Kylie confirmed for Atlantis opening

DUBAI // Kylie Minogue is to perform for 2,000 guests at the grand opening of the Atlantis hotel on Palm Jumeirah in November, the management confirmed yesterday. The one-off show at a gala beach party for celebrity guests on Nov 20 will be the Australian pop star's debut in the Middle East. Kerzner International, which will manage the hotel, said Minogue would be the main attraction at the "star-studded party".

The hotel will welcome its first guests on Sept 24 before the gala opening. A giant fireworks display lighting up 43km of the palm-shaped shoreline and illuminating the entire man-made island will be the climax of the show. The guests will be invited by Sol Kerzner, the chairman of Kerzner, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman of Nakheel, the developers and operators of the hotel. Kerzner is tight-lipped about the guest list amid rumours that David Beckham, the England footballer, and Spike Lee, the US film director, will attend. Kerzner said guests would include business leaders, politicians, actors and musicians, as well as members of the Dubai Royal Family.

Emergency services rushed to the US$1.5 billion (Dh5.5bn) resort two weeks ago when fire damaged the dome over the lobby. Teams are working round the clock to replace the dome before the first guests arrive. The 1,539-room hotel is a joint venture between Kerzner and Istithmar, owned by the Dubai Government. The 46-hectare complex, based on a similar project by Kerzner in the Bahamas, will include one of the largest man-made marine habitats in the world and several water parks. Up to 65,000 sea creatures will be on show.

Minogue recovered from breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment in 2005. @email:[e-mail]