World's most expensive Christmas tree
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the richest
city in the world. The Emirate's citizens sit on one-tenth of the
planet's oil and have almost $1 trillion invested abroad, worth about
$17 million apiece.
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A rich guest walks past
the Christmas tree Pic: AFP |
Therefore, when someone asks you where the world's most expensive
Christmas tree is from, it would not be a hard guess. In a city
surrounded by such wealth, Abu Dhabi is probably the only place where
millions of dollars worth Christmas tree might be found. To be exact,
this tree is worth 11 million dollars. Recently the glitzy Emirates
Palace Hotel unveiled the 40ft extravaganza.
Decorated with traditional silver and gold bows, baubles and white
lights, the tree is also decked out in necklaces, earrings and other
jewellery giving it its record value.
It holds a total of 181 diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and
other precious stones according to Khalifa Khouri, owner of Style
Gallery, which provided the jewellery.
Hans Olbertz, general manager of the hotel, said: 'The tree itself is
about $10,000. The jewellery has a value of over $ 11 million'. He added
that the hotel would apply to the Guinness Book of World Records to find
out if its tree is the most expensive ever.
Although in the United Arab Emirates, the vast majority of the
population is Muslim, this Christmas tree has given the city a very
liberal outlook. The hotel has had Christmas trees up in previous years,
but this year they wanted to do something different and the hotel's
marketing team came up with the idea.
You will not be surprised to hear that this hotel itself is an
extravagant place, being a massive, dome-topped hotel surrounded by
manicured lawns and fountains, known to be a seven-star hotel.
The hotel recently introduced a seven-day stay, costing $1 million.
So, you could imagine the type of guests it attracts.
The guests who take up this one million offer have a private butler
and a chauffeur-driven luxury car during their stay, as well as a
private jet available for trips to other countries in the region.
- Chamari Senanayake
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