People & Lifestyle
Exploring new things and old favorites in Dubai
I visited Dubai for a 5-day experience built around the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which has become the leading international travel and tourism event unlocking business potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.
Tourism destinations from around the world converged at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 1-4, to showcase their brand alongside with the biggest names in accommodation and hospitality, tourism destinations and attractions, as well as innovative travel technology providers and airlines.
Africa was well represented at the 2023 edition of ATM, which has become a significant event in the global tourism industry, that highlights the importance of innovation, inspiration, and connection in tourism.
By collaborating with international partners and showcasing Africa’s unique offerings, African countries like Morocco, Egypt, Mauritius, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Rwanda made their countries attractive and viable for travelers worldwide.
Dubai Frame:
I used the opportunity to revisit the Dubai Frame, a popular tourist attraction located in Zabeel Park. It is a landmark building shaped like a picture frame, with a height of 150 meters and a width of 93 meters.
The building comprises two towers connected by a 100-square-meter bridge at the top. Visitors can take a high-speed elevator to the Sky Deck on the top floor and enjoy stunning panoramic views of the city, including old Dubai to the north and modern Dubai to the south. Some of the landmarks in view from the Dubai Frame are the Burj Khalifa, the Palm Jumeirah, and the Dubai Fountain.
After exploring the Sky Deck, visitors descend to the ground floor to enter the horizontal section of the frame, where they can experience a unique perspective of the city as they walk across the glass-floor bridge. The bridge offers a thrilling experience as visitors feel like they are walking on air, with an unobstructed view of the ground below.
Inside the Dubai Frame, visitors can explore a range of exhibits and attractions that showcase the history and development of Dubai, as well as the culture and traditions of the UAE. The journey begins on the ground floor of the structure, where visitors can walk through a multimedia exhibition that uses interactive displays and augmented reality to provide an immersive experience of Dubai’s past, present, and future. There are also observation decks, a gallery, and a souvenir shop.
The Dubai Frame is open daily from 9 am to 9 pm. Tickets can be purchased online or at the attraction’s ticket counter. It is a popular destination for tourists, especially those interested in architecture and photography.
Address Beach Resort
I also visited the Address Beach Resort located in the award-winning building design featuring two 77-story towers connected by a sky bridge.
Address Hotels and Resorts is the first brand launched by Emaar Hospitality Group. The premium luxury hotel group has positioned itself as a choice perfect for business, leisure, and group travelers.
The address has brought a fresh identity to the global hospitality and service sector by setting new benchmarks with its gracious hospitality and exceptional service standards. Positioning its messaging as ‘Where life happens’, Address Hotels and Resorts offers a more personal and engaging experience to guests in a premium lifestyle environment, enriching the lives of its guests with luxury, style, and elegance.
Address Hotels and Resorts properties are situated in some of the most sought-after locations. The brand also owns and operates Address Residences which is a leader in the serviced and branded residences sector. Address Hotels and Resorts is set to operate hotels and serviced residences in international markets, in the region, as well as in Dubai.’
The project was developed by Emaar Hospitality Group and Al Aseel Investments. The Address Beach Resort is a mixed-use twin 77-storey tower development that will accommodate a 217 key five-star hotel, 478 residential apartments as well as 444 serviced-branded apartments.
Efie Gallery:
One of my personal highlights from the trip was my visit to Efie Gallery owned by a Ghanaian mother and her two sons.
Efie Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Dubai specializing in the representation and advancement of artists of African origin, both from the African continent and its global diaspora.
The space also displays the gallery’s founders’ collection of rare vinyl and shellac records from around the world, celebrating the intersection of art and music. Efie was founded by Valentina, Kwame and Kobi Mintah
La Perle
Another amazing first-time experience for me was the La Parle, which takes place in a theatre close to the V Hotel by Hilton, where I stayed.
La Perle is the region’s first permanent show, located in the heart of Dubai at Al Habtoor City and brought to Dubai by Al Hatoor Group.
La Perle features a breathtaking fusion of immersive artistic performance, imagery, and technology. La Perle is influenced by Dubai’s rich culture, vibrant present, and aspirational future, which is brought to life by awe-inspiring stunts and special effects that will leave viewers speechless.
Feel embedded with the artists as the 270-degree seating provides a different perspective of the action unfolding in the tailor-made aqua theatre. Witness the stage flooded with water and drain in a matter of seconds as the artists perform mind-blowing aqua and aerial feats, such as diving from 25 meters high.
The water stage is clearly the center point, holding a staggering 2,700,000 liters of water and 8 meters deep! Artists come and go with grace, and spectacular death-defying high-flying dives should be expected.
The show itself is the creative work of Franco Dragone, renowned for his past roles as creative director for Cirque du Soleil and A New Day in Las Vegas with Celine Dion.
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Desert Adventure
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I closed my visit with some desert adventures including watching the sunrise on the dunes and quad biking. Follow my social media handles for more from the trip.
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