The Dubai Mall achieved a record-smashing year in 2011 to become the world’s most-visited shopping and leisure destination, welcoming more than 54 million visitors in 2011. The number of visitors in 2011 is about 15% higher than the 47 million visitors in 2010, according to Emaar Properties,, developer of the Mall.

The Dubai Mall is centrally located in Downtown Dubai, described as ‘The Centre of Now,’ and overlooking Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

The number of visitors to The Dubai Mall is more than the number of annual tourists to New York City in 2011, reported at 50.2 million. The visitor numbers exceed the annual visitors to Las Vegas – expected to welcome 39.2 million people in 2011 and Los Angeles at 26.3 million3 and also surpasses the visitor arrivals to all landmark leisure destinations and theme parks in the world including Times Square (39.2 million); Central Park (38 million); and Niagara Falls (22.5 million) among others, Emaar added.

Retail sales across the various brands and unbranded outlets  in the mall also have reported robust growth at about 35% on average compared with 2010.

The Dubai Mall’s record-breaking footfall elevates its position as the world’s most visited tourism and shopping destination, topping the annual visitor arrivals to all landmark attractions anywhere in the world,” Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC, said.

This also underlines Dubai’s premier position regionally and internationally, reflecting the strength of the strategic vision and development goals for the city outlined by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President ‘&’ Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The visitor numbers to The Dubai Mall are also a strong testament to the growing appeal of Dubai as a preferred tourism destination, and a compelling indicator of the robust performance of the city’s retail sector led by this trophy asset of Emaar.

He added: The visitor footfall is matched by the increase in retail sales, highlighting the contribution of The Dubai Mall to Dubai’s retail sector. The mall’s varied choice of retail outlets – with the world’s leading brands operating their flagship stores or marking their Middle East debut at The Dubai Mall – underlines its premier position as the must-visit destination for the booming consumer segment not just in the Middle East but across the region, spanning South Asia, Africa, CIS countries and Europe.” Driving the growth of The Dubai Mall was the creation of the US$20 billion Downtown Dubai, described as ‘The Centre of Now.’ The flagship development of Emaar Properties features Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, seven world-class hotels, thousands of residential apartments, modern offices and The Dubai Fountain, among other attractions. “The various components of Downtown Dubai have positioned this flagship development of Emaar as a premier lifestyle destination boosting the growth of the city’s tourism, hospitality, retail and other economic sectors,” added Mr Alabbar.

Offering the full breadth of retail choices, the mall’s spread of 1,200 outlets meets all shopping requirements of visitors – from fashion wear to accessories, electronic appliances to home furnishing, the latest communication gadgets to audio-visual choices, books, jewellery and much more.

Significantly, the mall’s retail spread includes flagship stores of the world’s top-notch brands across all the different sectors making The Dubai Mall the first choice for discerning customers. The upmarket fashion brands, located within a dedicated Fashion Avenue, reiterate the position of Dubai as the region’s fashion capital.

The mall also has over 160 food and beverage outlets – providing a choice for any taste. Several F’&’B outlets at the mall are new and exclusive, further asserting The Dubai Mall’s choice as the must-visit destination for dining out with friends and family.

Adding further to the appeal of the mall to visitors from across the world are its spectacular leisure attractions such as Dubai Aquarium ‘&’ Underwater Zoo, which holds the Guinness World Record for the largest acrylic viewing panel; the Olympic sized Dubai Ice Rink; the region’s first SEGA Republic – the largest of its kind indoor theme park; KidZania , the only one of its kind children’s edutainment centre in the entire Middle East region; and the 22-screen Reel Cinemas, one of the region’s largest megaplexes that can seat over 2,800 people.

The spectacular Dubai Fountain in the waterfront promenade of the mall attracts thousands of visitors every day, and the mall also hosted several thousand visitors who attended the New Year’s Celebrations 2012 organised by Emaar in Downtown Dubai.

Dubai: In an exclusive interview with CNN, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “We want to be number one”, answering a question by anchor Erin Burnett about his aspirations for the UAE.

Erin Burnett has had the rare chance of spending a whole work day with Shaikh Mohammad. The interview, which took place at various locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, was characterised by full frankness and transparency. A number of issues were discussed, with special focus given to internal affairs.

The interview began with a brief report on the UAE’s celebrations of the 40th anniversary of one of the youngest countries in the world; this is the United Arab Emirates, and the man who built its crown jewel is still on the helm.

Dreams of skyscrapers

The report mentioned that Shaikh Mohammad dreamt of skyscrapers. Forty years ago, there were literally sand dunes, tents and small forts; now the world’s tallest buildings rise from the desert. The centre of the city and a backdrop for the rich and famous, including Tom Cruise and his stunt for his latest movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol where he dangled from 153 storeys in the air from the Burj Khalifa.

In the light of the Arab Spring, Dubai is a haven for people seeking escape. In this context, Jodi Essa, a student from Syria, said: “I’m living here alone; I’ve never felt unsafe; I’ve never felt uncomfortable living here.” The report added: “Even the Ruler still walks without any security details.”

Dubai is a diverse city. Eighty-five per cent of the people living here are expatriates, and people from over 200 countries pass through the city.

Answering a question about His Highness’ fears of extremists who may target Dubai, Shaikh Mohammad said: “They have not made any problems for us, you know, they’re living together and they have an interest to come here, so they work and they send home some money from here, so they don’t want to spoil that.”

A video footage in the report indicated that Shaikh Mohammad starts his day on his horse farm in the outskirts of Dubai. Commenting on this footage, Shaikh Mohammad said: “Horses, falcons and dogs are part of our life.”

Direct communication

The interview also touched on bridges of communications between the people and the Ruler. A video footage that was included in the interview showed that the temperatures may reach 49 degrees Celsius during summer: in December, during the TV team’s visit to record the interview, the temperature was 26 degrees. That day was a good day to follow up how the emirate’s government works at the majlis where citizens can directly talk to their leaders about their needs.

Shaikh Mohammad said: “We have the majlis where everybody can come to the Ruler and say ‘I didn’t get this or that’; or this department, or that ministry did not give me my right.”

Burnett asked, “Do they directly come to you and ask for what they want directly?”

Shaikh Mohammad replied: “Yes, they might complain about a ministry, so I get hold of the minister and ask him why he didn’t do his job.”

Burnett went on to tell how Shaikh Mohammad preferred to spend a night in the desert every 10 days to experience the life of a bedouin, despite belonging to the ruling family and living in a country that sits on 10 per cent of world oil reserves.

In another video footage, the report pointed to the meetings of the UAE Cabinet in Abu Dhabi, where Burnett had the chance to attend one, at which the budget was discussed and its details to be published online in a move that Brunett viewed a step towards transparency. This step is also welcomed by students from Arab Spring countries. Burnett, in this regard, cited the point view of an Egyptian student who said: “The UAE must be a role model for all Arab countries with the way it is ruled.”

Press freedom

Regarding this issue, Burnett asked: “Some people are saying press is not totally free?” Shaikh Mohammad plainly replied: “As long as they do not say something wrong about a person or whatever it is, they can say things they want, and as I told you, we are not perfect; we are still learning.”

Answering a question about democracy, Shaikh Mohammad said: “We have our own democracy; you cannot transport your democracy to us.”

Burnett asked: “Your son Hamdan will rule after you, father to son, will that continue forever?” His Highness answered: “As long as people want that.” Referring to the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Burnett pointed out that: “Some say Dubai’s Shaikh and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi are using money to prevent unrest.”

She further asked: “The salaries for government workers, and you recently doubled that, and some people said that you did it because you were worried about unrest in the UAE from the Arab Spring. Is there any truth in that?” Shaikh Mohammad answered: “No, it is not because of the Arab Spring, we did it before the Arab Spring started and we did it many times before. If you look in the past 10 years, you will see we have doubled salaries several times.”

Burnett mentioned that most youth and expats are pro-government. A young Emirati woman said: “I would like to thank His Highness for what he has done for us, for everything.” Another expat said: “Shaikh Mohammad is a true visionary.”

The ‘OutFront’ anchor touched on the punishment facing those who failed to pay their mortgage. His Highness clarified: “Some laws may be strict; but we don’t put in jail everybody who comes here.”

Erin Burnett concluded the interview by stressing on the point that Shaikh Mohammad focuses on one thing, that is building Dubai on the hill in a part of the world where hills are few and far between. And, when she asked him: “How much further do you want to go?” Shaikh Mohammed answered: “To be number one.”

It is worth mentioning that the CNN aired snapshots of the interview on December 6 concurrently with the UAE’s 40th National Day. The interview has widely attracted regional and international attention; various world media agencies and outlets have published highlights of Shaikh Mohammad’s statement, especially those dealing with regional issues.

‘Crisis a challenge’

Erin Burnett, the anchor of CNN’s OutFront, interviewed Shaikh Mohammad recently, in which he talked about issues affecting the region and the Arab world.

In the interview, Shaikh Mohammad said that the Arab Spring is [about] the people who have waited for a long time for change to happen.

Touching on the crisis affecting the world, Sheikh Mohammad said, “I don’t call it crisis, it is a challenge. This is a challenge, you know. All good leaders are there when things are alright. But it takes a good leader in a crisis like that.”

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) today announced that Abu Dhabi International Airport’s traffic figures for the month of November – the fifth consecutive month that the airport has welcomed over one million passengers.

Abu Dhabi International Airport saw a 16% surge in passenger traffic in November compared to the same month last year. Cargo traffic was also on the rise, with over 42,000 tonnes of freight handled throughout the month, recording a 7% increase over the same period in 2010.

Commenting on the airport’s performance, Harib Al Hameli, Vice President Operations, Abu Dhabi International Airport, stated: “Last November was one of the busiest months for Abu Dhabi International Airport, particularly with the many activities surrounding the F1 season taking place around the capital, along with the Hajj season, which drove passenger traffic to rise through the airport’s diverse network. We look forward to sustaining our dynamic growth, and to continue providing our passengers with award-winning customer service combined with high level of efficient and safe operations.” Doha, London Heathrow, Bangkok, Manila and Manama were the top five routes for November, collectively claiming 20% of the total passenger traffic for the month.

Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Saeed Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan visited the venue of the Al Dhafra Camel Festival being organized by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage in the Al Gharbia (Western Region).

During his tour to the venue, Sheikh Tahnoun acquainted himself with the different traditional handicrafts showcased at the Festival.

He also hailed the support extended by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces to efforts to preserve the country’s heritage.

He also hailed efforts made by the Interior Ministry’s efforts to promote the community’s security awareness through its Village.

The Festival is being held between December 17 – 28 under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces

Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum received today Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait at his place of residence in Riyadh.

During the meeting, they exchanged talks on topics of the agenda of the 32nd Summit of the leaders of GCC states, which will conclude later in the evening.

The meeting was attended by H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior,H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group and members of the delegation accompanying the Vice President .