Hidden away in Dubai’s hip Jumeirah neighbourhood, 11 Woodfire is a restaurant that goes beyond. It’s a place for experiencing residential conversion and intimacy through industrial styling, laid-back vibes, and soft lighting. It is a modern villa conversion which stands out with its gigantic open kitchen and grill where master chefs work their magic over a range of wood varieties such as oak, hickory, and hay. Whereby, from the flames of the open fire, one is immediately reminded of primal beginnings in cooking, and the dishes demonstrate how simplicity and impeccable ingredients can deliver admirable flavours.

Cooking at 11 Woodfire takes the concept of woodfire grilling a notch higher. Rather than just the appliance of hot heat, art at 11 Woodfire focuses on right wood selection to create unique flavours and smoky undertones. The nature of the ingredient will determine whether it is oak, hickory, or hay; all oak, carefully selected by the kitchen team that helps transfer such a characteristic taste to each final dish. A place that bases its menu around the characteristics of grilled vegetables, succulent seafood, and sometimes the meat being burned to perfection, but that, paradoxically, is a perfect blend between tradition and modernity. The beginning of this creation looks for natural flavours, letting the ingredient take the place of centre stage, without any extra seasoning, but just enough to shine. 11 Woodfire boasts of a globally driven perspective on sourcing ingredients-a culinary influences pulled from around the world. Some of the dishes prepared include: Japanese Wagyu Striploin; French Turbot; Australian Spiny Lobster and King Crab. Every dish showcases the best of top-quality produce, with enhancing expert techniques. Whether it is grilled over hay so that the seafood captures a light, earthy flavour or vegetables in hickory and gives off a little sweetness, the restaurant treats you to a gastronomic journey that appeals to every sense of yours.

A strong commitment towards sustainability can be seen in everything 11 Woodfire does. Zero waste is the buzzword that the restaurant adopts. The kitchen strives to reduce environmental impact by making the right choice at every step. The restaurant is committed to sourcing organic ingredients, reducing and minimising waste in the kitchen, and also paying attention to being environmentally friendly. The correct mix of flavours still stands without compromise in the quality of dining experience. Nowhere does this effort truly feel more than in its beverage menu- homemade kombuchas and botanical drinks standing in the forefront, refreshing sustainable alternatives to traditional beverages.

Resulting from a collaboration between Atelier House Hospitality and renowned local chef Akmal Anuar. These two have come together to produce a dining concept that focuses on atmosphere and service with food. Through each dish, the culinary artistry of Chef Akmal filters in, using classic techniques in modern flair. The celebrated establishments he’s worked for in the past have earned him an exclusive vision for 11 Woodfire – it has transformed into one of Dubai’s most talked-about dining spots.

11 Woodfire has an industrial chic design with the interior featuring exposed beams, polished concrete, and natural wood furnishings, which give a casual luxury feel. It really brings all guests dining out at the restaurant to the skilled chefs behind the open kitchen, which gives dynamism to the area. With intimate lighting and comfortable seating, one would be forced to linger over the food while dining with friends, family, or colleagues.

11 Woodfire is one of the restaurants in Dubai that stands out from the rest; this place is about focusing on what matters-mostly flavours, atmosphere, and sustainability. Everything about this place is woodfire grilling, availability of global ingredients, and environmentally friendly practices-which promise to make your dining experience tasty and meaningful at the same time. Every moment at 11 Woodfire capturing the essence of culinary artistry-from a perfectly grilled Wagyu Japanese all the way to a house-brewed kombucha.

Leisurecorp was founded in 2006 as Dubai World’s bold foray into the global investment landscape of sports and leisure. From its inception, golf has been at the heart of Leisurecorp’s investment strategy, which made it buy and develop the best golf courses and luxury resorts around the world. However, the scope for the company doesn’t stop at golf alone; the company has diversified into numerous other sports and leisure businesses as well as strategic partnerships into the global market.

Leisurecorp’s strategic assets are Pearl Valley Golf Estates in South Africa and the global golfing symbol, Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. The venue estates are very classy for golfing venues and excellent base locations for international tournaments. Pearl Valley is by far among the best golf courses in South Africa, and the Earth Course is located in Jumeirah Golf Estates, which hosts the Dubai World Championship every year, one of the biggest golf tournaments in the PGA European Tour calendar.

One of Leisurecorp’s most iconic acquisitions was that of the Turnberry Resort in Scotland in 2008. Turnberry, a venue steeped in history and known to have hosted The Open Championship on many an occasion, now makes up part of the ever-growing portfolio of Leisurecorp. The first year following this acquisition, in 2009, the resort was privileged to play host to The Open. 2014 saw Leisurecorp make the news once again with the sale of Turnberry to Donald Trump. The acquisition of the Scottish resort marked a major transaction for the company in rebalancing its portfolio to better pursue its growth agendas, while still maintaining an interest in the global golf market. Turnberry continues to be one of the world’s finest golf destinations, and Leisurecorp’s role in further enriching its heritage speaks volumes of the strategic prowess of the company.

A central part of Leisurecorp’s development in the sports and leisure sector is tied to its relationship with the PGA European Tour. The major deal leisure operator Leisurecorp struck with the PGA European Tour late last year capped a fulfilling year for the company as it entered into a partnership in November 2007 in further establishing Dubai as one of the destinations on the world golfing map. And to commemorate this new tie, the PGA European Tour and Dubai signed an annual agreement – known as the Dubai World Championship – to be held at the Earth Course in Jumeirah Golf Estates. The prize fund was set at $10 million, but what stood this golf tournament as the most luxurious in the world was its ability to attract players from all over the globe in competition for the event. This was the time the European Tour Order of Merit became the Race to Dubai, with the additional $10 million bonus funds spread equally on the players that qualified for the season-ending tournament within the top 60 places.

In 2009, the European Tour’s International Headquarters was shifted to Jumeirah Golf Estates, with a view to intensify synergy between Leisurecorp and the European Tour. In this sense, this step was aimed at solidifying Dubai’s growing stature in the world of professional golf, as major tournaments were done to orbit around this city in terms of excellence.

The portfolio of Leisurecorp consists not only of golf courses and tournaments but also includes significant shareholdings in other most important sectors within the industries of sports and leisure. The company has invested a lot in Island Global Yachting, which is the leading luxury marina management company, while it is also one of the world’s largest golf course management companies, including Troon Golf. Leisurecorp also owns equity in GPS Industries, a technology company specializing in golf course management systems and also in Snowmass, one of the best ski destinations in Colorado.

These individual investments form part of Leisurecorp’s strategy to build an integrated network of luxury leisure assets that would appeal to high-net-worth individuals and sports enthusiasts. Whether on the golf course, within a luxury marina, or through the slopes of a ski resort, Leisurecorp brand presence can be felt in several of the world’s most luxurious leisure destinations. Ambitions for Leisurecorp remain as bold as ever as it expands. One of the company’s long-term ambitions is to bring the prestige Ryder Cup to Dubai, making this city a global sporting capital. Though talks are merely in their infancy, Leisurecorp’s record with world-class events can mean that such a dream might one day be turned into reality.

Dubai offers among the most state-of-the-art facilities, while Leisurecorp has significant experience with event management and investments in sports. This therefore creates a potent combination that stands a good chance to be able to host this highly important world-level event. A successful attempt would thus open a new chapter in Dubai’s ascendancy as an international sporting events destination.

Dubai World represents one of the flagship holding companies of the government of the Emirate of Dubai. It is a key driver in ambitions to stake its claims as one of the world’s hubs for trade and commerce. Its broad portfolio of investment has greatly contributed toward facilitating the ascension of Dubai in the global map of commercial enterprises. The diversified range of operations extends into real estate, logistics, and finance, wherein Dubai World plays an instrumental role in shaping the economic landscape of the city. Its influence, however, spreads far beyond the borders of the UAE and interests are scattered across the world; it remains a player of international influence in investment circles.

Dubai World was created in 2006 under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The role of Dubai World was to oversee the strategy of growth and diversification for the economy of the emirate. The company’s portfolio of investments was spread over a wide range of sectors, such as real estate, transportation, logistics, and financial services, all being vital to the growth of Dubai. Hence, Dubai World was itself a bold step towards consolidating some of the crucial government assets under one umbrella which would give way to development in an earnest manner. It was based in Dubai and has been rapidly expanding its global presence, growing to more than 50,000 employees and operating in over 100 cities. Today, the fortunes of its business closely mirror the economic prosperity of the emirate.

Dubai World’s investment portfolio lies at the heart of some of the emirate’s most iconic projects. It’s always spoken of with its real estate arm, Nakheel, in terms of really ambitious development projects, some of which have succeeded-great successes-and other failures. Two of these major landmarks are The Palm Islands and The World—these are developments which have redefined luxury in real estate and, for sure, global attention, not only boosting the tourism sector of Dubai but also making this city one of the world’s best destinations for investment. DP World is one of the most essential affiliates of Dubai World, with a global network of marine ports and logistics services. DP World is one of the world’s largest port operators, with terminals across every continent. It, however, courted controversy over its plan in 2006 to manage six U.S. ports, leading to a political storm in the United States over fears regarding national security. Despite this, DP World has become an important player in global trade as its ports have become important transit points for goods flowing between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Istithmar World is another massive segment of Dubai World, investing in many fields, including real estate, hospitality, and retail. Its investments stretch globally, with luxury hotels in the United States and the UK to shopping centers in Middle Eastern countries. This vast portfolio evidences that Dubai World extends its influence into international markets.

Such expansion by Dubai World was ambitious and not without its challenges. It bore the slams as it did not get left out of the global financial crisis that 2008–2009 had unleashed on Dubai’s economy. In 2009, the company threw the world into a shock when it announced a standstill on $26 billion in debt. Such announcements reverberated through global financial markets, sending stock prices and oil plummeting.

Despite all this, Dubai World navigated the crisis through some very prudent restructuring moves. The company was able to reach a settlement with its creditors and restructure a large portion of its debt by converting some liabilities into equity and even expanding payment timelines. Help from the Dubai government, along with loans from neighbouring Abu Dhabi, stabilized the situation and ensured continuity in the activities of Dubai World. It was during this financial disturbance that Dubai World was set to change its history – a period that proved the ability of Dubai World to cope with the economic challenges.

The investment by Dubai World has not only transformed the fortunes of Dubai but has also shaped international markets through its subsidiaries. The company played a major role in the formulation of international trade, real estate, and finance. This indeed is the direction in most regions the company operates in, such as huge investments within the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. And Dubai World continues scouting opportunities in line with Dubai’s vision to be a global investment powerhouse. Particularly, future projects, particularly emerging markets and industries like renewable energy fit into the emirate’s broader objectives of sustainability and economic diversification.

Its role as a sponsor of key events in the world, such as the Innovation and Climate Change conference, hints at the company’s focus on building a sustainable, innovative future. Dubai World is indeed not only an economic engine for Dubai but also a beacon for investment in other investment strategies pursued by global strategies for long-term growth and environmental stewardship.