myUAE Times

Next: World's Longest Arch Bridge!

Dubai plans to build the world's longest arch bridge at a cost of 3 billion dirhams ($816.9 million), the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said on Tuesday.

The RTA said it would take four years to construct the mega-bridge, which will measure 1,600 metres with an arch 205 metres high and 667 metres long.

Once complete the bridge will overtake the Lupu Bridge in Shanghai as the longest in the world.

The Lupu measures 3,900 metres with an arch span of 550 metres. The span is the most common way to rank arch bridges, so if one bridge has a longer span than another it does not mean the bridge is longer from shore to shore or anchorage to anchorage.

The bridge connects the Bur Dubai and Deira areas of the city and will be the sixth creek crossing. Currently the five Dubai Creek crossings are Al Shindagha Tunnel, Al Maktoum Bridge, the Floating Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge and Business Bay Crossing.

Met Warning: Sandstorm Coming!

A sandstorm may engulf Dubai on Thursday evening, bringing with it near gale-force winds and making driving conditions difficult for motorists, the met office warned on Wednesday.

Dubai Meteorological Office said wind speeds of up to 30 knots were expected to hit the UAE's west coast over the weekend, caused by a high-pressure system building over Saudi Arabia, and strong northwesterly winds blowing in from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

A senior forecaster at the met office urged drivers to be careful on the roads, especially those in open inland areas particularly at risk from sandstorms.

High winds could also prevent aircraft from landing at Dubai International Airport due to poor visibility, the forecaster said.

He said construction workers were also at risk, and warned boats on the west coast not to go out over the weekend.

“Waves could reach up to 18 feet off the UAE coast; we may issue a marine warning [on Friday] to advise boats to stay off the water,” the forecaster told ArabianBusiness.com.

According to the met office, the temperature during the day in Dubai is not expected to pass 20 degrees Celsius on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the night temperature is forecast to drop to 16 degrees Celsius.

The high winds are a result of the Shamal wind, a wave of high pressure that funnels through the Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Full report here

DSC - A World's First!

Dubai Sports City (DSC) is set to be the world's first integrated purpose-built sports city. The landmark city is a $4 billion, 50 million square feet mixed-use development built around five major sports venues:

• Multi purpose outdoor stadiums with a strong 60,000 capacity for soccer, rugby, track and field (among others)
• Multi purpose indoor arena that seats comfortably 10,000 people. The arena is to be used for indoor sports and events. It will also see a removable ice rink built in the arena
• State of the art Cricket Stadium with a capacity of 25,000 people (expandable to 30,000 people)
• Hockey Stadium with a maximum seating of 5,000 spectators
• Ernie Els 18 hole Championship golf course

In addition to the above, DSC will feature leading sports academy such as Manchester United Soccer School (part of the DSC Football Academy), Butch Harmon School of Golf, ICC Global Cricket Academy and FIH's World Hockey Academy.

Ke-2 Terbaik!

Dubai, UAE Pelumba negara, Fairuz Fauzy mengharumkan nama negara apabila berjaya menduduki tempat kedua dalam perlumbaan GP2 Siri Asia yang berlansung d Dubai. Acara ini d menangi oleh pelumba Switzerland dari pasukan ART Grand Prix.

Fairuz (gambar dari Gulf News: kiri sekali) yang mewakili pasukan Super Nova mendahului lain-lain peserta dalam peringkat awalnya d pintas pemandu Swiss, Romain Grosjean yang terus menjuarai kejuaraan kedua GP2 Siri Asia. Dalam perlumbaan hari pertama Fairuz menduduki tangga ke-9.

Pemandu dari India Karun Chandok (pasukan iSport International) menduduki tempat ke-3. Perlumbaan berlansung d Dubai Autodrome Sabtu baru-baru ini.

Keputusan:
1. Romain Grosjean/ART Grand Prix (43:32.991);
2. Fairuz Fauzy/Super Nova Racing (43:36.769);
3. Karun Chandhok/iSport International (43:38.965);
4. Hiroki Yoshimoto/Qi-Meritus Mahara (43:45.138);
5. A. Valerio/Durango (43:45.845).

Lapuran Gulf News boleh d capai d sini

DSF Kicks Off!

Win cars. Cash prizes. Even a private jet. Wait, there's more! You could land yourself on your own private island! Yes, a private island up for grabs - how? Just buy, buy, buy in Dubai!

Yes, Dubai's mega shopping event - DSF kicks off with even bigger deals! This year's edition will run from January 24 till February 24, 2008.

Dubai Shopping Festival, better known as DSF was started in 1996 attracting global shoppers to Dubai. Virtually unknown to the world (and yes, now Dubai owns The World, islands that is!) probably 10 years ago, Dubai with its creative ways of promoting itself has successfully placed itself as one of the top destinations in the world.

World's Richest Marathon!

Dubai, UAE More than 11,000 runners from 92 countries. 3 races. Tomorrow will see the world's top marathon runner running after what is believed to be the richest marathon in the world - Dubai Marathon! With USD1 million as the top prize, every marathon runner seems to be gathering in Dubai - the new land of opportunity.

Apart from the prize money, another USD1 million courtesy of Dubai Holdings is up for grab - if a new world record is set tomorrow!

Haile Gebrselassie, current world record holder is the favorite to win the men's race. The men's category will see Gebrselassie up against world's best - Sammy Korir (third fastest man in marathon history), Rodgers Rop (New York marathon winner), Fabiano Joseph (former world half marathon champion) and defending champion Kenya's Willy Todo Rotich

The women's race is set to see the return of its defending champion, Askale Tafa Magarsa.

Rain in the Emirates: Videos and Pics

Some videos and pictures captured in the last 24 hours. First video: Emaratis having a go at Khawaneej. Second video: Trip from Mirdif to Dubai Media City

Hujan, merubah Segalanya?

Semalam Dubai menerima suatu kelainan. Gara-gara ketibaan Bush, beberapa jalanraya utama lengang seperti d langgar todak!

Semalam juga bermulanya hujan yang tak kurang hebatnya. Mengubah lanskap. Mengubah mood. Dari keadaan berpasir dan kering berubah - d landa bah. Indeks kemalangan jalanraya juga mendadak naik, bilamana pemandu kereta d lebuhraya enam lane berubah menjadi pemandu novice - kekok berdepan dengan lebuhraya yang licin!

Pejabat dan sekolah (terutama kawasan utara UAE - Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah) lengang bila saja waktu bermula yang d tetapkan.

Hebatnya Bush!

UAE memang selalu menerima kunjungan ketua negara. Saban hari d media ada saja pemimpin yang bergambar bersama pembesar UAE. Namun ketibaan pembesar negara yang dalam menuju pencen wajib ke Dubai hari ini mengubah jadual perjalanan harian Dubai!

Kunjungan George Bush ke Dubai (tiba dari ibukota, Abu Dhabi) mengakibatkan tutupnya jalan-jalan utama d Dubai dan pengumuman cuti bagi sektor awam, swasta dan sekolah.

Hebat! Kata seorang Arab, cuba bayangkan jika Presiden Uncle Sam ini tiba sebaik d pilih menjadi pemimpin polis dunia ini? Apa bakal cuti seminggu?

Semalam sekatan d beberapa jalanraya dan penutupan jalanraya sejak petang semalam mengakibatkan kesesakan jalanraya - menaikkan lagi indeks rungutan pengguna jalanraya d Dubai!

Cakap-cakap Arab Street lagi, antara sebab pengumuman cuti ialah untuk mengelak dari kejadian yang tak d ingini menimpa rakan niaga terbesar UAE ini (kelewatan akibat kesesakan jalanraya mahupun apa jua yang tak d jangka).

Daulat Tuanku!

Dubai, UAE YDP Agung Tuanku Mizan mengambil bahagian dalam pertandingan lumba kuda Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup 2008 d Dubai. Sebelum ini Tuanku Mizan pernah mengambil bahagian d dalam beberapa siri kejohanan endurance d Abu Dhabi.

Kehadiran YDP Agung mendapat liputan media.

Lapuran media d sini dan sini