The Inaugural DUBAI “DO” – June 24-27, 2011
It’s officially on! The very first Dubai DO. What better way to spend a weekend in June than in the middle of the desert! With your closest friends from FT!
This is your chance to stay in some wonderful hotels, to do a mid-year MR and to catch up with FT’ers who actually live in Dubai.
While it’s too early to let you know of all the planned activities, we are in discussion with Emirates to see what might be able to be organized. The EK forum “heavies” all want to sit down and pow-wow with the folks from Skywards (but we will save the non EK guys the pain).
One of our EK forum regulars (who is an EK staff member) has suggested that we try and sneak a peak into the EK training centre. This would involve a tour of the crew training facility, which is in use 6 days a week from Sat-Thu.
It has full moving cabin simulators with smoke, turbulence, crash landings, ditchings on water and all kinds of things being re-enacted which might be fun. (his words, not mine!)
And for the 'techies' there are also the cockpit simulators. There’s another area of cabin mock ups which are used for service training and if it’s a manageable number, we might able to be hosted as being passengers for a group of crew going through their training and receive a full meal service - minus alcohol though (count me out for this part then…)
I will explore this option – and make no promises, so please no stalking me with “is it on, is it on, is it on?”. Which is nearly as bad as your kids saying “are we there yet, are we there yet?”
Be patient. I will try.
As most of you know, Dubai’s “weekend” is Fri and Sat. Sunday is a normal working day.
The plan is to arrive into DXB on Thursday sometime and meet up at the Grand Hyatt in the evening. We’ll be organizing the mother of all “brunches” (ie the all you can eat and drink) types at one of the hotels.
In addition, one very generous FT’er (who is a local) has already offered to host a BBQ at his own Villa on the waterfront, and there are a whole range of other activities folks can do, from hot air ballooning, to dune buggy racing to visiting old markets, to shopping in huge malls to checking out the Burj Al Arab, the “King Of Bling” 7-star hotel (see below)
I am happy to co-ordinate logistics until:
a. My liver fails or
b. My wife and kids leave me
Whichever occurs first.
And before you all bombard me with PM’s, we chose June for a couple of reasons. Yes, we know it’s hot. But the last time I looked, Dubai was in the middle of the desert. It also fits the DO calendar and doesn’t conflict with any other event.
July is when the “high season” fares kick in and right before the European Summer fiasco. Besides, after having seen first hand the general physical condition of the average FT’er at the recent SIN Do, I’m guessing not a lot of you will be coming to Dubai to run a marathon or participate in a triathalon.
What to do next?
Post your attendance in this thread (ie definite, maybe, never in a million years etc) I will then consolidate and add to the master list.
Below are links to common things you might need… (not yet populated)
If you would like to help organise any/all/part of the Dubai Do, please PM me. I am looking for as many folks as possible and I will be conducting a recon trip to DXB in the next month or so.
I hope to see many of you there for what promises to be a fun weekend in the sun!
May 22 - Program Update.
Head on over here for all the registration details
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1734845971
June 12 Update
The Agenda is now posted. Click here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16546602-post324.html
June 14 Update
Emirates day now on SATURDAY 25th and not Sunday 26th. We are simply swapping the agenda around. Check thread for details.