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Built to host dignitaries and now a 390-room hotel, the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental commands its own 1.3km private white-sand beach on the Gulf, moments from the capital's fashion stores and fine dining.
Back in February 2019, we (like everyone else) were taken aback by the announcement from the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (popularly known as MBZ) that there would be a new project on Saadiyat Island grouping – for the very first time – a house of worsh…
Staged across Abu Dhabi and the archaeological site of Al Ain under the theme Public Matter, this new biennial bridges past and present, recontextualising historic spaces as canvases for creative expression.
Opened beside the World Trade Centre, the twin-tower complex suspends a 205-metre bridge a hundred metres above the city, housing two Kerzner hotels and the UAE's longest infinity pool.
Eight years in the making, Atlantis, The Royal is unlike any resort before it. Having enjoyed the original Atlantis, The Palm, our writer wondered whether Dubai truly needed a second, then discovered something altogether different.
1. Flamingo Room is the brainchild of Natasha Sideris, a South African of Greek descent whose rapidly growing group now owns 25 restaurants and cafés, including 17 in South Africa and eight in Dubai (six Tashas Cafés, a Greek taverna called Avli, Galaxy Bar, and its most successful conc…
Al Maryah Island is fast becoming Abu Dhabi's hottest address, drawing LPM, the Four Seasons and Zuma. The latest arrival is a beautifully designed, modestly sized yet thoroughly impressive commercial space created for Apple.
Sometimes, simply standing apart is enough to make you stand out. It’s certainly the case with The Dubai Edition, which purposefully eschews all of those Arabesque references and ornamentation that we see so often in other Dubai hotels to offer a travertine-and-timber vision of understa…
Marriott's newest luxury brand, conceived with Studio 54's Ian Schrager to make hotels that don't act like hotels, lands in Downtown Dubai with a soaring lobby, four restaurants and 275 rooms.
The fifth cycle of Dubai Chamber's Smartpreneur Competition exceeded expectations, attracting high-potential start-ups. Revealed in August, the three finalists were ProvenMed Global in first place, Callix in second and PlasticFri in third.
From an 18th-century coral watchtower to a thriving cultural quarter, Abu Dhabi's oldest building has been reborn — crowned by CEBRA's award-winning Musallah, a prayer hall that rises from the water like rock.
One of Dubai's oldest malls weathered the rise of glossier rivals, then quietly reinvented itself. A new southern walkway lined with Middle Eastern debuts marks Burjuman's return to the fashion conversation.
Privacy and natural beauty merge at Al Faya Lodge & Spa, an eco-retreat in Sharjah’s historic Mleiha desert designed by Anarchitect. Drive down the UAE’s Al Batayeh-Al Faya Road fast enough and you might miss the five-room Al Faya Lodge & Spa, set at the foot of Sharjah’s Mount …
Can one man’s dump ever be another one’s Eden? Apparently so. The Wasit Natural Reserve Visitor Centre in Sharjah boasts eco-friendly credentials that make it the ultimate haven for migratory birds. The UAE emirate of Sharjah is showing the way when it comes to eco-friendly projec…
As the Beirut Institute Summit convenes in Abu Dhabi, a moderator and five designers debate the circular economy, craft heritage and whether the Arab world can finally be seen as a creator rather than merely a buyer.
It’s hard to think of anything as simple in Dubai. You might even call the glitzy city a Babylon for our era: built to wow the world and endowed with the world’s tallest tower, man-made islands shaped like palm trees and marble everything, ideally inlaid with gold. Ferraris and Rolls Ro…
It was a seminal moment for Dubai when in November 2018, the Emirate’s first non-governmental contemporary art institution opened on the Jaddaf Waterfront. Designed by London-based Serie Architects, which is led by Principal and co-founder Christopher Lee, the new Jameel Arts Centre spr…
Hidden on Sheikh Zayed Road, Trèsind reimagines traditional Indian cooking through chef Himanshu Saini's inventive, flavour-led dishes, pairing progressive fusion with old-fashioned French Guéridon service.
Dubai is notorious for its pulsating dining scene, and the recently opened Gaia in DIFC is one more extraordinary place to indulge in gastronomical pleasure. It’s the latest brainchild of homegrown chef Izu Ani, serving up Greek-Mediterranean fusion cuisine in a slick, neo-classical set…
There comes a time for every parent when they’re suddenly faced with the prospect of organising a family trip to Disney World. That’s not so bad, some of you singles and newlyweds might be naively thinking – it is the happiest place on Earth after all, right? Well, that description fits…
Walk into the soaring, light-filled lobby of The Abu Dhabi Edition and the first thing you’ll notice is the seductive fragrance perfuming the air. It’s a proprietary blend created expressly for the chain by Parisian parfumiers, Le Labo and the tones of black tea, bergamot and other undi…
It’s said that La Perle won’t turn a profit for the first five years. That provides some inkling into how much money was spent conceptualising this mind-blowing show and turning it into a reality. Indeed, the four credits pages at the back of the show’s official programme read like a Ho…
As part of an ongoing series, the photographer turns his lens on the working offices of Dubai's design firms, finding an abundance of new spaces but few of the historic buildings that define other cities.
Alongside the customary exhibits, Art Dubai introduced a Residents section, inviting eleven artists from around the world to spend weeks in the city creating work inspired by the local environment.
When the Catalan trio RCR Arquitectes, this year's Pritzker laureates celebrated for their masterful play of light and shadow, took on a Dubai project, our writer was frankly astonished by the prospect.
Held over five days at the DIFC, the third edition of Dubai Watch Week traded insider stories on fakes, etiquette and icons, with Bovet, MB&F and H. Moser among the headline names.
It was a tall order if there ever was one: build a Louvre in the desert, in a city with a negligible tourism industry and a dubious (at least from a European perspective) cultural scene. But there was no turning back once a 400 million Euro deal was signed between the UAE and France in …
Once the capital of the old kingdom of Oman, Mleiha is now part of the UAE and it happens to be a treasure trove of ancient sites and artefacts. As a result, the Sharjah Department of Antiquities has built a stunning new archaeological centre to attract tourists and residents alike. In …
As the region's flagship maritime gathering returns to Dubai Harbour, megayacht unveilings, debut flybridge cruisers and a vast new marina project are stoking bullish confidence across the Gulf's boating industry.
The Middle East's only fair devoted to museum-quality collectible design returns to Dubai Design District, raising the benchmark with fifty international galleries, a strong British showing and a record turnout of Emirati talent.
Resembling a J-class spinnaker driven into its own artificial island, the Burj Al Arab was the world's most talked-about hotel when it opened in 1999, swiftly becoming Dubai's landmark and the tallest hotel on earth.
Bespoke sponsors the first Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards in Abu Dhabi, where a data-driven rating system crowns the world's finest retreats, from Empty Quarter dunes to a Maldivian atoll.
Built layer by layer in just 17 days, the Dubai Future Foundation's new headquarters marks an architectural and engineering breakthrough, and the opening salvo in an ambitious bid to reinvent how cities are made.
Before 2008, it seemed as though a new and exciting project would be launched almost every day in Dubai. After the bubble burst, so many plans got put on the backburner that it was impossible to tell which projects were put on hold and which were abandoned altogether. The Palazzo Versac…
Anyone who knows Dubai knows it stops for no one, not even a global economic crisis. From its choked arterial roads at rush hour to the official statistics, every measure confirms a relentlessly bustling city.
Kate Hazell checks into the second Four Seasons to open in Dubai, an Adam Tihany-designed hideaway tucked into the financial district, weighing its quiet splendour, Michael Mina dining and rooftop views against the city's super-sized hotels.
Susan Sontag's line that everything exists to end in a photograph came to mind at the first Dubai Photo Exhibition, where the Moroccan showcase paid moving tribute to the late photographer Leila Alaoui.
As the Armani Hotel Dubai turns five, we celebrate its quiet refusal of Arabian cliché, Giorgio Armani's hand-picked materials and the world's tallest tower wrapped around it.
Dubai's forest of residential towers suggests a glut of empty homes, yet the reality is more nuanced. With over twenty per cent of properties held by absentee owners, common assumptions about oversupply deserve scrutiny.
Far more than gadgets and racing, Big Boys Toys is a platform for cutting-edge innovation. This November it returns to its original home, Abu Dhabi, after three years staged in neighbouring Dubai.
Rivals may carry more passengers or earn larger revenues, but Emirates has its own bragging rights. Profits leapt forty per cent last year on rapid expansion and cheaper fuel, served by an exceptionally young fleet and countless awards.
At first glance Fadi Sarieddine's furniture looks brutal, all hard angles and sawn-off diamond planes forming crystalline shells. Yet the longer you look at these origami-like surfaces, the more magnetic they become.
Karl Lagerfeld brought Chanel's 2014/15 Cruise collection to a man-made island owned by Dubai's Crown Prince, staging eighty-four looks for a thousand guests ferried in by abra boats.
After almost a decade of breakneck development and ever more hallucinatory projects, our region has fallen quieter of late. Now one boldly twisting new tower reminds us just how much we have missed the spectacle.
Two hours off Abu Dhabi's Al Gharbia coast lies Sir Bani Yas, a sanctuary of rugged landscapes, a luxurious Anantara resort and spa, and a spectacular wildlife reserve, dating back four decades, teeming with endangered animals.
Flying to Dubai to spend New Year's Eve in a hotel of silk skirts, Venetian glass and gold-threaded bedspreads, our writer finds she no longer wishes to linger between unfamiliar sheets. They will simply pass through.
It was with trepidation and excitement that our writer wound along the roads by the Hyatt Capital Gate to the Rayana Spa. A trip to be pampered and thumped into relaxation is hardly his average experience.
Amid searing heat and suffocating humidity, a city unlike any other emerges from the scrubland, reliant on no neighbour to survive. We explore an audacious experiment in sustainable living at the very edge of possibility.
As spring nears, our writer dreams of the Maldives, of azure ocean and white sand, of being nowhere at all. Yet such a paradise lies far closer, on a natural island just 500 metres off the coast.
You could easily spend your first hours at Abu Dhabi's Park Hyatt Hotel and Villas getting pleasantly lost. The freshly opened property is so expansive that, between room, library, spa and beach, it seems to stretch forever.
Its First Class offers suites rather than seats, and a Six Senses spa graces its lounges. Joseph Ghandour examines how Etihad swept another stellar year of accolades to become our favourite way of flying.
With dark oak panelling, mellow lighting, green leather and a stained-glass terrace, Martin Brudnizki has impressively recreated the between-the-wars feel of the Ivy's elder sibling. Happily, the resemblances do not end with the decor.
At the western tip of Palm Island, the new One and Only resort can be reached by limousine from the airport. Yet the truer indulgence, our writer discovers, is to arrive by private launch from the sea.
The ability for couples to successfully work together is so mired in pitfalls that it’s rare to discover people doing it prosperously and harmoniously. Dubai-based interior designers, Paul and Ellen Bishop are doing just that.
‘The Toolman maintenance company was founded ‘by Dubai home owners for Dubai home owners’ declares the simple, yet accessible website, toolman.ae - its friendly logo featuring an energetic maintenance man wearing a red hardhat and holding a spanner aloft. “Before Toolman, whenever people n
Banyan Tree is a busy company. After starting with just a single boutique resort in Thailand’s Phuket back in 1994, it has grown into a global multi-business operator with over 20 resorts and hotels. Its first Middle Eastern offering was the Al Areen in Bahrain close to the Formula One cir
For six weeks, from last February to April, the inaugural Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium (ADISS) brought together 17 international sculptors with a mandate to create striking works of art and to educate the public. Never before had such a diverse group of sculptors descended u
La Petite Maison combines the elegance of French cuisine with a soupçon of Italian fare. The result is a menu in which pasta and meat dishes are as tempting as the light Mediterranean titbits. Seafood is a common occurrence, but so are heartier dishes that would not be out of place in Ligu
Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island made history in two ways in November 2010. It was the location for one of Formula One’s most exciting championship-deciding races and it was the site of Ferrari World’s grand opening. In case you haven’t already heard, Ferrari World is the largest indoor theme park e
At Milan Design Week, where contemporary designs fight for attention, an unknown house turned heads with its 'Local' collection. Alex Ritman talks shop with Rami Farook, the Emirati founder taking Middle Eastern creations worldwide.
Christie's International increased its worldwide sales by 10 per cent during the first half of 2010 thanks to strong sales in the Middle East, Russia and Asia. Though art sales often draw more attention, jewellery auction sales are increasing by a faster rate. Here, Bespoke talks to Lyne K
Crouching in the shadow of an artificial ski slope is the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC is pioneering the establishment of a home-grown performing arts movement within the Emirate.
The Middle East, and the UAE in particular, has emerged as a premium venue for world-class concerts and events in the past few years. Leading the field is Flash Event Management of Abu Dhabi.
If polo is the sport of kings and elephant polo is the sport of maharajahs, then camel polo must be the sport of sheikhs. Bespoke discovers the perfect activity for a corporate teambuilding exercise or simply a day out with friends and family.
The 0-14 Tower in Dubai looks set to change the architectural landscape of the Emirate with a truly unique and stylised design. It’s also one of Dubai’s most technically advanced and ecologically efficient buildings.
An island encompassing a nature reserve, world-renowned museums, international university campuses, luxury accommodation and a bustling economic centre, Saadiyat Island is the key to Abu Dhabi’s own ambitious plans.
With a number of ‘Nouveau Izakaya’ eateries vying to be Dubai’s best contemporary Japanese restaurant, it is clear to see how the battle to be number one is fiercely competitive. Bespoke puts the two best in a head-to-head battle.
What Anantara Resort Where Sir Bani Yas Island, a wildlife reservation off the coast of Abu Dhabi When The resort opened to the public in October of last year Why An ambitious wildlife preservation project coupled with an exclusive luxury retreat make for an incredible destination for a ge
What KidZania Where Dubai Mall, next to Burj Dubai Concept A child-sized replica of a real city in which children can try out professions and learn the value of money Why This award-winning ‘edu-tainment’ facility offers children the chance to experience a unique real-life business and soc
What The Address Where Downtown Burj Dubai Features 63 storey-high building featuring 196 hotel rooms and 626 serviced residences Why Emaar’s venture into the hospitality business has come up trumps thanks to a great combination of location, benefits and services. www.theaddress.com “Where
With hotels mushrooming all over the city, visitors to Dubai have an endless array of choices. However one hotel has managed to stay on top for close to a decade and that is a rare feat in a city like this.
Chalked out over a space the size of Singapore, Dubai’s tourism project - Dubailand - was being heralded as the most ambitious tourism, leisure and entertainment venture in the world. Yet with the economic downturn what will become of it?
Traffic – Dubai According to Sheikh Majed el Sabah, founder of the luxury Middle Eastern department stores, Villa Moda, “design was introducd to Dubai via Traffic.” This 650 square-metre showroom, library, shop and gallery, is home to the works of globally renowned designers as well as reg
While some go up and others go down its nice you to know there is somewhere to get away from it all, even in Dubai. The Park Hyatt is a secret haven of a hotel that also manages to successfully offer that most elusive of escapisms, a quality city spa.
Burj Dubai stands as a great testament to Dubai’s colossal ambitions and Emaar’s steadfast resolve.
Capital Club is our region’s first gentlemen’s club, offering its members-only patrons the chance to network and unwind in equal measure.
Writer Nicolas Shammas PULL-OUT QUOTE: “To focus too much on the rooms is to miss the point of this hotel. In exactly the same manner as a casino, the unsaid message of this hotel is to ‘get out and enjoy yourself.’” Sybaritic dreams Atlantis, The Palm wins this year’s Bespoke Ultimate Esc
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa is renowned the world over for his exquisite fusion of Japanese and South American cuisines. Now with the imminent opening of the region’s first Nobu, Karim Munib gains an exclusive access to the star chef.
O’ de Rose is a one-of-a-kind boutique in Dubai that was born from the passion of three like minded cousins. Riwa Beydoun pays the new store a visit to ascertain just what makes it so special.
Tailoring the details of a sport to the player is a service few will offer. Abu Dhabi’s Golf Club however, is taking that leap and Sara Hamzeh unravels how.
CineStar Cinemas Gold Class is an unparalleled movie-going experience. Bespoke tells you why you should opt for this VIP cinema the next time you feel the urge for a big screen night out.
Furnishing your apartment can be a logistical nightmare, especially if you spend most of your time at work. Enter Move-in, the one-stop-furniture-package-shop that promises to have you moved in within a couple of weeks as Bespoke discovers.
Vegetarian fine dining need no longer mean foregoing the main dish to only enjoy the sides. With Magnolia restaurant in Dubai comes the dawn of a new era in culinary perceptions. Bespoke’s restaurant of choice actually makes greens look good.
A business unit of Dubai’s The Grooming Company, 1847 is a brilliant concept making it convenient and comfortable for men to smarten themselves up and de-stress at the same time.
Palm Jumeirah is a modern wonder of the world, testing our ingenuity to the fullest and resulting in an accomplishment for all mankind and not just Arabs.
Nakheel and Dubai To understand the story of Nakheel is to understand the story of Dubai: one of limitless ambition and a dogged vision. Once a sleepy town, whose major industries were fishing, pearl diving, and low-level trade, Dubai has within the space of a generation transformed itself