TOP FIVE DUBAI ATTRACTIONS

REPORT

THE TOP FIVE ATTRACTIONS IN DUBAI

The EXPO 2020 World Exhibition provided an opportunity for our magazine’s team to visit Dubai. We share with you our most interesting impressions and recommend what you should definitely visit in the UAE’s largest city

Text and photos by: NIKOLINA VUKIĆEVIĆ

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ubai has been a popular tourist and business destination in recent years, due to its construction boom, modern, breathtaking architecture, various tourist attractions, and vast stretches of sandy beach that visitors may enjoy at any time of year. The largest city in the United Arab Emirates and also the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, this year is especially attractive for millions of visitors from all over the world as it is the host of the world exhibition EXPO 2020, which lasts until March 31. EXPO was the reason for our magazine’s crew to visit Dubai, where we captured the most interesting scenes and impressions during the few days of our stay there, although there was not enough time to visit all the attractions of the city and the exhibition itself.

The first impression on every visitor is certainly left by the climate, which is very pleasant in winter and is the best welcome

Burj Khalifa

EXPO: Pavilion Mobility

for all those who have briefly moved out of the December snow and minus, just as was the case with our team. The second impression is that life in Dubai is conceived completely differently than in Europe. Personally, I found Dubai to be an amazing blend of cutting-edge technology and a strong religious presence. Music is frequently heard in public settings as a call to prayer, giving the impression that all of life’s speed stops for a moment before spinning again. The hosts, the locals, can rarely be seen on the streets and in public places. They are mostly foreigners everywhere, both as employees and as tourists. There are attractions on all sides; some take your breath away, and some make your head spin. We have selected the top five that we believe you should not miss if you are in Dubai.

DUBAI MARINA

Dubai Marina is one of the few pedestrian zones, full of wonderful restaurants, small shops, and tourist attractions. At the same time, Marina is one of the few places where you can see a lot of locals. I liked it equally during the day and in the evening. It was from this position that I managed to isolate myself best from the crowds and observe the architecture of each building individually. The Marina is located near the beach, so you can easily organize a tour of both locations. This is the part of Dubai that I liked the most because it has the most contact with nature. The canal through which the sea passes through the Marina and the palm trees that create shade make you not feel as small as you do when you are in the very center of Dubai among the mighty skyscrapers.

Dubai Marina by night

BURJ KHALIFA

With its 829.84 m height and 163 floors of impressive construction, exterior and interior, the world’s tallest building is truly one of the city’s great monuments and landmarks. Visitors can access the building through the Armani Hotel, which is located within the Burj Khalifa. Our magazine’s team had the opportunity to have lunch on the 125th floor and enjoy the view from a bird’s eye view. Only then did we realize how many vast areas of Dubai are composed entirely of sand, and that the true appeal of this city lies in the immaculate knowledge and skills of the builders and architects who constructed a metropolis of skyscrapers on such a terrain.

DUBAI MALL

Since Dubai is not rich in pedestrian zones and is definitely not a city you can visit on foot, shopping malls are considered a real treasure in this city. As we learned on the spot, real estate prices near shopping malls, or even better, those with direct access to the shopping center, are much higher than real estate values a little further away, precisely because shopping centers are the only places where you can walk. What fascinated me personally was the fact that everything was extremely clean, modern, and adapted for people with special needs. One of the attractions in the Dubai Mall is the bubbling fountain, and it seems that the locals love it very much and are looking forward to its show, which starts at 6 pm and is repeated every half hour.

NUSR-ET RESTAURANT

The restaurant from the world-famous chain, one of the co-owners of which is the Turkish caterer Nusret Gokce, who became famous for the way he prepares and salts steak, has found its place in Dubai as well. This restaurant is located within the

View from the 125th floor of Burj Khalifa

Sculptures of Arabian explorers

Restaurant Nusr-Et

Four Seasons Hotel and Resort and offers guests Australian meat specialties prepared before their eyes. The staff is quite pleasant; they salt the food using Nusret’s tricks, and the way they serve is an experience in itself. I also tasted their famous baklava with goat ice cream, proving that they aren’t just experts in meat dishes. This restaurant far exceeded our expectations, and despite the high prices, it is definitely a worthwhile place to spend time and money.

EXPO 2020

EXPO is a prestigious world exhibition conducted every five years, and it was held for the first time in the Middle East this year. The exhibition spans 483 hectares in a newly developed part of the city halfway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It was organized in the pavilions, with each state assigned the task of addressing the topic. This year’s themes were Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. The Mobility Pavilion, designed by award-winning architects from the well-known British firm Foster and Partners, left the biggest impression on me. There is a passenger elevator in the pavilion that is the world’s largest, capable of transporting more than 160 passengers at once. There are also 15-meter-high sculptures of Arab researchers created by a New Zealand team, the same one that worked on “The Lord of the Rings.” The sculptures made an impression on me since they are highly realistic, down to the glitter in the eyes and minor skin ailments on the fingers. You can also see research and photographs from the Moon, as well as a comparison of living conditions on Earth and the Moon, at this pavilion. The pavilions of different countries are also interesting, and each one taught me something new. The entire EXPO 2020 exhibition, including the pavilions, people, and spirit, cannot be retold. From robots that control the wearing of masks to fantastic programs made by projectors, one gets the impression that time travel is only a few hours away from us.

BUSINESS

THE MARKET IS BECOMING MORE DEMANDING

According to Stylianos Tsoktouridi, Managing Director of Alumil YU Industry AD, Alumil YU is committed to continuously investing in Serbia in order to increase its capacity and keep its facilities at the highest possible quality level

Text by: PETAR DOBROSAVLJEVIĆ

Stylianos Tsoktouridi, Managing Director of Alumil YU Industry AD

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s a leader in architectural systems in Serbia and the region, Alumil YU plans to expand even further in regional ex-Yugoslavian markets and to penetrate further into Western European industrial markets that are more advanced, such as automotive, says Managing Director Stylianos Tsoktouridi, noting that the price increases in LME did not slow down demand for their products or the dynamics of the construction sector.

Alumil is one of the leaders in architectural aluminum profiles production market in Serbia and region. What is that factor which makes a difference in comparison to the other suppliers in the market?

— Indeed, Alumil YU is the leader in architectural systems in the whole regional market. The main reason is our advanced products that fulfill the market’s requirements and exceed customers’ expectations. We have invested more than €45 million in Serbia constructing a state-of-the-art production and logistics facility in Nova Pazova, which, along with our six sales and distribution centers spread across Serbia, ensures the availability of our products in close proximity and on demand by our customers. Also, we have established a showroom in New Belgrade where we exhibit our products and our team of experienced engineers provides support to our customers.

Your products meet the requirements of high standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. How much does sustainability contribute to your company’s business?

— Alumil Group has more than 32 years of history full of innovation and creativity, and as a multinational company with more than 28 subsidiaries spread around the globe, has

developed an in-house green culture. Of course, we in Alumil Serbia, as part of the same group, are following the same culture. This year, amid a very tough period worldwide, apart from our actions against the spread of the coronavirus, we decided to go further on our ecological agenda.

Through our modern production facilities and intelligent investments, we ensure the reduction of energy consumption in all our processes. Our continuous research and development leads to offering unique solutions with many innovative features that meet the strictest environmental standards. Furthermore, our qualified R & D team of engineers studies the latest standards and technologies on a continuous basis and applies them in the research of new aluminum system solutions.

We are monitoring climate change and adjusting our activities in response to the most recent requests from relevant authorities. As the members of the Serbia Green Building Council, we are trying indirectly to have an impact on increasing society’s awareness of this matter.

In the rapidly evolving construction and real estate sector, there have been numerous challenges this year. What has been the greatest challenge of yours?

— The current year has been exceptionally good for Alumil YU and for the whole Alumil Group in general. Specifically, in Serbia, this year we are experiencing a continuous growth in the value of construction projects that started in 2019, where the value of the projects was increased by 35% compared to 2018 and continued in 2020 and 2021. However, the market is becoming increasingly demanding, while competition is ever stronger, and that is one of the major challenges for Alumil Yu. Modern buildings require the design and construction of fenestration systems to high standards. By focusing always on the specifications and requirements of the most advanced markets worldwide, Alumil has created a portfolio that incorporates innovative products and responds perfectly to modern building needs. The needs of our customers are quite varied, and so is our product portfolio. Each of our products was designed with one thought in mind: how to offer the best possible solution and maximize the value for our customers.

Alumil YU Industry production and logistics facility in Nova Pazova

The year 2021 will be remembered for the rise in the cost of building materials. How did this affect your sector?

— The price increases in LME did not slow down the demand for our products or the dynamics of the construction sector. On the contrary, what is more challenging for us is the lack of supplies and free capacity versus demand, rather than prices and credit. The growth of our sector is so high that it has not been impacted by the increased prices, at least not as of now. Inflation is relatively reasonable and the availability of funds for new projects is still high, probably driven by the level of demand that has been increasing. All in all, we see a healthy growth of the market with prestigious quality projects that increase market standards.

What would be your expectations for 2022 in terms of production and development?

— Alumil YU is committed to continuously investing in Serbia in order to increase its capacity and keep its facilities at the highest possible quality level. Our plan is to expand even further in the regional ex-Yugoslavian markets and increase our market share and footprint in large-scale projects in both the public and private sectors. Our plan also includes penetration further into Western European industrial markets, which are more advanced, such as automotive, with sophisticated, state-of-the-art, precision engineered, surface-treated, ready-to-use aluminium products. Our expansion strategy could result in the creation of up to 100 new direct job positions, many of which will require highly educated and specially trained personnel.