surround the centerpiece.

When Ferrari World completes next year, it will mark a four year transformation of Yas Island from an untouched ‘featureless wilderness’ into a landmark entertainment district to rival the extreme development of Dubai.

Considered, the world’s first and (not soon to be) only 7-star hotel, the Burj Al-Arab is truly one of the most luxurious hotels.

The lavish interior combines the best of design principles with elements from both the east and the west. The 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marbles give the hotels eclectic touch. The hotel, is constructed on an artificial island 280-metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach.

The suspended helipad on the top adds to the grandeur of the hotel. The hotel is an architectural masterpiece. The hotel boasts as the world’s tallest atrium which is 180-meters (590 feet) tall. The hotel houses a mere 202 rooms, but each floor of the hotel is double layered. The deluxe hotel rooms range in size from approximately 1,800 square feet up to approximately 8,000 square feet.

The Burj Al-Arab will soon however not be the only 7 star hotel around. The Apeiron Hotel Dubai, the Flower of the East Kish Island in Iran, and The Centaurus in India, are all on the cutting edge when it comes to futuristic luxury 7 star hotels. Privé has compiled photos and descriptions on each one of these masterpieces being conceptualized and built!

Some of these developments are still in the concept stage like the Dubai Apeiron Hotel. We however still wanted to give readers and our members an opportunity to see the type of avant garde hotels that are in store for us in the near future. There is a clear landscape change which is propelling us into a truely futuristic society, which seems to all be occuring at a high rate of speed.

Apeiron Hotel

Location: Dubai (Access to the hotel is restricted to water and air only.)
Designed: by UK’s Sybarite Architects
Height: 185-metres
Status: Design Concept
Estimated project cost: USD$500 Million

The Apeiron will have 350 luxury apartment suites and be a jungle-themed hotel built on an island about 300-500 m off the coast of Dubai – It will be accessible by boat or helicopter only. The top two floors of the Apeiron will contain a jungle with butterflies and other insects. Other features will include an art gallery, cinemas, conference facilities, shops, underwater spa & gym, an underwater restaurant, and private lagoons & beaches for the guests.

The Flower of the East

Location: Kish Island in the Persian Gulf
Designer: Drees & Sommer
Height: 200 metres
Status: Under Construction Completion 2010
Estimated project cost: 1.7 Billion Euros

The project is divided into several sub-projects: The “Flower of the East” hotel, a 7-star hotel about 200 metres high as well as six further luxury hotels. Furthermore, ca. 4700 luxury apartments, ranging from 60-square metre apartments to a 1.800-square metre villa, are built. The project also includes a marina, 18-hole golf course, 9-hole golf academy according to plans of the golf course architect Peter Harradine, as well as 53.000 square metres of retail space and more than 80.000 square metres office space.

The Flower of the East hotel is designed to look exactly as it sounds – like a flower. Designed with a combination of Persian and Modern architectural influences, the seven-star hotel will be surrounded by a beautiful park and will be visible from every area of the development.

The Centaurus Hotel

Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
Designer: Atkins
Height: 37 Storey hotel
Status: Under Construction Completion 2010
Estimated project cost: USD$350 Million

This hotel will be a seven-star hotel located in The Centaurus development project upon its completion, Dec 2010. The $350 million complex will not only have the 37-story 7 star hotel,but will also be accompanied with two 21-story residential towers, a 25-story corporate office tower, and a 5-story shopping mall, which will cover an area of 300,000 Sq ft. The mall will have a twin screen cinema and a food court. The complex will have a parking lot to accommodate over 2,000 vehicles.

These hotels are only a few examples of what to expect in the coming years. Over the next few months we will be featuring some more 7 star hotels like the Seven Stars Galleria in Milan, The Morgan Plaza in Beijing, China and The ominous looking “Death Star” in Baku, Azerbaijan. So to all our readers and members keep your eyes pealed and visit Privé International’s weblog for updates.