Petroleum Institute

In November I was back in Abu Dhabi again, doing a GE/IFPEN training program for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). This course had twenty seven participants, and was held at the Petroleum Institute. I stayed once again at the Al Raha Beach Hotel, & was cordially invited to a special event for their best customers (courtesy of my association with ADNOC) — and therefore had a really great stay!

View from Burj Khalifa

I also took some time to head up to Dubai to hang out at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Of course, everyone in Dubai has been anxiously awaiting the new movie Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, which has its world premiere there in early December – and if the scenes near the end of the movie’s trailer are any indication, this will be one really amazing show. You can see them filming the Burj Khalifa scenes in another clip, and while Tom Cruise really was ‘hanging out’ at the building, I stayed safely – very, very safely – inside! [Note: I checked out the movie over the holidays in an IMAX theater, & while the last part was more than a bit melodramatic, the Burj Khalifa scenes were truly stunning!]

Tom Cruise on Burj Khalifa (photo credit: Paramount Pictures)