The largest airport in the world “Al Maktoum International Airport” is under way in Dubai with the first phase underway.

Currently open and dealing with freight only at the moment, this will take a bit of pressure off the current airport Dubai International Airport 40km away, whilst testing the facilities at the new airport.

The first flight into the airport arrived on 20th June 2010 and full time freight operation started a week later.

The runway is large enough to accept the landing of the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the Super Jumbo Airbus A380, and will be able to accommodate most freight aircraft. Passenger flights are scheduled to start in March 2011.

Freight transport is predicted to achieve over 250,000 tonnes of cargo in its first calendar year eventually rising to 12 million tonnes by 2015 through 16 cargo terminals. While passenger numbers are expected to number 5 million people in its first year. These figures are based on having only one terminal at the moment.

By the year 2020 passenger figures are expected to number 98 million with a larger increase planned to be a huge 150 million passengers a year. This is due to the $10.9 billion cost of providing 5 runways, all capable of having the largest aircraft landing on its 2.8 miles of runway and the 4 terminals to take the large amount of passengers through them within 10-15 years of construction.

While operating with just freight for the moment, the airport is able to test on an ongoing basis, the flights in and out of the airport, the air traffic control.

There are direct transport links planned to the airport via a high speed express railway and the Dubai Metro is also going to provide a direct link to the airport, as well as close links to the sea terminal giving access to road, rail, air and sea.

There will also be around 100,000 car parking spaces possibly underground, giving the largest airport parking facility in the world.

The 5* Mövenpick business hotel in Deira which is both 10 minutes from the city centre and from the airport, this is centrally located and is currently nearing the end of construction in preparation for its soft opening stage prior to opening for its full trading starting in November. The luxuriously designed hotel will be the latest hotel to open in Dubai and is one of the most well designed hotels in Deira with extremely high standards. The quality of the restaurants and facilities speak for themselves. The jigsaw is the all day dining restaurant that provides international cuisine. The wok in restaurant has a contemporary take on Asian food which is fresh and tasty.

The fitness centre and spa ensures that a healthy regime can be followed, and fitness gained by the instructors providing training and a routine to follow.

The conference and banqueting facilities are very much on a grand scale, with 7 separate conference rooms which can be used for anything from meetings to weddings with state of the art facilities to accompany the venue which makes this an excellent place to hold events here.

The lobby pictured on the right is a spectacular entrance area, that sets the hotel apart from others with the first impression making you feel like royalty and knowing that you have come somewhere special.

Full review in Hotels section - Page 6.

The first branch of “Hershey’s Chocolate World” is open in Dubai. This is the first such venture of the company in the Middle East which will obviously delight the taste buds of the local community, and of the many millions of customers from around the world that step into this store, located inside the Dubai mall.

The store is based over 390 square meters where there are more than 300 separate products to be purchased, ranging from its famous giant chocolate bars, chocolate kisses to customised products..

The range of products available at the Hershey store is mind blowing and something that you would never have expected to see in Dubai, but something that you would only have dreamt of. Chocolate lovers will be in their element and will be lost as to what to buy. A modern days version of the children's favourite fictional character Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, the Hershey brand is huge in the chocolate market.

This is the kind of store that you will never just come out with just one thing, you will have such a difficult choice that you will come out with your arms full due to what is on show and available to buy.   Where else in the world could you buy a 5lb bar of chocolate and need two hands to hold it, let alone to bite it, and to be able to buy a 25lb selection box of Hershey confectionary is unheard of from any manufacturer that we know of including Cadbury’s, which Hershey has the rights to produce outside of the UK.

In 1907 Hershey produced a “chocolate kiss” and introduced it into the vast range of chocolate products available. This has gone on to be a worlds best seller for the company.   In July 2007 to celebrate the 100th birthday of the “kiss”, Hershey produced the largest kiss ever made which was on public display 30,540lb of pure chocolate bliss and was verified by the Guinness book of records.

Hershey “Kisses” are also available to be customised with a small message of your choice including a fantastic wedding present or a gift to your guests with a package of 25lb of wedding kisses containing approximately 2000 chocolate kisses to share or just 1 large kiss weighing in at a hefty 2lb in weight to eat on your own. Wow!! That is some eating.

Sales and interest will be immense here, and the company have made a brave move to market the chocolate in a country where the weather generally hits 40 degrees + most days, but the good old fridge is a perfect place to keep the chocolate to give a lovely cold sensation when you bite into it.

As we say, the chocoholics dream has come true in Dubai and good luck to Hershey in their bid to bring chocolate to the forefront in this mall. This will, in our opinion be a roaring success with many people making this a ‘must visit’ store when visiting Dubai.  We believe that this will not be the last Hershey store that you will see in the Middle East.