Dubai mall wonders and shopping venues

By Gabrielle Doman

A world of delight awaits you in shopping centres that don't always get a mention in the tourist info guides.

You’ve seen the ski slope at Mall of The Emirates. You’ve hunted for bargains at Deira City Centre and you’ve padded the length and breadth of Dubai Mall and have the blisters to prove it. Where next?

There’s more to shopping in Dubai than megamalls packed with outlandish attractions.Step off the beaten tourist track and visit some of these lesser known shopping centres. You might find just what you are looking for.

WAFI
Oud Metha
Wafi is a great tourist destination. Not only is it packed with some of the more off-the-wall stores in the city, but the Egyptian-themed complex is also home to a great selection of restaurants as well as a spa, Cleopatra’s.Boutique clothing stores include Salam, that stocks collections by Chloé, Christian Lacroix and Dolce & Gabbana.

Visit Ginger & Lace, a kitsch-cool shop featuring brands such as Betsey Johnson and Zufi Alexander. There is also an underground souq, Khan Murjan,where you can buy traditional Arabic goods from specialised shops. Jewellery, spices, soaps and carved furniture are just some of the items on sale at the souq.

VILLAGE MALL
Jumeirah Road, Jumeirah 1
Village Mall is the perfect pit stop between lazing on the beach and stopping at a nearby café for a slice of carrot cake. Some of the city’s cult boutiques are found here. Ayesha Depala is where Dubai’s socialites can be found, searching for their next launch party jaw-dropping dress; Luxe Couture is full of the latest sophisticated, urban clothing handpicked from around the world and S*uce is full of colour and fun. If you have the time,visit Shakespeare’s Café. Its chintzy décor and spectacular dessertsmake it a great place to relax after rummaging through the boutiques.

OASIS CENTRE
Shaikh Zayed Road
The recently reopened Oasis Centre has four levels of retail space catering to families.Conveniently situated on Shaikh Zayed Road it’s full of familiar brands such New Look, Shoe Mart, Carrefour and local budget fashion brand Splash.If you don’t relish the thought of spending the whole day in a mall, Oasis Centre is in the perfect location for a quick shopping stop-off.

TIME SQUARE CENTRE
Shaikh Zayed Road
Though it’s perhaps not the most exciting shopping mall in the city, Time Square is home to one of Dubai’s best kept secrets, the Middle East’s first Ice Lounge. Customers are given a cosy jacket, gloves and shoes before they enter the sub-zero temperatures of the lounge. Tuck into soup, hot chocolate, sandwiches or sushi before heading back out to browsethe fashion and lifestyle shops in the mall.

LAMCY PLAZA
Oud Metha
With a focus on bargains, Lamcy Plaza is packed with budget brands and high street names. It’s always a hive of activity and is home to well-known brands such as Damas, Monsoon, Paris Gallery, Nine West, Bossini and Nayomi.

DRAGON MART
International City
A popular favourite of residents, Dragon Mart is situated on the outskirts of Dubai. The imposing dragon-inspired building is an enormous 1.2km-long mall filled with Chineseinspired shops and stalls.

Selling everything from trinkets and electronics to foodstuffs,it is the largest Chinese trading hub outside of China’smainland. It makes for a quirky tourist destination, and we’ll guarantee that you won’t get around it all in a day—nor leave the shopping centre empty-handed.

EMIRATES TOWERS
DIFC
Though you will have spotted Emirates Towers while whizzing up and down Shaikh Zayed Road, you may not have visited the uber-luxe mall inside. Full of an exclusive selection of high-end shops, it’s aimed at the high-rolling office workers based in the floors above. You’ll find shops including Coach, Pucci, Balenciaga and multi-brand designer stores, Boutique 1 and Ounass. There isn’t much in the way of high-street brands, but during the sales, there are some spectacular bargains to be had.

MERCATO
Jumeirah Road
Mercato is a local favourite, situated in a particularly relaxed area of the city, opposite Jumeirah Open Beach. It’s themed like a Renaissance village and has a pleasant, laidback vibe to it. The shop selection is relatively small, but it’s easy to while away an hour or two perusing Topshop, Aldo and Virgin Megastore. There’s also a multiplex and plenty of dining options, making it a great low-key alternative to some of the city’s more hectic shopping venues.

MARINA MALL
If you’re in the Marina area, this is a quiet venue for a quick shopping fix. Karen Millen, New Look, Reiss and Accessorize are some of the mall’s fashion stores, while Waitrose – one of only two in the city – is a star attraction.

Gifted Child: Little whiz kid

By Faisal Masudi

Filipino wonder boy not only cracks math problems with lightning speed, but also catches teachers’ mistakes.

Five-year-old Aeron Alde is always asking questions

DUBAI : What's 385 x 275?

Five-year-old Aeron Alde can work out the answer (105,875) in about the same time it takes grown ups to find the calculator option on the mobile phone.

But the Filipino boy wonder is not just lighting-quick at cracking math problems more suited for children twice his age.

He knows the capitals of almost all countries, catches teachers' mistakes at school and sometimes gives his seniors science lessons.And while many adults don't even know where Uzbekistan is, Alde can name the Central Asian country's capital city — Tashkent. He also knows Stockholm is Sweden's capital.

"I want to learn Swedish," Alde said.

SHARP MEMORY
The kindergarten student of The Philippine School (TPS), Dubai recently corrected mistakes on a grade-two English exam sheet.

He asked the teacher why she had used words with the same meaning unnecessarily in one sentence, TPS Principal Dr Edna Gabrido-Ramos said.

"There were some redundancies, which he circled out with a pen. And he rejected another question, saying it was invalid because ‘Hong Kong is not a country'," said Gabrido-Ramos.

"He's brilliant in every subject; I knew that as soon as he had come in for admission. We don't know if he's officially a genius, but he's definitely gifted."
She also suspects he has a photographic memory. "He never forgets anything he sees. He knows the exact sequence and reference codes of all questions; he refers to them when he discusses the answers."

Despite Alde's talents, Gabrido-Ramos is concerned about upgrading him to higher grades.

She said: "He's just a child; he needs to be with his own group. He's not ready physically and psychologically to jump classes."

At home, Alde is busy reading encyclopedias and dictionaries, his father Adelio said.

"I've to literally pull him off the books. He wants to study a lot, like trying to do six-digit by six-digit multiplications, but too much study time is also not healthy," said Adelio, who works in the airline industry.

"He's a great kid, always asking questions and smiling. Sometimes people ask me what school he goes to," Adelio quipped.

However, Alde does take time out, playing with his younger brother and watching cartoons.

"I like animation movies. Cars and Dora the Explorer are my favourites," he said.

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Sleep Boxes in Dubai, what's next?

Rumor has it that Dubai Airport is installing 50-70 ‘Sleep Boxes’. Sleep Boxes are small cubicle spaces that are available at public places like Airports, train stations etc where people can book the ‘box’ for set time period to catch some sleep. It offers a small resting space while you wait for that connection in few hours. Ofcourse it doesnt come with attached washroom…you can use a public one for that. The concept is not new as Japan already has ‘Capsule Hotels’ that serve the same purpose. The only difference is that Sleep Boxes are bigger in size and give space to sit and sleep.

Sleep Boxes are designed by Arch Group [Russia]

SLEEPBOX is intended primarily to perform one main function – to enable a person to sleep peacefully. But it can also be equipped with various additional functions, depending on the situation. Application of the device can be very broad, not only in the form of paid public service, but also for internal purposes of organizations and companies.

* Size: 2 m x 1,40m x 2,30m to sleep in comfort and security.
* Cheap sleep in case of emergency for anyone rich or poor!!
* No time wasted looking for a hotel
* Designed to be installed at train stations and airports, and central public places or cities where accommodation is fully booked.
* In tropical climate countries the sleeper box can be installed outdoors in main streets.
* The space includes bed, linen, ventilation system, alarm. LCD TV, WiFi , space for your laptop and re chargeable phone. Under your bed and floor there is a cupboard for your luggage.
* Payment is made at terminals who will give clients an electronic key that can be purchased for 15 minutes or for as many hours as you need.

Don't they look neat!  Let's go and visit Dubai, now!

Steeds on show at Arabian Horse Championships

Arabia's finest stallions were put on display at the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championships 

Dubai to get 100 pedestrian bridges by 2012

More than 100 pedestrian bridges by 2012 will include 47 metro station bridges when all the Metro stations on the Red and the Green Line open by the end of 2011.


Dubai will have more than 100 pedestrian bridges within the next two years, as stated in Gulf News.

The move comes as part of Dubai Pedestrian Safety and Mobility Action Plan launched by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) at the end of 2008. The plan involves infrastructure and policy improvements to create a safe walking culture.

The three-year-goal of the plan is to reduce pedestrian accidents by 30 per cent and achieve an increase of 20 per cent in pedestrian traffic by 2012.

"We are well on track as we will have around 100 pedestrian bridges in addition to tens of dozens of normal crossings by 2012 compared to 16 pedestrian bridges in 2007," a senior RTA official told Gulf News.

He added that the RTA built eight pedestrian bridges in 2008, bringing the total number to 22. The number of pedestrian bridges increased to 40 by the end of 2009, including the bridges linked to the Dubai Metro stations.

The official said that construction on at least 16 pedestrian bridges is on the cards. There are slight changes in the specifications and the completion time has been extended. The more than 100 pedestrian bridges by 2012 will include 47 metro station bridges when all the Metro stations on the Red and the Green Line open by the end of 2011.

Most of the new bridges will be air-conditioned and have escalators and elevators. Existing crossings will be replaced with new ones in phases.

"Our long-term vision is to have ‘zero fatalities' with regard to pedestrian fatalities from the road network," the official added.

According to RTA statistics, 69 pedestrians were killed on Dubai Roads in 2001. There were 145 deaths in 2007, which accounted for 44 per cent of the total road fatalities.

Pedestrian fatalities dropped 27 per cent to 106 in 2008 and fell to 70 in 2009, thanks to new pedestrian bridges and zebra crossings equipped with signals.

"Reduced pedestrian fatalities is a big achievement and we are well on target to make Dubai pedestrian-friendly city," said the official.

Pedestrians have been warned that crossing the road in undesignated areas, especially on a road that has a speed limit above 80 km per hour, carries a fine of Dh200.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA said: "The excellent cooperation and coordination between the RTA and the Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police General HQ and driving institutes has resulted in a drop in traffic accidents fatality rate in Dubai from 21 cases per 100,000 of population in 2005 to about 12.7 cases per 100,000 cases of population in 2009."

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Countdown to the Dubai World Cup

It's the world's richest horse race attracting the creme de la creme of the racing community and it's back.

 Celebrating 15 years of racing action and off-track style, The Dubai World Cup is the "must-attend" event on the social calendar.

Recognised on a global scale as an annual event just as much about fashion and style as the racing, it's not only the horses who grab the limelight.

A new home, fancy new hotel, spa and restaurants, The Dubai World Cup also marks the official launch of Meydan - the shiny new race course which replaces Nad Al Sheba.

Expect an opening extravaganza featuring a sensorial, historical and emotional journey through Dubai's history, equine heritage and the creation of Meydan.

Better yet, look forward to a breath-taking firework display courtesy of Phil Grucci - the man behind the pyrotechnics at the Beijing Olympics and the opening of Atlantis The Palm.

Water scarcity and quality remain biggest problems

The biggest problem with water is, and will remain, scarcity and quality says Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water
 

Dubai: UAE residents are still among the largest water consumers in the world, with a daily consumption of around 550 litres per day three times the global average, according to experts.

The biggest problem with water is, and will remain, scarcity and quality said Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water. Speaking to commemorate World Water Day, Bin Fahd said water is essential for urban development and plays a fundamental role in life.

World Day for Water is celebrated by the General Assembly of the United Nations every March 22. The slogan being observed for 2010 is, "Clean Water for Healthy World".

The day aims to raise awareness on the sustainable ecosystems and human well-being and addressing the growing challenges in the field of water management in order to achieve better water quality.

"The issue of water quality and the rationalisation of consumption is not only the responsibility of the State and all its bodies, but also certainly the responsibility of all residents. Children should be taught within the family the importance of non-pollution of water and correct the wrong behaviours that cause waste and extravagance of this vital resource," he said.

"The emphasis is also on the private sector to conserve water and minimise pollution during industrial activities."

Bin Fahd added that governments, organisations and communities all over the world should be encouraged to assume proactive roles on this issue and act to prevent pollution and set up clean-up activities.

To save water the ministry has constructed 114 dams to store a capacity of 118 million cubic metres of water. It is estimated that 19.2 million cubic metres of water per year is needed to feed the aquifers with fresh water.
Desalination, a necessary but energy-intensive technology, produces 1.3 billion cubic metres of fresh water to meet the needs of the population and industry. Around 400 million cubic metres of water is produced from treated greywater to irrigate parks.

In collaboration with the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture, the ministry is looking to develop fodder grown in saline water.

The Emirates Wildlife Society, in association with the World Wide Fund for Nature, which launched the ‘Heroes of the UAE' water campaign, urging residents to adopt simple tips to reduce their water wastage, just a few simple changes could save each household up to 46 per cent, or 252 litres of water per person.

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