Dubai is known by many names—the "City of Gold” and “Pearl of the Gulf”— being its most popular epithets. A veritable shopper’s paradise, a tourist destination, and an ideal holiday spot for all ages, this modern metropolis is one of the fastest growing cities in the world...
You name it and Dubai has it. Well, if it doesn’t have something, then you can be quite sure that the city is in the process of building it. And if it is not building it, then rest assured, it is getting the design ready on the drawing board. No matter what the scenario may be, Dubai is growing at such a rapid pace that the latest catchphrase of the city is, “If you blink, you will see a new building on the horizon”.
Dubai’s growth in the last decade has been phenomenal—from real estate to leisure and business projects—the city is attracting widespread international attention. No wonder, the city has earned a reputation for itself for constantly reinventing itself and chalking out strategic plans for future developments. The transformation of Dubai in the last decade has been nothing short of fantastic.
Dubai is no more seen as the weekend destination; it is a city that offers endless entertainment opportunities for you to splurge on. From the rustic charm of the old spice souq lanes to the opulence of the Burj Al Arab, the world’s tallest and only seven-star hotel, to the Ski Dome and the Dubai Bazaars. And with work having started on Madinat Jumeirah, a giant waterfront resort; Palm Island, the second man-made feature that is visible from the moon; Dubai Marina and the Restless Planet; there is no doubt that the city of Dubai is aiming to be next best entertainment destination in the world.
One of the strongest selling points of Dubai is its unsurpassed safety and security, thus making it a safe haven for globe-trotters. The city also boasts of several international renowned hotels, a bevy of restaurants, beaches, shopping malls and tourist attraction sites.
In addition, Dubai’s open economy and high standard of living attract the best talent from across the world. Several companies are based here, at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and target emerging markets of nearly two billion people. Dubai offers all the business advantages of a highly developed economy. Its infrastructure and services match the highest international standards, facilitating efficiency, quality and service. The city is home to a population comprising almost 200 nationalities, which makes Dubai the “Best of the East and the West”.
Dubai’s matinee show
Dubai’s picturesque landscapes regularly attract film-makers from Hollywood and Bollywood and around the region. In recent times, Bollywood has been a regular feature in Dubai. From movies to shows to properties, Dubai has been a favourite haunt for Bollywood celebrities. The Akshay Kumar starrer, Welcome, was one of the last films to be shot here. The other films that have been shot here include Boom, Ajnabee, Fool N Final and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.
The Bollywood bond has been made even stronger with news of Yash Raj Entertainment partnering Dubai Infinity Holdings to make an entertainment district within Dubai. The Yash Raj Films (YRF) Entertainment District will comprise of theme park attractions, a movie palace, hotels and many other India genre entertainment concepts. All the components of the YRF District will be themed around the YRF banner.
The city also hosts the annual Dubai International Film Festival, which is gaining strong momentum after a remarkable beginning in December 2004. The wide range of films and glamorous film personalities who attended the festival have firmly put Dubai on the world film map.
Dubai Studio City
Dubai Studio City: Designed to accelerate the growth of the broadcast, film, television and music production industries, Dubai Studio City (DSC) will be an ultra-modern facility, integrating every component of content production and broadcast under one roof. Spread across 22 million sqft, it will include production, post-production, broadcast, equipment rental, freelancers, commercial offices, business centre and satellite facilities, among others. It will also have residential areas, hotels, an entertainment centre, film schools and training institutes. This unique combination of world-class infrastructure, qualified professionals and unique networking environment will make it the ideal location for creative people to unleash their imagination.
Coming up within the vicinity of Dubai Studio City are several locations which are ideal for film shoots. They include:
- Universal Studios Theme Park, Dubailand: An amusement park that’s twice the size of the world’s largest theme park.
- Bawadi: The largest hotel development in the world, with 31 hotels. It all adds up to an impressive 29,000 hotel rooms.
- Dubai Sports City: A world-class venue for sports events.
- Autodrome: A fully integrated motor sports facility, which is designed to accommodate large crowds for world-class motor sports events.
- New Airport City: A project that features the world’s largest airport.