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The Palace of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Status: Email hoax (real pictures, fake caption)
Bad: Falling for an email hoax. Worse: Using the hoax as the basis for your presentation to the local city planning commission, thereby displaying your gullibility to the entire public.As reported by the Muncie Star Press (no link), Don Love gets the award for doing the latter. He received an email containing a series of pictures of an opulent estate (shown below), with the caption:
In case you're wondering where this hotel is, it isn't a hotel at all. IT IS A HOUSE! It's owned by the family of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the former president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu-Dhabi.
Enraged, he made a slide presentation out of the pictures and showed them to the planning commission, as part of his effort to get them to approve construction of an ethanol plant. His point was that they should promote local energy projects, to prevent all the city's money going to greedy, oil-rich sheiks. He told them: "This is the type of thing being done with your petro dollars that I want to re-patriate. Keep in mind the gentleman has more than 20 wives. This is one of 70 baths. Some are bigger than my house. This is his little swimming pool. These are his cars."
Of course, the pictures don't show a sheik's palace. In reality they show a fancy hotel in Abu Dhabi called the Emirates Palace. All the stuff about 20 wives is bogus too. If Love had bothered to do any research, he would have found this out. He probably could also have found some real pictures of a sheik's palace, which would have been a more effective way of making his point. Incidentally, my other house (the one in my daydreams) looks just like the one in the pictures.
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Posted By: Alex | Date: Tue Nov 15, 2005 | Permalink |
Total Comments: 65
Category: Email Hoaxes, Photos/Videos, Places
Category: Email Hoaxes, Photos/Videos, Places
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 1 of 4 pages 1 2 3 > Last »
The funniest thing, I think, is that it LOOKS like a hotel xD
Posted by Mera on Tue Nov 15, 2005 at 10:03 PM
I could swear this was covered before, but I can't find any reference to it.
Posted by Charybdis in Hell on Wed Nov 16, 2005 at 09:36 AM
Why didn't see the reception desks in some of the pictures? It's pretty damn obvious. And if he did, what could he possibly mistake them for, offices?
Just goes to show it pays not to be blinded by jealousy!
Posted by Carmen in Vancouver on Wed Nov 16, 2005 at 12:18 PM
Just goes to show it pays not to be blinded by jealousy!
I know Alex covered this before as a hoax, but this is someone who's supposed to know shit from shingles making an ass of himself in front of everyone, so it deserves another entry.
Posted by Citizen Premier in spite of public outcry on Wed Nov 16, 2005 at 10:13 PM
It's beautiful, very beautiful:)
Posted by Neri on Wed Jan 18, 2006 at 06:05 AM
you know, i honestly thought it was a hotel at first. it seemed too crazy to just be someone's house! but honestly if it were me and it was MY house i'd have to rent it out, or something. because that's just crazy!!!
Posted by adri in canada on Fri Feb 03, 2006 at 07:08 AM
Follow-up: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan died on February 11, 2004. So even if he did have an opulent palace, he couldn't enjoy it from where he is. Here is link to His Highness's official website: http://www.sheikhzayed.com
Posted by Atta Boy in Massachusetts on Tue Mar 07, 2006 at 05:23 PM
It's really a big WOW!! for a house. That's what money can do. Hehehe!!! I really loved viewing it again and again
Posted by Hanah P. Montejo in Philippines on Mon Mar 13, 2006 at 06:17 PM
This is just a joke right?... I think this is just a mockery... This is not fair, we can see people dying in the streets, in every place of the world, and this people having this kind of house? IS JUST A JOKE...
Instead of building "This type of houses" you should help the people dying in every corner of the world...
Posted by Maria Fernanda in Mexico on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 09:45 AM
Instead of building "This type of houses" you should help the people dying in every corner of the world...
hmm im from the place and what u guys talking about its 7 stars hotel located in the capital of UAE and its not the palace of shiekh zayed as what u ppl said and regarding helping people i think shiekh zayed helped alot of people around the world .
Posted by Ghadeer Almansoori in AbuDhabi on Wed May 17, 2006 at 03:35 AM
i love this sheikh 
Posted by Ridzy in North Africa on Thu May 25, 2006 at 03:43 AM
I think this is just ridiculous for some one to tell lies like that.
Posted by Tshepang in Barbados on Sat May 27, 2006 at 12:56 PM
Ahora sé por qué esta tan cara la gasolina.... :o( Esta casa es un sueño!!!
Posted by Yanory in Costa Rica on Mon Jun 12, 2006 at 03:32 PM
Its amazing what gas can buy.
Posted by Kevin in Tennessee on Sun Jul 30, 2006 at 11:13 AM
well hw old the owner or owner's son is......
Posted by zzzzzzzzzz in zzzzz on Fri Aug 25, 2006 at 03:31 AM
Its really funny,, am feeling so sorry for those who believed such stupid lie.. Indeed they never have been in a 5 star hotels or above in their life. Sorry guys this is a real hotel in the capital of UAE.
Ooofffff,,,Come on guys stop thinking as you are in the stone age.. We are in the information age… Just give it some effort.. Search for the truth.. “Civilized a bit” stop lying on the sofa learning from fake media like kids.. they always keep saying the sheikhs are bad and greedy but in reality the ppl in UAE love their sheikhs. Have you ever asked your self why ??????!!!!!!!!
Posted by salem in Newcastle upon Tyne UK on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 07:18 PM
Ooofffff,,,Come on guys stop thinking as you are in the stone age.. We are in the information age… Just give it some effort.. Search for the truth.. “Civilized a bit” stop lying on the sofa learning from fake media like kids.. they always keep saying the sheikhs are bad and greedy but in reality the ppl in UAE love their sheikhs. Have you ever asked your self why ??????!!!!!!!!
Me pudieran mandar los planos de la casa?
Estoy planeando hacer una igual en Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Posted by Corina Galvan in Mexico on Fri Sep 01, 2006 at 08:49 PM
Estoy planeando hacer una igual en Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
it's just amazing!!!
Posted by Carol Magalhães in Brazil on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 07:55 AM
it is really perfect life.
Posted by Abdul Majeed Afzali in Sharjah on Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 12:05 AM
for all you idiots out there this is not sheikh zayed's palace! this is a 5 star luxury hotel in abu dhabi called emirates palace! and yes it's amazing what people can do with money instead of going BOMBING other countries for BILLIONS of dollars.
Posted by nyxx on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 12:25 AM
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