It’s a vacation like no other. There are big gardens, markets, lively shows about different cultures, and even aquariums in the malls. Whatever you like – chilling on the beach, family time, shopping for stuff from other countries, trying new foods, exploring different cultures, or partying at night – Dubai has it all. Check out this blog to know the places to visit in Dubai.

1. Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is like a huge skyscraper, the biggest on earth. On levels 124 and 135, there’s this cool place called At the Top where you can see amazing views of Dubai. For an even better experience, there’s At The Top Sky on level 148.

Your journey starts with a show about the history of Burj Khalifa. Then, take turbo boost elevators to the 148th floor. Up there, just enjoy the view, use a telescope, and decide if Dubai looks better on a sunny day or all lit up at night. Buy tickets beforehand to skip lines and choose a good time. It’s like a ticket to an awesome cityscape show!

2. Dubai Opera

Dubai is full of fun activities, and if you are in the city as a foreigner, do not forget to go downtown area where Opera families live. Night sitting is cool. They provide all sorts of enjoyment – operas, ballets, stand-up comedy showcases, concerts and even classical music. The building itself is awesome and holds up to 2,00 people. Irrespective of your site time, you will find a play or something going on in any one of their theaters.

Not all about the shows. They have a cozy rooftop restaurant for dining. Ideal for a day spent with friends or relatives. Therefore, be sure to visit Dubai Opera in case you are visiting Dubai.

3. Dubai Aquarium

The Dubai Aquarium is a gigantic oceanic setting in the Dubai Mall. It is enormous and it has over thirty thousand sea animals, a lot of fish and sharks – more than one hundred forty species. It is not only for fun; it also helps take care of the marine animals.

The Aquarium is divided into different zones such as the aqua tunnel, underwater zoo, rocky shore and rainforest. The best part of all is the Aquarium Tunnel – a 48-meter long walkway through water. You could walk through it with fish, sharks and rays as squealing in by your sides. It’s not just lovely; it makes us realize why we need to safeguard these magnificent creatures below the ocean.

4. Bastakiya

Look at Dubai from the other side, in Bastakiya aka Al Fahidi Historic District. It is the area between Al Fahidi Fort and Dubai Creek, a tranquil place that teaches about how life was in this city. This is an interesting place in Dubai, which represents its past and present – Al Bastakiya. It’s a must-visit place for lovers of Arabian architecture and history, offering relief from the loudness of modern city life.

Initially, it was inhabited by the Bastakis from Iran where this place became a center for pearl and cloth business. It transformed into a wealthy family’s urbane space. The old buildings and traditional architecture of Al Bastakiya were preserved in Dubai during the 1980s as a way to bring back its historical character.

5. Jumeirah Beach

Jumeirah Beach is a dream destination, thanks to the blue waters and soft white sands that offer great views of Burj Al Arab. It suits an upscale beach vacation with activities such as swimming, tanning, water sports and a game of volleyball on the sand. There are also high-class hotels and resorts available for convenient lodging.

However, Jumeirah Beach is not all about the beach; it also has a hip factor. A good mosque in Dubai that can be visited by non-Muslims is Jumeirah Mosque. They even take you on tours to see Islamic culture. Only a few minutes away is the Dubai Marina, full of restaurants and shops. Therefore, the place you must visit during your stay in Dubai is Jumeirah Beach.

6. Museum of Future

A museum in the center of Dubai’s Financial District is called Museum of Future. It mixes cool tech with classic art and is split into three parts: A green hill, an exquisitely ornamented building, and a baffling void. This unique place draws intellectuals: researchers, nature lovers, finance heads, and eco-warriors who advise tomorrow’s solutions to the city.

This seven-storey wonder has been full since its launch in February 2021. It is one of the most popular destinations for tourists who enjoy cold concepts and futuristic structures. In the study of the museum over the green hill, creating an orderly one and intriguing blank interval you walk on a straightforward path that makes your head dizzy.

7. Burj Al Arab

Built-in 1999, Burj Al Arab is one of the most fancy hotels on an artificial island near Jumeirah Road. Shaped like a sailboat, it’s iconic. If you want to visit the restaurant without spending the night, book through their website.

This chic place is not just for sleeping; it’s luxury incarnate. They have a fleet of luxury cars, including their own privately owned helipad.

To enter, call and book ahead because the lobby security is strict. You’ll find a magnificent fountain, an elegant lobby, and 203 luxurious suites. At 180 meters high, this hotel is all about the royal atmosphere, with small things inside literally covered in real gold. Burj Al Arab is not just a hotel; it’s an ultra-glamorized experience.

8. Dubai Dolphinarium

The Dubai Dolphinarium is a super cool place for families. It’s both entertaining and instructive, enjoyable for anyone regardless of age. For new visitors and those who’ve been there before, there are amazing dolphin shows and other sea animals. Definitely visit if you’re in Dubai. It’s in Creek Park – a large, beautiful park with lots of greenery in Dubai.

The dolphins are the best part of Dubai Dolphinarium. They’re so smart and playful. In the shows, you can watch them do amazing tricks and acrobatics. Even better, you can be part of it. They let you feed the dolphins and interact directly with them. Not just watching, you’re one of the players. Besides the dolphins, there’s an interesting bird show too. About 20 species of birds from around the globe can be seen.

If you want a wonderful experience with your family, visit the Dubai Dolphinarium. Enjoy watching the dolphins perform mind-blowing feats and chill with cool birds. Also, the park around it is quite large and attractive.

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1. Barcelo Desert Resort: Tranquility in the Arabian Sands Oasis.

Opulent Retreats

People looking for a break from city life will find solace in Barcelo Desert Resort as it is located within the alluring Arabian desert. The architecture of the resort reflects its rich cultural heritage that harmoniously fits in with nature. This private sanctuary attracts visitors to immerse themselves in the comfort and serenity of a desert, albeit with an unusual mix of glamour and calm.

Barcelo Desert Resort is an accommodation that links modern design with traditional aspects, making it comfortable and culturally enriching at the same time. Guests can go on desert safaris, try sumptuous food served in an open-air restaurant illuminated only by the twinkling stars above them, and rest next to a huge pool with stunning views of fabulous dunes. This is because when a resort commits to sustainability, guests can relate to nature through luxury without causing any harm.

2. Barcelo Residences Dubai Marina: A Symphony of Elegance

Opulent Retreats

Made in the central area of Dubai Marina district, Barcelo Residences Dubai Marina is a symbol of urban deluxe. The architectural design of the hotel blends effortlessly with its skyline backdrop and provides a stimulating panorama that is at once refined, yet welcoming. Step into a world of luxurious living with an array of accommodations, from indulgent rooms to sumptuous suites all beautifully designed for the sophisticated traveler.

The rooftop Infinity pool offers a spectacular 360-degree oasis offering unparalleled views of the dynamic marina and city beyond it. Savor flavors of international and local cuisine concocted by the culinary professionals in signature restaurants at the hotel. The on-site spa entices guests to relax and rejuvenate, ensuring a wholesome getaway amid the energetic ambiance of Dubai.

3. Barcelo Palace Jumeirah: Coastal Opulence Redefined

Opulent Retreats

As a coastal masterpiece, Barcelo Palace Jumeirah is located on the beautiful Jumeirah Beach. Located along the beachfront, this luxury hotel offers modern architecture and exquisite interiors that inspire its guests to enjoy unrivaled elegance. Within the private beach, the golden sands stretch along for leisurely strolls as a dreamy haven by the Arabian Gulf.

The rooms and suites of Barcelo Palace Jumeirah are symbolic of luxury living with modern decor, state–of–the–art amenities. The hotel’s fine dining restaurants offer a gastronomic journey for culinary enthusiasts, where every dish is a masterpiece. From the spa, a sanctuary of serenity and tranquility offers customized treatments to meet individual needs that provide a balance between body and mind.

Summary

From the enchanting charm of Barcelo Residences Dubai Marina to the nautical magnificence of Barcelo Palace Jumeirah, guests are submerged at each stage within remarkable splendor – even via its tranquil haven known as Barcelo Desert Resort. Live the high life and make timeless memories by staying at these fantastic Barcelo properties.

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The city, the largest and most populated in the United Arab Emirates, is Arab at its core but capitalist at its edge. That means shopping — from glistening shopping malls to traditional markets from another era.

If you’re a shopper and a traveler, here are five places you’ll want to visit:

1. Dubai Mall

This is the world’s largest mall, with 1,200 shops and a retail floor area of more than half a million square meters. It’s also filled with more luxury designer brands than you can shake a credit card at — Gucci, Dior, Prada, Burberry and so on. When it comes to outrageous, Gold Souk takes the gong.

The most amazing thing about this place is the fact that there’s seemingly no one guarding the large amount of precious metal behind its regular glass shop windows.

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2. Souk Madinat Jumeirah

A visitor walks through the Souk Madinat, a marketplace with craft shops inside the Madinat Jumeirah resort.

Gabriela Maj/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Attached to the adjacent Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this labyrinth of high-end market stalls selling everything from expensive shisha pipes to antique furniture and jewelry is Dubai’s take on a Middle Eastern souk. There’s no hustle and bustle, no dirty corridors or fake goods.

Instead shoppers can browse in perfumed, air-conditioned corridors and rest in between stress-free shopping at one of the many bars or restaurants in the complex.

Unsurprisingly, locals and expats don’t shop here, although it has become a social hangout, and visitors can pick up a well-made gift at an inflated price if they’re so inclined.

3. ​BurJuman Centre

BurJuman Centre has classic high-end stories such as Cartier as well as outdoor gardens.

DanitaDelimont.com/Newscom

This high-end mall is set in a poorer area of Dubai, yet it houses Cartier, Bvlgari, Versace and Louis Vuitton outlets as well as midrange brands Guess and DKNY.

Despite the staple luxury goods, this mall has a different feel than the other mega-indoor complexes, with outdoor gardens to explore in between mortgage-busting purchases, a rarity in Dubai.

4. Ibn Battuta Mall

Ibn Battuta Mall is named for the 14th century Arab scholar and traveler.

DanitaDelimont.com/Newscom

Well worth a visit, this mall not only offers a selection of familiar stores, including Top Shop, Next, H&M and Accessorize, but it also sports off-the-wall decor inspired by the travels of 14th century Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta.

Here you’ll find a giant model of a ship and an elephant, plus displays telling the story of Battuta’s travels. The “Persia” section of the mall has an incredible hand-painted dome; the “Egypt” section has walls covered in hieroglyphics.

5. Bur Dubai Souk

Try your haggling skills at Bur Dubai Souk.

imagebroker/Hans Lippert/Newscom

Parallel to the Creek in Bur Dubai, the souks in this area sell pashminas, dishdashas, spices and gifts. It’s a touristy area but a good place to try your haggling skills with friendly shop vendors. The end of the souk offers a fascinating glimpse into the local community.

Here you’ll find the Shri Nathje Jayate Temple and a Hindu lane, where hawkers sell flower garlands, Indian sweets and incense. Holographic Shiva pictures and packets of bidis go for a couple of dollars.

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However, splashing gold everywhere isn’t necessarily tasteful. In fact, when ingested, gold has no taste at all. So why serve it, and why are guests lapping it up?

“Gold is synonymous with luxury, something which has a level of decadence,” explains Etienne Haro, executive assistant manager of food and beverage at the Burj Al Arab.

The hotel uses up to 700 grams of gold — sourced from Italy and India — each year for its food and beverage offerings.

Typically consumable gold takes the form of gold leaf, flakes or dust, as opposed to the solid gold used in jewelry. It is biologically inert and therefore safe to consume — albeit tasteless.

“Diamonds are a bit hard to chew, so gold is more adapted to integrate in cocktails,” jokes Haro.

Gold-infused items on the menu include white chocolate mixed with gold, a specially crafted pepper mill to grind “gold snow” on top of food or cocktails, gold sugar cubes for tea-inspired mocktails and a pure gold decorative spray.

The most iconic cocktail at the bar — named Element 79, after gold’s atomic number — consists of an alcohol-free sparkling wine with flakes of gold, food coloring mixed with pure gold and a golden piece of sugar. The result is a shiny tornado that never stops swirling.

Element 79, Gold on 27’s signature cocktail.

Gerry O’Leary

Besides being Instagram-worthy, each cocktail is specifically crafted to educate international guests about the history and vision of Dubai, explains Haro. Cocktails are arranged into three sections — Old Dubai, New Dubai and Future Dubai — with names like “Light Sweet Crude,” “The City of Gold “and “2020.”

“The gold is a bit like the thread that helps us tell this story because that’s something which is really inherent to the history of the city and the Emirates in general,” says Haro.

There is clearly an appetite for flamboyance among guests at the Burj Al Arab, as Haro and his team often have to deal with ambitious requests.

For example, each month a regular guest pre-orders a cake fully covered in gold and made according to her specific recipe, the manager says. Haro’s team has also concocted a cheesecake in the form of a giant golden donut and a golden five-course menu for an automobile company.

But Haro says on some occasions he has to draw the line.

“One guest recently asked us to create the most expensive cocktail in the world for him, to give the cocktail his name, and to make sure there would only be one,” he says.

Haro declined the request: “As much as we are a business, obviously we always want to make sure we keep a certain level of integrity.”

A rich tradition

While today gold is added to dishes as a means of flaunting wealth, in medieval Europe it was reserved for nobility, explains Barbara Santich Professor emeritus of food studies at the University of Adelaide, Australia.

During this period of history, gold was given particular properties — much like the Chinese believe oranges bring good luck, explains Santich.

“Because gold, silver and precious stones had virtues, if you cooked them in a broth that you were making, [it was believed] some of the goodness would flow into the soup,” says Santich.

“It’s a little bit of sleight of hand, and it’s all in the belief: if you think something’s doing you good, it will do you good.”

A confection designed by Gold in 27 at the Burj Al Arab.

Gold On 27

Nowadays, Santich says gold adds nothing to the gastronomic merit of the dish: “It really is all in the mind.”

“Discreetly used gold can be very nice,” says Santich, referring to dates or chocolates with a sliver of gold. “But when every dish can come with gold on it, it’s just too much.”

24 Karat, an Italian restaurant in Dubai’s Marriott Hotel, offers an optional side of gold flakes across its entire menu — be it a burger, pizza, or salad.

Golden publicity stunt

Then there are brazen publicity stunts. In 2012 a New York food truck unveiled its tongue-in-cheek $666 “Douche Burger” — a foie gras burger topped with lobster, truffles, caviar, champagne steam, and wrapped in gold leaf.

“It’s a very Dubai thing to do something like that. They love superlatives and they love to focus on something that is a little headline grabbing,” says Wood.

“(Edible gold) might look good, but I don’t think it adds anything. If anything it makes a dish more expensive.”

Another Dubai-based food critic who calls himself Dan The EmirEATi has similar thoughts: “Dubai’s probably the right market for edible gold… I’d imagine there’s a good correlation to what car people drive to how much edible gold they like to eat in their food.”

But both critics agree that edible gold is not as prevalent as people might think.

“I think Dubai has actually moved away from that,” says Wood, “I think the restaurant scene has matured a bit more now.”

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In April, the Queen Elizabeth II (QE2), the world’s most famous ocean liner from the 1960s, opened its gangways to guests once more. But its cruising days are over — this time around the QE2 is staying put in its new home, the city port of Mina Rashid.

The ship’s age gives it an edge in Dubai’s hotel market, says Hamza Mustafa, CEO of PCFC Hotels, the government-owned company operating the ship.

In fact, the ocean liner, launched by the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, is 4 years older than the formation of the UAE itself.

Preserving the ship’s history

224 rooms are currently open for business — rising to at least 600 by the hotel’s grand opening in October — and prices start at $150 per night. The rooms have dark wooden paneling as they did in the sixties, and some still boast the original portholes.

The retro touches don’t stop there. Of the 13 restaurant and nightlife venues, the Chartroom Bar will still serve chicken liver mousse and Eton Mess, the Golden Lion pub has beer on tap, and the casino is lined with original slot machines (albeit now purely decorative).

“(The QE2 is) a very famous lady to us, she’s one of the most famous ocean liners ever to exist,” says Mustafa. “We have glorified her, we have brought her back to her might, we have focused on things that make her famous… For her to be a museum first, and then a hotel.”

“When you walk on board you feel like you’ve stepped into a time capsule — the time is 1969, her maiden voyage,” he adds. “You get a sense of the history, of what the ship was.”

The 1967 launch of QE2 in Clydebank, Scotland

Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Traveling through time

When she was sold to Dubai, the 963-ft (293.5m) liner had carried 2.5 million passengers, completed 812 Atlantic crossings and 25 world cruises. She had traveled further than any other ship — almost six million miles, according to Cunard Lines.

Huge crowds big farewell to the ocean liner in Australia

Paul Kane/Getty Images

Her fame surged following visits from pop icons like the Beatles’ Ringo Starr and George Harrison, and film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and John Travolta.

She even had a spell as a troopship during the Falklands War in 1982, when her decks became dormitories for 3,000 British soldiers.

QE2 departs Southampton for the Falkand Islands

Rob Taggart/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The QE2 became an ambassador for Britain says Eric Flounders, a former press officer for Cunard. This is why it may seem odd that she’s ended up in the Persian Gulf.

“The connections to Dubai are zero,” says Flounders. But he adds that few other places would have been willing to invest so much in the ship.

“There’s the cost of purchasing the ship in the first place, then there’s the cost of converting it to a hotel that people want to stay in,” he says. “I just don’t think the money in the UK would ever have been forthcoming.”

A boost for tourism

Dubai has spent a fortune on the ship already. She was originally bought for $100 million, and PCFC’s renovation has cost more than that again, requiring a total of 2.7 million man hours.

“Adding this attraction to Dubai creates another reason why you’d stay one day longer,” he says, “and for a city that is so dynamic and focusing on tourism, it’s all about attractions and why you’d come here.”

QE2 and the bright lights of Dubai

Courtesy of QE2

What matters most to Lightbody is that the ship still looks like it did when he first boarded in 1987, when he was just 14 years old.

“It’s still the ship that we recognize,” he says, noting with a sigh of relief that the previously mooted plans of a mirrored glass funnel full of penthouse suites didn’t come into fruition. “I think all the fans are over the moon.”

“To see QE2 coming back to life after a decade of layup is wonderful,” says Frame. “I hope the ship has a highly successful career as a hotel, she is a global icon and deserves to be preserved for future generations.”

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Located in thriving downtown Dubai, the needle-shaped super scraper takes center stage in the famed skyline with millions of visitors and VIPs flocking each year to arguably the most prestigious address in the world.

The tallest manmade structure is the ultimate symbol of glitz, glamor and the over-the-top excess for which the city is known.

The Burj by numbers

Soaring over the city at an impressive 2,716 feet (828 meters) and boasting 200 stories (160 habitable), the $1.5 billion Burj Khalifa project was unveiled by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in January 2010.

At the peak of construction, more than 12,000 international workers were on site per day logging a collective 22 million man-hours during the six years it took to complete.

The Burj Khalifa is twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building and three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

It even surpassed Taiwan’s Taipei 101, which at 1,667 feet (508m) had held the world title since it opened in 2004. Laid end to end, the Burj Khalifa’s pieces would stretch over a quarter of the way around the world.

Record-breaking titles

The Burj Khalifa soars up from downtown Dubai with the Burj Al Arab in the foreground.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images

Not content with being the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa has also snagged a clutch of other bragging rights. It also holds the following records:

— Tallest freestanding structure in the world

— Highest number of stories in the world

— Highest occupied floor in the world

— Highest outdoor observation deck in the world

— Elevator with longest travel distance in the world

— Tallest service elevator in the world

— World’s highest swimming pool in a building (on Level 76)

The man behind the Burj

The Burj Khalifa opened in2010 after a six-year build involving 12,000 workers.

Tom Dulat/Getty Images

The Burj’s appearance is based on a flower called the Spider Lily (Hymenocallis), which is native to southern states of America, South America and Mexico.

The Dubai tower’s name was chosen at the last minute.

Burj is the Arabic word for tower.

Celebrity visitors

He’s the action hero who famously does his own stunts, but Tom Cruise scaled new heights when he filmed scenes for “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” on top of the Burj Khalifa in November 2010.

The adrenaline junkie was filmed leaping out of a window before scrambling up the vertiginous walls in one of his most death-defying stunts.

Since then, a host of VIPs have made a beeline for the acclaimed attraction, including US singer Mariah Carey, supermodel Gigi Hadid and soccer star David Beckham.

The suite life

The world’s first hotel to be designed by Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani features his signature minimalist style with muted gray interiors, sumptuous fabrics and Japanese wooden floors.

All 160 rooms and suites occupy the entire 39th floor with each decorated with bespoke furnishings and state-of-the-art mod cons controlled by iPads.

The Amal restaurant at the Armani Hotel offers stunnig views across the city.

Armani Hotel Dubai

Every guest has a VIP welcome and is assigned a personal butler on arrival. There are other touches, such as individually designed spa treatments, fluffy monogrammed robes and Armani toiletries.

Rooms are sumptuous at the Armani Hotel.

Armani Hotel Dubai

The hotel is also home to a host of unique dining experiences spanning Italian, Japanese, India, European and Mediterranean food.

The signature eatery Armani/Ristorante is great for authentic Italian fare with a modern twist — especially its salt-crusted cod, which never fails to wow diners. Room rates start from US$625

Views from the top

The At The Top observatory showcases Dubai’s skyline.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images

Access to the decks is located at the lower level of the Dubai Mall and, while great views are guaranteed throughout the day, most people agree the best time to visit is just before sunset.

The average time needed to enjoy At The Top is about 90 minutes. It’s child-friendly and wheelchair accessible. Plus, there’s complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the attraction.

Admission is approximately $35 per adult and $25 for children ages 4 to 11.

Dining in the sky

The At.mosphere restaurant gives true meaning to the phrase “haute cuisine.”

At.mosphere

Those in the know book a table at At.Mosphere on Level 122 for picture-perfect views, with a futuristic elevator transporting guests to the fine-dining restaurant in fewer than 45 seconds.

And the world’s highest skyscraper restaurant doesn’t disappoint with ubiquitous floor-to-ceiling windows offering spectacular vistas, plush leather seats and pristine white tablecloths.

It’s haute cuisine at its best, but while a decadent dinner comes with the price tag to match, breakfast and high tea are more purse-friendly options offering an indulgent six-course experience and freshly baked scones and gourmet sandwiches respectively.

Home is where the Burj is

The Burj Khalifa overlooks the Dubai Fountain, Burj Park, Downtown Dubai and the Dubai Mall.

Rob Young/Flickr

The Residence in Burj Khalifa is where the affluent tenants of 900 elegant and sought-after apartments (one, two, three and four-bedroom) call home.

Located on Levels 19 to 108, living in Dubai’s most prestigious address undoubtedly comes with its perks such as having front-row seats to the Dubai Fountain spectacle and the luxury of living on the doorstep of the Dubai Mall, which at 12 million square feet and equivalent in size to more than 50 soccer fields makes it the largest mall in the world.

Residents also have access to The Burj Club, which sits at the foot of the tower in a stylish four-storey annex.

The health and wellness club includes a state-of-the-art gym, Olympic-sized swimming pool and a luxurious spa. Non-residents can have a taste of the high life by booking the rooftop brunch at The Burj Club every Friday from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. from US$80 per adult with pool access.

Work of art

The Burj Club offers a gym, swimming pool, stunning spa and restaurant.

Armani Hotel Dubai

While the exterior is undoubtedly a tribute to architectural excellence, the Burj has also established itself as a thriving hub for art and design supported by global patrons.

More than 1,000 works of art — a mixture of contemporary works, sculptures and installations — by Middle Eastern and international artists adorn the tower’s interior and surrounding boulevard with many pieces specially commissioned as a tribute to the spirit of global harmony.

Burj Khalifa, 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd, Dubai, UAE

Selina Julien is a celebrity, travel and lifestyle journalist and editor; Follow her on Instagram: @Selinajulien

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The 130,000-square foot, $40 million facility will begin construction in November, and is a joint venture between agri-tech firm Crop One Holdings and Emirates Flight Catering, suppliers of approximately 225,000 meals every day from its base at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates and Crop One say the facility will use 99% less water than outdoor fields, and once completed, aims to harvest 6,000 pounds of leafy greens daily, which will find their way into both in-flight meals and airport lounges from December next year.

The process is “season-less” and grows produce 365 days a year. Plants feed on a nutrient solution instead of soil, and variables including temperature and humidity are tightly controlled in modular containers to generate maximum yield. Instead of the sun, LED grow lights are used.

Saeed Mohammed, CEO of Emirates Flight Catering, says the move “secure(s) our own supply chain of high quality and locally-sourced fresh vegetables, while significantly reducing our environmental footprint.”

Critics of vertical farms argue that they have high energy requirements. However, their carbon footprint can be reduced by powering them using renewable energy sources, and by increasing the efficiency of their LED lights.

Crop One confirmed its upcoming facility will use “a mix of renewable and utility source” electricity, and is targeting solar energy.

Leo Marcelis, professor of horticulture and product physiology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, an academic unattached to the project, said there is a lot of research in the field into decreasing energy use in vertical farms.

“Lighting companies are working on LED technology to make the conversion of electricity into light better, and what we are studying is how we can grow plants with less light, or with the same amount of light and produce more plants,” he says. “We expect that systems will get more efficient in the coming years, because it’s all new now.”

Despommier adds that while bragging rights to the largest vertical farm have bounced around the world in recent years, size isn’t everything.

“To be honest, who cares who’s the biggest?” he says. “I want to know who’s the most efficient and who’s producing the (widest) diversity of plants that people actually eat, rather than just leafy green vegetables — which is what seems to be the gold standard right now for actually jumping off from non-profitability to profitability.”

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Behold, what is claimed as the world’s first “sail-thru supermarket” — a floating retail emporium ready to cater to anyone unwilling to leave the comfort of their yacht when picking up the groceries.

The purpose-built ship, anchored out at sea, is the work of UAE-based retail company Majid Al Futtaim.

Customers have the choice of more than 300 snacks and treats from the vessel. Anyone passing by on a yacht or Jet Ski, can order and collect at the boat’s window counter — or order via app or phone call.

Customers in larger vessels will have their purchases delivered to them.

Oceangoing transport isn’t mandatory. Beachgoers can also use the app and have orders delivered to their towel.

The aim, says Majid Al Futtaim Retail CEO Hani Weiss, is “making sure that we can serve our customers not only on shore, but always.”

Eco-focus

Just your normal grocery run — on a jetski.

Majid Al Futtaim

But is there really a need for such an initiative?

The specialized vessel, dubbed an “Aqua Pod,” was custom-designed and created by Aquatic Architects Design Studio.

It’s apparently designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, and will be powered by rechargable batteries. Plus, it’s got a trash unit that vacuums up floating debris into a holding tank, to be disposed of on the shore.

The vessel is now in service. Weather-depending, it should be accessible year-round.

“It’s already floating out in the sea,” says Weiss. “It floats six days a week, from 10 a.m. to 7 a.m.”

Time will tell whether the concept will sink or swim.

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Many ultras offer relatively safe and regulated access to some of the remotest spots on Earth. “There’s some incredible parts of the world where it’s a huge privilege to go — and a real privilege to cross these areas on foot,” says Diederich.

Race manager Ole Brom oversaw of the health and wellbeing of the athletes. Running these distances across energy-sapping sand amounts to an extreme sport, the Norwegian told CNN, and “not something that is taken on lightly.”

“On the first day after about 40 km, about 12 km from the end, (one athlete) collapsed unconscious,” says Brom. “He ignored the signs of dehydration and he suffered the consequences.”

Stretches of the race, including one 100-kilometer leg, were only accessible by air for first responders, explained event director Ruth Dickinson. Athletes wore tracking devices and distress beacons and carried anti-venom pumps in case of snake bites.

Magdalena Boulet from the US won the women’s race — one of only four women to complete the 270 kilometer edition of the inaugural ultramarathon.

courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East

Running across the dunes was not without its rewards. “(It’s) really peaceful,” says 45-year-old female race winner Magdalena Boulet, “(you) can’t really see anything for miles and miles.”

“It’s mesmerizing,” Brom adds. “On certain routes there were Oryx, there were sand gazelle, mountain gazelles. We saw eagles (and) a lot of different migrating birds.” (As a designated conservation area, runners were penalized for dropping trash and required to bury human waste, should nature call.)

There were still smatterings of luxury, with racers provided hot water, tents and massages between stages. Brom says some athletes told him they’d return for the toilets alone.

The bigger picture

The Al Marmoom Ultramarathon will join 400-plus local sporting events ranked by the Dubai Sports Council. Acting director of events Ghazi Al Madani says planning for 2019’s race is already underway.

Brom believes transit hub Dubai could become a nexus for desert ultra runners, playing host to regular events in its “backyard.” “Ten percent of the landmass of Dubai is sand,” he adds, “so it makes perfect sense.”

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Two daily A380 flights between Dubai and Muscat International Airport are scheduled to take to the skies on July 1.

The distance between the two cities is just 340 kilometers (211 miles). Fun fact: That’s shorter than the length of all the wiring in the A380, which, according to plane manufacturer Airbus, would stretch over 500 kilometers if laid out end to end.

A seamless ‘all A380’ journey

Emirates is the world’s largest A380 operator.

Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

The airline says the flights will offer long-haul travelers heading to and from Muscat via Dubai a seamless ‘all A380’ journey. Emirates has been flying to Oman since 1993, but its three daily services to Muscat are all serviced by Boeing 777-300ER jets.

“The introduction of the A380 services to Muscat means more of our customers will have the opportunity to experience our industry-leading products onboard, and will also enhance choice and travel preferences as they plan their journeys,” said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, divisional senior vice president of Emirates’ Commercial Operations Centre, in a statement.

The morning flight, EK 862, will depart Dubai at 8:25 a.m., arriving in Muscat at 9:40 a.m. The return flight, EK 863, will depart Muscat at 11:15 a.m., arriving in Dubai at 12:25 p.m.

Later that day, EK 864 will depart Dubai at 4:10 p.m. and will arrive in Muscat at 5:25 p.m. EK 865 will leave Muscat at 7:05 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 8:15 p.m.

The two A380 Muscat flights will offer Emirates’ usual three-class configuration, with 429 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck, as well as 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck.

Want more time to enjoy the journey? Emirates also operates the longest non-stop flight on an A380, between Dubai and Auckland, New Zealand. That journey takes about 16 hours.

End of an era

Fans of the A380 were saddened in February when Airbus announced plans to halt production of the jets following huge cuts in orders.

Since Airbus’ first delivery to Singapore Airlines in 2007, more than 230 A380s have rolled off the assembly line in Toulouse, France. More than 100 of these are flown by Emirates, making it the world’s largest operator of the super-jumbo.

Airbus will deliver its last A380 orders in 2021.

As the world’s largest commercial plane, the A380 typically carries around 550 passengers on two full-length levels, though has the capacity to hold up to 850 travelers.

Measuring close to 73 meters in length, it has a range of 8,478 nautical miles.

The double-decker was developed at a cost of $25 billion. It’s made up of about four million individual parts produced by 1,500 companies from 30 countries around the world.

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