A gold-dispensing ATM? Only in Abu Dhabi
There’s no short list of reasons the United Arab Emirates are more extravagant than Canada.
Exhibits A, B and C in the courtroom: the oil-rich region boasts an underwater hotel, an 818-metre high tower and a whiskey that’s $7,438 per shot.
Yet just to hammer the point home, the country has raised the stakes. Bringing to the judge’s attention – the gold-dispensing ATM.
Emirates Palace, the ritzy Abu Dhabi hotel, has made headlines this week with its “Gold to Go” machine, an ATM-like device it unveiled that spits out gold bars and coins.
Spokespeople for the US$2.8 billion hotel, where rooms go as high as $11,500 per night, said the machine is in the “perfect place” at Emirates Palace, since indeed much of the exclusive building is furnished in real gold.
The ATM works like this: guests of the hotel, if they feel the need, can deposit cash into the machine in exchange for gold bars of up to 10 grams in weight.
Coins, engraved with symbols of the maple leaf, kangaroo and Krugerrand (in honour of gold-producing nations Canada, Australia and South Africa, respectively), are also available.
Now, if this ATM sounds like a novelty, that’s because it is. But in true Abu Dhabi style, the device is also quite sophisticated.
Gold to Go monitors prices of the commodity up to the minute, and also features anti-money laundering software that shuts the machine down if it's suspicious of foul play.
No word yet on what fees or commissions are charged by Gold to Go but, as the Consumerist notes, if you’re staying at the Emirates Palace and using an ATM that converts gash to gold bars, you probably don’t care.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Guy | May 14, 2021 7:50:02 PM
We need a new Moderator to give us topics that really matters.
Posted by: jay | May 15, 2021 2:33:42 AM
hmmm all this opulence is 'fueled' by cheap gas in the US so obese americans can drive around in unpaid for V8 trucks when their brother is fighitng a war in Iraq to 'defend' the cheap oil, and him and all the expenses of the war are being lent money by CHINA. Make sense?
heres what makes sense: a 4$ /GAL tax to fund the US presence in ARABIA countries
Posted by: justme | May 17, 2021 10:20:59 AM
I am going to find my dictionary to see if Jay's photo is beside the definition for CYNIC
Posted by: Marc | May 17, 2021 10:52:08 AM
Jay get a life and learn how to spell
Posted by: MC | May 17, 2021 11:01:24 AM
Um, "Guy" why don't you shut up and not read it if it doesn't interest you.
Posted by: slippery | May 17, 2021 11:19:55 AM
Hey american boy "Jay"
You stupes and the likes of you need to get an education... Arabia and the middle east is where civilization started. So why dont you and the rest of you fu>kedup monge-ecakes, try to stay out of the middle east, and stop medling over there with people lives..
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME.....
Posted by: To "slippery" | May 17, 2021 1:56:12 PM
Yeah...let you guys just kill each other. I have nothing against that.
Slippery Boy...please stay out of Canada also. YOU are NOT welcome here.
Posted by: Tim | May 17, 2021 4:09:25 PM
The conflict expressed on this page is indicative of the conflict oil or material wealth as a whole has created in this world. Steaming from long established traditions and grudges that will one day be our ruin. Ask yourselves would you rather go forth in a reckless protectionist matter or work together for the benefit of all. If we are to see a better world we need change and change needs to start on an individual level. Grow up...
Posted by: me | May 17, 2021 4:49:19 PM
There are 3 stages when dealing with the truth.
1. Ridicule
Great job Jay! let the fools toil over their fiat currency.
Posted by: LoveIt | May 17, 2021 5:04:07 PM
I love the typo: ...an ATM that converts gash to gold.... I'd know some rich women.
Posted by: db | May 17, 2021 7:54:59 PM
support the CAW
Posted by: db | May 17, 2021 7:56:29 PM
SLIPPERY
you are right we should stay out of their business. but, when they come over here to live they should live by our ways......
Posted by: Yet Another Guy | May 18, 2021 3:28:29 PM
We need new readers that give us comments that actually matter.
Posted by: manipulato | May 20, 2021 10:02:35 AM
is the digression from what really matters, getting a little too blatant?