Centurion United Kingdom Winter 2023

THE HOTELIER PHILIPPE

THE HOTELIER PHILIPPE ZUBER A s CEO of Kerzner International, the 53-yearold Frenchman has had a busy year. In February, the company opened Atlantis The Royal in a flurry of fireworks, champagne corks and Beyoncé. In February, the group reopened the much-loved 19-year-old Bab Al Shams Desert Resort after an extensive renovation. The unveiling of One&Only One Za’abeel, the brand’s first urban resort, is approaching fast, as is the new fitness-focused hotel brand SIRO. And all of this is happening in Kerzner International’s home city of Dubai. Isn’t that a lot for one destination? “That’s the beauty of Dubai,” says Zuber. “It’s not a destination that only speaks to one audience.” The arrival of Atlantis The Royal symbolised more than just another hotel opening. “Our objective was to make sure we didn’t disappoint Dubai,” he explains. Back in 2008, the star-studded opening of sister hotel Atlantis The Palm coincided with the global economic crisis, a time, Zuber says, which was “one of the worst ever” for the city. But it sent a message to the world that Dubai was more than just a new economy that had crashed and burnt, and instead was very much alive – and still very relevant. The opening of Atlantis The Royal this year wasn’t without its challenges, either. “We needed to go above what was delivered in 2008,” says Zuber. “In Dubai, Atlantis serves a bigger purpose than being a brand. In everything we do, we’re supporting the destination, acting as the best in class.” While Dubai has typically been a transient city, Zuber believes those times are in the past, with new long-stay visas, improved secondary education and a more entrepreneurial outlook. Indeed, the emirate is becoming a serious option for those wanting to make a long-term life here, and tourism is playing a big role. “This city constantly invests in new products to attract more visitors,” he says. This benefits residents, too. The local population and tourists go to the same restaurants, stay at the same hotels, and embrace everything the destination has to offer. “In Dubai, you’ll never hear anyone saying they don’t go somewhere because there are too many tourists,” says Zuber. “That concept just doesn’t exist here. It’s pretty cool to live in a place with so much energy.” PHOTO © KERZNER INTERNATIONAL 94 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM

THE CAFE OWNER ZAINAB AL-MOUSAWI A fter ten years of living in Melbourne, Zainab Al- Mousawi, who was born in Abu Dhabi, returned to the UAE and felt that one big thing was missing – a community-minded cafe of the type she had been used to in Australia. So she set out to create one herself. “To The Moon & Back was born out of loneliness,” says the 35-year-old. “After ten years away, I didn’t have a group of friends or a community, so I had to start over, and it was scary for me. I felt nothing was grounding me here and I missed the social culture of coffee shops I had in Melbourne.” This search for a place of grounding struck a chord with Dubai’s creative set, and through a combination of word of mouth and friends inviting friends, the TTMB community was born. Al-Mousawi describes TTMB, as everyone calls it, as a “wholesome space”. She cares deeply for the quality of the coffee, food and music, curating everything herself and featuring customers’ art, graphic designs and photography. It feels far away from the blingier aspects of Dubai. TTMB exists on a human scale, and friendships are made here. “I believe that everyone can find something they can relate to in this space, which is really heartwarming,” says Al-Mousawi. “The reason I opened TTMB was because I felt like I needed to be grounded. Now I think it’s become a space where we ground each other.” PHOTO ALTAMASH JAVED I believe that everyone can find something they can relate to in this space, which is really heartwarming CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 95