There are cities that reveal themselves block by block, and then there is Dubai-a skyline composed as much for the sky as for the street. A Dubai helicopter ride luxury sightseeing tour feels less like checking off landmarks and more like translating the city into its native language: altitude. From the moment the rotors thrum to life and the skids loosen their grip on the helipad, the city that is famously larger than life becomes perfectly legible, stitched together by ribbons of coastline and glass.
Lifting off over the Arabian Gulf, you first sense the scale that postcards flatten. The Burj Al Arab, which seems audacious from the shore, rises like a gleaming sail at arm's length, its helipad etched into the sky. Farther along, the Palm Jumeirah fans out beneath you with geometric grace-fronds so precisely drawn they feel engineered for a god's compass. In a car, Dubai's distances are measured in exits and interchanges; in a helicopter, the logic is topographic. You see the city's central thesis at once: desert meets sea, ambition meets possibility, and the hinge between them is architecture.
A luxury helicopter tour adds ceremony to the spectacle. Before boarding, there is a polished choreography-passport checks, a safety briefing delivered with unhurried clarity, a headset fitted to your hair rather than vice versa. The cabin feels more boutique than vehicle, with wide windows and just a handful of seats, each passenger given the kind of quiet attention that makes you forget the complexities of aviation behind it. The pilot's voice arrives as a warm current over the headset, pointing out the sequence of sights while leaving room for the silence that awe requires.
Routes vary-twelve minutes if you want a postcard, half an hour if you want a chapter-but even the shortest arc reorients you.
Dubai helicopter ride shared sightseeing
Dubai helicopter scenic skyline tour
Dubai helicopter ride scenic skyline tour
Dubai helicopter ride unforgettable moments
Dubai helicopter ride instant confirmation
Dubai helicopter ride coastal panorama
Dubai helicopter ride evening flight
The World Islands emerge as a cartographer's inside joke, continents sketched in sand, their outlines sharpened by the water's impossible blues. Follow the curve of the shoreline and Dubai Marina appears as a colonnade of towers shouldered together, each façade catching a different shard of light. Trace back inland and the Burj Khalifa commands the horizon, still startling even when approached from the air, its tapering spine pinning the city to the sky.
What distinguishes the experience, beyond the view, is the feeling of precision. In a city accustomed to superlatives, luxury here is restraint-the noise dropped to a persuasive hum, the turns executed like punctuation marks. The helicopter hovers not to show off, but to underline a detail: the way Sheikh Zayed Road arrows through downtown, the pattern of fountains at Dubai Mall, the mirrored flank of a tower catching the sun like a signal. Even the desert, often reduced to a romantic backdrop, announces itself as a complex topography: wind-sculpted dunes, service roads threading to distant solar fields, a reminder that Dubai's futurism is built at the edge of something ancient.
Timing transforms the tour into something else entirely. At sunrise, the city is softened, glass blushing peach and the gulf a sheet of hammered silver. Late afternoon sharpens everything-colors saturate, shadows etch edges, and the geometry of the Palm becomes almost hyperreal. At sunset, the light deepens and the skyline flickers to life, a constellation earthbound, and you can watch the day fold into evening along the arc of the coast. Each hour presents a new version of the same truth: Dubai loves to be looked at.
There is practical magic, too. Book on a clear day and the horizon goes on forever, the Hajar Mountains faintly ghosting the interior. Dress lightly-air-conditioning eases the cabin but tarmac heat is its own climate-and bring a camera, though the city's scale is as difficult to capture as it is easy to admire. The etiquette of the air favors balance and safety; seats are assigned, and window positions can't be guaranteed, but the cabin design makes every seat feel like the right one. Dubai helicopter urban luxury ride What you trade in control you gain in composure. The staff know the choreography of firsts: first helicopter, first time seeing the Palm from above, first time understanding why Dubai made the choices it did.
A luxury sightseeing tour also reframes ground-level experiences. Dubai helicopter ride sky city views . When you visit later-walk the Marina promenade, take the monorail to the Atlantis, ride to the Burj Khalifa's observation deck-you are not just recognizing landmarks. You are filling in an outline you first saw from the air. That mental map adds a layer of ease to a city often caricatured as overwhelming. It becomes navigable, not just in traffic but in sensibility. You begin to see how neighborhoods converse with one another: business districts surveying the coastline, resorts staking the beaches, residential enclaves backing into the desert's quiet.
For many visitors, the helicopter ride becomes the trip's north star, the story told at dinner and remembered in the quiet afterward. The details stick: the way the rotor wash riffled the gulf as you lifted off, the miniature geometry of sun loungers ranked along the beach, the improbable serenity of the cabin juxtaposed with the city's kinetic energy below.
Dubai helicopter ride downtown skyline view
Dubai helicopter ride scenic skyline views
Dubai helicopter ride smooth aerial journey
Dubai helicopter ride family friendly
Dubai helicopter marina skyline
Dubai helicopter scenic adventure
Dubai helicopter skyline experience
Even the brief return to ground feels different. The city is the same, but you now hold a key-an aerial understanding that unlocks the logic beneath the spectacle.
Dubai can be many things: a shopping pilgrimage, an architecture seminar, a culinary tour, an experiment in possibility. Dubai helicopter ride downtown skyline view From the air, those threads braid together into a single narrative of audacity tempered by craft. A helicopter tour doesn't merely show you the highlights; it edits the city into a sequence that makes emotional sense. That is the quiet genius of it. Luxury here is not gilding but clarity. You are not just indulging in a premium experience; you are choosing the vantage point from which Dubai was meant to be seen. And once you have watched the city unfurl under your skids-sea to sand to glass to sky-it is very hard to imagine meeting it any other way.
About Burj Al Arab
Luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
For other uses, see Burj (disambiguation).
This article is about Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. For other uses, see Borg El Arab (disambiguation).
Burj Al Arab برج العرب
Jumeirah Burj Al Arab in 2007
Interactive map of the Burj Al Arab برج العرب area
The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, lit.'Arab Tower'), commonly known as Burj Al Arab, is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[8] Developed and managed by Jumeirah, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, although 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space.[9][10][11] Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island that is 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a dhow.[12] It has a helipad near the roof, at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground.
Site
[edit]
The beachfront area where Jumeirah Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach.[13] The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land, 280 m (920 ft) offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. The former hotel was demolished during the construction of the Burj Al Arab.[14] The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tanks, known locally as Kazzans, on the site.[13]
History
[edit]
The Burj Al Arab was designed by the British multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins, led by architect Tom Wright of WKA. He came up with the iconic design and signature translucent fiberglass facade that serves as a shield from the desert sun during the day and as a screen for illumination at night.[15] The design and construction were managed by Canadian engineer Rick Gregory, and construction managed by David Kirby also of WS Atkins. The Burj Al Arab's interior is by British-Chinese designer Khuan Chew. Construction of the island began in 1994 and involved up to 2,000 construction workers during peak construction. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. The setting of a high rise building on saturated soil and the novelty of the project required groundbreaking dynamic analysis and design to take into consideration soil-structure interaction, effect of water, high winds, and helipad among other loads, to help finalize the design and take the project into construction.[16][failed verification]
The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts, now renamed Concor and Al Habtoor Engineering. The interior designs were led and created by Khuan Chew and John Carolan of KCA international and delivered by UAE based Depa Group.[17]
The building opened on 1 December 1999.[1] The New Year's Eve fireworks celebration originated in 2000 with the inauguration of the United Arab Emirates.
The hotel's helipad was designed by Irish architect Rebecca Gernon.[18] The helipad is at the building's 28th floor, and the helipad been used as a car race track, a boxing ring, has hosted a tennis match, and the jumping off point for the highest kite surfing jump in history.[19]
In 2017, the hotel hosted the wedding of Daniel Kinahan, head of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group.[20] The wedding was attended by several prominent drug traffickers, such as Ridouan Taghi, Edin Gačanin, 'Ricardo (El Rico) Riquelme Vega, and Raffaele Imperiale.[20]
Features
[edit]
An AgustaWestland A109E Power landing on the Burj Al Arab's helipad
Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-metre-long (130 ft) concrete piles into the sand by drilling method.[21]
Engineers created a ground surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honeycomb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, while it took less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 m3 (92,000 yd3) of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.[21]
Inside the building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft) tall.[22]
Given the height of the building, the Burj Al Arab is the world's fifth tallest hotel after Gevora Hotel, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur and Rose and Rayhaan by Rotana. But if buildings with mixed use were stripped off the list, the Burj Al Arab would be the world's third tallest hotel. The structure of the Rose Rayhaan, also in Dubai, is 333 metres (1,093 ft) tall,[23] 12 m (39 ft) taller than the Burj Al Arab, which is 321 metres (1,053 ft) tall.[23]The Burj Al Arab's helipad, located 210 meters above ground, has been the site of several high-profile events, including a tennis match between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, and stunts by Red Bull athletes.[citation needed]
Rooms and suites
[edit]
The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. The hotel has 199 exclusive suites each allocated eight dedicated staff members and a 24-hour butler service.[24] The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 m2 (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 m2 (8,400 sq ft).[25]
The Royal Suite, billed at US$24,000 per night, is listed at number 12 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012.[26]
The Burj Al Arab is very popular with the Chinese market, which made up 25 percent of all bookings at the hotel in 2011 and 2012.[27]
Restaurants
[edit]
Al MuntahaAl Mahara
There are six restaurants in the hotel, including:
Al Muntaha ("The Ultimate"), is located 200 m (660 ft) above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 m (89 ft) from either side of the mast, and is accessed by a panoramic elevator.[citation needed]
Al Mahara ("Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 990,000 L (260,000 US gal) of water. The wall of the tank, made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, is about 18 cm (7.1 in) thick.[citation needed]
Rating
[edit]
While the hotel has sometimes been described as "the world's only 'seven-star' hotel", the hotel management claims never to have done so themselves. The term appeared due to a British journalist who had visited the hotel on a tour before it was officially opened. The journalist described Burj al Arab as "more than anything she has ever seen" and therefore referred to it as a seven-star hotel.[28] A Jumeirah Group spokesperson said "There's not a lot we can do to stop it. We're not encouraging the use of the term. We've never used it in our advertising."[29]
Reception
[edit]
Burj Al Arab has attracted criticism as "a contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and impressive the construction ultimately proves to be."[25] The contradiction here seems to be related to the hotel's decor. "This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the limits of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of excessive wealth." Another critic includes negative critiques for the city of Dubai as well: "both the hotel and the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over substance."[25] Yet another: "Emulating the quality of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a theater of opulence is created in Burj Al Arab ... The result is a baroque effect".[25]
In popular culture
[edit]
The last chapter of the espionage novel Performance Anomalies[30][31] takes place at the top of the Burj Al Arab,[32] where the spy protagonist Cono 7Q discovers that through deadly betrayal his spy nemesis Katerina has maneuvered herself into the top echelon of the government of Kazakhstan. The hotel can also be seen in Syriana and also some Bollywood movies.[which?]
Richard Hammond included the building in his television series Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections.
The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab serves as the cover image for the 2009 album Ocean Eyes by Owl City.
The Burj Al Arab was the site of the last task of the fifth episode of the first season of the Chinese edition of The Amazing Race, where teams had to clean up a room to the hotel's standards.[33][34]
The building is featured in Matthew Reilly's novel The Six Sacred Stones, where a kamikaze pilot crashes a plane into the hotel, destroying it in an attempt to kill the protagonist, Jack West Jr.
The building was the location of the main challenge of the ninth episode of the Canadian-American animated television series Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race,[35] where contestants were tasked to either return a serve from a tennis robot on the hotel's helipad, or squeegee an entire column of the hotel's windows.
See also
[edit]
Hotels portal
W Barcelona (Hotel Vela) – skyscraper of similar appearance in Barcelona, Spain (sail)
Oman TiT – residential skyscraper of similar appearance in Taipei, Taiwan (sail)
Elite Plaza – a similar-shaped skyscraper in Yerevan, Armenia
JW Marriott Panama (Panama City) – similar structure
Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth – similar structure in Portsmouth, UK
Vasco da Gama Tower – a skyscraper of similar appearance in Lisbon, Portugal (sail)
Sail Tower – a skyscraper of similar appearance in Haifa, Israel (sail)
List of tallest buildings in the United Arab Emirates
List of buildings in Dubai
List of tallest buildings in Dubai
References
[edit]
^ ab
"Media Fact File of Burj Al Arab" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^Swibel, Matthew (15 March 2014). "Forbes.com: Arabian Knight". www.forbes.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
^ abcd"Burj Al Arab Hotel – The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
^"Emporis building ID 107803". Emporis. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020.
^"Burj Al Arab". SkyscraperPage.
^Burj Al Arab at Structurae
^"Stay at Burj Al Arab". Jumeirah. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
^Eytan, Declan. "Milan: Inside the World's Only Certified 7 Star Hotel". Forbes. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
^"Vanity Height: the Use-less Space in Today's Tallest". CTBUH. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^"Study: Skyscrapers Topped by Wasted Space". World Property Channel. 6 September 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^Solon, Olivia (6 September 2013). "Report names and shames vanity skyscrapers with unnecessary spires". Wired. Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^"Burj Al Arab". www.atkinsglobal.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^ abKrane, Jim City of Mud: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism, page 103, St. Martin's Press (15 September 2009)
^"Dubai's Chicago Beach Hotel". Dubai As It Used To Be. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^Chalhoub, Michel Soto (1993). "Structural Design and Deep Foundation Soil-Structure Interaction of Burj-Al-Arab - A Comparison of Two Alternatives". Parsons Engineering.
^Pantin, Travis (17 February 2009). "Depa announces strong growth". The National. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
^"From the inside out". Construction Week Online Middle East. March 2011.
^"Global Gateway". CNN. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
^ abCaesar, Ed (20 October 2025). "The Cocaine Kingpin Living Large in Dubai". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X.
^ ab"Burj Al Arab". EgyptEng.com engineering directory. 2000. Archived from the original on 17 January 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
^"VIDEO: Burj Al Arab's 15th anniversary 'dream'". HotelierME. 28 November 2014.
^ ab"The world's 17 tallest hotels – for the ultimate room with a view". The Telegraph. 11 February 2016. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
^"Burj Al Arab". www.jumeirah.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
^ abcdDamluji, Salma Samar, The Architecture of the U.A.E.. Reading, UK: 2006.
^Arnold, Helen "World's 15 most expensive hotel suites" Archived 2 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine CNN Go. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012
^"Jumeirah gets ravenous for China". TTGmice. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
^Parr, Christopher. "Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai: Inside The 7 Star Luxury Hotel". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
^Bundhun, Rebecca (14 July 2009). "Hotel star ratings standards long overdue". The National. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
^"Performance Anomalies". Goodreads. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
^Lee, Victor Robert (20 December 2012). Performance Anomalies. USA: Perimeter Six. ISBN 978-1-938409-22-6.
^Lee, Victor Robert (15 January 2013). Performance Anomalies: A Novel. Perimeter Six Press. p. 327. ISBN 978-1-938409-20-2.
^"Burj Al Arab hotel stars in Chinese reality TV show". Arabian Business. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
^"卓美亚集团与「极速前进」首次合作" [Jumeirah Group collaborates with The Amazing Race for the first time]. Neeu (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
^"Press Release". corusent.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
Further reading
[edit]
Rose, Steve (28 November 2005). "Architecture: Sand and freedom". The Guardian.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Burj Al Arab (category)
Official website
Records
Preceded by
Dubai World Trade Center
Tallest building in Dubai
1999 – 2000
Succeeded by
Emirates Office Tower
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Jumeirah Group
Facilities
Burj Al Arab
The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Jumeirah Carlton Tower
Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel
Madinat Jumeirah
Palais Quartier
Wild Wadi Water Park
Related
Dubai Holding
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Timeline of the world's tallest hotels
Hotel New Netherland (71m, 1893)
Hotel Manhattan (76m, 1896)
Westin Book Cadillac Hotel (111.9m, 1924)
Waldorf Astoria Hotel (191m, 1931)
Hotel Ukraina, Moscow (198m, 1953)
Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel (220m, 1973)
Westin Renaissance Center Detroit (221.5m, 1977)
Westin Stamford Hotel (226m, 1986)
Baiyoke Tower II (304m, 1997)
Burj Al Arab (321m, 1999)
Le Royal Méridien Shanghai at Shimao International Plaza (333m, 2006)
Rose Tower (333m, 2009)
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai (355m, 2012)
Gevora Hotel (356m, 2017)
Ciel Tower (377m, 2025)
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Burj Khalifa (828 m)
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23 Marina (392.8 m)
Elite Residence (381 m)
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Almas Tower (360 m)
Gevora Hotel (356 m)
Il Primo Dubai (356 m)
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai (355 m)
Emirates Office Tower (355 m)
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Uptown Tower (340 m)
DAMAC Residenze (335 m)
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The Index (326 m)
Burj Al Arab (321 m)
HHHR Tower (318 m)
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Shangri-La Hotel (200 m)
150-200 m
Al Salam Tecom Tower (195 m)
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Al Sahab Tower 1 (187 m)
Dubai World Trade Centre (184 m)
Armada Tower 2 (167 m)
Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai (167 m)
Sky Gardens (160 m)
Al Attar Business Tower (158 m)
World Trade Centre Residence (158 m)
Clusters
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The Residences
See also: Future Dubai skyscrapers and List of tallest buildings in Dubai
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Proposed supertall skyscrapers
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About Atlantis, The Palm
Luxury hotel resort in Dubai
Atlantis, The Palm
Interactive map of the Atlantis, The Palm area
Hotel chain
Atlantis, The Palm
General information
Location
Jumeirah Palm, Dubai
Construction started
2006[1]
Opening
September 24, 2008 (2008-09-24)
Management
Kerzner International Resorts
Height
93.0 m (305.1 ft)
Technical details
Floor count
22
Design and construction
Developer
Kerzner International Resorts
Other information
Number of rooms
1,544[2]
Number of suites
Suites (Regal, Terrace, Executive)
Super Suites (Royal Bridge, Grand Atlantis, Underwater, Presidential)
Website
www.atlantis.com/dubai/atlantis-the-palm
[3][4][5]
Atlantis, The Palm is a luxury hotel resort located at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah in the United Arab Emirates. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is themed on the myth of Atlantis[6] but includes distinct Arabian elements. The resort opened on September 24, 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar World.[7]
Hotel
[edit]
The 1,544 room nautically themed resort has two accommodation wings, consisting of the East and the West Tower. It is complemented by the Aquaventure water park and the Lost Chambers Aquarium, home to over 65,000 marine animals. Atlantis, The Palm is also known as the culinary destination in the region where guests can take their pick from a collection of 35 world-renowned restaurants including Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Street Pizza, Hakkasan, Nobu, En Fuego, Seafire Steakhouse & Bar and the award-winning underwater restaurant, Ossiano.[8]
Underwater rooms
[edit]
The Poseidon and Neptune Underwater Suites at Atlantis The Palm are two of only a tiny handful of underwater hotel rooms around the world, and regularly appear in lists of the world's most unique accommodation.
Measuring 165 m2 (1,780 sq ft) in total, the upper, entrance floor is at ground level while the master bedroom and en-suite bathroom are submerged. The almost floor to ceiling windows in both the bedroom and bathroom face out on to the resort's Ambassador Lagoon, home to a multitude of exotic sea creatures.[9] The floor-to-ceiling windows includes 65,000 marine animal aquarium in Dubai and will be amazed as sharks, rays and fish glide right past your bed.[10]
Development
[edit]
Atlantis The Palm, opened on 24 September 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar World. In April 2012, Istithmar World acquired Kerzner's 50-percent stake in the property for US$250 million. The property continues to be managed by Kerzner International Resorts. The conceptual design architects were Northpoint-South Africa. The architect of record was design firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo (WATG) an international firm specializing in Luxury Hotels. The principal contract for the project was awarded to Laing O'Rourke,[11] a multinational construction firm based in United Kingdom. Laing O'Rourke was responsible for the design and construction phases of the 23-story hotel and water park.
Launch
[edit]
The hotel was officially opened on 24 September 2008.[12]
Days before the opening ceremony, the hotel's grand lobby caught fire[13] and became engulfed in flames which caused concern over the hotel's opening. Work was done to repair the damage caused and the hotel opened on time.[14][15]
As part of the opening, a light show of moving images was illuminated onto the hotel. 100,000 fireworks, around seven times the amount that were used for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, were let off, lasting 15 minutes. The display of fireworks across the full 5 km (3.1 mi) stretch of The Palm lit up the entire island and Atlantis, The Palm. Custom-made shells shipped in from across the globe created a light spectacle taking off from the 716 firing locations around the island, including 400 balconies at the resort. Display creator Fireworks by Grucci claims the display set a new world record, but records curator Guinness World Records has yet to announce the status.[16] The launch party costed an estimated £15m in total, with Kylie Minogue earning £2m for a 60-minute performance for the hotel's 2,000 guests.[17][18]
Reception
[edit]
The Telegraph gave the hotel a 8/10, commending the underwater theme and facilities available.[19] A 2024 review by The Sunday Times gave the hotel a score of 9/10, complimenting the architecture and appeal to all age groups.[20]
Controversy
[edit]
In October 2007, the hotel received a shipment of 28 bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands, to be used as part of their aquarium exhibit, called Dolphin Bay. The move was decried by several environmental groups, particularly for the fact that the export of dolphins had earlier been banned by the Solomon Islands government (after a similar controversial shipment to Mexico). Hotel managers have said that though the dolphins are being trained to interact with visitors, they will not appear in any sort of show or circus-like performance. They have also stated that the health of the dolphins is paramount; because the bottlenose is not an endangered species, their shipment did not pose a problem. The deal was done with the approval of the United Arab Emirates and Solomon Island governments, through the company Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Centre and Exporters Limited (who had overturned the earlier ban in court). The amount of money paid for the dolphins has not been disclosed.[21][22]
The hotel faced controversy in 2010 following the captivity of a whale shark, nicknamed Sammy, in an aquarium exhibit for 18 months.[23] The female juvenile was caught off a coast in Jebel Ali in August 2008 after appearing in distress.[24][25] At the time, whale sharks were listed in appendix 2 of CITES, stipulating that they can "only be held for scientific purposes provided that it does not harm the survival of the species". The captivity sparked outrage among animal rights groups and activists, including PETA and actress Pamela Anderson.[24] Gulf News launched a campaign with thousands of supporters calling for the release of the shark.[26] Atlantis would release a press release, stating:
"After several months of planning, Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai has returned a female whale shark to the waters of the Persian Gulf from where she was rescued. The Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team utilised their experience and skill to save the animal in compliance with all CITIES regulations."
Ali Bin Saqr Al Suwaidi, president and founder of the Emirates Marine Environment Group, another group involved in the campaign, confirmed the shark was set to be released.[23] Scepticism surrounding the release persisted afterwards due to a lack of images being circulated, with Steve Kaiser, vice president of Marine Science and Engineering at Atlantis, denying the claims of Sammy still being held in captivity.[25]
Gallery
[edit]
Aerial view of Atlantis The Palm and nearby artificial islands
Aerial view
Daytime exterior view
Atlantis The Palm at night
Lobby Lounge
Lobby Corridor
Hotel aquarium
Aquaventure Beach
Aquaventure Water Park
Ocean-side aerial view of Atlantis, The Palm
See also
[edit]
Hotels portal
Dubai World
Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
List of hotels in Dubai
Atlantis Paradise Island – similar looking hotel by Sol Kerzner
Atlantis Sanya
Atlantis Resorts
References
[edit]
^
Husain, Shakir (9 October 2006). "Construction of Atlantis resort project set to peak in February". Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
^"Hotel Rooms and Suites Atlantis The Palm Dubai". www.atlantisthepalm.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
^"Emporis building complex ID 112406". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
^"Atlantis, The Palm". SkyscraperPage.
^Atlantis, The Palm at Structurae
^http://www.atlantisthepalm.com Archived 2009-05-24 at the Wayback Machine Atlantis
^Ahmed Hussein (November 25, 2008). "Landmark project Atlantis, The Palm officially launched amidst grand ceremony". EstatesDubai. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
^"Atlantis, The Palm: The Resort". Atlantis, The Palm: The Resort. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
^Underwater Hotel Rooms in Dubai
^"Underwater Suite in Dubai". Atlantis.
^"Atlantis, The Palm. Dubai. United Arab Emirates". Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
^CW Staff (10 June 2010). "UK giant Laing O'Rourke denies ME withdrawal". Construction Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
^Cronin, Sean. "Atlantis bosses say fire-hit resort will open on time". Arabian Business.
^"Atlantis fire casts doubt on opening". gulfnews.com. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
^http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/atlantis-fireworks-display-seeks-place-in-guinness-book-1.17275 Archived 2014-12-27 at the Wayback Machine Atlantis fireworks display seeks place in Guinness Book of World Records
^Bhatia, Shekhar (21 November 2008). "500 chefs, 4,000 lobsters and Kylie - recession Dubai style". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
^"Wow! Kylie Minogue to be paid £2million for 60-minute set at Dubai hotel opening party". Evening Standard. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
^"Atlantis, The Palm Dubai, United Arab Emirates". The Telegraph. 1 April 2019. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^"Atlantis The Palm hotel review: a Dubai palace with entertainment for the whole family". The Sunday Times. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^28 dolphins on way to Palm hotel Archived October 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Gulf News (16 October 2007).
^Wild dolphins adapt to indoor life Archived October 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Gulf News (27 October 2007).
^ ab"Sammy the whale shark freed in Dubai". Gulf News. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^ ab"Atlantis frees Sammy the whale shark". Hotelier Middle East. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^ ab"Satellite tag reveals tale of shark Sammy in the wild". Gulf News. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^"Sammy the Whale Shark Sent to Sea". Khaleej Times. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atlantis The Palm.
We booked this as a surprise for my son's birthday and we nailed it - he loved the thrill of the helicopter ride itself, but also the spectacular views from above. The pilot was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned so much more about Abu Dhabi than we would have ever done from walking around - and the views from above of the Mosque and of the palaces are unmatched.It is MUST experience in Abu Dhabi.
I recently had the pleasure of taking a helicopter ride with your company, and I wanted to take a moment to share my experience.
From start to finish, everything was exceptionally well-organized. The views during the ride were absolutely breathtaking, and the pilot's professionalism and knowledge added so much to the overall experience. It was clear that safety was a top priority, which made me feel comfortable and secure throughout the flight.
The only suggestion I have for improvement would be [less timing of the ride] However, this did not detract from what was an otherwise fantastic experience.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and I would highly recommend it to others. Thank you for providing such a memorable experience!
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Helicopter Ride and Tours Dubai, Al Warsan Building - near Media Rotana, Ground Floor - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
