If you had the occasion to watch the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which capped the end of the 2009 Formula One World Championship this past weekend, you may have gotten a glimpse of a giant red structure with a huge Ferrari emblem on the roof. What you're looking at is Ferrari World, the first Ferrari theme park, being built on the man-made Yas Island resort in Abu Dhabi.

The complex stands as the largest indoor park in the world, encompassing some 2 million square feet under a giant 150-foot-high red steel roof sporting the largest Ferrari logo in the world. Out of the top protrudes a 200-foot g-force drop tower, accompanying the world's fastest roller coaster, a flume ride simulating a Ferrari engine and kart tracks among its 20+ attractions. Of course there'll be plenty of restaurants and shopping opportunities that go along with any theme park as well. This one is set to open its doors some time next year as part of an ongoing initiative to turn the United Arab Emirates into a leading tourist destination.

Luxury airline, Emirates may be slow to jump on the green bandwagon but now the airline is trying to do eco-friendly in a rather dramatic way. On December 15 Emirates Airline will undertake what they call the Environment flight, which they are saying is the world's first cross-polar green flight heading from Dubai to San Francisco. Emirates is working with government agencies in Dubai, Russia, Canada and the United States to plot the most environmentally-sophisticated trip possible to save fuel and carbon emissions on the 16-hour non-stop service.

The airline will fly the Boeing 777-200LR to service the San Francisco-Dubai route. To ensure a more fuel-efficient route, the flight will utilize new corridors of Russian airspace. The EK225 Emvironment flight will depart Dubai at 8:55 a.m.on 15th December and land in San Francisco at 1 p.m. local time the same day. The fuel and emissions savings features including washing the plane before the flight to minimize drag, using electrical power on the ground in Dubai rather than running its auxiliary power unit, getting priority clearance from Dubai Air Traffic control and real time updates of current weather and wind conditions to allow the flight crew to modify their flight path on route. The flight will track close to the North Pole and flexible routings will be pursued over Canadian airspace. Sounds more like clever than green to me but it sounds like those passengers are going to great some great views of the icy north.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown is having a grand tour of the Middle East. The Telegraph reports that the Prime Minister stayed at the lavish seven-star Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on the third night of his tour of the Gulf. The hotel, which offers a $1 million vacation package, is one of the world's most lavish hotels. Luckily Brown didn't have to pay, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown prince of Abu Dhabi footed the bill. Brown's suite included three bedrooms and a domed living room. Brown wrapped up his tour Tuesday in Dubai.

Not many cars come with their own fragrance. The Peony is a bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom designed for United Arab Emirates customers. It has a two-tone exterior of Pearl Blue with a contrasting Moonstone Pearl Blue and Seashell interior. The Peony is named after the peony flower and the peony leaf motif, in Oriental blue and yellow, is used throughout the car and used as an exterior logo and on the interior wood trim inlay and door capping. The tread plates use the logo and the words "Peony motif, exclusive Bespoke Phantom". The Peony fragrance has been created to match the car by Emirati perfumery HIND's Mohamed Hilal. A silver bottle comes with the car. Autoblog has shot of the peony motif interior.

The $400,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom is a big hit in the Gulf. Arabian Business reports that demand is so high that Rolls-Royce is already booked into next year and the cars haven't even officially arrived their yet.

Of the various things that the first of Emirates' 58 Airbus A380s might be known for, the shower is perhaps the most dramatic. The doubledecker jet landed at Dubai international airport this week in grand style. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, was on board with a delegation of senior Emirates executives that flew in from Hamburg on the aircraft. Gulf News has a first hand account from a journalist on board.

Emirates' first A380 has 489 seats: 14 in first class suites, 76 in business and 399 in economy. The first class passengers on Emirates A380 will be the only ones with access to the shower. Emirates' first A380 commercial service is scheduled for 1 August and will operate between Dubai and New York.

[Thanks, Ben]

I've often written about the luxurious Emirates Airlines which operates out of Dubai, now they are expanding at a rapid rate with the announcement of the largest aircraft commitment made by any airline at one time. Fueled by high oil prices and a rapidly booming tourism industries, Emirates has been booming which shows in a $34.9 billion deal that includes orders from both Airbus and Boeing. The deal was announced at the Dubai Airshow and will include 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300Ers. Emirates also comfirmed that they still want the eight A380s they ordered earlier this year and ordered three more bringing their total order of A380s to 58. Their total orders now number 246 aircraft worth a total of over $60 billion dollars.

Emirates Airlines flies some of the most deep-pocketed people in the world. Not many airlines could hold auctions where customers bid to purchase high-end watches and jewelry. Last year, Montblanc and Emirates teamed up to auction off a watch (an auction that raised $250,000 for the Emirates airline Foundation) this year they have upped the ante with a million-dollar diamond necklace and earrings set. From now until 31st March 2008, customers on board all Emirates flights can register their interest in buying the Ruban d'amour diamond necklace and matching earrings. The jewelry includes the star-shaped Montblanc diamond and can be crafted with a choice of precious stones: the Ruban d'amour Neige is diamonds set in white gold; the Ruban d'amour Blanc et noir features black nephrite jade; pink sapphires complement the Ruban d'amour Rose; while Tahitian and Australian pearls adorn the Ruban d'amour Crème.

The winner will be chosen in April. The winner and a a companion, will be flown First Class on Emirates to Montblanc's jewelry workshop in Paris to watch the craftsmen finish the set. $150,000 of the sale proceeds will be donated to UNICEF in support of its educational projects for children in the Middle East.

Those of us unfortunate enough to travel on commercial airlines know the unrestrained joy that occurs when we get an upgrade. For the most part, this means leaving the cattle barn for leather clad chairs and free booze. But there are several airlines that take the experience to the next level. From gadget filled seats that coddle you in comfort to bars and massages, the world of premium class has gotten very competitive and one-upmanship is the name of the game.

Our list is after the jump.

We've mentioned before that the Emirates airlines had some deluxe plans for their Boeing 777 planes. Their first class suites are like tiny hotel suites. Now we learn that the airline's Business Class service between New York and Dubai will feature flat bed massage seats. Business class on Emirates also includes fine dining, wine and your own 19" entertainment screen. The massage seats are available on flights starting October 1.

Abu Dhabi is following Dubai's lead and creating a variety of projects to tempt tourists and investors. The latest is the Emirates Pearl, a 47-story tower which will go up on the Khalidiya coast opposite the seven-star Emirates Palace Hotel. The $136.2 million project will have 352 hotel rooms and 104 apartments. There will also be an atrium with five restaurants, a gym, spa and shops. There will be a private penthouse with a helipad and two Presidential suites each with a private entrance and swimming pool. The design is yet another twisting tower of glass, an architectural style that seems to be all the rage lately. Construction is set to begin this summer and is expected to take two years.

Trouble at the Burj Dubai, the building set to be the world's tallest skyscraper. According to an AP article, Asian workers angered by low salaries and mistreatment went on a rampage and smashed cars and offices on Wednesday. The 2,500 workers did around $1 million worth of damage. Worker discontent has been a growing problem in Dubai for a while. The massive development boom in the Gulf countries has led to a need for foreign labor. In the Emirates, more than three-quarters of the population may be foreigners.  This isn't the first demonstration, last year, workers held strikes over unpaid salaries. A spokesman for the labor company has said that the issues have been resolved and the employees will be returning to work.