Former F1 boss to open Billionaire Club in Dubai

Flavio Briatore

International jetsetters, rejoice; former Benetton and Renault team boss Flavio Briatore is all set to open a branch of his lifestyle chain Billionaire Club in Dubai next year.
Called "Billionaire Mansion", the property will be attached to the Taj Dubai in Business Bay. Designed on the same lines as other Billionaire Clubs in Monte Carlo, Sardinia, Istanbul and Bodrum, the Billionaire Mansion will house restaurants serving Japanese and Italian signature dishes, a lounge bar, disco, a room dedicated for karaoke and a big terrace that will house a shisha bar.
The Japanese menu will be managed by Sumosan, a famous Japanese restaurant in London. Meanwhile, 20 chefs in Europe are working to put together the Italian menu.
"Dubai is very competitive. Although there are plenty of restaurants here, we want to do something in our style. We have clients all over the world. We want to bring them over to Dubai. The Mansion is slated to open in March 2016," the Italian businessman told Khaleej Times.
Launched in 1998, the Billionaire Clubs typically hosts A-listers from show business, fashion and sports. Briatore is launching the Mansion in partnership with Lebanon-based Pragma Group and Indian family the Nandas, who own the Taj Dubai.
"The Billionaire Club aims to emulate a billionaire lifestyle. But that does not mean you have to be a billionaire to enter our club; everyone is a VIP once you enter the doors of a Billionaire Club," he said.
On choosing Dubai for the Club's GCC foray, Briatore said: "Dubai is always buzzing with energy. Emirates airline is a big part of Dubai's success story. The government is very proactive with approvals, which is not the case in Europe. It's also located midway between Europe and Africa, where I have a lot of investments. It's a perfect spot to implement our concept."
The Billionaire Mansion will employ between 150 to 280 people. "It's a big operation. It's fundamental to create the right team. Once the flagship is established, it is easy to expand to other markets, if necessary," he added.
After selling off the entertainment and leisure divisions of Billionaire Club to an investment fund in Singapore, the lifestyle brand has now set sights on Asia and Africa for expansion.
"We are looking for places to open the Billionaire Club in India and Hong Kong. We plan to expand in Asia gradually," he said.
His other business interests include the Twiga Beach Clubs in Monaco and Forte dei Marmi in Italy, resorts in Kenya, Cipriani restaurants and the luxury menswear line, Billionaire Couture.
- deepthi@khaleejtimes.com