Dubai is set to have its very own Legoland Hotel. Courtesy Pawan Singh / The National
Dubai is set to have its very own Legoland Hotel. Courtesy Pawan Singh / The National

First Legoland Hotel in Middle East to open in Dubai



Lego lovers will be excited to hear that Dubai is set to have its very own Legoland Hotel — the first in the Middle East.

The hotel, a collaboration between Dubai-based leisure and entertainment company DXB Entertainments PJSC and Merlin Entertainments Group, will be the seventh Legoland Hotel in the world and will come complete with disco elevators and Lego modelled rooms.

The hotel will be located next to the Legoland theme park in Dubai Parks and Resorts, and while developers have not announced a time frame for completion, the design is said to resemble the playful nature and Lego-themed international chain of hotels.

Lego storylines and characters will adorn guest common areas and rooms, and the hotel will be fitted with disco elevators and a castle play and adventure area which will provide for an immersive experience.

The 250-room hotel is being built on 300,00 square feet of land and will have easy access to Legoland Dubai and Legoland Waterpark.

Themed accommodation is an increasingly important part of the holiday and short-break visit,” says John Jakobsen, the chief new openings officer at Merlin Entertainments. “With the development of this hotel — the first of its kind in the Middle East region — families and children [can] continue their amazing Legoland experience after the Park closes.”

Legoland Hotel Dubai is the second hotel within Dubai Parks and Resorts. The addition of the Lego themed hotel, along with Lapita Hotel of the Marriott Autograph Collection, will bring the total hospitality offering at the destination to more than 750 rooms.

Dubai Parks and Resorts includes Bollywood Parks, Motiongate Dubai and Legoland Dubai and Legoland Waterpark. Riverland is a family destination with retail and dining options that can be accessed for free. The Six Flags Dubai theme park is expected to open at the destination in 2019.

For more details, visit www.dubaiparksandresorts.com

aahmed@thenational.ae

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Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

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Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
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Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
%3Cp%3ESix%20of%20the%20eight%20fast%20bowlers%20used%20in%20the%20ILT20%20match%20between%20Desert%20Vipers%20and%20MI%20Emirates%20were%20left-handed.%20So%2075%20per%20cent%20of%20those%20involved.%0D%3Cbr%3EAnd%20that%20despite%20the%20fact%2010-12%20per%20cent%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20population%20is%20said%20to%20be%20left-handed.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20an%20extension%20of%20a%20trend%20which%20has%20seen%20left-arm%20pacers%20become%20highly%20valued%20%E2%80%93%20and%20over-represented%2C%20relative%20to%20other%20formats%20%E2%80%93%20in%20T20%20cricket.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20all%20to%20do%20with%20the%20fact%20most%20batters%20are%20naturally%20attuned%20to%20the%20angles%20created%20by%20right-arm%20bowlers%2C%20given%20that%20is%20generally%20what%20they%20grow%20up%20facing%20more%20of.%0D%3Cbr%3EIn%20their%20book%2C%20%3Cem%3EHitting%20Against%20the%20Spin%3C%2Fem%3E%2C%20cricket%20data%20analysts%20Nathan%20Leamon%20and%20Ben%20Jones%20suggest%20the%20advantage%20for%20a%20left-arm%20pace%20bowler%20in%20T20%20is%20amplified%20because%20of%20the%20obligation%20on%20the%20batter%20to%20attack.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThe%20more%20attacking%20the%20batsman%2C%20the%20more%20reliant%20they%20are%20on%20anticipation%2C%E2%80%9D%20they%20write.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThis%20effectively%20increases%20the%20time%20pressure%20on%20the%20batsman%2C%20so%20increases%20the%20reliance%20on%20anticipation%2C%20and%20therefore%20increases%20the%20left-arm%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20advantage.%E2%80%9D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Company%20Profile
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The Saga Continues

Wu-Tang Clan

(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)

Summer special
HOSTS

T20 WORLD CUP 

2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland 

ODI WORLD CUP 

2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh 

CHAMPIONS TROPHY 

2025: Pakistan; 2029: India  

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Torque: 250Nm

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Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

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Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
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SPECS
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Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47