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.

image image image
image image image
image image image
image image image

Email Hoaxes Photos Places

Posted on Tue Nov 15, 2005



Comments

We Americans are fighting for Iraqi freedom from tyranny. To that end, war is a necessary evil. We must spend our money on a strong defense and mighty force to deal with those who oppress. It's all they understand. They're starting to understand it better now, thank God.
Posted by Michael  on  Tue Feb 05, 2008  at  06:54 PM
what a jackass, and his country thinks america is proud and boastful, if i were pres, that crap hole would belong to the home less i would put him in the field to work for pennys an hour an take control of oil co. distribute to all countries at very fair price. anytime this prick wants to step foot in my town i would love to kick his ass and watch him drink quarts of oil
Posted by jay c  on  Sun Mar 09, 2008  at  11:57 AM
this is not shaikh zayed place and what u guys talking about its 7 stars hotel located in the capital of UAE Abu Dhabi and regarding helping people i think shiekh zayed helped alot of people around the world
Posted by zayed  on  Wed May 07, 2008  at  02:53 AM
I am British and lived in Abu - Dhabi for approx 10 years. I have to say, I have never me such a kinder person than Sheikh Zayed. I used to exercise his horses and I learned of the love he had for his animals as well as people. He was a true gentleman. He was in no way, shape or form greedy and he did in fact help alot of people around the world. I also stayed in this hotel once and yes it was very nice. We had a party there with friends. Hey....perhaps the next prank I could pull on people is to circulate it and tell everybody it's mine lol. RIP Sheikh Zayed. From Becki and her daughter Shereen. UK.
Posted by Rebecca  on  Sun Jun 15, 2008  at  12:42 PM
Apparently this email hoax is making its rounds again. I just received it from a family member. Personally, with the money the UAE has, I could "almost" see it as a palace save the fact the interior shots just hotel. Easy enough to debunk with a quick web search or, in my case, a visit to google earth to admire the grand size of the hotel.
Posted by Copasetic  on  Thu Jul 10, 2008  at  02:53 PM
I'd like to have sex in every room of that hotel.
Posted by Badubai  on  Tue Jul 15, 2008  at  08:38 PM
I want married with sheik!
Posted by melissa  on  Thu Jul 17, 2008  at  09:30 AM
remember you come empty and surely you,ll go empty so, why wasting your time for what is vanity ? let the living learn from this.
Posted by segun jose  on  Mon Aug 11, 2008  at  03:44 AM
This Is A hotel not the palace of the ruler. i have been to this hotel many times. and the cars you see are the hotel care for VIP who come form other countries than UAE. So, please don't listen to any bullshit people write. i advice you to come to this country and see it by yourselvies.

Best regards ..
Posted by I Belive in God  on  Tue Aug 26, 2008  at  12:57 AM
who cares if these pictures are the sheikhs house or not. ok yes this is a hotel. do you mean to say that the sheiks don
Posted by shaggy  on  Tue Feb 10, 2009  at  03:09 AM
THIS IS CRAZY! :| A LOT of people are dying each day all over the world and you spend your money on something not important? >:| this is insane. :| this is TOO MUCH for a person. i sure don't have much but. i share my blessings to those in need. not like this crazy man who built a house for himself only. it's funny why a rich person cannot share what he has and a person who doesn't have much can give a lot. funny right? :| >:|
Posted by bangboom lalala  on  Fri Mar 20, 2009  at  06:57 AM
Obviously this hoax has been going around for a long time from the dates of the replies I see. I just got the email today.
Before beleiving it I did some research and found out that yes, you can book a room at this hotel, and the Sheikh the email is portraying was a peaceful, well respected man throughout the world.

I think the email is disrespectful.

The email speaks about God and praying to God but the writer is a liar.
Posted by Joseph Murro  on  Tue Apr 14, 2009  at  03:25 PM
ALLAHU-AKBAR. MAY WE NOT BE LEFT BEHIND
Posted by Faisal  on  Sat May 30, 2009  at  03:49 AM
just i think always with my self that will i be becom rich ohhhhhhh idont think so
Posted by waheedullah  on  Sun Oct 18, 2009  at  12:15 AM
A car made of silver metal ie without a steel substrate could only be ornmental.There are no camel droppings so must be a full blown hoax. You'd have take a camel to get from one room to the next.
Posted by Doug Beames  on  Mon Nov 02, 2009  at  02:27 AM
Amazing palace, nice cars!! where can I see more photos?
Posted by Andrew Backs  on  Thu Mar 11, 2010  at  03:24 PM
it's really 2 big ALLAH plz give 2 me also in jannah nt this bigger than this i know ALLAH is really very great
Posted by aayan  on  Fri Feb 25, 2011  at  09:00 AM
Its a Fabulous architectural on earth. its like a haven. My eyes has never seen before this kind of house. Today i realized why we pay more and more for gasoline and Petrol. Its like a sex no need to understand just enjoy.
Posted by Darshan  on  Mon Mar 26, 2012  at  06:05 AM
For your information, This is a HOTEL not a House !!!!!! I am from the UAE and I know this Hotel very well. It's called Emirates palace Hotlel. The hotel is run by kempinski Hotels.


Hotel website :
http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/pages/welcome.aspx
Posted by M  on  Thu May 03, 2012  at  05:23 PM
Comments: Page 2 of 2 pages  < 1 2
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.