+ money talks.

(Armani Dubai Hotel image courtesy of goburjkhalifa.com)

( Harrods London image courtesy of timesonline.co.uk)

News came recently that Giorgio Armani opened up a luxury hotel in the Burj-al-Khalifa towers located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The towers are known for being currently the tallest buildings in the world.This opening came just as news has been emerging of the emirate's debt crisis, but Armani plans to help the local economy with the opening of his hotel which will feature his trademark minimalist aesthetics. The hotel is said to be decorated in beige and other earth tones, which is very much unlike the rest of Dubai, which is like the flamboyant Las Vegas of the Middle East. The prices of a standard room is worth 4,000 dirhams (approximately $1,089) per night. A luxury suite on the other hand, will go for 40,000 dirhams (around $146,800) a night. If you do not carry an American Express Black card you might as well say your money is not welcome.

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Dubai is not the only emirate in the news lately; the Royal Family Qatar made news in London recently when they brought out Harrods of London from Mohamed Al-Fayed, who decided to retire after running the department store for 25 years. Qatar Holding, the investment firm that is owned by the Royal Family of Qatar, brought the store for £1.5 billion. Al-Fayed believes that the new owners will handle well the business as long as they understand that Harrods is a cherished treasure to the British people, and also an asset to tourism in London.