Lifestyle 16 coverB ING .indd - Porcelanosa Albania

ABU
DHABI
LUXURY AND DESIGN
The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi,
comes as a surprise in the West for its buildings, the
grandeur of their touches and the ease with which they
imitate and surpass any known marvel.
In less than a decade, the United Arab Emirates
have managed to attract the attention of the rest
of the world and position themselves as a top
desired destination. In the case of the capital,
Abu Dhabi, it is not a faraway place on the map
anymore, but has become a centre devoted to
leisure, travel, luxury and, generally, pleasure. But
what is so special with this Emirate that it has
even managed to bring to its arena a grand prix
of the Formula One World Championship?
First, and perhaps most importantly, it has 9
and 5 per cent, respectively, of the whole planet’s
oil and gas reserves. A wealth that, contrary to
its neighbours, Abu Dhabi has been – and is –
wise enough to efficiently manage: so efficiently
that it has had to lend money to its friends in
Dubai so that they would not go bankrupt. And
this substantial stockpile is noticeable in all its
buildings: from the avant-garde and modern ones
to the most traditional, like the Grand Mosque,
none of them spare any occasion to show off
their luxury and eccentricity.
In the case of the Grand Mosque, the biggest
mosque open to non-Muslim visitors in the world,
the marble has been imported from Italy, India
and Greece, and some of its columns are made
of the same kind of marble that was used for
the Taj Mahal. With touches in gold, its interior is
also remarkable, as it has the biggest one-piece
carpet (weighting 38 tons) and the biggest
lamp (decorated with Swarovski crystals) in the
world, and its main entrance doors are made in
Murano glass.
ABOVE A camel market,
near Al Ain.
TOP A terrace in the hotel
Yas, with state-of-the-art
design and sited in the
middle of the Yas Circuit
Island (a part of the circuit
layout even crosses it,
buried underneath).
LEFT The hotel Qasr Al
distance of 200 km, is
accessed by a road that
goes through the desert,
and has an area expressly
built for the royal family.
OPPOSITE PAGE Views of
the Grand Mosque from the
Hotel Shangri-La.
60 Photos: ALEX DEL RÍO
Sarab, in Anantara, at a
61