Page 13 - November 2020

middle east news inbrief

UAE HOTEL FIRM ALEPH TO MAKE MIDDLE EAST NEW DINING HUB CONCEPT

DEBUT IN DUBAI IN 2021 UNVEILED FOR DUBAI COMPLEX BRUNCH & CAKE TO EXPAND
Barcelona-based brand Brunch & Cake is set
to open multiple locations across the UAE and
UAE-based independent hotel management company Bull&Roo Hospitality Investments will GCC. They have been operating in Dubai for a
Aleph Hospitality has announced its entry into the launch a 15,000sq ft dining concept in ICD year and has enjoyed huge success in this time.
inbrief
Middle East market with the signing of its first hotel in Brookfield Place at DIFC next year. The newest store oepning for the brand will be
Dubai. The 386-room five-star hotel, located on Sheikh ICD Brookfield Place, the new 1.1 million at The Pointe in Dubai followed by another in
Zayed Road next to the Museum of the Future, is set square foot office and retail complex in Abu Dhabi.
to open in the second quarter of 2021 and will be Dubai, has announced the signing of a pre-
internationally branded. let agreement with one of the emirate’s
The property will feature a full floor of meeting rooms leading food and beverage companies to DUBAI SAFARI PARK RE-OPENS
as well as two restaurants, a pool and spa facilities. open a dining and entertainment destination. The 119ha site, which is home to almost 300
The announcement comes as Aleph Hospitality said Bull&Roo Hospitality Investments will animals, closed five months after opening in
it is experiencing significant growth across its target launch a 15,000sq ft concept in Dubai December 2017. After a two-year expansion,
geographies in the Middle East and Africa. International Financial Centre (DIFC) the park has re-opened as the emirate seeks
Bani Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of Aleph housing eight home-grown brands. to boost its hard-hit tourism sector amid the
Hospitality, said: “We are very excited about the signing The Guild, opening in 2021, takes coronavirus pandemic.
of the management agreement for our first hotel in the inspiration from a medieval asoscialtion
UAE and look forward to announcing the brand soon.” of craftsman and merchants and will be
home to a dining experience like no other E-TAILER GOES LIVE IN DUBAI
currently on offer in Dubai. A new UAE e-commerce platform, Flip19.com,
goes live in Dubai. The site offers a range of
SULTANATE OF OMAN TO WELCOME merchandise, including home & housewares
and childcare products. It also stocks stationery,
FIRST IKEA MEGASTORE IN 2022 gadgets and toys. The new e-retailer also sells
a wide range of products targeted at children.

The globally renowned furniture brand, only strengthen the position of Oman
IKEA, is all set to open its first megastore in Avenues Mall as a premier shopping JONES THE GROCER TO GROW
the Sultanate of Oman with Oman Avenues destination but also position the mall Jones the Grocer is set to open its doors at
Mall by the first quarter of 2022. The firmly as the shopping mall for the whole Dubai’s newly launched beachfront promenade,
announcement comes following the signing of Oman.” West Palm Beach, Palm Jumeirah this month.
of a development agreement between The mall is operated and managed It will be the brand’s first warerfront cafe and
the Al Taher Group, a diversified business by retail giant Lulu Group International, will feature a wood-fired oven, a beach lounge,
group in the Sultanate, the developers of one of the largest mall operators in the pastry and sandwich counter.
Oman Avenues Mall, and the UAE-based MENA region. The group is spearheaded
conglomerate, Al-Futtaim Group, the by its Chairman and Managing Director,
IKEA franchisee in Oman as well as other Mr Yusuffali M.A. The group is a pioneer in BRAND SECURES INVESTMENT
territories like UAE, Qatar and Egypt. retail operations with Lulu Hypermarket Dubai-based Sweetheart Kitchen has secured
SEAWORLD ABU DHABI, THE UPCOMING TOURIST ATTRACTION WHICH IS PART OF MIRAL’S AED12BN INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPMENTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, IS ON TRACK FOR $17.7M to drive its expansion plans. The delivery
COMPLETION BY THE END OF 2022. SHEIKH KHALED BIN MOHAMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE ABU DHABI EXECUTIVE OFFICE, VISITED THE SITE OF THE ATTRACTION Commenting on the announcement, being the front runner in the grocery and
RECENTLY AS IT REACHED 40 PER CENT COMPLETION. IN COLLABORATION WITH SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT, THE PROJECT WILL BRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MARINE LIFE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Khalili, department store segment in the Middle only multi-brand virtual kitchen is now set to
THEME PARKS TO YAS ISLAND AND WILL BE HOME TO THE UAE’S FIRST DEDICATED MARINE RESEARCH, RESCUE, REHABILITATION AND RETURN CENTRE. the board member of the Al Taher Group, East and various other territories. increase its footprint in the the UAE and Kuwait.
said: “We are pleased to collaborate with The development of the IKEA store with further plans to open in Saudi. The Series C
US FITNESS BRAND TO MOTIONGATE TO ADD Al-Futtaim Group, to bring the globally is part of the mall’s redevelopment and funding round was backed by strategic investors
and led by company CEO Peter Schatzberg.
transformation campaign plans announced
renowned IKEA brand to Oman Avenues
GROW IN GULF KINGDOM TWO ROLLERCOASTERS Mall. We believe that IKEA Oman will not in 2018.

US-based Xponential Fitness has defied the economic crisis caused Lionsgate has revealed that the Lionsgate Zone at Motiongate
by coronavirus to open up six of its boutique studios in Saudi Arabia. Dubai is expanding with two new rollercoasters inspired by John
The new opened studios in Riyadh represent the brands - Club Wick and Now You See Me, launching early next year.
Pilates, Pure Barre, CucleBar, YogaSix and AKT - and are part of a The Lionsgate Zone will include the world’s first theme park
franchise agreement signed last summer with the Ezdihar Sports ride inspired by John Wick, as well as the world’s fastest single-
arm of Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Company to bring more than 50 car spinning coaster based on the twists and turns of Now You
Xponential Fitness Studios to the kingdom over the next few years. See Me. “This exciting expansion makes the Lionsgate Zone
The studios are housed inside the brand new Evox Clubs, which at Motiongate Dubai the epicenter of immersive blockbuster
have separate facilities for both men and women - the female side thrills in the region,” said Lionsgate EVP and Head of Global LBE,
features all five of the company’s concepts, while the make section Jenefer Brown.
features the CycleBar brand. John Wick: Open Contract is a 4D free spin coaster and will
Further plans include the opening of antoher Evox gym in Jeddah be set over a 310m track. It will reach speends of up to 64km per
in the first or secnd quarter of next year, with a total of at least ten hour and deliver up to 2.8 G-force. Meanwhile Now You See Me: develop...
Xponential boutique studios in Saudi by the end of 2021. High Roller will boast drops, non-inverted loops and Immelmann
As of 31 August this year, the company Xponential Fitness has over turn sections, with riders making a full 180-degree turn after
1,600 studios across its eight brands across the world. entering a half-loop section of the track, followed by a half twist.

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