
Azizi Developments' Burj Azizi wins ‘Iconic Design of the Year' at the Finance World Magazine's UAE Realty Awards 2025
The ceremony, held on the 25th of April 2025 at the Moorea Ballroom, Sofitel Dubai The Palm, celebrated the nation's most innovative real estate achievements. Burj Azizi was recognized for its distinctive design language, daring form, and transformative impact on the emirate's skyline.
Commenting on the win, Mr. Farhad Azizi, Group CEO of the Azizi group of companies, said: ' It is a tremendous honor to have Burj Azizi named 'Iconic Design of the Year'. This award reflects our team's dedication to pushing boundaries and delivering developments that embody ambition, innovation, and timelessness, with Burj Azizi set to become a global landmark.'
Scheduled for completion by 2028, the 725-meter high, 131+ story tower offers an exquisite mix of residential, hotel, retail, and entertainment spaces. An ultra-luxury mall, home to most high-end fashion brands, will occupy the retail section. The residential section will include luxurious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. For every 20 floors of residences, a dedicated amenity floor is planned, consisting of swimming pools with sauna and steam room, a fully fitted gym and yoga center, a spa, a games room including billiard, chess, and ping-pong, a business center, a kids' play area, a cinema, a restaurant and coffee shop, and a supermarket. The luxury apartments will be topped by premium penthouses, ranging from one to five-bedroom units and enjoying exclusive access to all amenities. Separate lobbies will serve the residences and the penthouse units.
Up even higher along this vertical world is an all-suite seven-star hotel, set to become a major attraction that will take Dubai's standards of luxury and opulence to new heights. Inspired by seven cultural themes – Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Indian, Turkish, French, and Russian – the hotel will offer a new standard in comfort and hospitality, including culturally styled restaurants for each cultural theme. An authentic Emirati restaurant will be another key feature of the hotel. Moreover, the hotel will include a luxury ballroom and a beach club.
Among the world records set by Burj Azizi will be the highest observation deck on level 130, the highest hotel lobby on level 111, the highest nightclub on level 126, the highest restaurant on level 122, and the highest hotel room on level 118. At the top, the building will also house a special museum that will showcase the chronology of the building's evolution, recognizing personalities involved through multimedia exhibits, including photos, videos, and graphics.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily News Egypt
19 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Voice index: How Arab singers' fees became dollar-denominated market
In the glittering backstage world of concerts and festivals, the true drama often plays out not on stage but in closed-door negotiations—where a singer's 'price' is agreed upon. This figure, set in a performance contract, is more than a reflection of talent. It represents years of brand building, market demand, and the mood of the entertainment economy. By 2025, performance fees in the Arab music scene have become a fascination for fans and industry watchers alike—functioning almost like an economic index, rising and falling with the same volatility as financial markets. At the top of the chart stands Amr Diab, the unrivalled brand name of Arabic pop. His staying power stems from decades of hits and a finely tuned pricing strategy. According to one major Egyptian event organiser, Diab works with five separate rate cards, adjusting fees according to event type, host profile, location, and personal relationships. Public concerts bring him $200,000–$500,000, while corporate-sponsored shows can reach $1m. Wedding performances in Egypt fetch around EGP 6m, doubling for overseas events. On rare occasions, Diab waives his fee entirely—covering only his band's costs—such as for the wedding of a prominent producer's daughter. This tiered pricing is common among A-list artists, who treat their performances as dynamic commodities rather than fixed offerings. Rates fluctuate depending on audience profile, season, and media exposure. Among female stars, Nancy Ajram and Najwa Karam lead the pack. Ajram commands about $120,000 per concert, rising to $200,000 for exclusive private events. Karam has kept her fee steady for years, resisting market pressure despite speculation. If Ajram's approach is driven by ticket sales, Myriam Fares follows a different path—her fee has remained fixed at $50,000 since 2017, partly due to health-related career pauses. In Egypt, Sherine Abdel Wahab tops the women's list at $125,000 per event, followed by Angham at $80,000. For male performers, Tamer Hosny and Mohamed Hamaki earn $80,000–$100,000, reflecting steady but plateaued demand. Some names, like Saad Lamjarred, have yet to convert fame into premium rates, with his $50,000 ceiling often linked to controversies. Others, such as Majida El Roumi, Ragheb Alama, and George Wassouf, have kept their rates unchanged for over a decade, preferring stability to risk. Industry experts note that a single viral hit can boost a singer's fee by 20–30% within a year, while scandals, illness, or poor publicity can cause instant drops. Event timing, geographic market, audience demographics, live broadcasts, and even stage design can all influence the final figure. Some artists inflate their publicised rates to project prestige, while others accept lower fees in exchange for strategic exposure or entry into new markets. Ultimately, in 2025, a singer's fee is no longer just a payment—it's a tradable certificate of artistic capital. Some secure their value and hold; others gamble for rapid gains. And a few walk the tightrope between favour and profit, aware that in this market, opportunities are fleeting—and often, once lost, gone for good.


Egypt Independent
a day ago
- Egypt Independent
Is Trump forcing a marriage of convenience between India and China? Like most relationships, it's complicated
Their relationship is defined by a bloody border dispute, a vast power imbalance and a fierce contest for influence across Asia. Yet, President Donald Trump's latest trade war may be achieving the unthinkable: pushing India and China into a wary but tactical embrace. Trump's announcement of a new base tariff rate of 25 percent in India – later set to rise to a staggering 50 percent as additional punishment for purchasing Russian oil – in some ways mirrors the long pressure campaign he's waged against China and creates a shared interest between New Delhi and Beijing. While a thaw in India and China's fractious relationship was already underway, analysts say Trump's actions have added to this shift. New Delhi and Beijing now find themselves navigating a volatile and unpredictable Washington that treats strategic partners and geopolitical rivals with the same transactional disdain, be they in Europe or Asia. But in chastising India for not having a more open economy and its energy ties to Russia, the Trump administration is punishing the very nation the US has spent years cultivating as a democratic counterweight to China's power – creating an opening for Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia on October 23, 2024. Xinhua/Sipa USA This tactical realignment is underscored by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported plans to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit later this month, which would be his first trip to China in seven years. When asked to confirm Indian media reports about Modi's attendance, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Beijing 'welcomes' Modi for the meeting. 'We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results,' said spokesperson Guo Jiakun. Yet, as the niceties play out in public, analysts say this is an alliance of convenience, not conviction. The deep-seated strategic distrust between Asia's two giants, born from their border conflict and struggle for regional dominance, remains firmly in place. For now, they are aligned partly not by a shared vision, but by a shared antagonist in the White House. 'We may see a greater thaw in India-China ties in face of a tough United States,' said Farwa Aamer, Director of South Asia Initiatives, Asia Society Policy Institute. But she warned that New Delhi must not lose sight of Washington and 'risk reversing the growth in relations it has long worked hard on to achieve.' Massive trust deficit India's relationship with the US has undergone a dramatic transformation, from Cold War estrangement to crucial partners in the 21st Century. Since Modi, a right-wing Hindu nationalist, swept to power in 2014, the relationship reached new heights, partly driven by the personal rapport he developed with Trump during his first term, during which the Indian leader cast aside staid diplomatic protocol to campaign for his counterpart's second term during a rally in Houston. New Delhi's growing alignment with Washington became even more critical as its own relationship with Beijing cratered after deadly border clashes in 2020 pushed the two Asian giants further apart than at any time in decades. The US' commitment to India deepened under the Biden administration, which identified New Delhi as a vital counterweight to Beijing's growing influence. President Joe Biden often lavished praise on Modi, while largely setting aside sharp criticism from rights groups over the Modi administration's alleged democratic backsliding at home. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump at NRG Stadium after a rally on September 22, 2019 in Houston, President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi looking out towards the Washington Monument with India's flag flying behind them in Washington on June 22, 2023. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters But then came Trump's re-election, with a turbocharged 'America First' policy that looked far beyond confronting just China on trade. In a move that threatens to shatter this two-decade consensus, the US president publicly reprimanded New Delhi earlier this month over its Russian oil imports, calling the Indian economy 'dead' and singling out India for Washington's highest global tariff rate. With his new tariffs, Trump is punishing a country that currently imports 36% of its crude oil from Russia, much of it used to support its booming economy and growing 1.4 billion-strong population. But by treating New Delhi a transactional adversary to be punished, Washington risks shattering a cornerstone of its Indo-Pacific strategy, said Milan Vaishnav, director and senior fellow, South Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Trump's latest actions, 'take us right back to that era of estrangement,' he said. 'The US-India relationship is robust enough that it won't be undone overnight, but these moves have created a massive trust deficit on the Indian side.' While many nations have rushed to strike trade deals with Trump to lower tariffs, India under Modi has been less willing to cave. India shot back, calling the tariffs 'unfair' and 'unjustified,' pointing out the hypocrisy of Trump's move and noting that the US and Europe still buy Russian fertilizers and chemicals. A farmer stands next to sacks filled with harvested potatoes in the northern state of Haryana, India, on February 1, 2025. Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters Trump has repeatedly called India a 'tariff king,' but a senior Indian official said the country is 'far from' it, noting that India imposes 'zero to low duties on many key US exports' including coal, pharmaceuticals, aircraft parts and machinery. India imposes some higher tariffs on the US than vice versa, particularly on agricultural imports that attract a simple average tariff of 39% compared to the US's 5%, according to a report from the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. The 'mood (toward the US) is hardening in India, partly because of the way Mr. Trump has gone about and played his cards,' said Harsh V. Pant, vice president of foreign policy at the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. 'The way he does diplomacy through public channels, and the way he seems intent on reducing the space for the Modi government to maneuver.' Modi, who was under pressure by opposition politicians to stand up to his long-term friend, defended his country at an event last week. India will never compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers,' he said. 'I know personally, I will have to pay a heavy price for it, but I am ready for it.' A common cause The unintended consequences of Trump's policies, analysts say, have the potential to push historic rivals New Delhi and Beijing into a strategic embrace. There has been a gradual normalization of ties between India and China after Modi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last October. India and China agreed to resume direct commercial flights, Beijing recently agreed to reopen two pilgrimage sites in western Tibet to Indians for the first time in five years, and both started re-issuing tourist visas for each other's citizens. 'For its own economic reasons, namely a slowdown in growth and a slump in foreign direct investment, India has signaled a greater willingness to entertain warmer trade and investment linkages with China,' said Vaishnav, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. But this convergence remains limited by the deep-seated mistrust between them, rooted in their deadly border clashes in the Himalayas and China's strategic entrenchment in Pakistan. Indian army vehicles carrying supply and reinforcement are seen near China border in Ladakh, India, on August 29, predicted the future would be one of duality: 'I expect we will see increasing economic cooperation coupled with strategic rivalry,' he said of the relationship between India and China. Washington's willingness to antagonize a key partner like India has also baffled observers. One view is that the Trump administration lacks a clear, overarching strategy, diminishing India's crucial role as a democratic counterweight to China. 'There is no coherent China policy in this administration,' said Vaishnav. 'Which means India's role as a bulwark against China is under-emphasized.' He added that as Trump's mood on Russia soured, 'India's Russian oil imports became an easy target.' A more personal motivation may also be at play. Analysts suggest Trump's hostility could have been triggered by a bruised ego after India downplayed his alleged role in defusing a major crisis with Pakistan. Trump announced he had brokered a ceasefire following a military escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May. While Islamabad publicly praised the claim and even nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, Indian officials refused to credit Washington's apparent intervention. 'After that, things went belly up,' Pant said. 'The (trade) deal which at one point seemed very doable, kept on going. And the more frustrated Mr. Trump has become, the more voluble he has become in terms of his public threats to India.' Critics say Trump's policies could be leading to the very outcome some US strategists have long sought to avoid. 'It could be the worst outcome for the United States,' Trump's former National Security Adviser John Bolton told CNN's Kaitlan Collins. 'The irony here is that while the secondary tariffs against India are intended to hurt Russia, it could push India back closer to Russia and, ironically, closer to China, perhaps negotiating together against the US tariff efforts.'


Egypt Independent
a day ago
- Egypt Independent
PM witnesses signing of contract to establish Chinese 'Sailun' tire factory in SC Zone
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed on Wednesday morning August 13,2025 the signing ceremony of a contract to establish a new tire manufacturing plant by Chinese Sailun Group. The event took place at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel el-Wazir and Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) Walid Gamal El Din. The high-level industrial project will be built over three phases within the TEDA Egypt industrial zone in Ain Sokhna, a fully integrated area under the SCZone. The project spans an area of 350,000 square meters, with total investments estimated at dlrs 1 billion (approximately EGP 50 billion) and will be implemented over three years. The first phase of the plant will produce 3 million passenger car tires and 600,000 truck and bus tires. It is scheduled for completion in 2026. Once fully operational, the plant's total production capacity will exceed 10 million tires annually, with a dual objective of meeting local market demand and supporting exports. The prime minister emphasized Egypt's ongoing commitment to its ambitious strategy to localize the automotive industry and its associated value chains. Madbouli praised the promotional efforts of the SCZone, which have successfully attracted investments in this vital sector, one of the government's top priorities for deepening local manufacturing. He also stressed the importance of sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors to establish Egypt as a regional leader in automotive manufacturing in a short timeframe. The prime minister further highlighted the role of national infrastructure projects, including roads, tunnels and port development, in enhancing SCZone's preparedness to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and connect industrial zones with global markets. The zone offers attractive investment incentives and adopts policies that foster a competitive, investor-friendly environment. For his part, the SCZone's chairman said, the tire manufacturing project represents a cornerstone in the localization of the automotive industry – a key pillar of the SCZone's strategic vision. The SCZone is working to establish integrated industrial clusters for vehicle manufacturing and related supply chains, in line with the national strategy for automotive industry localization, launched from the East Port Said zone, Gamal El Din said. He added that the Authority's recent promotional tour in China included field visits and high-level meetings with leading electric vehicle and battery manufacturers. It also featured a roundtable with six of the largest Chinese auto parts and accessory producers. These engagements were designed to attract investment, understand the latest automotive technologies, and assess the infrastructure and workforce needs of similar industrial projects, said the SCZone's chairman.