Last Concorde to Join QE2 on Palm Jumeirah

Concorde celebrates its 40th birthday tomorrow, but according to media reports the last remaining British Airways is due to be shipped off to The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

The Times is claiming that a UAE-based consortium wants to turn the aircraft into a tourist attraction, possibly to be marketed alongside the QE2 cruise ship.

Britain’s flag carrier donated six of its seven-strong Concorde fleet to museums after they were grounded following the Air France incident in 2000.

The seventh craft, Alpha Bravo, has been tucked away at the engineering base of London Heathrow Airport ever since, and was expected to be put on public display.

But the latest reports suggest that the plane – seen by many as a symbol of national pride – will now be dismantled before being shipped off to Dubai.

“Sending it to Dubai would be a kick in the teeth for Britain’s aviation heritage,” Ben Lord, spokesman for the Save Concorde Group, complained to The Times.

“Chopping off its wings and putting it on a ship would be the final insult.”

Last year, famed ocean liner the QE2 was retired from service and sold to Nakheel in Dubai, who are turning it into a floating hotel moored at Palm Jumeirah.

concorde, british airways, dubai, palm jumeirah

Nakheel Denies All Scrapping Rumours

Three months after bringing the former British cruise liner, QE2, to Dubai, developer Nakheel is still committed to its plans to covert it into a floating luxury hotel development by 2012, snubbing rumours of the project being put on hold due to credit crisis.

According to industry sources, QE2′s transformation has either been altered or put on hold due to the worsening economic conditions, with Nakheel scaling back on a number of major projects including the construction of its one-km tall tower, apart from cutting 500 jobs.

Though the cruise ship, has been parked at a berth in Dubai since its arrival in November 2008, Nakheel says it is going ahead with its plan of converting the QE2 into a 200-room floating luxury hotel, even in a credit-starved environment.

“The plans for QE2′s full restoration and refurbishment are ongoing as we continue to investigate all our options for optimising this asset,” a Nakheel spokesperson told Emirates Business.

Asked if the QE2 hotel would open in 2012, the spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on a date. But we have not revised our schedule. We are still aiming for the same timeframe. We haven’t made any changes to our plans.”

“Once these plans are complete, she [QE2] will undergo refurbishment – including restoration of key historical areas – and become the focal point of an extensive, multi-faceted precinct off the trunk of The Palm Jumeirah. A heritage museum displaying artefacts from QE2 and of local maritime history is a key feature of the precinct,” the spokesperson said.

Nakheel, meanwhile, had said in November last year that it was in talks with major hotel operators over the running of the QE2 hotel, without divulging any names.

However, the company said it would most likely be a hotel operator that Nakheel already had done business with.

According to recent media reports, a consortium in the ship’s home port of Southampton is considering resurrecting a bid to buy the vessel. The daily quoted a Nakheel spokesperson as saying: “We have no intention of selling the ship to any party whatsoever.”

via B24-7

QE2 May Be Cut Up for Scrap Metal

Nakheel the owners of Southampton’s former liner QE2 are remaining tight-lipped over fears that the world-famous Cunarder could eventually be cut up for scrap.

The current economic downturn is so serious that it has hit even oil-rich Dubai, where the liner, is now awaiting conversion into a floating hotel.

Sources close to Dubai-owned Nakheel, which bought Queen Elizabeth 2 for US$100m, have indicated that the current world financial crisis and reduced numbers of visitors may have seriously altered or postponed the plans for the QE2 Hotel project on The Palm Jumeirah.

QE2 Farewell Queen Of The Seas 40th Anniversary

It is rumoured that Nakheel is considering opening the liner to the public unchanged and just as QE2 looked when she left Southampton for the last time in November 2008.

Other options would include selling the ship for scrap, although not until public interest in the project has diminished.

Although Nakheel has yet to officially reveal any details of QE2’s transformation, it is known that the ship’s iconic funnel is destined to be removed and replaced by a glass structure containing luxury penthouse suites.

QE2 Crown Jewel of The Palm Jumeriah

Stately new home for the QE2 at the Palm Jumeirah after its transformation into a floating luxury residential accommodation and hotel is completed.

The world-famous liner will be moored at a new upscale marina development that will be established as a cultural center and tourist attraction on the artificial island.

Its maiden voyage was in 1969, and it will embark on its last journey from Southampton, England, to Dubai in November. Nakheel, the Dubai-based property developer, will begin construction of the ship’s eventual home in September. The project is scheduled for completion in 2011. The British vessel was purchased last year for US$100 million (Dh367m) by Nakheel’s parent organisation, Dubai World.

The ship will feature elegant apartments, a private club, bars and restaurants, retail space, a wellness centre and gardens.

There will also be a maritime museum on board to commemorate the vessel’s rich history.

Johann Schumacher, the director of Palm Jumeirah, said: “The arrival of QE2 is one of the most anticipated events of the year and Nakheel is proud to be the custodian of such a historic treasure. The world’s most famous ocean liner will form the focal point of an exciting new development that will be a spectacular and must-see attraction on Palm Jumeirah.”

Contrary to popular assumption, the ship was not named after Queen Elizabeth II, but an earlier liner, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which was in turn named after the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

The QE2 has circumnavigated the world 25 times, made more than 800 crossings of the Atlantic and carried more than 2.5 million passengers, including kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents, astronauts and various members of The Beatles. It survived a 30-metre wave during Hurricane Luis in 1995 while on a trip from Southampton to New York. The vessel has also broken speed and endurance world records.

The QE2 made history in May 1982, when it was used as a troop ship in the Falklands War. It set sail for St Georgia in the South Atlantic on May 12 1982 with 3,000 troops on board.

A group in Britain tried unsuccessfully to block the sale of the QE2, claiming that the ship was of historical interest and should be kept in the United Kingdom. It is now arguing that the liner’s art and royal memorabilia should be prevented from leaving the country.

Interesting Facts About the Palm Jumeirah

The Palm Jumeirah is one of the most exciting residential project on earth. A man-made island that is being developed off the shore of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The Palm covers an area of 7 million square meters and extends 6.5 kilometres into the Arabian Gulf. The island is surrounded by a 12 kilometre-long crescent shaped breakwater built with over 7 million tons of rock and sand. It adds 220 kilometres of beach to the coast of the UAE – used for either private beach residences or 30 five star hotels. In short, it is the investment opportunity of a lifetime.

A tribute to the cherished date palm tree, The Palm Jumeirah offers the best in island living. Here you can own a spectacular home or vacation property – all with waterfronts, shops, restaurants and entertainment complexes on their doorstep.The shape contains excellent geometry to create maximum beach frontage. Its visual identity has already won the prestigious American Corporate Identity Award. Three years of planning, 42 consulting firms and over 50 studies have been commissioned to help ensure The Palm’s feasibility, including traffic, population and business development.

Housing Mix
An extraordinary blend of residential retreats and holiday home, The Palm will house over 5,000 residents in 2,400 shoreline apartments and secluded villas. For visitors, The Palm offers 30 luxury hotels, theme parks, restaurants, retail, sports facilities, health spas and cinemas.

Recharge and reinvigorate with an extraordinary range of activities for you and your family. The Palm offers dozens of different things to do catering to every taste and budget. There’s enough to keep you sailing, swimming, diving, surfing, snorkelling and working out all day long.

Oceana
Oceana apartments are located on the Trunk of Palm Jumeirah and offer stunning apartments with Gulf views supported by the very best facilities Dubai can offer. Providing a selection of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments in this lifestyle development including an hotel and a regatta club with health and leisure facilities. Set in landscaped gardens with bars, restaurants and swimming pool this development is set to be one of the most talked about worldwide.

The Palm Jumeirah has without doubt caught the imagination of the world and when finished will provide most outstanding living surroundings found no where else.

Golden Mile
The Golden Mile will encompass some of the palms premiere retail shops and residences. Upscale boutiques and cafes will create an exclusive Corniche Walkway, which fronts a collection of extraordinary homes for the most discerning buyer.

Comprising 1,2 and 3 bedroom apartments the Golden mile apartments afford views of both the central canal or the gulf.

The Trunk
Considered the hub of The Palm Jumeirah, The Trunk measures 2 kilometers in length and 450 metres across with a gently flowing central canal spanning 50 meters in width providing a prominent centerpiece. For a blend of exceptional shopping, homes and marinas, The Trunk features the Shoreline Apartments, The Golden Mile and the Village Center with shops, luxury apartments, cafes and restaurants.

The Crown
The Crown of the palm shaped island comprises seventeen fronds each one of which arches out into the sea, and forms private and secluded neighborhoods. Whilst one of the fronds is reserved for beautiful flower gardens the others host exclusive neighborhoods of Garden Homes, Town Homes and Signature Villas where each individual has the opportunity to create a home suited to their own personal style and dreams.

The Crescent
A beautiful barrier reef over 11 kilometers long which surrounds and protects the island. The Crescent is an unforgettable vacation escape hosting a selection of boutique hotels with its own theme and signature features. In addition the hotels will offer world class restaurants which will be open to Palm residents and visitors alike.

Spas
Leave the world behind as you enter tranquil and luxurious Spas at The Palm. Enjoy a massage, facial, manicure or any number of soothing treatments that will pamper body and soul. Take time for yourself, essential for maintaining a healthy mind and body.

Shopping
The Palm offers an oasis of shops and boutiques, all within close proximity to all residential communities. Ranging from sports stores to fashion and jewelery boutiques and gourmet supermarkets. Window shop in beautiful outdoor retail environments, or purchase what you need for day-to-day living.

Marine Life
The Arabian Gulf is full of marine life. The Palm will help stimulate its development by adding nutrient rich materials. Residents and visitors will delight in snorkeling, scuba and diving in this rich resource.

Entertainment
The Palm offers a circus, theme park, aquariums and special sponsored Palm events so that you and your family will always have something new to see and do.

Restaurants
Spend an afternoon people watching at an outdoor café. Enjoy fine dining in the evening at one of The Palm’s many restaurants. Visit The Crescent for the best of themed hotel meals. No matter the cuisine or dining experience you’re looking for, The Palm Jumeirah makes it all possible.

Nakheel QE2 Residential Towers Gone Out to Bid

Local developer Nakheel has invited five contractors to bid for a contract to build a real estate development next to the QE2 cruise ship, which is due to be moored permanently alongside the Palm Jumeirah.

Companies invited include three locals, Alec, Arabtec Construction and Khansaheb Civil Engineering, the local/South African joint venture of Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterprises and Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East), and Japan’s Taisei Corporation. The contract is worth AED2bn (US$545m) in total.

The project is located close to the Trump International hotel and tower, and involves the construction of two 18-floor residential towers, a four-floor luxury apartment building and underground parking.

The built-up area of the residential buildings is 80,000 square metres and a further 80,000 sq m is planned for car parking.

The consultant is UK-based Holfords. The architect is Australia’s PTW. The Al-Habtoor Murray & Roberts joint venture was awarded the AED2.9bn contract for the Trump tower project in June (MEED 4:6:08).

Nakheel bought the QE2 from UK-based Cunard Line in 2007 for $100m. It will arrive in Dubai on 24 November 2008, where it will be used as a floating hotel and museum, in November.