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Tag: Dubai

  • Kim Kardashian Nixes India Trip Due To Obligations In Dubai

    If you’re a Kim Kardashian-West fan in India who was hoping to catch a glimpse of the reality television diva, you’re out of luck!

    Kim Kardashian, who’s currently in Australia promoting her new perfume Fleur Fatale, apologized to fans on her Instagram account.

    She wrote:

    To all my wonderful fans in India, I’m so disappointed I wasn’t able to come to India as planned.

    When the opportunity presented itself to make the trip, there was a short window to coordinate all of the elements necessary to make it happen. Unfortunately, time ran out so the trip has been canceled.

    Kardashian said that she would reschedule and that she looked forward to meeting her fans in the flesh soon.

    There had been all sorts of excitement and speculation about Kim Kardashian’s time in India.

    At one point, it was believed the 34-year-old celeb would appear on the highly popular Indian reality TV show Big Boss.

    That plan was scrapped along with any other promotional plans in India.

    Amid the disappointment, there is some confusion as to what kept Kim K. from arriving as planned.

    According to multiple sources within India, it all came down to visa issues.

    A source told the Hindustan Times that Kim Kardashian planned to travel from India to Dubai on her tour.

    This would require an in-person visit to the consulate since she was coming from a foreign country to India. She would also be destined for another foreign country rather than headed home after her time in India.

    Since Kim Kardashian had a packed schedule in Dubai, she did not have the extra time to work out visa issues.

    Unfortunately, this led to Kardashian scrapping her time in India altogether.

    Though this turn of events is no doubt disappointing to Kardashian fans in India, perhaps this issue will inspire better planning in the future.

  • Perfume Internet Advice: Avoid Counterfeits & Carry It In Your iPhone Case

    For the Spring season, the internet has began dishing out perfume advice. Some of the advice is typical, but a lot of it can be eye opening or downright bizarre.

    First, stealing or making counterfeit perfume can not only be a social faux pas, it can get you arrested. On Wednesday, CBS reported that two men were arrested in New York’s Perfume District on Broadway for selling and making counterfeit perfume. The men were charged with trademark counterfeiting, but what’s worse is what they used to make their fake products.

    “What is often in fake fragrances are ingredients like antifreeze, poorly based chemicals — and urine,” President Valerie Salembier of the Authentics Foundation told CBS, “If it’s too pale, that means it’s heavy alcohol. If it’s too dark, it is most likely using faux chemicals.”

    YouTube has lots of advice on how to avoid counterfeit products, especially in New York City:

    Stealing perfume can lower your social acumen and land you in court. Don’t follow the path of a Dubai airport safety officer who absentmindedly used perfume he found at work. Gulf News published this embarrassing exchange in court:

    “’I took the bottle by mistake. I found it at the section where I worked and used it to smell nice. I liked the perfume and I mistakenly placed the bottle in a bag and was caught by security while leaving my workplace,’ said R.K. when he entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

    ‘What do you mean that you took it by mistake?’ presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi asked him.

    ‘Sir, I did intend to steal it. I tried the perfume for a while and liked it. I decided to use it but I did not want to steal it. What happened was a mistake,’ replied the suspect.

    Thereafter presiding judge Al Mahdi changed the charge to attempted theft.

    It could have been more embarrassing. The guard could have been caught stealing pizza scented perfume, or worse:

    If you need help finding the perfume that’s right for you, there are a myriad of iPhone apps to help you in your search. Or you can just upgrade your iPhone case into a perfume dispenser:

    For those who don’t use perfume, the Huffington Post came up with a list of other possible liquids for the case, including water (to cool down in summer), hot sauce (to help with lunch), and vodka (for “liquid courage on the go”).

    Image via Rahul Dharod, YouTube.

  • Scorpions Drummer Jailed for a Month in Dubai

    Scorpions Drummer Jailed for a Month in Dubai

    Scorpions drummer James Kottak was arrested at Dubai International Airport for drunk and disorderly conduct on April 3, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the crime of insulting Islam. According to Dubai state-run newspaper The National, Kottak flipped the bird and mooned other travelers while in an airport transit hall.

    Kottak told police he had taken a wrong turn on his way to a Formula One grand prix gig in Bahrain, and subsequently denied flashing his middle finger, dropping his pants or insulting Islam.

    A witness described as ‘Officer AA’ said he heard Kottak saying “what is this disgusting smell?” before insulting Islam. “I didn’t see anything else but I heard him. I then informed my supervisor, who came and took the defendant away,” AA added. A Jordanian passenger services agent called ‘AB’ said that Kottak was shouting “non-educated Muslims” and then gave other passengers the middle finger.

    Kottak has been sitting in a Dubai jail since the incident, and will soon be released, having logged some time served. Kottak did plead guilty to being intoxicated without a license, and paid a fine of roughly $550. The drummer also explained that he was merely showing people his back tattoo, not mooning. During his misdemeanor trial, Kottak’s attorney Hamid Al Khazraji told the judge, “Their testimonies are contradictory, your honor.”

    Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965, and have sold between 75 and 100 million records worldwide. Here is a bit of a Scorpions refresher:

    Awesome.

    James Kottack, 51, of Louisville, Kentucky joined the band in 1996, and was previously married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s sister Althena.

    Here is Kottak doing a drum solo at a Scorpions gig:

    Kottak’s fans took to Twitter, relaying some confusion regarding the missing musician:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Fast & Furious 7 Resumes Filming

    Fast & Furious 7 Resumes Filming

    Since the untimely death of actor Paul Walker in November, there has been an immense amount of speculation regarding the most recent Fast & Furious film.

    After months of delays for film, it seems the seventh installment is back on production track.

    The cast and crew have officially headed back to work filming the highly anticipated film less than four months after the tragic death of Paul Walker.

    Universal Pictures previously confirmed that shooting for the seventh film would resume in Atlanta on March 31.

    So it seems the production might’ve kicked off a little earlier than planned.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2hH9dVEpNo

    The production will have lane closures and special effects on their shooting site March 16th through the 22nd. The notice of lance closures was sent out to local Atlanta businesses said “the work will include automotive stunts, simulated combat, and special effects”. Those special effects will include explosions and simulated munitions fire.

    Not only will the shooting be taking place in the south, it seems the crew has ventured back to Dubai.

    Walker’s Fast & Furious co-star and close friend Tyrese took to Instagram, showing off a gorgeous shot of Dubai. The photo was captioned 13-hours ago saying,”I’m back……….”

    So far, Tyrese who plays Roman Pearce in the movies is the only cast member of the Furious franchise to comment on the production being back on track.

    Tyrese first spoke out about the tragic loss of Walker saying, “It was a lot of shock and trauma for his family and all of us involved. I’ve never been depressed in my life but I was very sad and down and it took a minute for me to shake it.”

    He also mentioned how visiting the beautiful Dubai helped him find his smile again.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O5P-VrYy0U

    While there are some rumors of Walker’s brother filling in, It is still unclear how Walker’s character (Brian O’Conner) will leave the series. The film was originally scheduled to hit theaters July 11, 2014. It will now open on April 10, 2015.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Dubai Fireworks 2014 Breaks Guinness World Record

    On Wednesday, Guinness World Records announced that Dubai’s firework show on New Year’s Eve broke the record set by Kuwait in 2011.

    The main attraction, which covered 58.4 miles of the Dubai coast, took place at the world’s tallest building in Palm Jumeirah.

    United States’ Pyrotechnic Company, Fireworks by Grucci, designed, organized and operated the display. Better known as “America’s First Family of Fireworks,” the company has lit the skies for other commemorated events including: seven U.S. Presidential Inaugurations, the Olympic Games in Beijing and the Centennial of the Statue of Liberty.

    As a “city obsessed with superlatives,” those in charge wanted to make the display something to remember.

    According to the Christian Science Monitor, the “Organizers had promised that the fireworks would form a flying falcon, a sunrise and the United Arab Emirates flag.”

    As the largest pyrotechnic display yet, it incorporated more than 500,000 fireworks at a cost of $6 million. Roughly two-hundred technicians were involved in using 100 computers to synchronize the fireworks.

    Kuwait’s 2011 show involved 77,282 fireworks and lasted an hour long, however, Dubai’s firework performance lasted only 30 minutes.

    Sources say that, “Enough fireworks were launched in the first minute of the display to break the previous record.”

    Dubai is known for breaking other world records as well. It is home to the tallest tower, the largest man-made island and the busiest airport site in the world.

    As of recently, maybe they’ll become the go-to-spot to one of the best New Year’s Eve firework displays.

    Image via Youtube, TriGGahProductionZz

  • Dubai Fireworks 2014 Display Breaks World Record

    There are many cities in the world that go all out to ring in the new year, but no one does it quite like Dubai.

    Complete with a mock sunrise along the seafront, the country beat the world’s record for the largest single fireworks display as 2013 ended and 2014 began, said Guinness World Records.

    The display, designed by the U.S. firm Fireworks by Grucci, took 10 months to plan, lasted six minutes and had over 500,000 fireworks.

    The scope of the display was truly amazing.

    Incorporating some of Dubai’s top landmarks, including Palm Jumeirah, World Islands, the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al ArabIt, the display covered a distance of over 94 km of the city’s seafront and some fireworks reached a height of over one kilometer.

    The goal was to beat a record set in 2012 during a display to mark Kuwait’s golden jubilee comprised of 77,282 fireworks.

    Dubai managed to break that within the first minute of the display.

    Using 100 computers to synchronise the pyrotechnics and a choreographed musical soundtrack, it took more than 200 expert technicians and 5,000 man hours of preparation to ensure the timing was accurate down to the last millisecond.

    Before the fireworks were launched, Global President of Guinness World Records Alistair Richards said, “The scale of this record attempt is truly impressive and will ensure all eyes are on Dubai.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Saudi Royal Facing Death Penalty

    A news report emerged from Dubai early Sunday that claims a Saudi royal may very well be executed for the killing of another Saudi. A senior government source close to the royal family stated that the Prince Salman “cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen”. The name of the particular Saudi prince and of the victim has not been released.

    A report to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef from Prince Salman is reported to have said on the matter, “Sharia (Islamic law) shall be applied to all without exception”.

    The victim’s father has apparently rejected an offer of “blood money” in exchange for sparing the life of the killer. Blood money is apparently a form of offering restitution to the victim’s family and is encouraged over asking for a death penalty. In this case, the father is alleged to want more money. However, bribes to hold up trials and convicted are frowned upon on an official level, and it seems Prince Salman is looking to send a message.

    “There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor … Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary’s decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the sharia.”

    Sharia laws are blamed for a high level of executions as well as a failure for justice to be applied uniformly, and are highly condemned in the West. The system doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, and the execution of a royal may be a sign of just how ingrained the tradition is. Though there have been dozens of such executions across the Middle East within the past few years, the execution of royalty remains a rare occurrence.

    Despite the claims by Prince Salman, it’s possible that enough blood money could be offered to make the charge go away. It seems regardless of whether or not there will be an execution, the process will remain a matter of high controversy.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Farooq Sheikh, Bollywood Actor Dies at 65

    On Saturday, the Bollywood film industry lost one of their most successful actors.

    Farooq Sheikh, an Indian actor and TV presenter, suffered from a heart attack on Friday while visiting his family in Dubai.

    According to Global News, Sheikh’s career began in the 1973 film Garm Hawa, “about the 1947 partition of the subcontinent at the end of British rule. His performance earned him a key role in director Satyajit Ray’s The Chess Players, about the decadence of India’s feudal classes.”

    He was highly known for connecting to ordinary people by dressing ordinary himself. Sheikh also was a social advocate and philanthropist within the community.

    “This is an aspect of his life that I have hardly seen in any other individual. It is not just a loss to the film industry, but for the entire nation,” said congress leader Meem Afzal.

    Sheikh’s legendary films and TV appearances went on into the early 2000s. After a six-year break from the big screen, he returned in 2008 and continued acting until his death.

    In the past, he has contributed to New Indian Cinema, working with other popular Indian directors.  However his greatest achievement came in 2010 when he won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Lahore.

    “Farooq Sheikh was a versatile actor whose performances were sterling and scintillating. In his untimely death we have lost another jewel,” said Manish Tewari, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, in a DNA India report.

    Famous Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan went to Twitter to send his sympathies for the remarkable actor.

     

    Sheikh leaves behind his wife and three children.

  • Justin Bieber Attacked During Dubai Show

    Justin Bieber may be more popular than ever, but the singer’s fame is beginning to have some unfortunate consequences for the 19-year-old pop star.

    In March, Bieber was accused of “diva-like behavior” after arriving late to a concert in London and being spotted wandering around the city shirtless. The singer addressed reports on his behavior via a rant on Twitter, calling the stories “fake” and emphasizing that he is a “good person.”

    Now, Bieber’s time in Dubai is getting weird too. According to a report from The National, Bieber was attacked on-stage by a crazed fan during his second show in Dubai.

    The pop star was reportedly playing piano near the end of his set when the fan stormed the stage and grabbed Bieber. The star was not hurt and the heavy security at the event was able to subdue the attacker within seconds. The piano, however, was knocked over.

    Despite the damaged instrument, Bieber was able to continue the show. The star referenced the incident in a tweet sent out early on Monday:

  • $1.3 Billion Billboard Showcases a Guy in a Jet Pack

    $1.3 billion billboard featuring advertisements from Skydive Dubai and Denver-based Go Fast energy products recently went on-display in the city. The reason for the billboard’s outrageous price tag: It features a real guy in a jet pack who flies around the advertisement, technology that costs roughly $500 per second to operate. No word on how much the space would have cost without the gimmick.

    “The billboard involved a man with a Jet Pack, initially hidden within the billboard, who emerged from the billboard and flew around it for approximately 20-30 seconds, before landing back on the billboard,” the news release explained.

    In regards to the cost, Skydive Dubai offers up the following mathematical equation. “The seconds of flight time for the billboard in Downtown Dubai would cost a minimum of USD 500 per second. If the number of seconds in a month (60 seconds x 60 minutes x 24 hours x 30 days = 2,592,000 seconds) is multiplied by USD 500, the total amounts to approximately USD 1.3 billion for the month long fly time for the billboard.”

    Another reason for the high costs has to do with the billboard’s location, which is positioned at the entrance of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in Dubai. Not only does it feature state-of-the-art innovation, it’s also situated for maximum visibility. This is the ultimate advertising package, as it’s sure to leave an impression on anyone who lays eyes upon it. However, with a price tag of $1.3 billion per month, Skydive Dubai might be flat broke by the time all is said and done.

    For an example of the billboard in action, take a look at the video below.

  • Facebook Opens New Office In Dubai

    Facebook Opens New Office In Dubai

    Facebook is ready to begin expansion into the Middle East and North Africa and the first step is to open an office in Dubai. Facebook already has 45 million users in that region and they have already seen advertising interest from companies like PepsiCo, Emirates Airlines, and Al Jazeera television.

    The office will be run by Facebook’s head of global marketing solutions for the Middle East and North Africa, Jonathan Labin. Labin will have only three employees working alongside him to start out.

    Jonathan Labin comments on Facebook’s expansion into Dubai:

    “We already have strong partners in the region that are using Facebook in innovative ways to achieve results,”

    “We started working with Emirates in less than three months and they have more than 450,000 engaged fans that are telling about Emirates to the globe,”

    “We are building relations for long term and the only way to take it further is to have a local presence,”

    Efforts to bring Facebook’s networking power to other areas of the World comes just weeks after their initial public offering kicked off with less than stellar investor demand. Facebook and their underwriters are now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other Wall Street Regulators for issues tied to the IPO. Additionally, several lawsuits have already been spawned by some dishonest dealings on Morgan Stanley’s behalf, who is the biggest underwriter on the deal.

    In the meantime, Facebook’s dubai office is up and running and apparently, already drawing revenue driving advertising interest. This may be a good sign for investors who forked over their hard-earned dollars for a piece of the social networking giant. We’ll keep you informed as Facebook’s efforts to go global continue to evolve.

  • Facebook Adding Office in Dubai

    Facebook Adding Office in Dubai

    Facebook, which is currently being sued over an allegedly botched IPO, is set to open an office in the global city of Dubai next week, right near the nameless body of water featured on Google Maps, which Iran points out as being called the Persian Gulf. The Dubai office will be the first location where the social network has set up shop in the Middle East region, and will open on May 30th.

    More details on the office will be conveyed during a press event on the 30th, which will add to Facebook’s roughly 30 global hubs. Facebook, along with other social media platforms, was an integral tool for coordinating the pro-democracy Arab Spring protests taking place in the region last year – and the social network also inadvertently landed two Tunisians in prison after they’d insulted the prophet Muhammad on their Timelines.

    Dubai City has evolved into a global business hub, after getting its start via oil revenues. Primary revenues presently come from tourism, real estate, and financial services. The city of over 1.7 million features, the world’s tallest building, the world’s largest mall, man-made islands and an indoor ski resort in the middle of a desert climate.

    Here’s a look at the artificial islands of Dubai: