$11 million Christmas Tree in Abu Dhabi

Each Christmas an unspoken rivalry develops on every street to create the most elaborate decorations to captivate passers by. A light-hearted competition amongst neighbours is always fun, but imagine having to compete against the world`s most expensive Christmas tree?

The famous Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi is the proud owner of a $11 million tree, standing at a staggering 43 feet. It is located in the middle of the hotel`s circular foyer and is decorated with silver and gold bows, ball-shaped ornaments and small white lights. However, it is the lavish jewellery draped around its branches that adds to the impressive value. The tree itself is worth around $10,000, but the 181 diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones that cover it are worth over $11 million. The jewellery was provided by Style Gallery, and there is 24/7 security surrounding the tree to ensure that it is protected. Hans Olbertz, the General Manager of the hotel, has described the tree as the `most expensive Christmas tree ever` and plans to contact the Guinness Book of Records to confirm this prestigious title.

The hotel is considered to be the epitome of luxury living and currently bills itself as 7 star. In February this year, it introduced a 7 day package priced at $1 million that allows guests to enjoy a private butler, a chauffeur-driven Maybach car at their disposal, and a private jet available to take them on trips to other countries within the region. The Emirates Palace also unveiled the world`s first gold ATM outside of Germany in May. The machine named `Gold To Go` allows customers to trade their cash for gold in quantities ranging from coins up to 10 gram bars.