DAMAC Properties, malady the largest private developer of luxury real estate in the Middle East, has announced plans to develop an 18-hole PGA Championship Golf Course, to be named Trump International Golf Club, Dubai.

The 7,205-yard, par 71 course will be located just ten minutes from Sheikh Zayed Road and sits at the heart of the 28 million square foot‘Akoya by DAMAC’ master plan development – the launch of which was announced last week. Construction is already underway and the course will be ready for play next year.

Trump International Golf Club, Dubai will include a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art club house and a luxurious Trump Spa & wellness centre, which will be managed to the highest standards by the Trump Organization.

“By collaborating with Donald Trump, we are bringing the most elite name in golf and international luxury real estate to Dubai,” said Hussein Sajwani, Chairman, DAMAC Properties. “This course will provide a unique challenge for golfers, while delivering the upmost luxury and refinement for which both DAMAC Properties and the Trump Organization have become renowned for.”

The Trump Organization already has 14 award winning courses under its ownership and management across the world, but this will be its first venture into Asia. The company’s latest course, Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has already been tagged as one of ‘The World’s Greatest Golf Courses’.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our portfolio of award-winning courses into Dubai with DAMAC Properties. Dubai is an incredible city that truly understands the meaning of luxury. Trump International Golf Club, Dubai will be built to world-class levels, exceeding all expectations – there will be nothing like it in the region and beyond,” said Donald J. Trump, Chairman & President of The Trump Organization.

Silverstone, home to the Formula One British Grand Prix has revealed it has planned to introduce improvements to its traffic management scheme and infrastructure in a bid to avoid a repeat of the travel chaos caused by heavy rain at this year’s GP.

A period of persistent wet weather in the build-up to July’s showpiece event, and throughout the opening two days of the meeting, caused campsites and grass car parks to become waterlogged, while surrounding roads became gridlocked.

This led to the unprecedented step of advising ticket holders with passes for the car parks to stay away from Saturday’s qualifying day so organisers could repair the ground in preparation for arrivals on race day.

Silverstone had promised to roll out improvements for 2013 and on Tuesday announced the changes that will be put in place for next summer’s event.

The Park and Ride scheme will be expanded and for the first time run over all three days of the grand prix weekend, shuttle services from local train stations will also be increased while investment will also be made in improving the venue’s non-tarmacked car parks.

Silverstone’s official Woodlands campsite will also be increased by 70 acres in order to provide a better fan experience and a holding area for cars away from the main roads.

Richard Phillips, Silverstone Circuits Managing Director, said: “For more than 10 years now, fans have had little or no issue getting in and out of the circuit for the British Grand Prix, so it’s important to keep the problems of this year in perspective.

“That said, the traffic issues on the Friday of this year’s event, and having to ask a number of fans to stay away on the Saturday, were far from ideal. We have learned from this year’s experience and are taking steps to ensure we’re better equipped to deal with whatever the weather may throw at us in future.”

Although 10,000 ticket holders didn’t attend on the Friday and Saturday – which Silverstone has now confirmed cost the venue £1 million in refund claims – a record crowd still turned up on race day and Phillips is confident the full three days will run more smoothly in 2013.

“Given the extreme weather conditions and position we found ourselves in on the Friday, I don’t think race day could have gone much better,” said Phillips.

“The sun shone, we had a great race and I’m delighted that we were able to get more than 127,000 people in and out of the circuit safely.

“We are confident that we won’t see a repeat of the events of this year. Tickets for next year’s British Grand Prix are selling reasonably well and we’re already looking forward to what will be a fantastic three days of world class F1 action and entertainment.”

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) former Chairman, health Ijaz Butt believes Pakistan should ask the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to compensate it financially for the cancelled series in 2009.

Butt said: “It is a good thing that finally the Board of Control for Cricket in India has invited Pakistan to play a short series this year in India. But my concern is, online the PCB needs to gain something more out of the series than the resumption of ties.”

The PCB has already accepted the invitation from the BCCI to tour India in December to play three-match One-Day International series and two Twenty20 matches.

A PCB spokesperson said that Pakistan would not discuss “sharing of revenue generation for the series as its only interest was to see bilateral cricket ties revived.”{jcomments on}

NFL team Minnesota Vikings, buy will stay in Minnesota following the Senate approving a bill Thursday that will provide $498 million in public money for the construction of a new stadium on the site of the Metrodome.

The bill was expected to be signed by Gov. Mark Dayton, cialis the bill’s most fervent champion. The stadium is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.

The Vikings agreed to increase their contribution for building costs by $50 million to $477 million. The $975 million price tag is for a fixed roof stadium. If the team decides to choose a more expensive retractable roof, it will pick up the additional cost. The state’s share of the stadium contribution — about $348 million — will come from expanded gambling options. An additional $150 million will come from a Minneapolis hospitality tax.

The Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome ended in January and only a few weeks ago, the stadium plan seemed in peril because of significant resistance to the public contribution at a time of shrinking state budgets.

The Vikings are the second N.F.L. team this year to receive approval for a new stadium. The San Francisco 49ers broke ground in April on a stadium in Santa Clara that they expect to be ready for the 2014 season.

With the Vikings staying put, the focus will shift to other teams that might move if Los Angeles settles on a stadium plan, although that does not seem imminent. The St. Louis Rams, the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders have problematic stadium issues and could be candidates. The Jaguars are also a possibility, but the new owner, Shad Khan, has said he is committed to Jacksonville.

Carson Yeung, the Birmingham City soccer club owner’s attempt to leave Honk Kong for the UK was blocked by a magistrate in the Chinese City

David Dufton, Acting Principal Magistrate, told Yeung today to apply to a higher court to change the terms of his bail and transferred the case to Hong Kong’s District Court. A hearing date was scheduled for Aug. 30.

Yeung, 51, was charged with five counts of money laundering involving HK$721.3 million ($93 million). He was told to surrender his travel documents as part of the conditions of bail that was granted June 30.

Yeung is needed in the UK as it is a busy time for player transfers and at the moment Birmingham City are losing out.

Yeung was released in June after posting over $500,000 in cash and just under $400,000 in cash guarantees. Each charge he faces is punishable by up to 14 years in jail and a fine of as much as $650,000.

Shares were suspended at Birmingham City by June 30.

Birmingham was relegated from the Premier League last season, three months after winning the League Cup, its first major trophy in 48 years.

Yeung bought Birmingham City for a fee of $131.5 million in October 2009.

Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) chief Martin Snedden has claimed that the ticket sales for this year’s World Cup in the nation are still on track despite refunds being handed out for games due to be staged in Christchurch after the venue was pulled from the schedule due to the tragic earthquake earlier in the year.

Prior to the refunds RNZ 2011 had sold a total of 919,000 tickets worth NZD189m (70 per cent of the overall sales target of NZD268m), a similar position at the same point in time for the previous Rugby World Cups in France and Australia.

Following the cancellation of ticket sales for the eight relocated matches, and the full refund to those affected ticket purchasers, the sales equation now stands at 790,000 ticket sold, such sales being worth NZD169m in total.

Snedden stated: “Pre-Christchurch, ticket sales were exactly where we expected them to be. The transfer of matches so close to kick-off is unprecedented for any major event and has created significant additional challenges, but we remain confident that we should be able to recoup the bulk of the refunded sales within the next two months or so.

“In addition, RNZ 2011 has the appropriate insurance arrangements in place for this type of incident.”

Included in the current sales figures are 105,000 tickets so far committed to through the RWC 2011 Official Travel Agency (OTA) programme. This is up from the 70,000 tickets originally committed to by that programme and already outstrips the RWC 2003 total OTA sales of 85,000.

Snedden added: “Total OTA sales to date have been excellent and we remain hopeful that more sales within this programme will occur between now and tournament time. Overall, we still remain confident that, by Tournament-end, we will achieve our sales target of NZD268m and 1.35m tickets.”

Meanwhile, rugby fans from around the world will soon receive their tickets for Rugby World Cup 2011 matches. The tickets have a uniquely New Zealand design and feature the Tournament’s mangopare and koru designs which represent the world coming together in union for Rugby’s greatest contest.

Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “This is a moment that truly brings Rugby World Cup 2011 to life for fans in New Zealand and around the world.

“As we draw nearer to the 100 days to go milestone, there is no doubt that Rugby World Cup 2011 will be a successful tournament. All partners are committed to delivering an outstanding event – a tournament that New Zealanders and the global Rugby family will be proud of.”