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What makes JBR’s The Walk tick?
What makes JBR’s The Walk tick? Kelly Clarke / 23 March 2014 Dubai’s thriving hotspot attracts people from all over the UAE, even neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Take a stroll around JBR’s The Walk and you’re pretty much set for a great day out. From coffee to shisha, or lunch to a quick dip in the sea, the thriving hotspot attracts people from all over the UAE, even neighbouring Saudi Arabia. So what is it exactly that makes The Walk tick? “It’s wonderful here. It’s got all the points of interest in one place and it’s our favourite place to come on a Saturday,” says Egypt-born Cherine Ragab. And true to her word, I catch Cherine, and her partner Hussam Rezk, strolling along The Walk at noon on Saturday. Living in Dubai for 13 years, the couple says they are big fans of the popular shopping and restaurant strip. The fact that the beach is just a hop, skip and jump away, makes the area even more attractive, especially when friends come to visit. “It’s just everything you need in one place, but we do try to manage ourselves so that we don’t come during peak hours when the crowds are huge,” Hassam says. There is one slight drawback to the beachside destination, though he says. “Parking can be difficult because spaces are usually full. We tend to park down at the end which isn’t too bad as the long walk back to the car helps us burn the calories we just consumed,” he jokes. With the new Beach Mall recently opened to the public — adding a much-needed 1,200 parking spaces to the area — it seems visitors are being put off by the steep pricing, with a hefty Dh20 per hour being charged for the privilege of being smack, bang in the middle of it all. “It’s too expensive, but maybe after this gets printed, prices will be reviewed,” a hopeful Hassam and Cherine say. A tourist’s point of view Continuing my march along The Walk’s cobbled pavement, I spot a couple snapping a photograph of a Dubai Police 4WD, and immediately make a bee-line for the duo. “I take it you guys are tourists,” I ask them, and the response is yes. This is Padraig and Clare McAdam’s first trip to Dubai. Staying at a nearby hotel, the Irish couple says they’ve been down on The Walk every day since arriving on March 17. “It’s nice to walk it and there’s a bit of a buzz about the place. The crowds last night were unreal, and the traffic too. We saw so many vintage cars driving along the strip, it was fantastic,” they tell me. Catching the couple in full tourist mode and fresh from sipping on a coffee at one of the new cafes along Beach Mall, Clare says the location is the area’s biggest selling point. “We heard this mall is new and I think it’s lovely, especially with the beach so close by, although he’s really not a fan of the beach,” she says, pointing to her husband. So how does it compare to other holiday destinations? “We’ve been to Spain, Turkey, France. I think the culture, in this particular area, is missing a wee bit, but I tell you what is nice. The people and the food. The variety is great and the people are so friendly, so that will keep us coming back,” Padraig says. And will JBR be the area of choice on the couple’s next visit? “I think so yes. It was about 50 per cent more expensive to stay at our hotel, compared to the city hotels, but the area was recommended to us and it suits us down to the ground. It’s better than being in the middle of a concrete jungle,” they say. Growing appeal Opened to the public in 2008, JBR’s The Walk is one of Dubai’s most favoured hotspots among residents and tourists alike. As the area continues to expand, with the addition of the Dubai Tramway — which opens its first phase to the public in November — and the new Beach Mall, hosting the world’s biggest TV screen, prices in the area have already begun to rise, but it doesn’t seem to be denting its popularity. Syrian resident Hassan has been living in JBR for two years, and with his tenancy contract up for renewal in a few months, rent is due to increase, but he says he is staying put. “The fact that the beach is close by is a big bonus for me, and some of the shisha on offer is very good, too. My rent is rising, but I need to stay here, so I’m just going to pay whatever they ask ,” he says. Although Tracey Spiller and Dan Minks already live on one of Dubai’s most recognisable landmarks, The Palm, they still find themselves drawn to the JBR area. “We’ve just come down today to grab some breakfast and go to the beach,” Dan says. For Tracey, the visits have not been so frequent since the opening of the new mall. “To be honest, we always used to come down here before, but we don’t come as much because it’s just so packed on the beach and it’s quite far to walk to the restaurants.” But like Cherine and Hassam, the crowds haven’t put them off completely as they say it’s always a place they’ll bring visiting friends and family. So despite a hike in prices and the often-overbearing crowds, it seems the lure of JBR will continue. kelly@khaleejtimes.com FACTS > 1.7km stretch along The Walk > 2008 saw the official opening of The Walk For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Khushwant Singh, writer and journalist, passes away at 99
Khushwant Singh, writer and journalist, passes away at 99 (AFP) / 21 March 2014 Khushwant Singh, one of India’s best known writers who won fame for a searing book on partition of the subcontinent as well as his once-daring descriptions of sex, died on Thursday aged 99. The country’s most prolific author, who died at his home in New Delhi after suffering breathing problems, had only recently stopped writing despite his advanced years, his son said. “He was having some breathing problems. “He hadn’t been too unwell in his last few days and had only stopped writing recently. He was still reading newspapers and books… was mentally alert, and led a full life,” Rahul Singh told the NDTV news channel. Singh was a household name who wrote more than 100 books and countless newspaper columns, including one called With Malice Towards One And All. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him “a gifted author, candid commentator and a dear friend” as tributes poured in for a great writer with an even greater sense of humour. “The world will always remember him as a lovable human being,” author and veteran BBC journalist Mark Tully said on NDTV. Fellow authors including Vikram Seth and former cricketers were among those who visited his Delhi home to pay their respects to a man hailed by President Pranab Mukherjee as a “fearless intellectual”, the Press Trust of India said. In an interview with AFP in 2005, Singh described his passion for writing as compulsive. “I don’t know what to do with myself if I don’t write, I have lost the art of relaxation,” he said. Singh, a Sikh born on February 2, 1915 in what is now Pakistan, occupied India’s literary centre-stage for half a century with his novels. Some in his early decades scandalised India with their sexually explicit scenes. He is best remembered for his historical novel Train to Pakistan, which recounts the tragedy and bloodshed of the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 into India and Pakistan. Singh, who penned his books and columns on yellow legal pads, became a writer relatively late. Born into a well-off family, he initially practised law in Lahore. But partition was the trigger for him to change professions. “I loathed the law. I thought I can’t waste my entire life living off other people’s quarrels,” he said. After coming to New Delhi, where his father became a prosperous property developer, he entered the diplomatic service in 1947 but soon tired of this and became a journalist and writer. Singh was cremated in Delhi later on Thursday. He is survived by his son, daughter and a niece. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Bungee-jumping into the record books in Dubai
Bungee-jumping into the record books in Dubai Staff Reporter / 21 March 2014 For most people, bungee jumping once in a lifetime in itself is an exhilarating, life-changing experience. Imagine doing it 200 times in 24 hours. British national Colin Phillips is planning to do exactly that and take the feeling that comes from an adrenaline rush to another level. An official Guinness World Record attempt for the most bungee jumps in 24 hours started on Thursday at 7pm at the Porsche Macan 24-bungee event held at the Dubai Autodrome in support of Breast Cancer Arabia. Colin Phillips in action. — Supplied photo The jumper is Dubai resident, professional fitness coach and athlete Colin Phillips, who over the last 10 months has been doing 10 to 15 consecutive jumps every weekend in preparation for the official world record attempt. He said: “The moment of weightlessness while free-falling is what gives the ‘highest’ sensation. When you’re descending at a speed of 160km/hour and you feel your heart jump to your mouth, that’s the most euphoric part.” He said he tried bungee jumping for the first time in the UK 10 years back and has been “addicted to it” ever since. The event is being conducted by Gravity Zone, the only permanent bungee site in the UAE which operates in partnership with the UK Bungee club and adheres to UK standards. Phillips worked closely with the Gravity Zone ground crew and jump master, learning the business and technicalities of bungee jumping, as well as studying his body and its responses under the conditions. For the event, extra professional manpower from the UK Bungee Club has been brought in as well as multiple crane drivers and a sports therapist. The current record for most bungee jumps in 24 hours stands at 105 jumps and was achieved by Kevin Scott Huntly of South Africa on May 8, 2011. An official judicator from Guinness World Records is present on site to verify all jumps and ensure adherence to Guinness guidelines. dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
