Category: Middle East

The Dubai Frame is the largest photo frame (a golden frame) in the world. This was opened to public on 1^st January 2018.

Interesting Facts:

1)Dubai Frame measures 150 metres high and 95 metres wide.

2)Over 9,900 cubic metres of reinforced concrete, 2,000 tons of steel and 2,900 square metres of laminated glass were used in its construction.

3)More than 15,000 square metres of gold-coloured stainless steel covers Dubai Frame, which incorporates a ring design inspired by the Expo 2020 Dubai logo.

4)Dubai Frame’s rectangular design was inspired by the ‘golden ratio’ of 1.618, which many architects and artists believe forms an ideal structural balance.

5)The elevator to the Sky deck carries visitors 48 floors in 75 seconds.

The astonishing frame-shaped building (designed by Mexican Artist Fernando Donis) is near Zabeel Park Gate 4.

It is always better to book the tickets well in advance. You can look for tickets here :

https://www.dubaiframe.ae/en

There are 20+ time slots (each slot is 30 minutes) from 9 AM till 8:30 PM.

The ticket price for Adults is 50 AED (Above 12 years) and children is 20 AED(3—12 Years). Children below 3 years are free.

NOTE: . The staff told us that the ticket includes an entrance pass to the park, so we can stroll around if you want to.

As per the terms and conditions, the Booking Confirmation is valid only for the specific date and time mentioned in the ticket and shall automatically expire upon the lapse of this specific date and time.

We had booked the 8:30PM slot. From our personal experience it is not a good slot to book your tickets. You should try picking a slot just before sunset, so that you can see both day and night views.

There is a beautiful musical fountain near to the entrance. But you cannot really enjoy this fountain if you are picking up a late evening ticket of Dubai Frame.

Your journey starts with admiring the Frame from underneath.

With the admission ticket, visitors can experience “the past, present and future of Dubai.” (All inside the Dubai Frame)

The first experience to the frame is to a very small exhibit on Dubai’s past (no photos allowed) in the mezzanine floor. It consists of a mock-up of an old-style market street. 3D projections and special effects adds more originality.

The Second experience is the Sky deck level which represents Dubai at the present time. A glass elevator will take you to up to 48 floors in 75 seconds. The bridge or sky deck is made of both concrete and solid glass panels, allowing you to walk along the glass and see everything beneath the frame.

The Dubai Frame has been constructed in such a way that when you look through towards the South of the frame you can see the views of the modern metropolis & skyscrapers. When you look through towards the North of the frame you get to see the older Dubai, reminding those of simpler times and how far the city has come along from its humble beginnings as a fishing village that was popular for the pearl diving trade.

There are quotes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum displayed on the wall and changes from Arabic to English continuously.

Dubai Frame is 150 metres high and Burg Khalifa is 828 Metres high. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money for tickets @ Burg Khalifa, Dubai frame can be an economical option. Of Couse  spectacular city views are also guaranteed.

At the other end of the hall, we entered another elevator to descend back to ground level.

The last part of the experience is given by taking you to a room (again in the mezzanine floor) where we saw a glimpse of the future Dubai. Again photos/videos are not allowed at that place.  

There are Souvenir and gift shops available at the exit.

We went there in Taxi.

Nearest Metro stop is Al Jafaliya station. Do note there is no direct access to the Dubai Frame from here, it’s approximately a 25-minute walk around the outside of the park to get in.

Points to note:

1. It is worth vesting just before sunset, so that you can experience both day and night views.
2. Keep in mind that the staff are strict with the timings as they need to accommodate the incoming visitors. They allow only 250 Guests at a maximum on the bridge of the frame.
3. For Photographers (especially at night), please adjust your camera as there will be huge reflection of the glasses.
4. There is a very detailed security check before entering the frame.
5. The whole place can easily be covered in 1 hour.
6. Luggage and large bags are not allowed inside the Dubai Frame. 
7. Pets are prohibited here.
8. Sky deck has a nice chocolate-cum-coffee bar where you can buy your coffee and snacks.

Summary:

It’s definitely worth the visit at least once just for the sky bridge experience and the unhindered views of the city from the bridge.

The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Managed by Jumeirah hotel group, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, eventhough 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space.
This is one of the famous and luxurious hotels in the world, which was opened to public in 1999. This is considered as the only 7 start hotel in the world (probably a debatable topic)

Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island that is 280m from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a ship. It took 2 years to build the island and another 3 years to build the hotel.

For the first time in history of 20+years, Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab welcomes guests to an exclusive tour, to discover the untold stories of a true UAE landmark.
The ‘Inside Burg Al Arab’ tour started on 15th October 2021. It means you don’t have to book a room here to get an access inside the hotel.

If you have been always curious (like me) to know what is inside the most expensive hotel in Dubai, then book this tour and give a pause to your quest.

There are various ways in which you could reach this place. Few of them are captured in the below image (taken from their official website).

There are a few tour options available, but the General Admission Guided Tour for 90 minutes (accompanied with a dedicated butler) is the most popular one out of all tours. The charge is around 249 AED. Kids of age 12 or under have a charge of around 99 AED. Children up to the age of 4 years are free of charge when accompanied by a full paying adult.

NOTE: Its good to note that the ticket price for this tour is still on a higher side, when you compare the ticket price with other tourist destinations in Dubai. But this would be a completely different experience.

There are around 20 different time slots (per day) available starting from 9:30 AM till 8:30 PM with a interval of 15 minutes, so that you could book the one which is most convenient for you. This is a group tour and the group size is restricted to around 12 people (in respect of social distancing). This tour starts from the Ticketing lounge. You would be asked to reach this lounge atleast 15 minutes before your designated tour time.

As soon as you enter the lounge, you would be received by the staff at the reception who would cross check and confirm your tickets.
They would also serve you with a special drink.
The tour starts in a buggy from the entrance of the lounge.
There is a special pathway for the buggy, to reach near the iconic Burj Al Arab.

The first stop of the buggy will be at a short distance from the iconic hotel where you can get some beautiful snaps of the hotel and its surrounding beach.

After that you would be taken to the ground floor of the hotel, where you would be received by few other staff’s who would take you inside the hotel through a separate entry gate exclusively for the non-guests who come as a part of this guided tour. You will also be given a specific Burj Al Arab hand towel.

From there you would be taken through the colourful lobby of the hotel (includes a visit to the famous hotel atrium/fountains) to the panoramic elevator that will take you to the 25^th Floor. You would also find some luxury brands showroom, enroute elevator.

You will then be taken to the royal suite, wheer you will be greeted by the private butler, the suite sits over two floors, the second of which is reached by an ostentatious gold and marble staircase, lined with leopard print carpet..

Now this royal suite is not given for hotel guests and its exclusively for the viewing purpose of the non guests who book this tour. Earlier this suite was given for guests for a rate of 25000 USD/Night. You will be guided to different places like the reception room, his/her bedrooms, living rooms, TV room and so on.

‘Her’s’ features a luxurious pink-hued lounge and a huge round bed with a mirror on the ceiling, marble bath tub and Hermes products. ‘His’ has a dramatic round bed that actually rotates a pillared marble bath tub and a walk-in shower fitted with 24-carat gold tiles.

Throughout the tour, you will get countless opportunities to capture some very iconic moments.

There is a royal touch (like a palace) in each and every part of this suite (including the bathrooms) and you would never feel that you are inside a hotel room or suite.

After the suite, you will be taken to the experience centre, where you can see the history of Burj-ul arab,  guests who stayed , why and how it was build and so on.

In the Architects studio, you could get to see the very first sketch of this hotel.

You would also be served with Arabian Coffee and dates.

This would be the last part of the tour, after which you would proceed back to the exit door. If you are interested in doing some shopping, dont worry; You would find a gift shop (INSIDE BURJ AL ARAB BOUTIQUE) near to the exit.

The tour ends back at the ground floor where you can experience the beautiful views of the Arabian gulf. A buggy would be already waiting for you at that place which will take you back to the Lounge.

You can find more details about this tour in the official website : https://insideburjalarab.com/

Summary / Important information to Note (courtesy: https://insideburjalarab.com/)

• The tour takes 1.5 hours on average.
• Visitors are not allowed to bring food and beverages with them.
• Tour ticket enables access to the 25th floor and inside Burj Arab only.
• Be advised to arrive 15 minutes earlier to take your ticket and have a valid photo ID with you.
• Please mind that the tickets are non-refundable or transferable and valid only for the time slot and date marked on your confirmation.
• In case of late arrival, guests may join the next tour when it is available and may be asked to pay an additional charge.
• Please respect other guests’ privacy and comfort when visiting the place.
• It is not permitted to take flash photos and use professional cameras.
• Burj Al Arab is a place of luxury. Please don`t put on beachwear. Smart casual clothes are appropriate.
• Tickets cannot be cancelled.
• As a part of tour, they will take your photograph at 2 different occasions (with some extremely great background). You could buy these photographs, offcourse with an additional payment.
• It is possible to extend your tour with drinks, high tea, lunch or dinner after the tour (includes additional payment).
• If you are planning to include this tour in your itinerary, its better to book a slot well in advance.
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels.

“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.”

– Caskie Stinnett

I visited Riyadh Saudi Arabia in July 2014. This was purely a Business trip and I did not find much time to explore a lot in Riyadh.

Riyadh is the capital and the largest city of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh may or may not be known to many, as it is not a Tourist destination as such. This is more of a Business destination. It is indeed a very lively city. The ancient fortresses and tall skyscrapers stand side by side in this Arab Capital.

King Khalid International Airport is about 35-40 Kms to the north of the city center.The easiest commuting option will be to take the ‘Riyadh Airport Shuttle’.

The main attraction that I targeted in this trip was ‘Kingdom Tower’ and ‘Al Fasaliah’ Tower.

‘Al Fasaliah’ Tower:

Although Riyadh is a historic city, state-of-the-art buildings are constantly popping up across the Saudi capital. The Al Faisaliah Tower is the fourth tallest tower in the Kingdom, and towers over Riyadh at 267-metres high, spanning 44 floors. Although the tower is metal and glass, the geometric design is a nod to the traditional Arabic designs that once dominated the city. An expensive luxury mall and restaurant complex occupies a number of floors in the tower.

Kingdom Tower:

This is the world’s third-tallest building with a hole after the Shanghai World Financial Centre and the 85 Sky Tower in Taiwan.

The Sky Bridge at Kingdom Centre is one of the hottest attractions in Riyadh. The Kingdom Centre, also called the Al Mamlaka Tower is a skyscraper which has truly transformed Riyadh’s skyline. For a fantastic panoramic view of the city, a visit to the Sky Bridge at the Kingdom Centre is a must. The bridge, connecting the two towers of the Kingdom Centre, is 65-metres in length, 300-metres above the ground, and weighs some 300 tonnes. A high-speed elevator takes visitors to the 50th floor, where a second elevator takes them to the bridge. Bridge is in the 99th floor. Try and visit the place 30min-1 Hour before sunset and enjoy the breath-taking view at sunset. The views from the bridge at night, as the city is lit up with glowing lights, is simply spectacular. The Kingdom Centre also houses a shopping mall, luxurious residential apartments and a number of fine restaurants.

Ticket charges are around : 35 SAR

Saturday – Thursday –> 1 PM – 11 PM ; Friday –> 4 PM – 11 PM

Important Notes:

1) It is important to respect and follow the local laws of Saudi Arabia and there are a number of restrictions that you need to be aware of in terms of Saudi culture and what they deem to be acceptable. It is important to know these before you go in order to have a trouble-free trip.Also, its good to go through the ‘Do’s and Don’ts list while travelling to Saudi Arabia’

2) Also, please note that the Saudi working week begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the official days of rest, but in certain cases Saturday might be considered as a working day.

3) It will be nice to carry your travel document (passport/visa or copy) while roaming around. There are chances that cops might ask you to show them the same.

If you are looking to purchase some dates, ‘Kingdom Dates’ is the place to go. You will find all varieties/all ranges of dates.

The toughest part will be to adjust with the hot climate here. Temperatures can reach up to 50-degree Celsius at times in the Summer. I have personally experienced around 43 degrees. Believe me, it’s really HHHOOOTTT…

You will see all the International Brands in the Malls here. And people do a lot of shopping aswell.

What else to see in Riyadh:

Old Diriyah

Al Masmak fort:

Located in downtown Riyadh, is a castle made of clay and mud-brick that once played a significant role in the Kingdom’s history. It was where the recapture of Riyadh took place in 1902. Even today, Al MasmakFort still plays a big part in the country’s tourism.

Deirah Souk:

After you get a dose of Saudi history, it’s time to do some bargaining at Deerah Souk. Souk is the Arabic word for market or bazaar. It is located just behind the Masmak Fort.

King Abdul Aziz Historical CenterAl-Thumama Entertainment Village

Al-Hokair Land Theme Park

Al-Hamrah Entertainment Village

Al-Safi dairy farm:

It is the World’s largest integrated farm. I believe it also holds a Guinness world record holder with more than 50000 cows.

ATV ride in red Sand dunes

Edge of the world: It around 90 kms north of Riyadh

Accommodation:

I had stayed in Holiday Inn and Novotel (both in Olaya street). My personal recommendation would be Holiday Inn.

“A ship in a harbor is safe, but it is not what ships are built for.” – John A.

10) Scientific centre/ Kuwait aquarium

The center consist of many sections like

Max Theater where they show the latest 3D movies with a huge screen,

Planetarium – with a great show of stars and how earth is moving,

Aquarium – with great show of all fishes from Kuwait plus insects and animals .