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Raytheon Awarded Air Traffic Control Contract for Sheikh Zayed Air Traffic Center
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“The Best Hotel In The World”
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One of many accolades for
Dubai’s Burj Al-Arab
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It is impossible to look at the Burj Al-Arab Hotel, Dubai’s most famous hotel, without being mesmerized. Like a billowing sail, it seems to hover just off the emirate’s coastline. To some people, it has come to represent Dubai and the spirit of the Emirates – bold and brash, but of impeccable quality and style. Institutional Investor magazine called it “the best hotel in the world.”
The Burj Al-Arab contains only two-story suites with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views of the Arabian Sea. All services and amenities – from the eight restaurants and cafes, to the spa and health club, to the roof-top tennis courts – are world class. In May of this year, NBC’s “Today Show” broadcast several episodes about Dubai from the helipad of this iconic hotel.
At 1,053 feet, the Burj Al-Arab (which means “Tower of the Arabs”) is the world’s tallest hotel. Built to resemble a dhow, the traditional wooden boats used for centuries by Arabian Gulf traders sailors, the hotel sits on an artificial island 1,000 feet off the coast and is connected to the mainland by a private bridge.
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Competition will be fierce for Dubai World Central Airport
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In late 2006, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) awarded Raytheon Corporation a $20 million contract to provide an air traffic management system to be installed at the new Sheikh Zayed Air Traffic Center for Abu Dhabi International Airport. The AutoTrac III system will be the largest and most advanced air traffic control system in the Middle East.
“For over 50 years, Raytheon has been a global leader in developing technology that ensures safety and increases the capacity of airspace around the world,” noted Andy Zogg, Raytheon’s Vice President for Airspace
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Management and Homeland Security. “Our next generation AutoTrac III system provides the GCAA with a modern, cost effective solution that will meet its requirements for 20 years.”
U.S. companies build some of the most sophisticated air traffic control systems in the world, and competition will be stiff to supply a system for the new Dubai World Central Airport. Tenders for that project are anticipated later this year, and U.S. companies like Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are expected to bid.
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Another architectural wonder
in Dubai
The world’s first luxury underwater hotel, the 220-suite Hydropolis, will open in Dubai in December 2007. Guests will arrive at a land station, where they will board a train through a connecting tunnel to the submarine hotel located 20 meters beneath the Arabian Gulf. The $500 million hotel was designed by Joachim Hauser of Crescent Hydropolis Resorts, PLC, a London-based firm. Around 150 companies are involved in the construction.
“This venture could only be born here in Dubai,” Hauser said. “It has a very open-minded, international community, and that’s what makes it so special.”
Hydropolis will incorporate many different elements associated with the sea: The cosmetics will be ocean-based, the cinemas will screen films that focus on aquatic themes, and a children’s seaworld will educate as well as entertain.
One of the goals of Hydropolis is to allow people who do not dive – or even swim – to experience the underwater world. The developers expect as many as 3,000 visitors per day, in addition to the hotel guests.
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 Fujairah
The natural beauty of Fujairah’s Indian Ocean coastline and mountains provides breathtaking views and a stark contrast to heavily urbanized communities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This region is dominated by the rugged and picturesque Musandum mountain range, and Fujairah’s natural environment remains its greatest asset – particularly for tourists.
Fujairah is also known for its unique social and historic attractions. One can attend bull fights on the weekends in the winter or visit the Heritage Village, the Fujairah Fort, the Fujairah Museum, or the Ain Al Madhab Gardens. In addition, there are historically significant sites located just outside Fujairah City.
The Emir of Fujairah, H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, intends to expand Fujairah’s tourism industry in the near future – including plans for an $817 million resort, Al Fujairah Paradise, that will feature 1,000 five-star villas and hotel rooms.
The Port of Fujairah bills itself as the largest multi purpose port on the Eastern Seaboard of the UAE. It recently expanded its fuel storage facilities to 12 million tons of fuel oil per year, making the port the world’s second largest fuel storage facility in the world (second only to Singapore).
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