DUBAI, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - A Dubai court will deliver its verdict on two Britons accused of having sex on a beach in the boombing Gulf emirate on October 16, legal sources said on Tuesday.

DUBAI, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - Property developers in Dubai remain upbeat about the growth of the sector, which has seen prices rocket in recent years, despite warnings of overheating and the global financial turmoil.

DUBAI, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - A Dubai government firm on Monday announced it will build a 'new city' in the booming Gulf emirate at a projected cost of 95 billion dollars, shrugging off the global financial turmoil.

DUBAI, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - A Dubai government firm on Monday announced it will build a 'new city' in the booming Gulf emirate at a projected cost of 95 billion dollars, shrugging off the global financial turmoil.

PARIS, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - The European PGA International Tour for 2009 will comprise 53 events and will culminate in the inaugural 20 million dollar (14.7 million euro) Dubai World Championship tournament in November next year.

DUBAI, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - A Dubai government firm on Monday announced it will build a 'new city' in the booming Gulf emirate at a projected cost of 95 billion dollars, shrugging off the global financial turmoil.

DUBAI, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai, home to the world's tallest tower and and other extravagant landmarks, boasts a new resort billed as unique in the Middle East: the ocean-themed Atlantis, where a night will cost up to 25,000 dollars.

DUBAI, Sept 28, 2008 (AFP) - Thousands of people, mostly Filipinos, are awaiting renewal of their visas for the United Arab Emirates on the Iranian island of Kish or the Omani town of Buraimi, Dubai newspapers reported on Sunday.

The Khaleej Times and Gulf News said the cause of the backlog is a change made in July to the rules for renewing United Arab Emirate visas.

DUBAI, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - Restaurant and hotel owners in Dubai are in hot competition during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan to attract a top-notch clientele to 'tents' that have proved a hit in the bustling Gulf emirate.

DUBAI, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) - A major investment group in the booming Gulf emirate of Dubai on Wednesday denied it was in talks about a takeover of the troubled English Premier League club Newcastle.

DUBAI, September 9, 2008 (AFP) - The Dubai trial of two Britons accused of having sex on a beach in the booming Gulf emirate was adjourned again on Tuesday after the woman defendant and the main witness failed to show up.

DUBAI, September 4, 2008 (AFP) - Seven people including a Briton and an American were killed when their heliopter crashed in the Gulf en route to an offshore oil platform, civil aviation authorities in Dubai said on Thursday.

The Bell 212 came down on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles from Dubai, killing all seven crew and passengers on board, a civil aviation statement said.

DUBAI, September 3, 2008 (AFP) - The ruler of the booming Gulf emirate of Dubai announced on Wednesday he would fund the treatment of one million people risking blindness.

DUBAI, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - The world's tallest building just got taller -- the Burj Dubai tower in the booming Gulf emirate of Dubai has now reached a height of 688 metres (2,257 feet) and is still growing, developers Emaar said on Tuesday.

It now boasts 160 storeys, the highest skyscraper in the world, Emaar said in a statement.

DUBAI, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - A British couple appeared in a Dubai court on Tuesday accused of having sex on a beach in the booming Gulf city state, before the judge adjourned the case for a week.

DUBAI, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - A judge in Dubai on Tuesday adjourned for a week the trial of a British couple accused of having sex on a beach who asked for the case to be speeded up, a court official said.

The government of Dubai, which is vying to become a global financial hub, vowed on Sunday to crack ...

FARNBOROUGH, July 15, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai Aerospace Enterprise announced a firm order Tuesday to buy 100 Airbus planes worth 12.6 billion dollars (7.9 billion euros) for its leasing operations.

The order is for 30 extra-wide-bodied A350 passenger jets and 70 single-aisle A320s, DAE announced at a press conference on the second day of the Farnborough Airshow, outside London.

FARNBOROUGH, July 15, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, announced here on Tuesday a firm order to buy 100 Airbus planes worth a combined 12.6 billion dollars (7.9 billion euros).

The order is for 30 A350 extra-wide-bodied Airbus passenger jets and 70 single-aisle A320s, DAE announced at a press conference on the second day of the Farnborough Airshow, outside London.

DUBAI, June 10, 2008 (AFP) - Construction of the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai, has been delayed and will be completed only in September next year, the developer was quoted on Tuesday as saying.

The tower, which is expected to reach a final height of 900 metres (2,953 feet), was due for completion in the bustling city state at the end of 2008.

NEW YORK, June 9, 2008 (AFP) - Emirates airline said Monday it would launch nonstop service between Dubai and New York on August 1, the first service to the United States with the new Airbus A380 superjumbo.

CANNES, France, May 15, 2008 (AFP) - Israel's contender for the top prize in the Cannes film festival said Thursday he hopes his anti-war movie will be released in Arab nations, which usually shun films from the Jewish state.

'I would love to see it screened in an Arab country,' said Ari Folman, who is premiering his 'Waltz With Bashir' here. 'This would be a dream come true.'

LIMA, May 1, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai Ports World has begun construction on what is promised to be one of the largest port in the Americas in El Callao, Peru with an initial investment of more than 300 million dollars.

DUBAI, April 10, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai-based giant property developer Nakheel announced on Thursday it has bought a 50 percent interest in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach US resort at a cost of 375 million dollars.

DUBAI, April 7, 2008 (AFP) - The Burj Dubai tower under construction in the United Arab Emirates has surpassed the 629 metre (2,063 foot) KVLY-TV mast in the United States to become the world's tallest man-made structure, its builders announced on Monday.

DUBAI, April 7, 2008 (AFP) - DP World, one of the world's largest marine terminal operators, Monday announced a 52 percent increase in profits after tax in 2007, reaching 420 million dollars.

DUBAI, April 1, 2008 (AFP) - One of the world's largest shopping malls is set to open towards the end of the year in the booming Gulf retail paradise of Dubai, developers said on Tuesday.

COLOMBO, March 30, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai's Emirates Airlines said Sunday it would stop sharing routes with Sri Lanka's national carrier when its decade-long management contract expires this month.

'Code share arrangements between Emirates and SriLankan Airlines will cease from 31st March 2008 with the expiry of the management agreement,' Emirates said in a statement released here.

STOCKHOLM, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - Swedish truck maker Scania said on Thursday it would build a factory in Dubai to strengthen its presence in the high-growth Gulf region.

DUBAI, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - The Gulf emirate of Dubai announced on Wednesday plans to build a series of cultural projects such as libraries, theatres and museums, including one dedicated to the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.

DUBAI, March 23, 2008 (AFP) - The booming desert emirate of Dubai has begun building three giant reservoirs to meet fast growing demand for water, the official WAM news agency reported.

DUBAI, March 23, 2008 (AFP) - Dubai imported almost three million tonnes of cement in 2007, according to state figures released on Sunday, as the Gulf region was gripped by a construction boom fuelled by rocketing oil prices.

DUBAI, March 19, 2008 (AFP) - A real estate developer owned by the Gulf emirate of Dubai said on Wednesday it planned to build a 12 billion dollar complex, including 55,000 homes, in Saudi Arabia.

The firm, Limitless, said in a statement that the 'Al Wasl' project would include 55 mosques, several five-star hotels and an environmentally-friendly transit system.

DUBAI, March 19, 2008 (AFP) - A court in the Gulf emirate of Dubai sentenced a Belgian man to four years in prison for possessing a small amount of hashish and marijuana, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

DUBAI, March 18, 2008 (AFP) - The ruler of the booming Gulf emirate of Dubai, home to the largest airline in the Middle East, on Tuesday ordered the creation of a new low-cost carrier.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum said the airline would serve the growing number of passengers travelling to and from the United Arab Emirates, the official WAM news agency reported.

DUBAI, March 18, 2008 (AFP) - The Gulf city state of Dubai is to join two dozen cities around the world next month in turning off the lights for one hour to raise awareness about global warming.

DUBAI, March 11, 2008 (AFP) - The booming Muslim Gulf emirate of Dubai announced Tuesday it will build the world's first museum dedicated to the life of the Prophet Mohammed.

Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, has authorised construction of the museum to examine the legacy and message of Islam's founder, state media reported.