united arab emirates

The Classicist: The $800,000 Rifle Fit for a King

Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, constructs the world's most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. The production of VO rifles is limited to a small number of examples each year. The company holds a royal appointment to H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and has recently found great success with ultra-exclusive rifles made for the Middle Eastern market. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi's Royal Family is another VO enthusiast.

In addition to completely bespoke orders, VO makes several limited edition collections and special editions. The foremost of these is the one-of-a-kind H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque Rifle, designed as "a tribute to the most magnificent building we have ever seen" in Abu Dhabi and to the man who created it, priced at $825,000. This masterpiece includes a grip cap with engraving, gold inlays and 36 multicolored diamonds mimicking the design of the mosque's amazing chandelier (see the gallery).

The Royal Collection United Arab Emirates Edition (above), is designed to be nothing short of the world's most exclusive rifles and limited to only 100 pieces. Specific models have been dedicated to members of Abu Dhabi's Royal Family and bear their engraved portraits, and are priced at $525,000. Other collections include the Big Five, designed as a tribute to five big game animals (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, elephant) and Ernest Hemingway, "the passionate hunter who brought safari hunt to the public attention," nicknamed the "Big Papa," limited to six pieces at $375,000 each; the Viking Collection, inspired by Viking mythology and featuring engravings of Norse gods and 24-carat gold inlay at $275,000 apiece; and the Royal TD Collection, initially created for H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte of Sweden, at $125,000 each.

Gallery: VO Vapen Guns

All VO rifles are based on their patented takedown system, allowing the owner to use several different calibers on the same rifle. In addition to precious engraving and inlaying, the stocks are made of the finest European walnut root, hand-selected by Olsson. When the humidity is at the correct level, the roots are washed and the bark is shaved off, then the roots are cut into planks on a homemade saw. Throughout the next three years, the planks must be stored in different facilities where the moisture is gradually drawn out of them.

The moisture is checked and when it has the right balance, the plank is cut into one or several stock blocks. Clients can also choose their own walnut root plank and have it tailor made to their own measurements. Next comes the oil treatment of the stock, which takes about five weeks. The result is a silky finish that gives life and depth to the natural beauty of the walnut root. VO reminds us however that, "No matter how beautiful a rifle is, at the end of the day it will always be judged by accuracy. And one thing we can assure you – you can not blame your VO rifle if you do not hit the target."

Tags: Abu Dhabi, AbuDhabi, Guns, Hunting, Rifles, Royal Family, RoyalFamily, Royalty, Shotgun, Sporting, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, UnitedArabEmirates, VO, VO guns, VO Vapen, VoGuns, VoVapen

Queen of England Far Behind UAE on Richest Royals List

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

More bad news for the Queen of England - she has fallen to 12th place on Forbes' list of the world's richest royals. Earlier this month we reported that the value of her London residence, Buckingham Palace, had fallen by a whopping $100 million thanks to declining property values.

Now Elizabeth II is suffering the added indignity of languishing on the rich list, as her measly $650 million fortune puts her well behind the UAE's oil-rich rulers. In the No. 1 spot for the first time is King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, with a net worth of $35 billion, who apparently shot up the list as a result of admitting he was richer than previously thought.

At No. 2 is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE and hereditary ruler of Abu Dhabi, with a net worth of $23 billion. No. 3 is King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, worth $21 billion. And Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, ruler of Dubai, clocks in at No. 5 with $18 billion. See the complete list here.

Tags: abu dhabi, AbuDhabi, buckingham palace, BuckinghamPalace, Dubai, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, KingAbdullahBinAbdulAziz, KingBhumibolAdulyadej, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of England, QueenElizabethIi, QueenOfEngland, Royalty, Saudi Arabia, SaudiArabia, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, SheikhKhalifaBinZayedAlNahyan, SheikhMohammedBinRashid, Thailand, UAE, united arab emirates, UnitedArabEmirates

Emirates Palace Offers World's Most Expensive Stay

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The over-the-top Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi is offering a $1 million, week-long stay which it claims is the world's most expensive holiday package. The Palace Suite package includes first-class airline tickets, a chauffeur-driven Maybach for the week, a personal butler, daily spa treatments, and day trips via private jet, the Gulf-based Khaleej Times Online reports. The offer is being made as an attempt to earn the hotel a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records, and part of the proceeds will be donated to charities in the U.A.E., the paper reports. The luxe day trips include jetting to Iran to weave Persian carpets and to Bahrain to dive for deep sea pearls, which will then be set for you in custom-designed jewellery.

Gallery: Emirates Palace

Tags: abu dhabi, AbuDhabi, Emirates Palace, EmiratesPalace, guinness book of world records, GuinnessBookOfWorldRecords, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, Maybach, united arab emirates, UnitedArabEmirates

First Residents Move Into the Palm Jumeirah

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The first residents of the Palm Jumeirah, the massive palm-shaped island off the coast of Dubai, have moved in and as the AP reports they seem quite content so far. The AP profiles Andrew Dukes who was the first to move into his island mansion. Dukes, formerly an executive with a London-based Internet company, paid around $1.36 million for his house over a year ago and it is now worth nearly double. The new land which was made from sand dredged up from the sea and rock from nearby mountains, will also be home to hotels, including one by Donald Trump, a monorail, and a water theme park. Buyers of the development include citizens of the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries and speculators and residents from around the world. Part of the Palm Jumeirah also serves as a labor camp for the thousands of construction workers working on the project. The other projects by Nakheel including the ambitious "World" project are still under development.

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Tags: development, dubai, estates, palm jumeirah, PalmJumeirah, united arab emirates

Dubai's Bawadi Project

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Dubai is planning to begin construction on what will be the world's largest hotel complex. The Bawadi Project, as it is called, will cost $27 billion and will be located just outside of Dubai City. The goal of the project is to double tourism in the state, increasing the 6 million visitors from 2005 to as many as 15 million in the next decade. Complete construction will take approximately 8 years, though it will be done in stages, and will result in a total of more than 30 hotels and 29,000 hotel rooms, many of which will be in the 4 and 5 star categories. The first part of the complex will be the Asia-Asia Hotel, which alone will provide 6,500 rooms. The development will also house a series of entertainment centers, shopping malls, theaters, restaurants and convention centers, catering to all the varied interests of tourists to Dubai.

[Image AME Info]

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Tags: dubai, hotel, hotels, luxury, project, tourism, travel, united arab emirates, world's largest

World's Most Expensive Hotel Suites

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Though there is still time to spare before summer, it might be difficult to get a reservation at one of the Travel Channel's picks for most expensive hotel suites. When you are spending upwards of $4,000 a night, however, the "necessity" of reservations may just turn out to be a minor inconvenience. Here is the list, with the rates listed per night:

10. Coco Chanel Suite, Hotel Ritz, Paris - $4,300 to stay in the room that Coco herself lived in for 37 years.
9. Presidential Suite, Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills - $4,700 for a chef, butler, kitchen, grand piano and a chance to live like the stars
8. Peninsula Suite, The Peninsula, Hong Kong - $4,875, including butler service and a chauffeured Rolls Royce
7. Royal Suite, The Lanesborough, London - $5,837, with private security and personal butlers for the 3 bedroom suite with a floor-to-ceiling view of Hyde Park
6. Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai - $6,800 to stay in the world's tallest hotel, with a private screening room, views of the ocean and use of the hotel's helipad

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Tags: england, expensive suites, hilton, hotel, london, luxury, motel, new york, paris, presidential, ritz, rooms, suites, switzerland, the plaza, tokyo, travel, united arab emirates

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Space Adventures Plans An Arab Emirates Spaceport

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

We mentioned Space Adventures earlier for their new partnership with Prodea but they have also announced plans for a commercial spaceport in Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates as part of a plan for global spaceports in various locations. The total cost of the global spaceport development project is at least $265 million. The UAE spaceport will be located less than an hour drive from Dubai (perfect for all those luxury tourists). The development schedule hasn't been released yet.

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Tags: space adventures, space tourism, SpaceAdventures, SpaceTourism, tourism, united arab emirates

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