Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai on the cover of TIME Asia

Aishwarya Rai (IPA: əʃɹɹaɪ, Kannada: ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯಾ ರೈ, Hindi: ऐश्वर्या राय; born on November 1, 1973; Ash to fans and media) is a supermodel and an award-winning actress from India. She is currently regarded as one of the biggest names in Bollywood.

Early life

Rai was born in Mangalore to Krishnaraj and Vrinda Rai, in the South Indian state of Karnataka; her mother tongue is Tulu. Her brother Aditya Rai is a film producer.

In the 1994 Miss India Contest Rai placed second behind Sushmita Sen and went on to win the Miss World title.

As a professional model, Rai has appeared in many Indian fashion magazines, including the Indian Vogue; more recently she has featured in international ads for L'Oréal, De Beers Diamonds, and Coca-Cola.

Bollywood breakthrough

The first film she acted in was the popular Tamil movie Iruvar in (1997), directed by Mani Ratnam. Rai's earliest films made money, but Rai herself did not impress critics -- they commented that her performances were stilted, as if she were still modeling.

Her breakthrough came with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Later successes include Taal and Devdas. Rai has also acted in other Tamil films such as Jeans, Kandukondain Kandukondain, and in the Bengali film Chokher Bali.

International stardom

Aishwarya Rai on the cover of Cosmopolitan India magazine.

Devdas, in which Aishwarya joined Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit, was a huge hit, lavishly produced as it was. The film attracted overseas attention as well, receiving a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rai was becoming an international star rather than simply a Bollywood one. In 2003, Rai was a member of the jury at Cannes. In 2004, she was chosen by TIME Magazine's Asian Edition as one of Asia's "100 Most Influential People." Rai was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on January 2, 2005 - "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World." A month later she appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, and on April 25, 2005, she was featured on Oprah's "Women Across the Globe" segment. A wax figure of Rai is on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

Although frequently the subject of gossip column speculation about an imminent Hollywood career, it was only in 2004 that Rai finally acted in a foreign film. British director Gurinder Chadha hired her to play the heroine in Bride and Prejudice, a Hollywood-funded but Bollywood-ized version of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. The movie did well at the box office and Aishwarya's Hollywood profile rose a notch.

  • Rai is now said to be signed for another Hollywood movie, Rolland Joffe's project Singularity. She will star opposite Brendan Fraser.
  • She is in the cast for The Last Legion co-starring Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley.
  • She recently (summer of 2005) completed filming on director Jagmohan Mundhra's film Provoked. She is co-starring with Nandita Das. The film was shot mainly in Britain.


Personal life

Earlier in her career, Aishwarya was involved in a high profile, allegedly turbulent relationship with Bollywood star Salman Khan. Gossip has it that she was forced to drop out of the film Chalte Chalte after visits from Salman disrupted filming. Since then she has been romantically linked to rising star Vivek Oberoi and film dynasty scion Abhishek Bachchan.

Awards

Aishwarya Rai has won two Filmfare Awards to date:

  • 2000, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
  • 2003, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Devdas

She has been nominated four times in the Best Actress category and once in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Filmfare.

She has also won three IIFA Awards, three Z-Gold Awards, four Screen Awards, an EU's Global Diversity Award, three Zee Cine Awards and a Rajiv Gandhi Award.

Trivia

Aishwarya Rai on the cover of Cineblitz magazine.
  • Was positioned at number 3 in the Filmfare Top Ten Actress' List.[1]
  • Praised by several people, including Julia Roberts ([2], [3]) and film critic Roger Ebert ([4]) as the most beautiful woman in the world.
  • India Times named Aishwarya #1 on the list of the "100 Most Beautiful Indian Women in the Past Century".
  • Was featured in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Filmography

Aishwarya's films are in Hindi, except where noted below.

  • 1997 : Iruvar by Mani Ratnam (in Tamil) (Telugu title: Iddaru)
  • 1997 : Aur Pyar Ho Gaya by Rahul Rawail
  • 1998 : Jeans by S. Shankar (in Tamil)
  • 1999 : Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Filmfare Best Actress Award)
  • 1999 : Aa Ab Laut Chalein by Rishi Kapoor
  • 1999 : Taal by Subhash Ghai
  • 2000 : Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai by Satish Kaushik
  • 2000 : Mohabbatein by Aditya Chopra (cameo)
  • 2000 : Dhai Akshar Prem Ke by Raj Kanwa
  • 2000 : Josh by Mansoor Khan
  • 2000 : Kandukondain Kandukondain by Rajiv Menon (in Tamil) (Telugu title: Priyuraalu Pilichindi)
  • 2000 : Sanam Tere Hain Hum by Jayant Paranji (special appearance)
  • 2001 : Albela by Deepak Sareen
  • 2002 : Devdas by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Filmfare Best Actress Award)
  • 2002 : Hum Kisise Kum Nahin by David Dhawan
  • 2002 : Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam by K.S. Adiyaman (special appearance)
  • 2002 : 23rd March 1931 : Shaheed by Guddu Dhanoa
  • 2002 : Shakti (movie) by Krishna Vamshi (special appearance)
  • 2003 : Kuch Na Kaho by Rohan Sippy
  • 2002 : Nee Kidappen Njan Adippen: The Power by Krishna Vamshi
  • 2003 : Dil Ka Rishta by Naresh Malhotra
  • 2003 : Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh (in Bengali)
  • 2003 : Khakee by Rajkumar Santoshi
  • 2004 : Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na by Samir Karnik
  • 2004 : Bride and Prejudice by Gurinder Chadha (in English)
  • 2004 : Raincoat by Rituparno Ghosh
  • 2005 : Shabd by Leena Yadav
  • 2005 : Bunty Aur Babli by Shaad Ali (special appearance)
  • 2005 : The Heart of India by Ganapathy Bharat (in English)
  • 2005 : Mistress of Spices by Paul Mayeda Berges (in English)
  • 2006 : Provoked by Jagmohan Mundhra (in English) (filming)
  • 2006 : Dhoom 2 by Sanjay Gadhvi (filming)
  • 2006 : Umrao Jaan by J.P. Dutta (filming)
  • 2006 : Singularity by Roland Joffé (in English)
  • 2006 : Akbar-Jodha by Ashutosh Gowariker (pre-production)
  • 2006 : The Last Legion by Doug Lefler (in English)
  • 2006: "Chaos" by Coline Serreau (in English)
  • 2006 : Indie Pop by Miko Reyes (pre-production)
  • 2006 : Guru by Mani Ratnam (announced) (Tamil title: Guru)

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Aishwarya's films are in Hindi, except where noted below. Recently ICC choose Dubai as its new Headquarters leaving Lords which hosted ICC for 95 years. She has also won three IIFA Awards, three Z-Gold Awards, four Screen Awards, an EU's Global Diversity Award, three Zee Cine Awards and a Rajiv Gandhi Award. Dubai is fast gaining its name as international venue for sporting activities. She has been nominated four times in the Best Actress category and once in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Filmfare. Dubai maintains cultural, economic and educational ties with Dundee, Scotland, Damascus, Detroit, Geneva, Istanbul, Osaka, Beirut, Shangai, Jarusalem, Casablanca, Guangzhou,. Aishwarya Rai has won two Filmfare Awards to date:. There is no home postal delivery with post office boxes used instead.

Since then she has been romantically linked to rising star Vivek Oberoi and film dynasty scion Abhishek Bachchan. Street 1a, Villa 2
Umm Suqeim 3
Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Gossip has it that she was forced to drop out of the film Chalte Chalte after visits from Salman disrupted filming. For example:. Earlier in her career, Aishwarya was involved in a high profile, allegedly turbulent relationship with Bollywood star Salman Khan. In common practice, an address consists of: street number, building number and community name although the order may very.
. Addressing and location: The formal addressing system is: sector number, community number, street number and building number.

The movie did well at the box office and Aishwarya's Hollywood profile rose a notch. Note that these progressions are repeated within each community so, for example there will be numerous street number 5 along the Jumeirah 1, 2, 3, and Umm Suqeim 'strip'. British director Gurinder Chadha hired her to play the heroine in Bride and Prejudice, a Hollywood-funded but Bollywood-ized version of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. Odd numbered street are perpendicular to the coast and increase as one moves away from the creek. Although frequently the subject of gossip column speculation about an imminent Hollywood career, it was only in 2004 that Rai finally acted in a foreign film. In general, even numbered streets run parallel to the coast and increase in number as one goes inland. A wax figure of Rai is on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Within these communities are numbered streets and house/building numbers.

In 2004, she was chosen by TIME Magazine's Asian Edition as one of Asia's "100 Most Influential People." Rai was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on January 2, 2005 - "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World." A month later she appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, and on April 25, 2005, she was featured on Oprah's "Women Across the Globe" segment. Communities:. In 2003, Rai was a member of the jury at Cannes. Currently there are 44 communities. Rai was becoming an international star rather than simply a Bollywood one. Each sector is sub-divided into communities of various size with major (named) roads as the bountries. The film attracted overseas attention as well, receiving a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Dubai is divided into 9 sectors: 1-4 & 6 are urban; 7-9 are rural; 8 is Jebel Ali.

Devdas, in which Aishwarya joined Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit, was a huge hit, lavishly produced as it was. Most contracts and tenancy agreements do not stand up to the standards of international law and almost always grossly favour the lessor or the company selling property. Rai has also acted in other Tamil films such as Jeans, Kandukondain Kandukondain, and in the Bengali film Chokher Bali. Legislation in this area is still sketchy as the property market is a new one and rights of tenants and landowners are based on shaky principles borrowed mainly from European law. Later successes include Taal and Devdas. This cap demonstrates the realisation that uncontrolled rents can hamper development. Her breakthrough came with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Rents have also skyrocketed with the recent inflow of professionals and companies from around the world who are attracted by Dubai's no-tax benefits although rises have been capped to 15% per annum up to 2006 under a directive from Sheikh Mohammad.

Rai's earliest films made money, but Rai herself did not impress critics -- they commented that her performances were stilted, as if she were still modeling. In Dubai, demand is currently outstripping supply by a significant margin and is showing no signs of slowing in the near future. The first film she acted in was the popular Tamil movie Iruvar in (1997), directed by Mani Ratnam. The larger of the property tycoons are Al Nakheel and Emaar Properties. As a professional model, Rai has appeared in many Indian fashion magazines, including the Indian Vogue; more recently she has featured in international ads for L'Oréal, De Beers Diamonds, and Coca-Cola. One of the other reasons for the boom in construction is the recent reversal of a law in 2002 that allows non-nationals of the UAE to own property (not land) in Dubai (albeit freehold and 99 year leases are actually sold to people with ownership still remaining with private companies). In the 1994 Miss India Contest Rai placed second behind Sushmita Sen and went on to win the Miss World title. Tourism is also being promoted at a staggering rate with the construction of Dubailand and other projects that include the making of mammoth shopping malls, theme parks, resorts, stadiums and other various tourist attractions.

Her brother Aditya Rai is a film producer. The Dubai government does not want to depend on its oil reserves which are largely believed to become exhausted by 2010 and, as such, has diversified its economy to attract revenues in the form of expanding commercial and corporate activity. Rai was born in Mangalore to Krishnaraj and Vrinda Rai, in the South Indian state of Karnataka; her mother tongue is Tulu. One of the main reasons for the boom in construction in Dubai is its drive to diversify the economy. . This is partly due to the fact that labourers from the Indian subcontinent accept lower wages than those from other countries. She is currently regarded as one of the biggest names in Bollywood. Construction in Dubai and the UAE in general is a much faster process than in any Western country.

Aishwarya Rai (IPA: əʃɹɹaɪ, Kannada: ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯಾ ರೈ, Hindi: ऐश्वर्या राय; born on November 1, 1973; Ash to fans and media) is a supermodel and an award-winning actress from India. In many areas, it is not easy to see Dubai's sky without at least one crane in your view; some say 16% of the world's large construction cranes would stand there. 2006 : Guru by Mani Ratnam (announced) (Tamil title: Guru). Since 2000, Dubai's municipality has initiated a plethora of construction phases and plans across the entire city of Dubai, predominantly in the Mina Seyahi area, located further from Jumeirah, towards Jebel Ali. 2006 : Indie Pop by Miko Reyes (pre-production). In addition, Emirates has placed an order of 42 of the new Boeing 777 aircraft in November 2005. 2006: "Chaos" by Coline Serreau (in English). The A380 aircraft have already been charted to fly from October 2006 onwards.

2006 : The Last Legion by Doug Lefler (in English). The airline has placed an order of 45 of Airbus's A-380 'superjumbo' doubledecker aircraft, the largest of which has a capacity of 641 passengers. 2006 : Akbar-Jodha by Ashutosh Gowariker (pre-production). The idea is to develop Dubai's air transportation ability so that passengers from any city can fly direct to Dubai. 2006 : Singularity by Roland Joffé (in English). Dubai is also investing heavily in developing the reach of its airline, Emirates. Dutta (filming). Seven monorails are also slated to be constructed to help feed the Metro system, connecting various places such as Dubailand, Palm Jumeriah, et al, to the main track.

2006 : Umrao Jaan by J.P. Dubai is building this train system to ease congestion on its road network and to meet the transportation demands of its growing population. 2006 : Dhoom 2 by Sanjay Gadhvi (filming). Trains are expected to run every 90 seconds when the project is completed. 2006 : Provoked by Jagmohan Mundhra (in English) (filming). The Dubai Metro will have 70 kilometers of track and 43 stations, 33 above ground and ten underground. 2005 : Mistress of Spices by Paul Mayeda Berges (in English). The metro will comprise two lines: the Green Line from Rashidiya to the main city center and the Red Line from the airport to Jebel Ali.

2005 : The Heart of India by Ganapathy Bharat (in English). Also involved are two other Japanese corporations, Obayashi and Kajima, and a Turkish company, Yapi Merkezi. 2005 : Bunty Aur Babli by Shaad Ali (special appearance). The construction contract for the project was given to Dubai Rapid Link (DURL)[11], a consortium lead by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. 2005 : Shabd by Leena Yadav. The Metro system is expected to be partially operational by 2009 and fully operational by 2012. 2004 : Raincoat by Rituparno Ghosh. There is currently a $3.89 billion Dubai Metro project under construction for the emirate.

2004 : Bride and Prejudice by Gurinder Chadha (in English). One of the more traditional methods of getting across Bur Dubai to Deira is through abras, small boats that ferry passengers across the Dubai creek, between abra stations in Bastakiya and Bani Yas Road, for a nominal charge of 1 Dh. 2004 : Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na by Samir Karnik. Cabs can be found anywhere, any time although difficulties may be experienced during large events. 2003 : Khakee by Rajkumar Santoshi. Taxi drivers will usually try to avert this happening in traffic queues by moving slightly forward every 30 seconds or so. 2003 : Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh (in Bengali). 3, which is approximately 50pence, or 1 USD), and are charged by distance, although if the cab stops for more than 1 minute, 1/2 a Dirham will be added to the meter.

2003 : Dil Ka Rishta by Naresh Malhotra. Prices are reasonable (the meter begins as Dhs. 2002 : Nee Kidappen Njan Adippen: The Power by Krishna Vamshi. Some of the private cab companies are Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Cititaxi and Metro Taxi. 2003 : Kuch Na Kaho by Rohan Sippy. The Dubai Transport Corporation operates cream-colored taxis. 2002 : Shakti (movie) by Krishna Vamshi (special appearance). There are both government-operated and private cab companies.

2002 : 23rd March 1931 : Shaheed by Guddu Dhanoa. Dubai also has an extensive taxi system, by far the most frequently used means of public transport within the emirate. Adiyaman (special appearance). Due to the frequency of such incidents, road networks are blocked and held up quite frequently. 2002 : Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam by K.S. Furthermore, Dubai has developed a reputation for having the most number of deaths and road accidents in the developed world clocking in with a statistic of having a minor road accident at least every 3 minutes. 2002 : Hum Kisise Kum Nahin by David Dhawan. Traffic congestion has come about mainly due to lack of foresight on the recent rapid population increase, the relative ease of credit facilities for obtaining a car and the convoluted road networks that are constantly being changed, improved or reconstructed.

2002 : Devdas by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Filmfare Best Actress Award). Unfortunately though, the bus network is used extensively by lower income groups and does not do enough to attract higher income earners who would do well to use the bus transport system and ease traffic congestion that has recently become a major problem in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. 2001 : Albela by Deepak Sareen. There are also several discounts and period pass options available. 2000 : Sanam Tere Hain Hum by Jayant Paranji (special appearance). The government has issued plastic, swipable "e-go" cards. 2000 : Kandukondain Kandukondain by Rajiv Menon (in Tamil) (Telugu title: Priyuraalu Pilichindi). The bus system has 59 unique routes on weekdays and transports over 200,000 people each week.

2000 : Josh by Mansoor Khan. Dubai has a fairly large bus system run by the Dubai Municipality. 2000 : Dhai Akshar Prem Ke by Raj Kanwa. Although initially intended as a predominantly cargo airport, plans are afoot for the new Jebel Ali airport to handle some 120 million passengers per annum within 20 years, the largest capacity in the world, surpassing London's Heathrow's 85 million. 2000 : Mohabbatein by Aditya Chopra (cameo). A second airport located at Jebel Ali—and a new free trade area within Dubai, marking the centrepiece of the Jebel Ali Airport City—was announced in 2004 and construction began in January 2005. 2000 : Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai by Satish Kaushik. When completed this will double the capacity of the airport.

1999 : Taal by Subhash Ghai. The new terminal will be dedicated to Emirates airlines and will fully support the Airbus A380. 1999 : Aa Ab Laut Chalein by Rishi Kapoor. A third terminal is currently under construction and due to open in 2006. 1999 : Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Filmfare Best Actress Award). Dubai airport has won many awards for its excellence in design and services. Shankar (in Tamil). Dubai International Airport is a fortress hub for Emirates airlines and has a large Duty Free shopping centre.

1998 : Jeans by S. Dubai is serviced by several commercial ports and Dubai Creek is still used by local traders in Dhows:. 1997 : Aur Pyar Ho Gaya by Rahul Rawail. The emirate discovered that stamp collectors were willing to give it money for colored labels with "Dubai" printed on them, and by the time the postal system was merged with those of other emirates in mid-1972, it had issued over 400 stamps, few of which ever saw usage on mail. 1997 : Iruvar by Mani Ratnam (in Tamil) (Telugu title: Iddaru). This was the opening salvo of a barrage of stamp issues over the next few years. Was featured in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. The Dubai Post Department took over the postal service on June 14, 1963 and the following day issued a series of stamps depicting sea life, views of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

India Times named Aishwarya #1 on the list of the "100 Most Beautiful Indian Women in the Past Century". Despite the name, these were only on sale in Dubai's post office. Praised by several people, including Julia Roberts ([2], [3]) and film critic Roger Ebert ([4]) as the most beautiful woman in the world. When Pakistan came into existance, the British government set up a postal administration for Eastern Arabia and used overprinted British stamps until January 7, 1961, when Dubai issued its own stamps inscribed "Trucial States". Was positioned at number 3 in the Filmfare Top Ten Actress' List.[1]. It used the stamps of India on mail, with postmark "Dubai Persian Gulf", until India's independence in 1947, then stamps of Pakistan until March 31, 1948. 2003, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Devdas. A post office of British India was opened August 19, 1909.

2000, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. See the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing's list of developments [10] in Dubai for more information. The film was shot mainly in Britain. Dubai interests have also purchased large amounts of real estate in foreign countries, in particular snapping up trophy properties in global centers like New York and London; a typical purchase in 2005 was New York's 230 Park Avenue (formerly known as the New York Central Building or the Helmsley Building) and Essex House on Central Park South. She is co-starring with Nandita Das. Iranian expatriates alone are estimated to have invested up to $US 200 Billion in Dubai.[9]. She recently (summer of 2005) completed filming on director Jagmohan Mundhra's film Provoked. Immigrants have been pouring capital into Dubai in the past several years, greatly contributing to the city's prosperity.

She is in the cast for The Last Legion co-starring Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley. This project was launched in 2003 and is estimated to be completed by 2006. She will star opposite Brendan Fraser. The International Media Production Zone is a project targeted at creating a hub for printers, publishers, media production companies, and related industry segments. Rai is now said to be signed for another Hollywood movie, Rolland Joffe's project Singularity. The aim of this park is to foster the growth of this sector in Dubai and to utilize the region's talent in addressing this rapidly growing sector. This is a new park to be targeted at Biotech companies working in pharma, medical fields, genetic research and even biodefense.

Dubai has also launched Dubiotech. It will also contain Al Burj, another one of the tallest buildings in the world. Dubai Waterfront will be a mix of canals and islands full of hotels and residential areas that will add 500 miles of man-made waterfront. In February 2005, Dubai Waterfront was announced, it will be 2½ times the size of Washington D.C., the size of the island of Manhattan.

It is expected to be completed in 2008. Emaar Properties is currently constructing what will become the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai. The city has modern skyscrapers such as Emirates Towers, which are the 12th and 24th tallest buildings in the world[8], and the Burj al-Arab located on the Persian Gulf and is currently the tallest hotel in the world. Somewhere from 2005 to 2006, most of the freehold skyscrapers and other villa projects will be ready for occupancy.

The first villa freehold properties that were occupied by non-UAE nationals were The Meadows, The Springs, and The Lakes (upper-class neighborhoods designed by Emaar Properties, collectively called Emirates Hills). Dubai's land-reclamation projects — the Palm Islands of Jumeira, Jebel Ali, and Deira and The World archipelago — will be the world's largest artificial island complexes, developed with villas, golf courses, and holiday resorts. Corporate office enclaves on Sheikh Zayed road were developed to shift Dubai's traditional business area from the Dubai creek to the western parts of the city. The government's decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy to one that is service- and tourism-oriented has made real estate more valuable, and corporations such as Emaar Properties, and Nakheel have benefited.

Despite the relatively early closing time of 3am for these clubs, their trade is brisk. Besides the obvious presence of prostitutes, however, Dubai also has a lively and well-known nightlife, with many state-of-the-art nightclubs and bars being strewed in all areas of the Emirate, mainly joined to hotels (properties not adjoined to hotels are not allowed to serve alcohol). A large population of prostitutes work in Dubai, spurred on by the large amount of tourism [7]. [6].

Through subsequent revisions, the master planned development will span over 3 billion square feet (300,000,000 m²) with the 1st phase to be completed in 2008. Dubailand, an entertainment city vaguely planned off the concept of Disneyland was launched in October 2003. Dubai currently has two waterparks in Wonderland and Wild Wadi with more being planned for Dubailand. The World Cup is world's highest stakes horse race, with over US $15 million worth of prize money handed out.

Dubai hosts many world class sporting events, including the Dubai Tennis Open, Dubai Desert Golf Classic, and the Dubai World Cup, an annual horse racing event. Soon to overtake the Mall of Emirates as the world's largest will be the Dubai Mall, part of the Burj Dubai development that will be home to the tallest building in the world when completed. Two more shopping malls have recently opened, the Mall of Emirates, the third largest mall in the world, which also has the world's third largest indoor ski slope, and the Ibn Battuta Mall. The Oasis Centre caught fire and received major damage on 9 September 2005.

The city has many malls such as City Centre, Lamcy Plaza, Al Ghurair City, Mercato Mall, Oasis Centre and Wafi Centre that have international stores, theaters, gaming arcades, and food courts. Other, smaller shopping festivals, such as "Dubai Summer Surprises" are held throughout the year. Attendance at the 2005 Festival topped 3.3 million visitors. The annual month-long Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) draws shoppers from the Indian subcontinent and around the world.

Some of these universities include the American University in Dubai (AUD),The American College of Dubai, Al Ghurair University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Middlesex University, Dubai, Dubai Women's College, University of Wollongong in Dubai, and Zayed University. However, a sizable number of foreign accredited universities have been set up in the city over the last ten years. Many expatriates tend to send their children back to their home country for university education. There are also some primary and high schools that offer Canadian and Japanese syllabuses.

ASD offers an accredited American high school diploma; DAA offers both an American-accredited high school diploma and the International Baccalaureate [IB] diploma. The American School of Dubai (ASD), which is located in Jumeirah, and Dubai American Academy (DAA) have been around the longest. A growing number of K-12 schools offer the American syllabus. The International School of Choueifat and Emirates International offer both British and American curricula.

The Emirates International School, Al Diyafah High School and Cambridge International High School are also secondary schools that offer a combination of GCSE, IGCSE, and IB courses to the expatriate community. Mary's High School, Dubai College, English College, and Jumeirah College are all British style eleven-to-eighteen secondary schools which offer GCSE and A-Levels. St. Modern Renaissance School, the Horizon School, Dubai English Speaking School, Jumeirah Primary School, Jumeirah English Speaking School, and Jebel Ali Primary School all offer British style primary education to the age of eleven.

Our Own English High School, Modern High School, and Indian High School offer either a CBSE or an ICSE Indian syllabus. Most schools cater to one or more expatriate communities. Some primary schools conduct entrance tests. Annual fees for nursery and pre-school vary greatly.

English is the medium of instruction in most schools in Dubai. Christian churches are permitted to openly advertise certain church functions, such as memorial services, in the press. However, they are permitted to raise money from among their congregants and to receive financial support from abroad. Apart from donated land for the construction of churches and other religious facilities, including cemeteries, non-Muslim groups are not supported financially or subsidised by the government.

Mary's) would begin at the end of 2005, members of the Eastern Orthodox Christian community in the UAE have had to use churches of other denominations for services, until General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, donated a plot of land in Jebel Ali. Construction on the first Greek Orthodox Church in Dubai (to be called St. In early 2001, ground was broken for the construction of several additional churches on a parcel of land in Jebel Ali donated by the government of Dubai for four Protestant congregations and a Catholic congregation. The government follows a policy of tolerance towards non-Muslims and Polytheist; in practice, interferes very little in the religious activities of non-Muslims.

Non-Muslims in the country are free to practice their religion but may not proselytize publicly or distribute religious literature. There is an electric crematorium run by a group of Indian expatriates. Both are believed to be sanctioned by the late ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The Meena Bazaar area of the city has both a Shiva and Krishna temple.

Dubai is the only emirate that has Hindu temples and a Sikh gurudwara. There are foreign minority Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians as well. A vast majority of the locals are Sunnis. Islam is the official religion of all of the emirates.

The official language is Arabic, but English and Urdu are also widely spoken, along with Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, Malayalam, and Tagalog. The Federal Government is still formulating laws pertaining to ownership of property and considering issuing residency status to those who own such property. Ownership of lease does not guarantee any form of legal residency status in the UAE. It is, however, illegal to seek employment on this visa.

The "lease" on these freehold properties was first offered for 99 years but was later changed to permanent ownership. There is an increasing number of "freehold" villas and flats on artificial islands such as the Palm Islands. The numerous free trade zones allow for full expatriate ownership. Nearly all of the commercial establishments are run by expatriates with a silent local partner who merely "rents" the business license for a negotiated annual fee without taking part in any capital investment.

A quarter of the population reportedly trace their origins to neighboring Iran.[5] The UAE government does not allow any form of naturalization or permanent residence to expatriates. The vast majority of these expatriates come from South Asia and the South East Asia. Dubai is unusual in that its population comprises mainly expatriates, with UAE nationals (Emiratis) constituting the minority. Dubai Knowledge Village (KV) is an education and training hub is also set up to complement the Free Zone’s other two clusters, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, by providing the facilities to train the clusters' future knowledge workers.

Dubai Internet City, now combined with Dubai Media City as part of TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority) is one such enclave whose members include IT firms such as EMC Corporation, Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM, and media organisations such as MBC, CNN, Reuters, ARY and AP. The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city. Dubai is also diversifying as a hub for service-based industries such as IT and finance, with the new Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Today, Dubai is also an important tourist destination, bolstered by its rapidly-expanding airline Emirates, which is headed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, an uncle of the Sheikh.

Oil reserves in Dubai are less than one-twentieth that of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and hence oil income is a minor contributing factor to the city's prosperity. The city of Dubai has a free trade in gold and till the 90s was the hub of a "brisk smuggling trade" of gold ingots to India, where gold import was restricted (read the novel Dubai by Robin Moore). Most of the new city's banking and financial centers were headquartered in this area. Dubai and its twin across the Dubai creek, Deira (independent at that time), became important ports of call for Western manufacturers.

Dubai maintained its importance as a trade route through the 1970s and 1980s. In 1973, Dubai joined the other emirates to adopt a single, uniform currency: the UAE dirham. On 2 December 1971 Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi, and five other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates after Britain left the Persian Gulf in 1971. Oil was discovered 120 kilometres off the coast of Dubai, after which the town granted oil concessions.

After the devaluation of the Gulf Rupee in 1966, Dubai joined the newly independent state of Qatar to set up a new monetary unit, the Qatar/Dubai riyal. Until the 1930s, the town was known for its pearl exports. The town of Dubai was an important port of call for foreign tradesmen (chiefly Indians), who settled in the town. The rulers of Dubai fostered trade and commerce, unlike the town's neighbors.

In March 1892 the Trucial States (or Trucial Oman) were created. Like four of its neighbours, Abu Dhabi, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain, its position on the route to India made it an important location. Dubai came under the protection of the United Kingdom (keeping out the Ottoman Turks) by the Exclusive Agreement of 1892. In 1835, Dubai and the rest of the Trucial States signed a maritime truce with Britain and a "Perpetual Maritime Truce" about two decades later.

An attempt by the Qawasim pirates to take over Dubai was thwarted. From that point on, Dubai, a newly independent emirate, was constantly at odds with the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In 1833, the Al Maktoum dynasty of the Bani Yas tribe left the settlement of Abu Dhabi and took over the town of Dubai, "without resistance". On 8 Jan 1820 the then sheikh of Dubai was a signatory to the British sponsored "General Treaty of Peace" (the General Maritime Treaty).

Earlier in the 18th century the Al Abu Falasa lineage of Bani Yas clan established itself in Dubai which was a dependent of the settlement of Abu Dhabi until 1833. There are records of the town of Dubai from 1799. . A majority of the emirate's revenues are from the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ) [4] and now, increasingly, from tourism.

Dubai is distinct from other members of the UAE in that revenues from oil account for only 6% of its gross domestic product. The town of Hatta is an exclave of the emirate of Dubai and borders Al Wajajah, Oman. The emirate is located on the Persian Gulf, southwest of Sharjah and northeast of Abu Dhabi, and reaches into the interior. Dubai is the second largest emirate in the federation after Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was earlier the crown prince of Dubai is one of the Sheikh's younger brothers. The new Ruler who is also the Vice-President and the Prime Minister of the UAE is H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was also the Vice-President of the federation of the United Arab Emirates. The ruler of Dubai was the late H.H.

Dubai or Dubayy (in Arabic: دبيّ, IPA /ðʊ'bɪ/, generally /dʊ'baɪ/ in English) refers to either. Published: December 4, 2005. FATTAH. ^  "Young Iranians Follow Dreams to Dubai." The New York Times, by HASSAN M.

Jebel Ali. Mina' Rashid. 1949). 4 Jan 2006 - Present Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (b.

2006). 1943 - d. 7 Oct 1990 - 4 Jan 2006 Sheikh Maktoum III ibn Rashid Al Maktoum (b. 1990).

1912 - d. Sep 1958 - 7 Oct 1990 Sheikh Rashid II ibn Said Al Maktoum (b. 18 April 1929 - Sep 1958 Sheikh Said II ibn Maktoum (2nd time) (s.a.). 15 April 1929 - 18 April 1929 Sheikh Mani ibn Rashid.

1958). 1878 - d. Nov 1912 - 15 April 1929 Sheikh Said II ibn Maktoum (1st time) (b. 1912).

1851 - d. 16 Feb 1906 - Nov 1912 Sheikh Bati ibn Suhayl (b. 1906). - d.

18. 7 April 1894 - 16 Feb 1906 Sheikh Maktoum II ibn Hushur (b. 1894). 22 Nov 1886 - 7 April 1894 Sheikh Rashid I ibn Maktoum (d.

1886). 1859 - 22 Nov 1886 Sheikh Hushur ibn Maktoum (d. 1859). 1852 - 1859 Sheikh Said I ibn Bati (d.

1852). 9 June 1833 - 1852 Sheikh Maktoum I ibn Bati ibn Suhayl (d. - 9 June 1833 Sheikh `Ubayd ibn Said. ...

that emirate's main city, sometimes called "Dubai City" to distinguish it from the emirate. one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, or.