Bollywood star chosen for 'Atlantis Goddess' role

Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra has been chosen as the 'Goddess of Atlantis' as part of a money-no-object opening party for the Dubai hotel, Arabian Business can reveal.

In an elaborate ceremony in front of hundreds of A-list celebrities and royalty on Thursday night, the former Miss World-turned actress has been given the task of officially opening the $1.5 billion hotel on Palm Jumeirah.

As the 'Goddess of Atlantis', the actress will introduce Atlantis Rising, an aerial ballet of fireworks being performed by the legendary Grucci family.

The family have previously put on displays for Olympic Games at Lake Placid, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City and have also been responsible for the fireworks at six consecutive inaugurations of US presidents, beginning with Ronald Reagan.

The night at the Atlantis, which is rumoured to be costing $40 million to stage, will begin with a royal reception hosted by party planner to the stars, Colin Cowie, who, among other big names, has organised several events for US talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

A sumptuous meal, known as the Atlantean Feast, will be prepared for guests by celebrity chefs Nobu Matsuhisa, Santi Santamaria, Michael Rostang and Giorgio Locatelli before pop star Kylie Minogue takes to the stage.

The night will be rounded off by DJ Samantha Ronson, the partner of Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan, at an event called the Royal Afterglow.

Restrictions are being placed on access to the Palm Jumeirah as part of a massive operation surrounding the grand opening of the hotel.

In a letter to residents seen by Arabian Business, master developer Nakheel said access to the Palm will be closed off from Thursday afternoon until the morning after the event.

Nakheel said access from Sheikh Zayed Road will be restricted from 2pm local time, while access via Al-Sufouh Road will be restricted from 4pm.

Access to the crescent of the Palm, where Atlantis is located, will be closed off from 7pm on Wednesday until midday on Friday, the developer said.

Nakheel said only residents holding a valid pass, to be distributed 48 hours prior to the event, or those holding a copy of their valid sales or tenancy contract would be granted access to the Palm once restrictions were in place.

The resort opened to guests on Sept. 24, despite a fire on Sept. 2 that destroyed the hotel lobby roof and caused smoke damage to the outside of the main hotel building.

The 1,539-room resort encompasses a 46-hectare site with 17 hectares of water-themed amusement parks, an open air marine habitat, beaches, boutiques and restaurants.

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