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Tag: dubai international airport

  • Qatar Airport Receives First Flights

    Qatar Airport Receives First Flights

    Hamad International Airport opened today in the Qatari capital of Doha, with a ceremonial Qatar Airways flight landing from Doha International Airport. National carrier Qatar Airways is scheduled to fully move into the airport on May 27.

    The new airport cost about $15 billion to build, and Qatar plans to spend roughly $100 billion on upgrading its infrastructure in time for its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the largest sports event on the planet.

    Abdul Aziz Mohammad al-Noaimi, chairman the airport steering committee, called the new airport “a source of pride and joy” for all Qataris, and mentioned that it can presently accommodate 30 million passengers annually. In time, the facility might be able to serve up to 93 million passengers per year, which would make it the second largest airport in the region after Dubai International Airport.

    “It will deliver a memorable experience to all passengers that will travel through its gates, an experience that reflects Qatar’s status and importance on the world travel and tourism map,” al-Noaimi added.

    Here is a clip of a small tour of the Hamad terminal:

    In related news, The Qatar Museum Authority decided to buy a 16-foot tall statue of Zinedine Zidane infamously headbutting Marco Materazzi, for an untold sum in October, as a sort of “ode to defeat” World Cup ornament.

    Oil-rich Qatar has been recently struggling to keep dibs on hosting the international soccer event. Aside from the classy headbutt statue acquisition, the country has been questioned by soccer federation FIFA about its use hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, in a situation similar to modern-day slavery. It’s been reported that over 40 Nepalese workers died last year, while building World Cup infrastructure.

    Image via Twitter

  • 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

  • Motorola Mobility Treats Dubai International to “Visual Museum” and Possible World Record

    If you’re traveling through Dubai’s International Airport, you’ll be treated to Motorola’s newest advertising effort that takes the form of an awe inspiring visual museum. More than anything else, the visual masterpiece is a chronology of Motorola’s past, present, and future.

    Even more exciting, the Guinness Book of World Records is considering the effort for what could be the World’s longest and most extensive indoor branding project. The display runs 222.63 meters along the entire length of a corridor linking the airport’s Terminal 1 check-in area to Dubai’s Duty Free retail outlet in Concourse 1.

    Take a look:

    Eugene Barry, Senior Vice President of Commercial at Dubai Airports comments on Motorola’s monumental advertising effort:

    “Dubai International is hugely excited to host what is set to become a milestone in advertising history,”

    “As one of the world’s busiest and most progressive airports, Motorola Mobility’s unique project could not have found a better platform to reach a wide, diverse and discerning global audience.”

    Mahmoud Sayed Ahmed, marketing director at Motorola Mobility of the Middle East & Africa comments on their unique history and spirit of innovation for the future:

    “Motorola Mobility is a brand that looks for innovation in every form, from device and software to the way we engage our customers and communicate with the world at large,”

    “This remarkable project is not only a celebration of our astonishing and accomplished history, but also a bold statement of intent for a dynamic future relentlessly driven by the spirit of invention.”

    The enormous project was executed by JCDecaux and was completed in a mere seven days. No word yet on when Guinness will make its decision about including it in the World’s record books yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

    David Bourg, Managing Director at JCDecaux Middle East comments on the magnitude of the project:

    “The campaign came in with a brilliant concept and was realized through an efficient and well-coordinated execution. We are very pleased to make this significant project happen as our fundamental mission is to introduce innovative advertising solutions that add value to our partners.”