With the fourth season of The White Lotus now confirmed, the UAE is becoming a strong contender as a setting for the fictional resort at the centre of the hit HBO series.
Canadian luxury hotel chain Four Seasons, whose resorts have served as locations across three seasons of the show, has announced its seventh property in the country, the Four Seasons Resort Ajman at Al Zorah. Set to open next year, the beachfront property will feature 23 villas and 74 guestrooms and suites, each with private terraces offering views of the Arabian Gulf.
Located within the striking coastal suburb of Al Zorah in the emirate of Ajman, which also includes Al Zorah Nature Reserve, the resort is just a 35-minute drive from the Dubai International Airport.
Set on 5.4 million square metres of coastal land interspersed with creeks and mangrove forests, Al Zorah, which comprises the resort, is a mixed-use development – a joint venture between Lebanese developer Solidere and the government of Ajman.
Four Seasons is taking over the property from Indian luxury hotel chain The Oberoi Group, and has said it is currently enhancing the existing property’s amenities, accommodations and wellness facilities ahead of its opening.
Designed as an exclusive retreat, Four Seasons Resort Ajman at Al Zorah will feature lush gardens, a fitness centre, luxurious spa facilities, a private beach and an outdoor oasis, the company said.
Highlights include private cabanas, an 85-metre infinity pool, an adults-only pool overlooking the sea and a dedicated children’s pool for families. Guests can also take part in diving excursions as well as guided tours to discover the region’s protected mangroves,benefited lagoons and biodiversity. They will also have access to Al Zorah Golf Club, home to an 18-hole golf course designed by American golfer Jack Nicklaus, as well as an art clubhouse.
Culinary options will include an all-day dining restaurant, a beachfront open-air bar and grill and an Italian restaurant overlooking the sea.
Four Seasons, which partnered with HBO for The White Lotus, has hugely benefited from the success of the Emmy Award-winning show. The phrase, "The White Lotus Effect", was coined in 2021 after the show's popularity led to a spike in online searches for Four Seasons Resort Maui in Hawaii where the first season of the satirical comedy was filmed.
Season two, set in San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel in Sicily recreated similar fanfare when it came out the following year.
The show's third season, which concluded earlier this month, was set in Thailand, with the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui featuring predominantly alongside other luxury resorts across the country.
Four Seasons Resort Ajman at Al Zorah is the luxury chain's seventh property in the UAE, which now includes Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, Four Seasons Private Residences Dubai at Jumeirah, and the upcoming Four Seasons Private Residences Dubai at DIFC and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Ras Al Khaimah at Mina.
Racecard
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:
- Former first lady Hillary Clinton
- Former US president Barack Obama
- Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
- Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
- California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Naga
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
57%20Seconds
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Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
INFO
The five pillars of Islam
