December 12, 2007

Africa & Mideast | UAE | Dubai

Desert Dreams

By Francine Cohen

So many ponies, so little time: Dubai's newest resort caters to equestrians in a lavish way.

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The new world capital of excess is aiming to become the new capital of polo. Next March, Desert Palm finally opens in Dubai — over a year behind schedule, and not even in time for January’s Dubai Shopping Festival, whose month of raffle prizes includes gold, LX470 Lexus cars and $1 million in cash. Still, the resort should at least lure visitors coming to the Dubai World Cup — the world’s richest horse race, with a prize kitty of $12 million on the last three days of March.

Conceived by Per Aquum — the same group who earlier this year unveiled the world’s first underwater spa at Huvafen Fushi Maldives — Desert Palm has been fashioned from the former private estate of Ali Albawardy, owner of Dubai’s championship polo team. A boutique resort for both man and beast, the super-luxe oasis features 24 suites — including a 6,300 square-foot presidential villa with its own palm-shrouded courtyard, private pool and terrace built from Jordanian stone. But Desert Palm’s centerpiece is dedicated to the equestrian arts: four lush championship-size polo fields (home of the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge held each March), and a riding school with stables for up to 300 horses. Other activities run from camel racing, dune buggying and sky diving to a state-of-the-art spa. Just don’t expect the blinged-out Dubai experience. This resort’s take on modern elegance is rooted in clean, geometric simplicity.