DUBAI: Italian jeweller Bulgari and Dubai developer Meraas Holding plant to build a luxury resort and residential project on a man-made island off the coast of Dubai as the emirate steps up its expansion as an international tourist destination.
The 1.7 million square foot (157,935 square meter) Bulgari Resort and Residences project will cover about a quarter of Jumeirah Bay Island, joined to Dubai’s mainland by road bridges.
It will feature a 101-room hotel, 165 residential apartments, 15 mansions and eight penthouses and will be completed in the first quarter of 2017, Meraas’s chief hospitality officer Cherif Hosny said.
Hosny did not give the cost of the project or the expected sales value of the residential properties, which will go on the market in the next few days.
The project will be entirely financed by government-owned Meraas, with Bulgari, acquired by Paris-listed in 2011, licensing its brand for an undisclosed amount.
“Hotels are not a business venture for Bulgari — it’s a design, communication and public relations way of differentiating our brand,” said Silvio Ursini, executive vice president of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts.
Ritz-Carlton will operate the hotel under the Bulgari name.
“We don’t have the operating know-how,” said Ursini, adding the hotel’s 20 beachside villas will help average room rates become “by far the highest in the market.”
Rooms at the Burj Al-Arab range from AED4,995 ($1,361) a night to AED32,950, excluding taxes and fees.
The Bulgari link-up is the latest property venture by Meraas, which is owned by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and has about 12 local real estate projects.
Meraas is also majority shareholder in Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is building a $2.9 billion tourist attraction in the emirate. Dubai aims to double annual tourist numbers to 20 million in 2020 from 10 million in 2012, and treble tourism income over that period.
Bulgari to develop Dubai resort with Meraas
Bulgari to develop Dubai resort with Meraas
Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows
WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.
The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.
It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.
This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.
He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.
Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.
The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.
The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.
