Dubai: Ah. It’s that time of the year again. A last-minute rush to hold events and push out announcements before people start leaving for Ramadan means that there’s plenty to discuss this week.
First up is Sunday’s announcement of two major new hotel on the $2.2 billion Bluewaters island. In partnership with developer Meraas, the first Caesars Palace outside of Las Vegas is set to open towards the end of this year on the island, with one key feature missing: Like its counterpart in Vegas, this hotel won’t have a casino.
We discuss what this means for Dubai’s tourism industry, and the what kind of entertainment the hotel might provide instead.
Fittingly, this week also sees the return of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (Ahic) in Ras Al Khaimah. It is the first time the event will be held outside of Dubai.
On the podcast, we discuss some of the key issues set to be discussed at Ahic, including the rise of three-star hotels and whether ultra-luxury resorts are on their way out.
Might timeshares also be on the agenda at the event?
Well, they’re more likely to be, after Dubai announced sweeping economic stimulus plans over the weekend. Sarah, who has been covering the stimulus programme, walks us through what it all means.
And of course, as always, we talk international events, the TPP, trade, the Syria missile strikes, and United States politics.
