Essential

The United Arab Emirates will begin shortly begin issuing multiple-entry visas to foreign property owners.

From June 1 2009 an expatriate owning a property in the UAE will be able to obtain a multiple-entry visa that will be valid for six months.

A visa will cost AED 2000 and can be renewed provided the property owner leaves the UAE for at least one month.

Conditions include:

• The property must be worth at least AED 1 million
• The owner must have a monthly income of at least AED 10,000
• The owner must obtain the title of the property from the registration authority in the relevant emirate.

The visa does not give the holder the right to work.

A report by global financial services firm UBS predicts that the population of Dubai will fall by 8 percent in 2009 and 2 percent in 2010.

The vast majority of workers in Dubai are expatriates. Significant numbers are employed in the city’s troubled real estate and construction sectors.

Royal Caribbean International has announced it will deploy the cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas to Dubai in 2010. Between January and April 2010 it will offer 7-night sailings from Dubai. Detailed itineraries will be announced over the next few weeks.

Michael Bayley, Senior Vice President, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd said ‘Dubai is a dynamic and thriving city that shows great growth potential. Building on our reputation for introducing revolutionary cruise experiences, we are excited to provide a different cruise vacation than traditionally offered in this region. Royal Caribbean continues to attract vacationers globally and we are thrilled to offer new and exciting choices for our guests - combining our distinct onboard amenities with compelling itineraries including the Arabian Gulf’s most popular destinations.’

Several Dubai-based tourism businesses featured in the Business Traveller Awards 2008 held at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel in London last week. The winners included:

Best Long-Haul Airline

1 Singapore Airlines
2 British Airways
3 Virgin Atlantic
4 Emirates

Best Economy Class Airline

1 Singapore Airlines
2 British Airways
3 Virgin Atlantic
4 Emirates

Best Middle Eastern Airline

1 Emirates
2 Qatar Airways
3 Etihad Airways
4 El Al

Best Business Hotel Chain in the Middle East

1 Jumeirah
2 Hilton
3 InterContinental
4 Sheraton

Best Business Hotel Worldwide

1 Shangri-La Singapore
2 The Peninsula Hong Kong
3 InterContinental Hong Kong
4 Jumeirah Emirates Towers Dubai

Best New Business Hotel

1 Grosvenor House Dubai
2 St Regis Singapore
3 Four Seasons Hong Kong
4 Hilton London Canary Wharf

Best Business Hotel in the Middle East

1 Jumeirah Emirates Towers Dubai
2 Burj Al Arab Dubai
3 Grosvenor House Dubai
4 Shangri-La Dubai

Best Resort Hotel

1 Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai
2 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Muscat
3 Madinat Jumeirah Dubai
4 Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Penang

Best Airport in the World

1 Singapore Changi Airport
2 Hong Kong International Airport
3 Dubai International Airport
4 Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Best Airport for Duty-Free Shopping

1 Singapore Changi Airport
2 Dubai International Airport
3 London Heathrow Airport
4 Hong Kong International Airport

BBC Radio 1 DJ Raymond Bingham, aka Grooverider, has been released from prison in Dubai. He was arrested at Dubai International Airport in November 2007 after forgetting to remove a cannabis joint from his trousers and was sentenced to 4 years in prison earlier this year.

He was pardoned as part of a Ramadan amnesty after serving just 10 months of his sentence.

A fire has broken out at the Atlantis hotel in Dubai. The blaze started at around 7.30 am in the main lobby just weeks before it was due to open on September 24. At the height of the fire, plumes smoke stretched more than one kilometre into the air.

Developers Nakheel have stated that the fire has now been extinguished and was contained in the lobby.

Silverjet Airlines has grounded its fleet after rescue funds promised last week failed to materialise.

A statement on the company’s website dated May 30 reads, ‘Silverjet continues to be in discussions with investors interested in supporting the business of Silverjet, however it has yet to conclude such discussions to its satisfaction. It is with deep regret that the Board of Silverjet has therefore decided that it must suspend operations with immediate effect. The last service of Silverjet was the flight from Dubai to London Luton, which departed at 7.30 am (BST) this morning.’

Dubai Municipality has outlawed cigarette sales to anybody under the age of 20. The ban takes place with immediate effect and was advertised yesterday in several Arabic-language newspapers. Young people are also barred from public areas where smoking is permitted.

Salem Mesmar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Health, Safety and Environment Control Sector said, ‘Statistics show that three out of 10 people in the UAE smoke. There is an even greater danger from the passive or second-hand smoking.’

The severity of Dubai’s drug laws was highlighted yesterday when influential British DJ Grooverider was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for possession of cannabis. Grooverider, the stage name of Raymond Bingham, is widely recognised as one of the founders of the drum and bass movement.

Grooverider was arrested at Dubai International Airport in Novemeber as he flew into to perform at The Lodge nightclub. He had forgotten to remove a joint containing 2.16 grams of cannabis from his trousers.

Earlier this month another British visitor, Keith Brown, was jailed for 4 years after 0.003 g of cannabis was found stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The piece of cannabis was so small that it could not been seen with the naked eye.

The severity of Dubai’s drug laws was highlighted yesterday when influential British DJ Grooverider was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for possession of cannabis. Grooverider, the stage name of Raymond Bingham, is widely recognised as one of the founders of the drum and bass movement.

Grooverider was arrested at Dubai International Airport in Novemeber as he flew into to perform at The Lodge nightclub. He had forgotten to remove a joint containing 2.16 grams of cannabis from his trousers.

Earlier this month another British visitor, Keith Brown, was jailed for 4 years after 0.003 g of cannabis was found stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The piece of cannabis was so small that it could not been seen with the naked eye.