Once a mechanic, Indian businessman now owns 22 apartments in Burj Khalifa

George V Nereaparambil 

DUBAI: An Indian mechanic-turned-businessman owns 22 incredible apartments inDubai's Burj Khalifa, a media report said on Sunday.

George V Nereaparambil says he is not stopping at 22 and will continue to buy more if he gets a "good deal".

"If I get a good deal, I'll buy more. I am a dreamer and I never stop dreaming," he told Khaleej Times.

The Kerala-born is believed to be one of the largest private owners within the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure.His stake in the property came about when a relative teased him about the 828-metre building.

"A relative of mine jokingly told me: See this Burj Khalifa, you cannot enter it," he said. After seeing an advertisement in a newspaper about an apartment for rent 

in the building in 2010, Nereaparambil rented the apartment the same day and 

started living in it from the next day.

Now, six years on with 22 of the 900 apartments at perhaps the Gulf's poshest address under his belt, he said five are rented, and as for the rest, he's "waiting for the right tenant", the report quoted him as saying.

In an incredible sounding rags-to-riches story, Nereaparambil realised there was huge scope for an air conditioning business in the hot climate of the desert after first touched down in Sharjah back in 1976. Nereaparambil, who helped his father 

trade cash crops and made money from waste at the age of 11, then went 

about setting up the beginnings of his now mini empire, GEO Group of Companies.

"People in my hometown used to trade cotton, but they'd throw away the cotton seeds. Not many people knew at that time that you could make gum from those seeds," he said. Sifting through the dirt and sand to gather up the disregarded seeds, he said he would often make a "90 per cent profit selling them on". "I'd do the same with tamarind seeds too. I'd sell the empty shells on as cattle feed," he added.

Source

Continue

Indian businessman pays $9 million for unique car number plate in Dubai

DUBAI: An Indian businessman has paid a whopping $9 million to buy a single-digit car registeration plate in Dubai, adding another coveted number plate to his collection.

Balwinder Sahani bought number plate "D5" for 33 million Dirhams at the Roads and Transport Authority's number plate auction on Saturday.

Sahani, also known as Abu Sabah, is the owner of RSG International, a property management company, with interests in the UAE, Kuwait, India and the US.

"I like collecting unique number plates and I am proud to have got this number. I like number nine and D5 adds up to nine, so I went for it," Sahani was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.

He said that last year he bought the vehicle number plate O9 for 25 million Dirhams.

"I have collected 10 number plates so far and I am looking forward to having more. It's a passion. This number will go to one of my Rolls Royces," he added.

The number generated great interest among the participants with the bid starting at 20 million Dirham.

More than 300 bidders participated at the live auction which takes place every two months, witnessing fierce battle between bidders for some unique numbers.

Continue

Cargo boat sinks after catching fire in Dubai Creek

Dubai: A wooden cargo boat has sunk after catching fire in Dubai Creek on Monday afternoon. There are no immediate reports of injuries or causalities; witnesses say the crew appears to be safe.

The incident has occurred parallel to Baniyas Street on the Deira side, at the dhow wharfage close to Al Maktoum Bridge.

A Dubai Civil Defense spokesperson said a fire broke out on a wooden boat at dock No. 6.

The operations room received a call about the fire at 1.13pm. It is not yet clear what caused the fire.

Three teams of firefighters have managed to bring the fire under control, which had spread to other cargo waiting at the dock. G.A., a Pakistani who works in the wharfage, said a relative of one of the crew members told him the vessel was an Iranian cargo boat that was due to leave for Iran with electronics, blankets, shoes and other trade items.

“The relative told me that they were taking a nap when the engine blew up and caught fire. The fire engulfed the ship, which drifted across to docking area No. 6, where some cargo on the ground caught fire as well,” G.A. said.

Several crew members of other vessels and wharfage workers had lined up on the edge facing docks to watch the incident unfold. The crowds have all but dispersed by now and traffic on Baniyas Street is routine.

The same docking area has witnessed fires on boats previously.

Last July, a fire tore through three vessels, destroying merchandise. No major injuries were reported in that incident.

In May this year, there was a fire on a boat at the port barge in Deira.

Source

Continue

Groundbreaking of Dubai's The Tower to take place today

Burj Khalifa

Dubai is once again reaching for the sky with the groundbreaking of the emirate's brand new icon, The Tower, set to be taller than Burj Khalifa, will take place today.

Set in the heart of Dubai Creek Harbour, The Tower, designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava Valls, is set to be 100 metres taller than Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower standing at 828 metres.

Emaar Properties launched the project in April this year. It is described by Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar as "an ambitious project on a never-before scale and design" which will require "high-precision engineering across all its facets".

Scheduled to be delivered ahead of Expo 2020 at a cost of $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) to build, The Tower "will serve as a beacon of hope and positivity for the city and the region," he added.

The Tower, however, is not a "traditional skyscraper" but a slender tower evoking the image of a minaret anchored to the ground with sturdy cables. It will  have observation decks, hanging gardens, a world-class boutique hotel, and other tourist facilities.

Its design, chosen after a competitive pitch from some of the world's top architects, draws inspiration from the lily and evokes the image of a minaret, a common feature and distinctive aspect of Islamic culture, while the elongated oval-shaped bud and geometric texture set the template for the observation decks.

At night, The Tower will emit a 'beacon of light' from its peak featuring a 'flower bud' design as a floating element.

The Tower serves as the vibrant core of Dubai Creek Harbour, a 6 sq. km world-class master planned development that is two times the size of Downtown Dubai and located 10 minutes form the Dubai International airport. The waterfront development is centred off the Dubai Creek, the cradle of Dubai's history and culture, and in close proximity to the Ras Al Khor National Wildlife Sanctuary, protected under the Unesco Ramsar Convention and home to over 67 species of water birds.

Angel Tesorero

Source

Continue