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Abu Dhabi

At the end of April 2009 we spend a week broadcasting from Abu Dhabi, thanks to Etihad Airlines, where the temperature was as high as 43'C! Check out our photo gallery at the bottom of the page.

Day One

This morning we were joined by Ali Alsaloom, an Emirati National from Abu Dhabi, who runs his own online UAE information portal. Ali spoke to Ian about wealth, money and living tax free in Abu Dhabi. Ali will be back on the show tomorrow with more words of advice. GAA legend Nicky English also joined us on location this morning. He is in Abu Dhabi with the Portuma hurling team who have spent the last four days at a special training camp in Abu Dhabi, courtesy of Etihad Airways. Read more >>>

Day Two

Blast from the past! Barry Lang and Ian were reunited on today's show. Barry is currently living in Dubai and flying planes for Emirates. He dropped by for the show and reminisced with Ian about the good old days. Ali Alsaloom was also on the show talking about dress and the practical reasons behind traditional Arabic attire and what Westerners should wear while visiting the UAE. Watch the video >>>

Last night we headed into the desert for our night-time desert experience - wadi bashing, sand skiing, and camel rides - watch Martin as he tries to hang on...

Day Three

Ian caught up with the Canning brothers Ollie and Joe who talked about how they were getting on training in the heat. The Portuma hurling team have spent the last four days at a special training camp in Abu Dhabi, courtesy of Etihad Airways. They have been training each day in the sun, with Nicky English putting them through their paces at the Zayed Sports Stadium.

Our new friend Ali Alsaloom also spoke to us about etiquette in Abu Dhabi. Plus we told all on our desert experience – from camel rides to wadi bashing – and about being dressed into traditional Arabic clothing – see photos below. Jo also visited the Grand Mosque and you can see some photos from there too.

Day Four

Ali Alsaloom talked to Ian about people coming out to work in the UAE and general do’s and don’ts to be aware of. The boys went backstage at the Big Boys Toys exhibition at the Abu Dhabi NEC (the exhibition opens today Thursday 30th April and runs to Saturday 2nd May) and the girls went to test out their haggling skills in downtown Abu Dhabi.

Day Five

Ali spoke to Ian about popular culture, films, music, football and the Premier League – check out the video. We were also joined by Conor Fitzgerald and Declan Madden who told us about their experiences of living and working in Abu Dhabi. The newly crowned Rose of Abu Dhabi, Clodagh Flemming from Ballina, was also on the show. Clodagh has been living in Abu Dhabi for 5 years and was crowned Rose of Abu Dhabi last night. She will represent Abu Dhabi in Dubai’s official Rose of Tralee event in two weeks time.

We had our fifth and final round of our Abu Dhabi Facts competition – congratulations to Karen Shipley and Damien Brady from Cavan who are off to Abu Dhabi to spend 3 nights at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel and 3 nights at the magnificent Emirates Palace, all thanks to Etihad Airlines.

The Grand Prize

All week we’ve been running a competition for 2 people to fly to Abu Dhabi and spend 3 nights at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel and 3 nights at the palatial Emirates Palace, all thanks to Etihad Airways – flying to AbuDhabi and beyond. Congratulations to Karen Shipley and Damien Brady from Cavan who are off on a holiday of a lifetime.

Shangri-La Hotel

The Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi, features 214 luxurious rooms and suites all with balconies, making it an ideal setting to view stunning sunsets and sea views. The complex includes six spectacular villas, each consisting of four bedrooms. In addition, the Shangri-La Residence offers 161 spacious serviced apartments ranging from studio to four–bedroom units that are ideal for longer stays.

Whether on business or leisure, Shangri-La Abu Dhabi’s host of modern facilities complement the modern Arabic in-room designs. The rooms and suites are fitted with LCD flat screen televisions with DVD players, air conditioning, marble and mosaic covered bathrooms with separate toilet and rain showers.

Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, sits along a one-kilometre stretch of picturesque beachfront. The hotel is a 10-minute drive from Abu Dhabi International Airport, five minutes from the newly refurbished Abu Dhabi International Convention Centre (ADNEC) and 15 minutes from the Corniche and the city centre.

Emirates Palace

These are just 24 of the fascinating facts and figures about this unique property that blends regal Arabian splendour with the latest technology to create a magical and memorable experience.

Approximately $3 billion cost to build the property in 3 years with 20,000 workers, designed by Wimberley Allison Tong & Goo of the United Kingdom
1 km from wing to wing, 100 hectares total area
1.3 km private beach
394 rooms and suites, ranging from 55 sqm to 680 sqm
40 meeting and conference rooms
Ballroom with a guest capacity of 2400 theatre style
Auditorium with seated guest capacity of 1100
Open air concert guest capacity of 20,000
619 Plasma Screens in guest rooms and meeting rooms
5 kg of pure edible gold is used for decoration mainly on desserts, per year
128 kitchens and pantries
200 tonnes of oranges squeezed for fresh juice every year
6.4 km jogging trail
114 domes, with the Central Dome at a height of 72.6 metres above ground
8 escalators and 102 elevators, with a maximum capacity of 55 persons per elevator
Marble imported from 13 countries across the world
12 external fountains and 8 indoor water features
1002 chandeliers, the largest weighing 2.5 tons
8000 trees set in landscaped gardens
2 Wall Display Carpets, handmade in Thailand, weighing 1 tonne each
818 parking spaces
Daily laundry capacity of 6 tonnes
1800 employees from 49 different countries
Emirates Place offers the world’s most expensive one million dollar suite tailor made holiday

All thanks to Etihad Airways – flying to Abu Dhabi and beyond!

Etihad Airways fly to over 50 destinations worldwide. It’s the fastest way to Australia – from Dublin to Abu Dhabi then on to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Etihad fly to Bankok, Manila, Johannesburg and multiple destinations in India.