HOW DUBAI WORKS The story behind the city’s superstructures DISTRICT 3 CAMBODIA Discovering calm amidst the chaos of Saigon Iconic train journey now boarding from CAPTAIN AMERICA ON BOSTON Phnom Penh. Sense A travel guide by Chris Evans exclusively for Open Skies of adventure essential OS87.P01_Cover.indd 1 4/23/18 5:40 PM Live Loud. The All-New VELOSTER. hyundai.com/veloster Emirates_OpenSkies_390x260mm_JS-2.indd 4 2018. 3. 19. 오전 11:10 Emirates_OpenSkies_390x260mm_JS-2.indd 5 2018. 3. 19. 오전 11:11 FLANNEL EDITOR-IN- MANAGING PARTNER & EDITORIAL CHIEF GROUP EDITOR DIRECTOR OBAID HUMAID AL TAYER IAN FAIRSERVICE GINA JOHNSON [email protected] GROUP SENIOR SENIOR EDITOR EDITOR ART DIRECTOR DESIGNER MARK EVANS ANDREW NAGY OLGA PETROFF RALPH MANCAO [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] DIGITAL SUB EDITORIAL EDITORIAL ANIMATOR EDITOR ASSISTANT ASSISTANT SURAJIT DUTTA SALIL KUMAR LONDRESA FLORES AARTI SAUNDALKAR [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS IAIN AKERMAN, DJINANE ALSUWAYEH, CHRISTOPHER BEANLAND, EMMA COILER, SARAH FREEMAN, S. HOTTINGER-BEHMER, DOM JOLY, ALI KHALED COVER: RALPH MANCAO GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION CHIEF COMMERCIAL GROUP SALES PRODUCTION MANAGER OFFICER MANAGER SUNIL KUMAR R MURALI KRISHNAN ANTHONY MILNE MICHAEL UNDERDOWN [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ASSISTANT PRODUCTION SENIOR SALES SENIOR SALES MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER BINU PURANDARAN MURALI NARAYANAN JAMIE O’LOANE [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS FOR EMIRATES EDITOR ARABIC EDITOR DEPUTY EDITOR MANNA TALIB HATEM OMAR CATHERINE FREEMAN Emirates takes care to ensure that all facts published herein are correct. In the event of any inaccuracy please contact the editor. Any opinion expressed is the honest belief of the author based on all available facts. Comments and facts should not be relied upon by the reader in taking commercial, legal, financial or other decisions. Articles are by their nature general and specialist advice should always be consulted before any actions are taken. INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Okeeffe Media; Tel +61 412 080 600, [email protected] CHINA Newbase, Tel +86 21 6141 3871, [email protected] CYPRUS Enigma Advertising, Tel +357 26 811062, [email protected] HONG KONG/MALAYSIA/THAILAND Sonney Media Networks; Tel +852 2151 2351, hemant@sonneymedia. com INDIA Media Star; Tel +91 22 4220 2103, [email protected] JAPAN Tandem Inc.; Tel + 81 3 3541 4166, [email protected] NETHERLANDS giO media; Tel +31 (0)6 22238420, [email protected] BENELUX, SWITZERLAND, FRANCE/ITALY & SPAIN IMM International; Tel +331 40 1300 30, [email protected] TURKEY Media Ltd.; Tel +90 212 275 51 52, [email protected] UK Spafax Inflight Media; Tel +44 207 906 2001, [email protected] USA World Media Inc; Tel: +1 212 244 5610, [email protected] 134,102 copies Media One Tower, Dubai Media City PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE July – December 2017 Telephone: (+971 4) 427 3000 Fax: (+971 4) 428 2261 Email: [email protected] Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, UAE 4 / OPEN SKIES Untitled-5.pdf 1 4/19/18 2:10 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CONTENTS INTRO 12 16 22 24 28 30 36 38 43 EXPERIENCE STAY TRAVEL DISPATCH EXPO 2020 NEIGHBOURHOOD THE YEAR LUNCH DOM ESSENTIAL OF ZAYED WITH JOLY FEATURES 46 58 HOW DUBAI WAS BUILT BACK ON TRACK BRIEFING 68 72 74 76 82 88 90 NEWS INSIDE DESTINATION SMART GATE, ROUTE THE CELEBRITY EMIRATES VISA AND COMFORT MAP FLEET DIRECTIONS OPEN SKIES / 7 EDITOR’S NOTE ON THE COVER HOW DUBAI WORKS This month’s cover looks at the inner workings of Dubai’s superstructures. In most cities around the world, you’ll find a fairly organised collection of buildings making up the skyline. There’ll often be an overarching style or symmetry that makes it instantly recognisable – the whitewashed cubical houses of Santorini, the pastel shaded homes of southern Italy or the high-rise urban sprawl of New York City, Those places usually feature a high number of neutral buildings punctuated by an architectural gem; a standout building that becomes a magnet for tourists. In Dubai, things are a little different. Here, neutral buildings provide the punctuation between some of the most ambitious architectural feats in the world. SOCIAL MEDIA From Burj Al Arab to Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Frame to Palm Jumeirah, it’s often hard to keep up with the wondrous creations rising from the facebook.com/ desert, and even harder to predict just how fantastical the next ones openskiesmag will be – tip: be sure to keep an eye on the progress of Dynamic Tower designed by David Fisher, an 80-storey building with rotating floors. twitter.com/ Perhaps the best is yet to come. Santiago Calatrava – the architect openskiesmag behind the UAE pavilion at the Expo 2020 site – describes his plans for Dubai Creek Tower – that could eventually replace Burj Khalifa as the instagram.com/ world’s tallest building – as, “a symbol of an abiding belief and progress.” openskiesmag It’s perhaps a line that could be used equally well to describe Dubai itself. ANDREW NAGY ALSO AVAILABLE SENIOR EDITOR ON YOUR IPAD OPEN SKIES / 9 Programmes offered are outside Dubai and KHDA bears no responsibility for the same. IntroNEIGHBOURHOOD EXPERIENCE • STAY • INTRO DISPATCH • EXPO 2020 • NEIGHBOURHOOD MAY 19 THE EMIRATES FA CUP FINAL May is traditionally a month of cup finals, but none are bigger than the 137th edition of the oldest recognised football tournament in the world at Wembley Stadium. LONDON, ENGLAND | THEFA.COM Turn over to plan your month EXPERIENCE THE PLAN Events to aim for this month MAY 1-7 THE ILLUSIONISTS Award-winning escapologist Krendl Magic talks going through the pain barrier, brushes with death and how what you see on stage is real WORDS: Andrew Nagy What makes this show so different? that it’s fake. Make no mistake, The main thing is in collaborating I am holding my breath for real, with some of the best illusionists in real water, and going through from around the world and then real pain to push past what bringing them together on one everyone believes is possible. stage. Most shows have one or two, There is nothing more powerful we have seven. than the mind. What’s your favourite moment? What was the first escape trick For me, honestly, it’s when I get you perfected? out of the Water Torture Cell trick The very first one for me alive. No matter how many times was the Milk Can Escape, I go in the tank, not once has it made infamous by Houdini come easy to me. The pain I go performing it as the first water through nightly is real and getting escape on stage in history. It my first breath of air after holding was years later before I ever it for three minutes when I escape thought or contemplated doing is nothing short of ecstasy. the Water Torture Cell. How dangerous are your stunts? What happened to using a word I’m very fortunate to have the when performing a trick? support staff that I do and there are You know, I’m in awe of the procedures in place on how to deal word abracadabra. While I with anything that could go wrong. realise it’s kind of lost it’s That said, I’ve had several close symbolism and been way calls in my history with the Water over-used at children’s parties, Cell. I’ve vomited many times from there is a history to it that getting water in my lungs and suggests otherwise. The word have passed out twice in my career abracadabra originated from while in the tank. It’s hard for the the Aramaic language and it audience, sometimes, to accept means, ‘What I speak is what what they are seeing is real and I create.’ Cool, right? In the mood for some magic? Catch all eight dangerous. People like to believe Harry Potter movies now showing on ice. because it’s happening in a show DUBAI, UAE | THEILLUSIONISTSLIVE.COM 12 / OPEN SKIES EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION… MAY 2-5 SPAMALOT The Tony Award-winning musical comes to Dubai Opera this month. Expect misfit knights, killer rabbits, dancing nuns and ferocious Frenchmen, in a show lovingly ‘borrowed’ from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and written by former Python, Eric Idle. DUBAI, UAE | DUBAIOPERA.COM MAY 8-19 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL From a delayed launch in 1946 – it was meant to be 1939 but the Second World War broke out – to the showbiz scandals of the ’50s to now. Cannes may not be the world’s oldest film festival – that’s Venice – but it’s undeniably the most influential, all set to a stunning French Riviera backdrop. CANNES, FRANCE | FESTIVAL-CANNES.COM MAY 11 STEREOPHONICS This could be the last chance to enjoy an open-air gig in Dubai before the thermometers push past the too-hot-to- dance setting. It’s now 20 years since Stereophonics’ debut album Word Gets Around was released, so expect some classics along with tracks from their current album, Scream Above The Sounds. DUBAI, UAE | DUBAI.PLATINUMLIST.NET MAY 16-JUNE 14 RAMADAN The Holy Month sees Muslims around the world observe the ninth month of the Islamic calendar by praying and fasting from sunrise to sunset. This is a time for family and friends, who celebrate by coming together each day for the breaking of the fast during Suhoor and Iftar. GLOBAL OPEN SKIES / 13 EXPERIENCE MAY 6 PHILIPPE COUTINHO One of the most expensive footballers of all time on this month’s El Clasico (his first) and Brazil’s chances in the World Cup I’ve settled very quickly in Barcelona My teammates have been great.