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Jackson's having a ball
31/08/2005 11:13 - (SA)
Dubai - He ate Buffalo wings. He took a speedboat to a luxury villa on a manmade island. He buzzed around the Emirate with a racecar driver and a prince.
In contrast to the frail Michael Jackson cleared of child abuse charges in June, the king of pop appeared relaxed and friendly during his ongoing visit to this Gulf sheikhdom.
The 47-year-old performer has even been spotted looking over some of the world's most audacious real estate developments in flashy Dubai, a booming luxury resort and one of the world's fastest growing cities.
"He wants to see more of this area. He likes it here," said Mohammed Bin Sulayem, the Emirates champion rally driver who escorted Jackson on sightseeing tours, alongside their mutual friend, Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, son of Bahrain's king.
Rich and famous flock to Dubai
Local newspapers are flush with speculative articles about the singer taking up residence. Bin Sulayem said he was not yet sure whether Jackson was buying a luxury villas in this seaside emirate.
Dubai has lured a growing number of the world's rich and famous to bask in the over-the-top luxury of its resorts. Bin Sulayem noted that soccer star David Beckham and rally driver Michael Schumacher have already bought property here.
But Jackson owns or is buying property in Bahrain, 500km up the coast from Dubai, Bin Sulayem acknowledged, so his interest here might only stem from curiosity.
Before his visit to Dubai, Jackson had been staying as Sheik Abdulla's guest in Bahrain, where he took refuge after his gruelling 19-month trial and sensational June 13 acquittal of child molestation charges.
Public appearances
Unlike his reclusive stay in the oil-rich Bahrain, Jackson's visit to Dubai has included several appearances in public - albeit surprise ones.
The singer visited a pair of Dubai's $14bn manmade island developments, touring The Palm Jumeirah, one of three palm tree-shaped archipelago under construction.
Bin Sulayem gushed over Jackson's patience and humility among fans, waiters and sales people, despite being "bombarded" by autograph-seekers and popping camera flashes.
"He was so nice. I wanted him to be like this," Bin Sulayem said. "What you read and what you see is different. The guy is a gentleman. I've met guys who weren't even 10% as famous as he is, and they are much harder to deal with than Michael."
The singer also paid visits to the Burj al-Arab hotel, the sail-shaped skyscraper that sits on a tiny island, as well as the Hard Rock Cafe, where he assuaged his craving for spicy chicken.
"We went there because he wanted to eat Buffalo wings," Bin Sulayem said. "We were sitting there with him and it was absolutely normal."
Jackson's buoyant demeanour contrasted starkly with his morose state during his child molestation trial.
The singer was recently fined $10 000 for failing to appear in court to face a separate civil case in Louisiana on a claim of sexual assault.
- AP
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South Africa
