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Beyonce Launches $100,000-a-Night Dubai Resort’s Luxury Bet

  • Dubai’s first Atlantis opened a year before the market crashed
  • Emirate is cashing in on an influx of newcomers to the city
Beyoncé attends the Atlantis The Royal Grand Reveal Weekend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Jan. 21.
Beyoncé attends the Atlantis The Royal Grand Reveal Weekend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Jan. 21.

Photographer: Mason Poole/Parkwood Media/Getty Images

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In November 2008, Dubai’s first Atlantis hotel opened to much fanfare - a $5 million firework display, A-list guests from around the world and a performance by pop star Kylie Minogue. Twelve months later, the emirate declared it was on the brink of default after accumulating a mountain of debt to transform the city into a business and trading hub.