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DUBAI

Sweden joins ‘The World’ in Dubai project

Sweden is set to become an island in Dubai, complete with Viking longship-roofed villas, a floating restaurant and the chance to celebrate Midsummer with little risk of the customary rain spoiling the party.

Sweden joins 'The World' in Dubai project
The Heart of Europe project in Dubai. Photo: TT

The "Swedish" development is part of the Heart of Europe tourism development which is located off the coast of Dubai. The development is part of "The World" – an artificial archipelago of small islands connected in the shape of a map of the globe.

"The World" project in Dubai. Photo: NASA/Jesse Allen

The luxury villas on the "Swedish" island will each feature seven bedrooms and a private beach. They will furthermore resemble the upturned hull of Viking longships and will be serviced by a floating restaurant modelled on the Saluhall Market place in central Stockholm. The restaurant will serve a slew of traditional Swedish delicacies such as herring, meatballs and toast Skagen.

"The island will not only be home to the finest Swedish architecture and design, but it will also bring the best of Swedish culture and lifestyle to Dubai," Josef Kelindienst, CEO of the developers the Kleindienst Group told thenational.au website.

Construction of the some 300 islands began in 2003 but the project was derailed by the finance crunch. The heart of Europe project was launched in January 2014 and will feature six man-made islands each displaying a version of European life.

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MUNICH

Is Germany’s Oktoberfest heading to Dubai this year?

Last year Germany's famous Oktoberfest was cancelled. And this year? We're still not sure if it will happen yet in Munich due to Covid - but it looks like it could be heading to the desert...

Is Germany's Oktoberfest heading to Dubai this year?
Guests enjoying a scaled-back Oktoberfest celebration in 2020 in Munich. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Felix Hörhager

Oktoberfest is to take place in Dubai, the largest city in the UAE, according to German media reports on Thursday.

The plan is to move the world’s largest folk festival to an area of ​​around 420,000 square meters near the Dubai Marina, Berlin Christmas market boss Charles Blume, who is one of the organisers, told Spiegel.

Blume said Dubai officials had given the festival the green light.

German daily Bild reported that Dubai’s Oktoberfest would start on October 7th at 12noon in 32 tents – and then last for six months until March 31st 2022 – that’s far longer than the original Munich event which lasts around 16 days. 

READ ALSO: Oktoberfest ‘very unlikely’ to take place in Munich in 2021

Celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pamela Anderson and Lothar Matthäus are to be flown in as guests, Bild said, although this hasn’t been confirmed.

The estimated cost for the event is reportedly around €50 million. As well as Blume, the Munich ex-restaurateur Dirk Ippen and host Sepp Krätz played a key role in developing the plan, said Bild.

Even if the location is unusual compared to Munich’s Wiesn, the event would be strongly based on the original.

Beer tents, restaurants, as well as carousels and sales stands that resemble the traditional festival are all planned. Brewers and innkeepers would also be flown in from Bavaria.

The organiser, however, emphasises that the event in Dubai wouldn’t be “just another Oktoberfest double”, but bigger and more international than Munich’s.

READ ALSO: Germany’s Oktoberfest 2020 cancelled over coronavirus pandemic

The aim is to achieve this with numerous types of beer, the longest beer bar as well as 620 entertainers and businesses.

The alcohol ban in the UAE would not apply to the Oktoberfest or the event area. Spiegel reported that people who’ve been drinking would be transported to their hotels in shuttle buses to respect the culture and rules.

Organisers are reportedly putting together a detailed hygiene and safety plan to ensure the safety of guests and workers in the pandemic.

Will Oktoberfest be cancelled in Munich in 2021?

As The Local reported, it is still unclear if Oktoberfest will go ahead in Munich this year due to the pandemic. Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter said the cancellation is looking increasingly likely due to the current infection situation and restrictions.

However, if it does happen it is planned that it will kick off on September 18th and will last until October 3rd.

In 2020 a scaled back celebration took place in some bars and restaurants in Munich to mark Oktoberfest but it was nowhere near as huge as the original which is world-renowned and rakes in billions of euros.

READ ALSO: Oktoberfest in numbers: A look inside Germany’s multi-billion business

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