Kylie Minogue to play Dubai concerts

The Australian singer Kylie Minogue performs at the London O2 arena as she continues her comeback with a new show inspired by her latest album X.

DUBAI // Kylie Minogue, the Australian pop star, has signed a six-figure deal to perform at two concerts in Dubai. The first show, on Sept 24, will help launch Atlantis, The Palm resort, while no date or location has been announced for the second performance, which will be open to the public. The shows will be Minogue's first performances in the UAE.

The Atlantis concert comes on the heels of an intimate show British singer Elton John performed last month in Paris for the Dubai Pearl development. Minogue is wrapping up her KYLIEX2008 European tour tonight at London's 02 Arena. The tour sold out within hours of tickets going on sale and the former Neighbours actress had to add more dates to the schedule. She has also toured countries including Greece, Russia, Finland and Latvia this year.

"She knows that in the UAE she has thousands of fans and as it will be her debut in the country, she has a lot to live up to," said a source with the publicity campaign. "She is already planning the shows, the costumes and the songs but there is no doubt that it will be the climax to the end of her year of touring expected of a star of her stature. Kylie will be sure to give the shows a little local flavour. She is just the person to bring maximum publicity to such a prestigious, high profile development."

Minogue, 40, has recovered from her very public 2005 battle with breast cancer after intensive chemotherapy treatment. In April this year, her comeback album X secured a Top 5 entry on Billboard's Electro Chart in the US. Atlantis, The Palm will be the flagship resort on the Palm Jumeirah and the first to open its doors on the artificial island. The 1,539-room resort began taking reservations in February. It will encompass a 46-hectare site with 17 hectares of water-themed amusement parks, an open air marine habitat, beaches, boutiques and restaurants.

Brad Pitt is also designing an environmentally sustainable five-star resort in Dubai with Zabeel Properties and LA-based architecture firm Graft. @Email:[e-mail]