Atlantis opens in Dubai with most expensive launch party in history

London, Nov 21 : The opening of Dubai's luxury resort, Atlantis - The Palm, on November 20, turned out to be the most expensive launch party in history, courtesy the most extravagant fireworks display and a performance by Kylie Minogue.

Costing a huge 15 million pounds, the resort opened in Dubai with an extravagant firework display, which owners have claimed was visible from space.

More than 2,000 guests attended the event on the man-made Palm Jumeirah Island in the Persian Gulf. The guest list included names like Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson, Denzel Washington, Lindsay Lohan, Duchess of York, Sir Richard Branson, Dame Shirley Bassey, retail boss Sir Philip Green, television presenter Trinny Woodall and the singer Lily Allen.

Kylie Minogue performed on stage for a reported 1.5 million pounds fee but the real entertainment of the night was provided by the pyrotechnics.

About one million fireworks, almost 10 times the scale of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, lit up the Palm.

"We built something that's quite extraordinary. We've got to tell the world about it," the Telegraph quoted Sol Kerzner, the South African billionaire hotelier and casino tycoon as saying.

It took a total of two years to build the 1,539-room Atlantis and cost 1 billion pounds.

ANI