Dubai Festival City
Encyclopedia
Dubai Festival City is a large residential, business and entertainment development in the city of Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
. Touted as a "city-within-a-city", Dubai Festival City is the Middle East's largest mixed-use development: all elements for work, living, and leisure will be contained within the project. Once completed Festival City will comprise a series of residential communities, numerous hotels, malls, a golf course and other entertainment sites, and a full suite of public services, including schools.
Construction of the development, which was under taken by Al Futtaim
Carillion, began in 2003 and is expected to take 12 years. The project spans 3.8 kilometres (2.4 mi) of water frontage on the eastern bank of Dubai Creek and is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Dubai International Airport
. As of mid-2006, investments in the project had exceeded 11 billion AED
(3 billion USD).
Festival Centre is home to Dubai
’s premier concerts and festivals and has hosted world class entertainers such as Carlos Santana
, Maroon 5
, Scorpions
, Queen
, Tamer Hosni, Kylie Minogue
and Shah Rukh Khan. It has also presented Dubai with a wide array of festivals from the Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature through to Dubai Desert Rock Festival
and Dubai Bike Week. Festival Centre hosts events, parades, entertainers and musicians each week ensuring families are always engaged and rewarded for their visit.
. In July 2009, Intercontinental took over management of the Al Badia Golf Course. Future developments include the 350-room W Hotel Dubai and the 400-room Four Seasons
Hotel Dubai, but construction of both hotels was put on hold in January 2009 due to the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009.
, HyperPanda supermarket (first hypermarket outside of Saudi Arabia), Plug-ins ElectroniX and Ace Hardware
(the largest outside North America).
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. Touted as a "city-within-a-city", Dubai Festival City is the Middle East's largest mixed-use development: all elements for work, living, and leisure will be contained within the project. Once completed Festival City will comprise a series of residential communities, numerous hotels, malls, a golf course and other entertainment sites, and a full suite of public services, including schools.
Description
Construction of the development, which was under taken by Al Futtaim
Al-Futtaim Group
The Al-Futtaim Group is a large conglomerate operating in the United Arab Emirates.-History:The group was founded in the 1930s and expanded rapidly in the 1940s and 1950s becoming an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation....
Carillion, began in 2003 and is expected to take 12 years. The project spans 3.8 kilometres (2.4 mi) of water frontage on the eastern bank of Dubai Creek and is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
. As of mid-2006, investments in the project had exceeded 11 billion AED
United Arab Emirates dirham
The dirham is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. The ISO 4217 code for the United Arab Emirates dirham is AED. Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 ....
(3 billion USD).
Festival Centre is home to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
’s premier concerts and festivals and has hosted world class entertainers such as Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Tamer Hosni, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and Shah Rukh Khan. It has also presented Dubai with a wide array of festivals from the Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature through to Dubai Desert Rock Festival
Dubai Desert Rock Festival
The Dubai Desert Rock Festival was an event celebrating various styles of rock and metal music on one stage in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At the time, it was the only festival of its kind in the Middle East. As well as live music, extreme sports were also featured as crowd attractions...
and Dubai Bike Week. Festival Centre hosts events, parades, entertainers and musicians each week ensuring families are always engaged and rewarded for their visit.
Hotels
The development includes two hotels and a long term stay serviced apartment complex, all managed by InterContinental Hotels GroupInterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group plc is a global hotels company headquartered in Denham, United Kingdom. It is the largest hotels company in the world measured by rooms , and has over 4,500 hotels across over 100 countries...
. In July 2009, Intercontinental took over management of the Al Badia Golf Course. Future developments include the 350-room W Hotel Dubai and the 400-room Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a Canadian-based international ultra-luxury, five-star hotel management company. Travel + Leisure magazine and Zagat Survey rank the hotel chain's 84 properties among the top luxury hotels worldwide...
Hotel Dubai, but construction of both hotels was put on hold in January 2009 due to the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009.
Festival Waterfront Centre
The Festival Waterfront Centre, is a retail power centre which includes IKEAIKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
, HyperPanda supermarket (first hypermarket outside of Saudi Arabia), Plug-ins ElectroniX and Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware Corporation is a hardware cooperative based in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States. ACE Hardware Corporation, with 4,444 stores, does over $3 billion in retail hardware sales annually down from its peak of $12.5 billion in 2007.-History:...
(the largest outside North America).