Lifestyle 16 coverB ING .indd - Porcelanosa Albania

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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
ABOVE RIGHT The Grand Mosque, built in white marble and gold, is the third biggest in the world. Its columns were carved of the same kind of marble used for the Taj Mahal. Inside, it boasts the biggest onepiece carpet and the biggest lamp – made of Swarovski crystals – in the world. ABOVE Al Ain National Museum, in Abu Dhabi. Just as this temple exudes grandiosity and spirituality, a more recent construction such as the artificial Yas Island, in the outskirts of the city, is really striking. Everything revolves around auto racing here. On the one hand, the Yas Marina circuit, completed two years ago, holds since last year the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, planned this year for the middle of November. The layout includes the best details of all Formula One circuits in the world, but improved: for this is Abu Dhabi, a city based in everything known, but whose aim is never failing to surpass it all. Thus, the circuit is surrounded by a marina with moorings for yachts, in the Monaco style, and the imposing and modern Hotel Yas stands right in the centre. You can enjoy the rounds of the racing cars from the swimming pool on its roof. Also in this area, although still uncompleted, is the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, a thematic park where you can find all things related to the Italian brand: passion, excellence, performance and technical innovation. To have a picture of what it will be like, you just have to look at its red roof, which extends over 200,000 square metres and bears the biggest Ferrari logo ever created. Another hotel that attracts attention, although in this case rather for its location than for its structure, is the Qasr Al Sarab. An infinitely straight road that seems to lead nowhere leads to this luxury resort in Anantara at 200 kilometres from the city. Once there, if you get bored of the private swimming pool of your villa, you will always have the possibility of riding through the dunes on a rented camel. But if you want a more exclusive experience – and have plenty of money – you can even rent the wing that was built for the royal family, several metres apart from the resort. The truth is that if you are looking for a luxury hotel, you are in the perfect place: in Abu Dhabi there are more than 20 five - or six - star hotels. And one of them is the emblematic Emirates Palace, which this year has come out with a surprising holiday package called “The one-million-dollar Saint Valentine’s dream”. Nothing to add. Abu Dhabi is synonymous with luxury and ostentation, but also with change and evolution. Right now, as I am writing these lines, the city is already different: it has already changed. CLOCKWISE A detail of a dagger in the Al Ain National Museum; an old photograph of the Emir of Abu Dhabi; one of the falcons in the Falcon Hospital – an essential facility in a city in which virtually every inhabitant possesses one of these impressive birds of prey; Hafeet, over 1,000 metres high and surrounded by the Mabzara Valley, an oasis fed from the warm springs from the mountainous range. 62 and the mountain of Jebel 63
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Lifestyle 16 coverB ING .indd - Porcelanosa Albania

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