Dubai Informer
Information about Dubai in all aspects
Monday, December 18, 2006
The Spirit of Dubai Airship celebrated reaching the midway point of its landmark journey from London to Dubai in spectacular style by flying over some of Rome’s greatest landmarks.
The airship, whose journey is marking the first residents moving into The Palm Jumeirah, circled over some of history’s greatest monuments including the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Pantheon and the monument of Vittorio Emanuele. Crowds of people watched from the streets of the city as The Spirit of Dubai made an exclusive trip around the skies of Rome.
Manal Shaheen, Director of Marketing, Sales and Customer Service for Nakheel was present on the airship’s first flight over the historic centre and at the time said, “Today has truly been a remarkable day for all on board and we couldn’t have asked for more perfect conditions. The views of Rome’s ancient monuments across the crisp cloudless skies were absolutely breathtaking. With the Colosseum being an icon that symbolizes one of history’s greatest civilisations, it was the perfect setting to mark such a pivotal moment in our journey of celebrating the creation of a new landmark and commemorating some of the great landmarks of the world.”
The Spirit of Dubai’s voyage across Europe and North Africa began in early November in London and has already taken in such famous sights as Big Ben, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, Monte Carlo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, attracting widespread media coverage and attention in each city it has passed through.
Manal Shaheen continued: “It has been a challenging journey but we are now halfway through and looking forward to bringing the airship to its final destination, The Palm Jumeirah. Having seen London, Paris and Rome from onboard The Spirit of Dubai, I know that this is the best way to appreciate the size and scale of The Palm and Nakheel’s other projects, such as The World. In every city we have visited, we have received great interest from media and residents alike and this has been a unique way of communicating the creation of The Palm Jumeirah and its role in the continuing development of our great city”.
The Spirit of Dubai’s next destination is Athens, before it flies across the Mediterranean and down to the Great Pyramids in Egypt and onwards to Dubai where it will arrive at The Palm Jumeirah - the world’s newest landmark - in January.
The airship, whose journey is marking the first residents moving into The Palm Jumeirah, circled over some of history’s greatest monuments including the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Pantheon and the monument of Vittorio Emanuele. Crowds of people watched from the streets of the city as The Spirit of Dubai made an exclusive trip around the skies of Rome.
Manal Shaheen, Director of Marketing, Sales and Customer Service for Nakheel was present on the airship’s first flight over the historic centre and at the time said, “Today has truly been a remarkable day for all on board and we couldn’t have asked for more perfect conditions. The views of Rome’s ancient monuments across the crisp cloudless skies were absolutely breathtaking. With the Colosseum being an icon that symbolizes one of history’s greatest civilisations, it was the perfect setting to mark such a pivotal moment in our journey of celebrating the creation of a new landmark and commemorating some of the great landmarks of the world.”
The Spirit of Dubai’s voyage across Europe and North Africa began in early November in London and has already taken in such famous sights as Big Ben, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, Monte Carlo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, attracting widespread media coverage and attention in each city it has passed through.
Manal Shaheen continued: “It has been a challenging journey but we are now halfway through and looking forward to bringing the airship to its final destination, The Palm Jumeirah. Having seen London, Paris and Rome from onboard The Spirit of Dubai, I know that this is the best way to appreciate the size and scale of The Palm and Nakheel’s other projects, such as The World. In every city we have visited, we have received great interest from media and residents alike and this has been a unique way of communicating the creation of The Palm Jumeirah and its role in the continuing development of our great city”.
The Spirit of Dubai’s next destination is Athens, before it flies across the Mediterranean and down to the Great Pyramids in Egypt and onwards to Dubai where it will arrive at The Palm Jumeirah - the world’s newest landmark - in January.
Labels: Dubai, Palm Dubai, Properties
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is one of the richest festivals in the world offering a wide range of shopping, winning and entertainment options. Whether it is purchase-based coupons, luxury cars or gold raffles, there is plenty and more to be won, writes Sue Steven
It’s celebration time again. The mega show — the combined special edition of the 11th and 12th Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2006 – 2007, (the shopping extravaganza) — will run from December 20, 2006 to February 2, 2007. With a whopping budget of Dh90 million, the festival promises 45 days of fun and entertainment, bargains and sales, raffles and promotions.
Says Mohammed Al Nabouda, CEO, DSF: “With this edition of DSF, a new era is about to unfold. While we offer retrospective glimpses of the 10 previous editions combining the best of the best, the new one promises to be even bigger and better. And at the core of it all is shopping, winning and entertainment.”
Since its inception in 1996, the DSF concept has been growing each year. DSF 2005 had 3.3 million visitors registering a six per cent increase while spending crossed Dh6.67 billion registering a 15 per cent increase over the previous year.
This year DSF has already put the city on double celebration mode. Colourful lights adorn bridges and lampposts. Huge advertisements vie for attention. Raffle offers entice those who wish to try out Lady Luck. There is an air of expectancy as each day unfolds and 40 shopping malls and over 3,000 outlets get ready to welcome shoppers.
In this combo edition of DSF, watch out for enhanced promotional campaigns, valuable prizes and lots of surprises. Participate in the amazing DSF bonanzas in the automotive, electronics and retail sectors. That’s not all; keep track of the adrenaline-driven mix of entertainment events.
”DSF is expected to break previous records. Living the core theme, ‘One World. One Family. One Festival,’ DSF has 100 events supported by 27 key sponsors and $25 million up for grabs. However, the overall theme revolves around ‘A World of Festivals’ a mix of over a dozen festivals,” adds Laila Suhail, Chief Marketing Officer, DSF.
They are World Cultures Festival, Family Entertainment Festival, Art and Culture Festival, Musical Festival, Dubai Fashion Festival, the Sports Festival, Food Festival, Records Breaking Festival, Heritage Festival, Shopping Malls Festival and the Raffles and Winnings Festival.
Laila notes, “Once again we have set high standards for DSF, with a new approach and a diversified calendar of events that has several events to meet the requirements of different nationalities and age groups. We are expecting 3.6 million visitors this year. We have opened the way for a new era of organising festivals emphasising on Dubai’s leading role as a regional hub for tourism and family shopping with its state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities.”
The ranking of DSF as a world-class festival is in many ways a manifestation of the active participation of the people, a continuous success realised thanks to the unwavering support of the rulers of the country and close co-operation between the government and private sector.
Nabouda adds: “A good example is the Dubai Festival City that opened on December 14. Hats off to Al Futtaim for this totally private project that enhances the vision of Dubai. This year’s DSF will focus on ‘New Dubai’, as the festival in its new reinvented form widens its horizons and extends to magnificent venues like the Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta Mall which have become shopping resorts.”
Elaborating on the opening ceremony he added that on the evening of December 20 the sky would be the stage as Dubai witnesses one of the grandest celebrations with a Night Glow spectacle. Sixty hot-air balloons will illuminate the night sky at Dubailand. “The joint opening of DSF and Dubai Balloons Festival will surely be a sight to behold especially the Opening Hour Celebration,” he said.
All activities will culminate in a dazzling display of fireworks from Global Village, the Dubai Creek and the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) setting Dubai skies aglow in a scintillating interplay of light and colour.
Having experienced DSF for the past several years, one often wonders about the mammoth preparation involved in organising an event of this scale and magnitude. The DSF Organising Committee is made up of 20 different government departments. According to the organisers, preparations for the next festival start as soon as one gets over. High-level DSF delegations have been holding road shows in GCC countries and abroad inviting residents to visit Dubai and experience for themselves the new concept of DSF.
According to Yousif M. Walid, Events, Operations and Services Director, DSF, the cultural events lined up are the Bazaars of the World at Al Seef Street that will recreate the aura and magic of world-renowned traditional souqs of the Middle East. They will include Khan Al Khalili of Egypt, El Madina Souq (Syria), Samsara Souk (Sana) Samareen Souq (Yemen and Morocco) and Shah Souq (Iran) showcasing developments of Islamic culture through different periods in history with workshops on crafts, painting, carpet weaving, copper engraving and many more.
The Family Entertainment Festival includes the renowned circus Cirque du Soleil that will run from January 4 until February 18. This Montreal-based live entertainment company, is all set to perform with Quidam, an intense and imaginative journey that transforms an alienated world into a place of hope and connection. Quidam will be held in a 2,500 seat air-conditioned Grand Chapiteau (big top), which will be located on the grounds of Ibn Battuta Mall. The two-and-a-half hour show will feature world-class lighting, live music and an amazing array of costumes and special production effects.
This DSF, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) will host the Carpet Oasis, one of the largest carpet markets in the region bringing together the work of artisans from different parts of the world on to a single platform. The event showcases over 150,000 exquisite hand-woven carpets along with handmade artifacts.
Additionally, the House of Talents at DWTC, Hall 4, will give gifted women a platform to showcase their skills to the public from December 24 until February 9. Exhibits will focus on handicrafts, interior design, fashion design, photography, to music, architecture, painting, jewellery design and applied arts.
The Family Entertainment Festival has much more to offer and will include fireworks, carnivals and GCC traditional celebrations. There are several festival celebrations that fall during the DSF period like Christmas, New Year, Eid Al Adha and winter break in schools. Visitors and residents will surely benefit from these.
“To add to the festive feel there will be a magnificent display of fireworks daily throughout DSF at 9pm. Another new attraction to this colourful bouquet is the Dubai Mela, a unique funfair at Zabeel Park which will be held every day from 4 to I0pm offering fun, frolic and family time,” notes Nabouda.
The Arts and Cultural Festivals encompass artistic and cultural presentations in a bid to keep alive traditional events and rekindle their popularity in contemporary times. Other attractions of this cultural fiesta would be the Sixth Arabic Poetry gathering at Al Maktoum Hall in DWTC as well as Kavi Sammelan.
Music lovers have a lot to look forward to this DSF with an exclusive Musical Festival offering traditional Oriental and Western musical treats. Layali Dubai Concerts will be held at Dubai Airport Expo West Hall. “A major attraction is the Dubai Carnivals Festival offering Dubai Carnivals at different venues in the city and Scenes of the World at the Global Village throughout DSF,” says Yousif M Walid, Events, Operations and Services Director, DSF.
Fashion aficionados can be a part of the dedicated Dubai Fashion Festival hosting creations of top international fashion houses. The Fashion Festival will host Dubai Fashion at Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Joharah Ballroom from January 8 to 12 and a very special presentation titled ‘Creations’ by up and coming regional fashion designers from January 18 to February I at BurJuman.
Then there is the Sports Festival for those who love the outdoors. It offers a host of traditional and modern sports to attract sports lovers. Events under this category are Race Zone Units, Urban Ultra on January 19 and Dubai Marathon on January 12 adjacent to DWTC.
Food Connoisseurs have no reason to complain as the DSF Food Festival offers some delectable treats to them. A unique event titled Food-e-tainment takes place from January 13 to 19 at Zabeel Park. Also apart of the Food Festival will be the third Cyber Food Festival at Dubai Internet City from noon to 3pm daily.
Since its inception, DSF has been setting records and the Records Breaking Festival this DSF is no exception. The event will take place from January 30 to February 1 at Al Safa Park inviting all those who would like to witness history in the making. These entail the largest reading gathering/marathon, longest game of Chinese Whisper, longest line of footprints, world’s largest house key, largest buffet of the world comprising 505 dishes, largest gathering of General Motors cars, biggest mattress, biggest gold coin, largest photo exhibition, and many more.
The Heritage Festival will have several cultural and heritage events showcasing glimpses of the past and chapters from the history of UAE at the Dubai Heritage and Diving Village in Shindagah. Souvenir hunters can look for some unique collectibles at the traditional souq held there.
Dubai’s magnificent shopping malls, which form an intrinsic part of the DSF, have a Shopping Malls Festival and Fringe Festival with world-class performers entertaining the crowds. The main participating malls are Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre, BurJuman, Mercato, Al Ghurair City, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Outlet City.
Along with shopping and entertainment, winning has always been one of the main attractions of DSF. Also featuring this time is the Raffles and Winnings Festival that hosts the mega raffle draws such as the daily Lexus Mega Raffle, the daily Grand Nissan Raffle, the Daily Gold Rush and key sponsors offers and raffles all running into millions of dirhams worth of prizes for shoppers and visitors to try their luck.
“With a grand sum of Dh25 million, the raffle will offer two luxurious ES350 and LX470 Lexus cars and Dh100,000 in cash, in addition to the sum of Dh3 million cash prizes in fortnightly raffles,” said Ibrahim Saleh, COO, DSF. There will be daily draws to announce the names of one lucky winner out of 5,600.
“This time the Daily Lexus Mega Raffle gives more chances of winning, thus taking into consideration the huge demand of the visitors and resident participants to expand the winning possibilities. DSF thrives on gratifying its loyal visitors,” he added.
Global Village
The Global Village recreated on 17.2 million square feet area in Dubailand along the Emirates Road by the Arabian Ranches has a plethora of attractions. It opened on December 13 and will run until February 9 (10am to 10pm) for 59 days.
New attractions this year are the Global Sales Office, a 3,000 capacity amphitheatre and an entrance canopy. Major events are the multicultural mock weddings, Al Kaheel Horseshow, AquaFantasia and fireworks and the RTA cabin replica.
For those who have not experienced Aqua Fantasia, this is a must see attraction more resplendent than ever complete with laser lights, dancing musical fountains and a multimedia image projection of screens of water.
Al Zarooni Group, a key sponsor of DSF, will light the night skies with the colourful fireworks during the 45-day festival.
With 40 pavilions from all over the world and an array of family attractions, the Global Village best represents the DSF popular theme of “One World. One Family. One Festival.” Over 75 kiosks bring alive the unique skills of artistes from around the world, offering an immeasurable choice of cultural artefacts. When hunger pangs bite, over 50 diverse restaurants cater to aficionados of fine exotic cuisine, while the ‘Fun Area,’ with its giant wheels, thrill rides and instant prizes, will ensure a true adrenaline rush. Above all, at the Global Village amphitheatre, winners of all the major DSF raffles will be chosen at 9pm.
With DSF everyone is a winner and rightly so. Fantastic deals, mouthwatering dishes, wholesome family fun, unforgettable entertainment events, breathtaking glimpses of world cultures and the tastes of global cuisines, you think of it and DSF has it. It is a world without boundaries, where cultures converge and civilisations meet.
It’s celebration time again. The mega show — the combined special edition of the 11th and 12th Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2006 – 2007, (the shopping extravaganza) — will run from December 20, 2006 to February 2, 2007. With a whopping budget of Dh90 million, the festival promises 45 days of fun and entertainment, bargains and sales, raffles and promotions.
Says Mohammed Al Nabouda, CEO, DSF: “With this edition of DSF, a new era is about to unfold. While we offer retrospective glimpses of the 10 previous editions combining the best of the best, the new one promises to be even bigger and better. And at the core of it all is shopping, winning and entertainment.”
Since its inception in 1996, the DSF concept has been growing each year. DSF 2005 had 3.3 million visitors registering a six per cent increase while spending crossed Dh6.67 billion registering a 15 per cent increase over the previous year.
This year DSF has already put the city on double celebration mode. Colourful lights adorn bridges and lampposts. Huge advertisements vie for attention. Raffle offers entice those who wish to try out Lady Luck. There is an air of expectancy as each day unfolds and 40 shopping malls and over 3,000 outlets get ready to welcome shoppers.
In this combo edition of DSF, watch out for enhanced promotional campaigns, valuable prizes and lots of surprises. Participate in the amazing DSF bonanzas in the automotive, electronics and retail sectors. That’s not all; keep track of the adrenaline-driven mix of entertainment events.
”DSF is expected to break previous records. Living the core theme, ‘One World. One Family. One Festival,’ DSF has 100 events supported by 27 key sponsors and $25 million up for grabs. However, the overall theme revolves around ‘A World of Festivals’ a mix of over a dozen festivals,” adds Laila Suhail, Chief Marketing Officer, DSF.
They are World Cultures Festival, Family Entertainment Festival, Art and Culture Festival, Musical Festival, Dubai Fashion Festival, the Sports Festival, Food Festival, Records Breaking Festival, Heritage Festival, Shopping Malls Festival and the Raffles and Winnings Festival.
Laila notes, “Once again we have set high standards for DSF, with a new approach and a diversified calendar of events that has several events to meet the requirements of different nationalities and age groups. We are expecting 3.6 million visitors this year. We have opened the way for a new era of organising festivals emphasising on Dubai’s leading role as a regional hub for tourism and family shopping with its state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities.”
The ranking of DSF as a world-class festival is in many ways a manifestation of the active participation of the people, a continuous success realised thanks to the unwavering support of the rulers of the country and close co-operation between the government and private sector.
Nabouda adds: “A good example is the Dubai Festival City that opened on December 14. Hats off to Al Futtaim for this totally private project that enhances the vision of Dubai. This year’s DSF will focus on ‘New Dubai’, as the festival in its new reinvented form widens its horizons and extends to magnificent venues like the Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta Mall which have become shopping resorts.”
Elaborating on the opening ceremony he added that on the evening of December 20 the sky would be the stage as Dubai witnesses one of the grandest celebrations with a Night Glow spectacle. Sixty hot-air balloons will illuminate the night sky at Dubailand. “The joint opening of DSF and Dubai Balloons Festival will surely be a sight to behold especially the Opening Hour Celebration,” he said.
All activities will culminate in a dazzling display of fireworks from Global Village, the Dubai Creek and the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) setting Dubai skies aglow in a scintillating interplay of light and colour.
Having experienced DSF for the past several years, one often wonders about the mammoth preparation involved in organising an event of this scale and magnitude. The DSF Organising Committee is made up of 20 different government departments. According to the organisers, preparations for the next festival start as soon as one gets over. High-level DSF delegations have been holding road shows in GCC countries and abroad inviting residents to visit Dubai and experience for themselves the new concept of DSF.
According to Yousif M. Walid, Events, Operations and Services Director, DSF, the cultural events lined up are the Bazaars of the World at Al Seef Street that will recreate the aura and magic of world-renowned traditional souqs of the Middle East. They will include Khan Al Khalili of Egypt, El Madina Souq (Syria), Samsara Souk (Sana) Samareen Souq (Yemen and Morocco) and Shah Souq (Iran) showcasing developments of Islamic culture through different periods in history with workshops on crafts, painting, carpet weaving, copper engraving and many more.
The Family Entertainment Festival includes the renowned circus Cirque du Soleil that will run from January 4 until February 18. This Montreal-based live entertainment company, is all set to perform with Quidam, an intense and imaginative journey that transforms an alienated world into a place of hope and connection. Quidam will be held in a 2,500 seat air-conditioned Grand Chapiteau (big top), which will be located on the grounds of Ibn Battuta Mall. The two-and-a-half hour show will feature world-class lighting, live music and an amazing array of costumes and special production effects.
This DSF, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) will host the Carpet Oasis, one of the largest carpet markets in the region bringing together the work of artisans from different parts of the world on to a single platform. The event showcases over 150,000 exquisite hand-woven carpets along with handmade artifacts.
Additionally, the House of Talents at DWTC, Hall 4, will give gifted women a platform to showcase their skills to the public from December 24 until February 9. Exhibits will focus on handicrafts, interior design, fashion design, photography, to music, architecture, painting, jewellery design and applied arts.
The Family Entertainment Festival has much more to offer and will include fireworks, carnivals and GCC traditional celebrations. There are several festival celebrations that fall during the DSF period like Christmas, New Year, Eid Al Adha and winter break in schools. Visitors and residents will surely benefit from these.
“To add to the festive feel there will be a magnificent display of fireworks daily throughout DSF at 9pm. Another new attraction to this colourful bouquet is the Dubai Mela, a unique funfair at Zabeel Park which will be held every day from 4 to I0pm offering fun, frolic and family time,” notes Nabouda.
The Arts and Cultural Festivals encompass artistic and cultural presentations in a bid to keep alive traditional events and rekindle their popularity in contemporary times. Other attractions of this cultural fiesta would be the Sixth Arabic Poetry gathering at Al Maktoum Hall in DWTC as well as Kavi Sammelan.
Music lovers have a lot to look forward to this DSF with an exclusive Musical Festival offering traditional Oriental and Western musical treats. Layali Dubai Concerts will be held at Dubai Airport Expo West Hall. “A major attraction is the Dubai Carnivals Festival offering Dubai Carnivals at different venues in the city and Scenes of the World at the Global Village throughout DSF,” says Yousif M Walid, Events, Operations and Services Director, DSF.
Fashion aficionados can be a part of the dedicated Dubai Fashion Festival hosting creations of top international fashion houses. The Fashion Festival will host Dubai Fashion at Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Joharah Ballroom from January 8 to 12 and a very special presentation titled ‘Creations’ by up and coming regional fashion designers from January 18 to February I at BurJuman.
Then there is the Sports Festival for those who love the outdoors. It offers a host of traditional and modern sports to attract sports lovers. Events under this category are Race Zone Units, Urban Ultra on January 19 and Dubai Marathon on January 12 adjacent to DWTC.
Food Connoisseurs have no reason to complain as the DSF Food Festival offers some delectable treats to them. A unique event titled Food-e-tainment takes place from January 13 to 19 at Zabeel Park. Also apart of the Food Festival will be the third Cyber Food Festival at Dubai Internet City from noon to 3pm daily.
Since its inception, DSF has been setting records and the Records Breaking Festival this DSF is no exception. The event will take place from January 30 to February 1 at Al Safa Park inviting all those who would like to witness history in the making. These entail the largest reading gathering/marathon, longest game of Chinese Whisper, longest line of footprints, world’s largest house key, largest buffet of the world comprising 505 dishes, largest gathering of General Motors cars, biggest mattress, biggest gold coin, largest photo exhibition, and many more.
The Heritage Festival will have several cultural and heritage events showcasing glimpses of the past and chapters from the history of UAE at the Dubai Heritage and Diving Village in Shindagah. Souvenir hunters can look for some unique collectibles at the traditional souq held there.
Dubai’s magnificent shopping malls, which form an intrinsic part of the DSF, have a Shopping Malls Festival and Fringe Festival with world-class performers entertaining the crowds. The main participating malls are Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre, BurJuman, Mercato, Al Ghurair City, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Outlet City.
Along with shopping and entertainment, winning has always been one of the main attractions of DSF. Also featuring this time is the Raffles and Winnings Festival that hosts the mega raffle draws such as the daily Lexus Mega Raffle, the daily Grand Nissan Raffle, the Daily Gold Rush and key sponsors offers and raffles all running into millions of dirhams worth of prizes for shoppers and visitors to try their luck.
“With a grand sum of Dh25 million, the raffle will offer two luxurious ES350 and LX470 Lexus cars and Dh100,000 in cash, in addition to the sum of Dh3 million cash prizes in fortnightly raffles,” said Ibrahim Saleh, COO, DSF. There will be daily draws to announce the names of one lucky winner out of 5,600.
“This time the Daily Lexus Mega Raffle gives more chances of winning, thus taking into consideration the huge demand of the visitors and resident participants to expand the winning possibilities. DSF thrives on gratifying its loyal visitors,” he added.
Global Village
The Global Village recreated on 17.2 million square feet area in Dubailand along the Emirates Road by the Arabian Ranches has a plethora of attractions. It opened on December 13 and will run until February 9 (10am to 10pm) for 59 days.
New attractions this year are the Global Sales Office, a 3,000 capacity amphitheatre and an entrance canopy. Major events are the multicultural mock weddings, Al Kaheel Horseshow, AquaFantasia and fireworks and the RTA cabin replica.
For those who have not experienced Aqua Fantasia, this is a must see attraction more resplendent than ever complete with laser lights, dancing musical fountains and a multimedia image projection of screens of water.
Al Zarooni Group, a key sponsor of DSF, will light the night skies with the colourful fireworks during the 45-day festival.
With 40 pavilions from all over the world and an array of family attractions, the Global Village best represents the DSF popular theme of “One World. One Family. One Festival.” Over 75 kiosks bring alive the unique skills of artistes from around the world, offering an immeasurable choice of cultural artefacts. When hunger pangs bite, over 50 diverse restaurants cater to aficionados of fine exotic cuisine, while the ‘Fun Area,’ with its giant wheels, thrill rides and instant prizes, will ensure a true adrenaline rush. Above all, at the Global Village amphitheatre, winners of all the major DSF raffles will be chosen at 9pm.
With DSF everyone is a winner and rightly so. Fantastic deals, mouthwatering dishes, wholesome family fun, unforgettable entertainment events, breathtaking glimpses of world cultures and the tastes of global cuisines, you think of it and DSF has it. It is a world without boundaries, where cultures converge and civilisations meet.
reported by Khaleej Times Online
Labels: Dubai
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Dubai Symphonic Pops - ‘From Mozart to Movies’
Two concerts - free to the public - in Dubai on December 16th and 17th at DUCTAC – MOE.
Ground breaking news for music lovers!
The Dubai Orchestra and guest artists, in association with Marina Home Interiors, Emirates Today and Dubai Eye 103.8 present: The Dubai Symphonic Pops – ‘From Mozart to Movies’ conducted by Philipp Maier, on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, December 2006 at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre.
From Mendelssohn to Mozart, songs from the movies and famous musicals and traditional Arabic tunes to Indian music – this program will cater for the tastes of all and delight concert goers with the variety of its program.
The 40 member orchestra under the dynamic artistic direction of conductor and pianist Philip Maier
Two concerts - free to the public - in Dubai on December 16th and 17th at DUCTAC – MOE.
Ground breaking news for music lovers!
The Dubai Orchestra and guest artists, in association with Marina Home Interiors, Emirates Today and Dubai Eye 103.8 present: The Dubai Symphonic Pops – ‘From Mozart to Movies’ conducted by Philipp Maier, on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, December 2006 at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre.
From Mendelssohn to Mozart, songs from the movies and famous musicals and traditional Arabic tunes to Indian music – this program will cater for the tastes of all and delight concert goers with the variety of its program.
The 40 member orchestra under the dynamic artistic direction of conductor and pianist Philip Maier
will perform an eclectic repertoire of classical and contemporary music to suit all tastes and will also feature UK singing sensation Cara-Jane Roberts
and local artist Melanie Roberts.
Conductor and artistic director Philip Maier is a firm believer in the need for the UAE to have its own world renowned orchestra and sees building one locally as the best way to start. “We need to add to and build the cultural foundations of Dubai and the UAE and invest in its musical and cultural heritage as well as its economic vision. The role of this orchestra culturally, is to musically reflect the myriad nationalities that live together in the UAE”, says Maier.
Players of all nationalities who reside in the UAE make up this vibrant orchestra – the first locally based Philharmonic Orchestra - and travel to weekly rehearsals in Dubai and all over the emirates to perform in small concerts and corporate bookings to huge acclaim. “At each performance we do, people are overwhelmed by the diversity of the repertoire and immediately ask when they can see another performance by the Orchestra. What grew from small concerts we called ‘City Serenades’ has grown into something much bigger and quite wonderful”, comments Maier. “The potential for further growth is enormous! We are also delighted to perform for the first time to Dubai’s public for free in the wonderful Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC) which presents a world-class performance facility. The Dubai Orchestra is looking forward to a long-term partnership with DUCTAC. Every great country in the world has its own orchestra of which to be proud”, says Maier. “Why should Dubai not have the same? My aim is to eventually form a full time professional Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra that is resident in the UAE and can perform record,
accompany international artists who come to Dubai to perform, and in turn, act as a cultural ambassador to the UAE by performing internationally”.
Marina Home Interiors have demonstrated their commitment to Dubai’s cultural development in becoming the main sponsors of the Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra. “Marina’s style is a reflection of diverse cultures which draw inspiration from the ancient history of diverse societies. We are pleased to be associated with a cause that shares our passion for art and culture. Performances of this type keep traditions alive and help build a cultural and musical legacy which passes on from one generation to another”, comments Kurshid Vakil, Executive Director Marina Home Interiors.
The Dubai Symphonic Pops - ‘From Mozart To Movies’ will take place at the Dubai Community Arts & Theatre Centre DUCTAC on top of the Mall of the Emirates on Saturday December 16th at 8 pm and Sunday, December 17th at 7 pm. Entry is free to the public but seat reservation is essential by phoning Dubai 04 3414 777 or email boxoffice@ductac.org or in person at the Dubai Community Arts & Theatre Centre, MOE, during box office hours 9am- 10 pm.
For more information on the Orchestra, please log on onto www.dubaiorchestra.com
or email philipp@uaephilharmonic.com
The Dubai Symphonic Pops are presented by Marina Home Interiors, Emirates Today, Dubai Eye 103.8 and DUCTAC Theatre and supported by tmh - The Media House and Creativeforce Dubai.
and local artist Melanie Roberts.
Conductor and artistic director Philip Maier is a firm believer in the need for the UAE to have its own world renowned orchestra and sees building one locally as the best way to start. “We need to add to and build the cultural foundations of Dubai and the UAE and invest in its musical and cultural heritage as well as its economic vision. The role of this orchestra culturally, is to musically reflect the myriad nationalities that live together in the UAE”, says Maier.
Players of all nationalities who reside in the UAE make up this vibrant orchestra – the first locally based Philharmonic Orchestra - and travel to weekly rehearsals in Dubai and all over the emirates to perform in small concerts and corporate bookings to huge acclaim. “At each performance we do, people are overwhelmed by the diversity of the repertoire and immediately ask when they can see another performance by the Orchestra. What grew from small concerts we called ‘City Serenades’ has grown into something much bigger and quite wonderful”, comments Maier. “The potential for further growth is enormous! We are also delighted to perform for the first time to Dubai’s public for free in the wonderful Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC) which presents a world-class performance facility. The Dubai Orchestra is looking forward to a long-term partnership with DUCTAC. Every great country in the world has its own orchestra of which to be proud”, says Maier. “Why should Dubai not have the same? My aim is to eventually form a full time professional Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra that is resident in the UAE and can perform record,
accompany international artists who come to Dubai to perform, and in turn, act as a cultural ambassador to the UAE by performing internationally”.
Marina Home Interiors have demonstrated their commitment to Dubai’s cultural development in becoming the main sponsors of the Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra. “Marina’s style is a reflection of diverse cultures which draw inspiration from the ancient history of diverse societies. We are pleased to be associated with a cause that shares our passion for art and culture. Performances of this type keep traditions alive and help build a cultural and musical legacy which passes on from one generation to another”, comments Kurshid Vakil, Executive Director Marina Home Interiors.
The Dubai Symphonic Pops - ‘From Mozart To Movies’ will take place at the Dubai Community Arts & Theatre Centre DUCTAC on top of the Mall of the Emirates on Saturday December 16th at 8 pm and Sunday, December 17th at 7 pm. Entry is free to the public but seat reservation is essential by phoning Dubai 04 3414 777 or email boxoffice@ductac.org or in person at the Dubai Community Arts & Theatre Centre, MOE, during box office hours 9am- 10 pm.
For more information on the Orchestra, please log on onto www.dubaiorchestra.com
or email philipp@uaephilharmonic.com
The Dubai Symphonic Pops are presented by Marina Home Interiors, Emirates Today, Dubai Eye 103.8 and DUCTAC Theatre and supported by tmh - The Media House and Creativeforce Dubai.
Labels: Dubai
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Dubai Studio City (DSC), the emerging film, broadcast and music production hub of the region, announced the first phase of its infrastructure development that will feature the largest sound stage in the region.
To be built according high global standards, the first phase, with three sound stages, will create the nucleus of Dubai Studio City's massive production infrastructure. Phase I will also accommodate a range of facilities including a backlot, warehouses, workshops, and commercial and support offices.
Two sound stages, each providing 25,295 sq. ft of sound-proofed studio space are expected to be ready by Q1 2008 while the third sound stage providing 15,500 sq. ft. of space will be developed by Q4 2007. The two larger stages can be connected with large elephant doors to create a 50,000 sq. ft stage.
With redundant power and cooling, complete catwalk and rigging facilities, elephant doors to loading and unloading bays, attached support offices and warehouse and workshop facilities, the sound stages are equipped to meet the requirements of the most demanding big-budget productions.
Phase I of the infrastructure forms part of Dubai Studio City's core production area that will eventually have 14 sound stages ranging from 15,000 sq ft. to 50,000 sq ft.
Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Executive Director of Media for TECOM Investments said:
"Dubai Studio City's sound stage complex forms part of an infrastructure that is one of the critical building blocks for a vibrant film and television industry in Dubai. By combining it with support services, commercial, residential and educational facilities, Dubai Studio City will provide a unique one-stop-shop offering for film and broadcast companies."
Dubai Studio City's large production infrastructure responds to the surging interest from Hollywood, Bollywood and regional film centres in using Dubai as a shooting location and production base. The annual Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has focused attention on Dubai's advantages as a film location while the expansion of Dubai Media City's broadcast community has created a huge need for studio facilities. Over 150 channels are looking for the right infrastructure to diversify their programming in response to viewer demand.
Dubai Studio City is creating a comprehensive range of infrastructure and services to respond to this huge demand. Part of the offering is the Location Approval Services (LAS) that facilitate all production and filming approvals, and provide location scouting, quick access to talent, processing of visas, airline bookings and affordable accommodation for crews. In 2006, DSC provided Location Approval Services to 28 film productions.
More than 25 companies from Egypt, Lebanon, India and the US have been licensed in 2006 to join Dubai Studio City. The increasing interest is testimony to the industry's confidence in Dubai Studio City's ability to provide a world-class infrastructure and quality ancillary services.
Launched in February 2005, Dubai Studio City aims to build a huge cluster of companies from across the film, broadcast and music production value-chain.
These include production companies, support service providers offering production and post-production facilities, animation studios and services like dubbing, makeup, costume designing, stage designing and building, casting, telnet agencies as well as telecine and lab facilities.
Dubai Studio City will house a film and television academy, entertainment and retail spaces, and hotels and residential facilities.
Dubai Studio City's offering has been designed not just to attract big-budget production ventures but also to support the fledgling local film industry that is increasingly making its presence felt.
To be built according high global standards, the first phase, with three sound stages, will create the nucleus of Dubai Studio City's massive production infrastructure. Phase I will also accommodate a range of facilities including a backlot, warehouses, workshops, and commercial and support offices.
Two sound stages, each providing 25,295 sq. ft of sound-proofed studio space are expected to be ready by Q1 2008 while the third sound stage providing 15,500 sq. ft. of space will be developed by Q4 2007. The two larger stages can be connected with large elephant doors to create a 50,000 sq. ft stage.
With redundant power and cooling, complete catwalk and rigging facilities, elephant doors to loading and unloading bays, attached support offices and warehouse and workshop facilities, the sound stages are equipped to meet the requirements of the most demanding big-budget productions.
Phase I of the infrastructure forms part of Dubai Studio City's core production area that will eventually have 14 sound stages ranging from 15,000 sq ft. to 50,000 sq ft.
Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Executive Director of Media for TECOM Investments said:
"Dubai Studio City's sound stage complex forms part of an infrastructure that is one of the critical building blocks for a vibrant film and television industry in Dubai. By combining it with support services, commercial, residential and educational facilities, Dubai Studio City will provide a unique one-stop-shop offering for film and broadcast companies."
Dubai Studio City's large production infrastructure responds to the surging interest from Hollywood, Bollywood and regional film centres in using Dubai as a shooting location and production base. The annual Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has focused attention on Dubai's advantages as a film location while the expansion of Dubai Media City's broadcast community has created a huge need for studio facilities. Over 150 channels are looking for the right infrastructure to diversify their programming in response to viewer demand.
Dubai Studio City is creating a comprehensive range of infrastructure and services to respond to this huge demand. Part of the offering is the Location Approval Services (LAS) that facilitate all production and filming approvals, and provide location scouting, quick access to talent, processing of visas, airline bookings and affordable accommodation for crews. In 2006, DSC provided Location Approval Services to 28 film productions.
More than 25 companies from Egypt, Lebanon, India and the US have been licensed in 2006 to join Dubai Studio City. The increasing interest is testimony to the industry's confidence in Dubai Studio City's ability to provide a world-class infrastructure and quality ancillary services.
Launched in February 2005, Dubai Studio City aims to build a huge cluster of companies from across the film, broadcast and music production value-chain.
These include production companies, support service providers offering production and post-production facilities, animation studios and services like dubbing, makeup, costume designing, stage designing and building, casting, telnet agencies as well as telecine and lab facilities.
Dubai Studio City will house a film and television academy, entertainment and retail spaces, and hotels and residential facilities.
Dubai Studio City's offering has been designed not just to attract big-budget production ventures but also to support the fledgling local film industry that is increasingly making its presence felt.
Labels: Construction, Dubai, Properties
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Organisers of the third Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) are hoping to boost attendance figures at the event by more than 15 per cent compared to last year.
Neil Stephenson, the event's chief executive, said he hoped about 35,000 tickets would be sold or given away for the eight-day festival — up from 30,000 at the 2005 gathering.
If the predictions are achieved, it would make the 2006 DIFF twice the size of the inaugural event in 2004, for which 18,000 tickets were distributed.
Stephenson said 102 films would be showing between December 10 and 17 this year — up from 98 at DIFF last year.
Bigger than Cannes
"If you look at some of the other big international film festivals like Cannes, that has only three or four different sections and only 70 or 80 films, so we have more than them.
"And we want to show edgy and provocative films that the audience wouldn't otherwise get to see," Stephenson said.
The final line-up of films will not be announced until November, but Stephenson said that 47 of the films scheduled were from the Arab region and the other 52 came from all parts of the world including the Indian subcontinent, North America and Europe.
"There will be a few more Arab films but not a huge percentage more. We will have a very strong representation from all parts of the world, as in previous years.
"We'll have something for Asians — there is the Cinema of the Subcontinent section — and Europeans, as well as those who like Arab cinema. There will be something for everyone," he said.
A-listers
And just as previous events have attracted big-name stars such as Morgan Freeman, so Stephenson is expecting a few Hollywood A-listers, some of Bollywood's biggest names and top actors and actresses from the Arab film industry.
"We hope to get some really interesting people to come, although it's very early to say at the moment. A lot of these big names don't know their schedule until the very last moment," Stephenson said.
The first DIFF, held in December 2004, featured 76 films, while last year's had 98 films, from a total of 46 countries.
Dont miss it!
The third Dubai International Film Festival will be held between 10 and 17 December 2006.
courtesy of Gulf News
Neil Stephenson, the event's chief executive, said he hoped about 35,000 tickets would be sold or given away for the eight-day festival — up from 30,000 at the 2005 gathering.
If the predictions are achieved, it would make the 2006 DIFF twice the size of the inaugural event in 2004, for which 18,000 tickets were distributed.
Stephenson said 102 films would be showing between December 10 and 17 this year — up from 98 at DIFF last year.
Bigger than Cannes
"If you look at some of the other big international film festivals like Cannes, that has only three or four different sections and only 70 or 80 films, so we have more than them.
"And we want to show edgy and provocative films that the audience wouldn't otherwise get to see," Stephenson said.
The final line-up of films will not be announced until November, but Stephenson said that 47 of the films scheduled were from the Arab region and the other 52 came from all parts of the world including the Indian subcontinent, North America and Europe.
"There will be a few more Arab films but not a huge percentage more. We will have a very strong representation from all parts of the world, as in previous years.
"We'll have something for Asians — there is the Cinema of the Subcontinent section — and Europeans, as well as those who like Arab cinema. There will be something for everyone," he said.
A-listers
And just as previous events have attracted big-name stars such as Morgan Freeman, so Stephenson is expecting a few Hollywood A-listers, some of Bollywood's biggest names and top actors and actresses from the Arab film industry.
"We hope to get some really interesting people to come, although it's very early to say at the moment. A lot of these big names don't know their schedule until the very last moment," Stephenson said.
The first DIFF, held in December 2004, featured 76 films, while last year's had 98 films, from a total of 46 countries.
Dont miss it!
The third Dubai International Film Festival will be held between 10 and 17 December 2006.
courtesy of Gulf News
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai yesterday honoured the winners of the prestigious Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Arab Management 2006.
Held during the 4th Arab Strategy Forum, underway in Dubai, the awards' ceremony was attended by VIPs, distinguished local and regional guests and government officials.
Aluminium Bahrain won the coveted US $25,000 'Best Arab Organization' award. It was recognised for its clear vision and goals, and its integrated business strategy. It was also honoured for encouraging individual creativity among its employees and offering the highest levels of customer service.
Jordan based Public Transport Regulatory Commission won the US $20,000 'Best Arab Governmental Organization' category, for its commitment to sustained development and use of technology to simplify processes.
The US $20,000 cash prize for 'Best Arab Management Practice' was presented to the Business Development Centre of Petroleum Development Oman, for assisting locals in starting their own businesses and helping to create new job opportunities for Omanis.
Engineer Subhi AbdulJalil Batarji, President of the Saudi-German Hospital Group, won the US $15,000 'Best Management Personality' category for his contribution to promoting investments in the healthcare sector.
Aisha Saif Mohammad, Director of Al Manar School, Sharjah, and Dr. Mayssoun Mustafa Brimo, President of the National Association for Environment in Syria shared the 'Distinguished Arab Manager - Woman' award.
A teacher, Mohammad was recognized for her highly organized work which has inspired a lot of her students to excel. She has received a number of awards. Dr. Brimo was recognised for her efforts to promote sustainable development and preserving the environment in the Arab World. She is an author of numerous books and has hosted both TV and radio programmes.
The US $15,000 award for 'Distinguished Arab Manager' went to Faisal Mohammad Al Suwaidi, General Manager of Qatar Liquefied Gas Corporation, for demonstrating outstanding leadership skills.
UAE national Khawla Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Director of the Ma'ali School, Al Ain, received the 'Distinguished Arab Employee' award, for setting an example in the search for excellence and her service to the community. She has received a number of other awards for being a positive influence on her students and their parents. She recently set up a special website focusing on the environment.
Talal Abu Ghazaleh, President of Talal Abu Ghazaleh and Co. International (TAGI), in an opening address, praised the award and the efforts made to promote quality performance among Arab organizations, in both the private and governmental sector.
'Today's assembly to honour the winners of the Award for Arab Management is a recognition of Arab creativity,' he said. Talal Abu Ghazaleh and Co. International (TAGI), was chosen as a strategic partner by the general secretariat of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Arab Management 2006.
The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Arab Management reflects the vision and commitment of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai to contribute to the development and growth of organizations in the Arab world.
It has received broad acceptance from governmental and non-governmental entities operating in the Arab world, and has successfully attracted the attention of workers in the public and private sectors.
The Award is intended to encourage best management practices and innovative initiatives in Arab countries, motivate and honour distinguished Arab professionals, and raise awareness and promote application of modern management, quality and excellence concepts in management.
Held during the 4th Arab Strategy Forum, underway in Dubai, the awards' ceremony was attended by VIPs, distinguished local and regional guests and government officials.
Aluminium Bahrain won the coveted US $25,000 'Best Arab Organization' award. It was recognised for its clear vision and goals, and its integrated business strategy. It was also honoured for encouraging individual creativity among its employees and offering the highest levels of customer service.
Jordan based Public Transport Regulatory Commission won the US $20,000 'Best Arab Governmental Organization' category, for its commitment to sustained development and use of technology to simplify processes.
The US $20,000 cash prize for 'Best Arab Management Practice' was presented to the Business Development Centre of Petroleum Development Oman, for assisting locals in starting their own businesses and helping to create new job opportunities for Omanis.
Engineer Subhi AbdulJalil Batarji, President of the Saudi-German Hospital Group, won the US $15,000 'Best Management Personality' category for his contribution to promoting investments in the healthcare sector.
Aisha Saif Mohammad, Director of Al Manar School, Sharjah, and Dr. Mayssoun Mustafa Brimo, President of the National Association for Environment in Syria shared the 'Distinguished Arab Manager - Woman' award.
A teacher, Mohammad was recognized for her highly organized work which has inspired a lot of her students to excel. She has received a number of awards. Dr. Brimo was recognised for her efforts to promote sustainable development and preserving the environment in the Arab World. She is an author of numerous books and has hosted both TV and radio programmes.
The US $15,000 award for 'Distinguished Arab Manager' went to Faisal Mohammad Al Suwaidi, General Manager of Qatar Liquefied Gas Corporation, for demonstrating outstanding leadership skills.
UAE national Khawla Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Director of the Ma'ali School, Al Ain, received the 'Distinguished Arab Employee' award, for setting an example in the search for excellence and her service to the community. She has received a number of other awards for being a positive influence on her students and their parents. She recently set up a special website focusing on the environment.
Talal Abu Ghazaleh, President of Talal Abu Ghazaleh and Co. International (TAGI), in an opening address, praised the award and the efforts made to promote quality performance among Arab organizations, in both the private and governmental sector.
'Today's assembly to honour the winners of the Award for Arab Management is a recognition of Arab creativity,' he said. Talal Abu Ghazaleh and Co. International (TAGI), was chosen as a strategic partner by the general secretariat of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Arab Management 2006.
The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Arab Management reflects the vision and commitment of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai to contribute to the development and growth of organizations in the Arab world.
It has received broad acceptance from governmental and non-governmental entities operating in the Arab world, and has successfully attracted the attention of workers in the public and private sectors.
The Award is intended to encourage best management practices and innovative initiatives in Arab countries, motivate and honour distinguished Arab professionals, and raise awareness and promote application of modern management, quality and excellence concepts in management.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Dubai - Emaar rolls out Attareen at The Old Town Island.
With over 50 per cent of construction work already completed, the 88 exclusive apartments feature an Arabian architectural style in a modern setting. Emaar has joined hands with Amlak Finance to offer easy finance options to potential buyers.
A low-rise development, The Old Town Island has four quarters – Al Bahar, Tajer, Attareen and The Palace Hotel, Old Town. The launch of Attareen follows the sell-out success of Tajer in the first phase.
“Attareen Residences integrates residences and boutique offices within a landscaped environment featuring gardens and pools,” said Bahiya Kayed, Assistant Director of Sales, Emaar Properties. “With only 88 apartments, Attareen is ideal for potential home-owners who seek an exclusive retreat within Downtown Burj Dubai.”
Ready for hand-over in summer 2007, the 7-level Attareen quarter is pedestrian-friendly and will have a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments, apart from 8,000 square metres of boutique offices and 500 parking bays. Each unit has a distinctive layout, thus providing home-owners with individualized style choices.
The apartments range in size from 831 to 2,891 square feet and prices are from AED 1.35 million for a one-bedroom to AED 4.9 million for a three-bedroom apartment.
“We extend finance of up to 96 per cent of the property value for terms of up to 25 years for UAE residents,” said Khalid Zainal, Head of Sales & Distribution, Amlak Finance. “Investors and home-owners can now own a home at The Old Town Island, one of the prestigious projects in Downtown Burj Dubai, for only four per cent of the value, followed by easy monthly installments.”
The Old Town Island waterfront project is characterized by market squares, meandering alleyways and inner courtyards. It brings in the mystique of traditional boulevards, with stalls, boutiques and coffee houses. Souk Al Bahar is the retail and entertainment centre offering an array of leisure and shopping choices for residents.
With over 50 per cent of construction work already completed, the 88 exclusive apartments feature an Arabian architectural style in a modern setting. Emaar has joined hands with Amlak Finance to offer easy finance options to potential buyers.A low-rise development, The Old Town Island has four quarters – Al Bahar, Tajer, Attareen and The Palace Hotel, Old Town. The launch of Attareen follows the sell-out success of Tajer in the first phase.
“Attareen Residences integrates residences and boutique offices within a landscaped environment featuring gardens and pools,” said Bahiya Kayed, Assistant Director of Sales, Emaar Properties. “With only 88 apartments, Attareen is ideal for potential home-owners who seek an exclusive retreat within Downtown Burj Dubai.”
Ready for hand-over in summer 2007, the 7-level Attareen quarter is pedestrian-friendly and will have a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments, apart from 8,000 square metres of boutique offices and 500 parking bays. Each unit has a distinctive layout, thus providing home-owners with individualized style choices.
The apartments range in size from 831 to 2,891 square feet and prices are from AED 1.35 million for a one-bedroom to AED 4.9 million for a three-bedroom apartment.
“We extend finance of up to 96 per cent of the property value for terms of up to 25 years for UAE residents,” said Khalid Zainal, Head of Sales & Distribution, Amlak Finance. “Investors and home-owners can now own a home at The Old Town Island, one of the prestigious projects in Downtown Burj Dubai, for only four per cent of the value, followed by easy monthly installments.”
The Old Town Island waterfront project is characterized by market squares, meandering alleyways and inner courtyards. It brings in the mystique of traditional boulevards, with stalls, boutiques and coffee houses. Souk Al Bahar is the retail and entertainment centre offering an array of leisure and shopping choices for residents.
Labels: Burj Dubai, Construction, Dubai, Properties
Monday, December 04, 2006
Construction of the largest proposed light rapid transit system in the world is on track and on time, delegates heard at a regional railway conference in Dubai on Wednesday.
The first phase of the Dh15.5-billion Dubai Metro will be completed by September 2009, contrary to some predictions abroad that the Roads and Transport Authority's deadline is too optimistic, pledged Abdul Majid Al Khaja, the RTA's chief executive officer overseeing the rail project.
One quarter of the work on the first 52.1-kilometre metro line is complete and construction on a second 17.6-kilometre Green line is scheduled to begin in a few months, he said.
The new metro lines are part of Dubai's largest infrastructure project ever undertaken, a fully automated, driverless railway system in which 100 trains will whisk 650 million passengers every year to 56 stations along four separate lines to be completed by 2011.
"Forty-nine months for such a calibre of project is a very challenging task. We are on time, this is important," Al Khaja said on the first of the two-day Middle East Rail 2006 conference.
"I have been to conferences in many other countries [where] many of them do not believe it will happen. We tell them it will happen in Dubai."
He told 300 railway and business leaders that the metro is critical to meet Dubai's growing population that is predicted to climb to 5.5 million by 2020.
Al Khaja said the RTA has a huge fast-tracking advantage over other planning organisations because "the system is different here, we don't have bureaucrats here."
courtesy of Gulf News
The first phase of the Dh15.5-billion Dubai Metro will be completed by September 2009, contrary to some predictions abroad that the Roads and Transport Authority's deadline is too optimistic, pledged Abdul Majid Al Khaja, the RTA's chief executive officer overseeing the rail project.
One quarter of the work on the first 52.1-kilometre metro line is complete and construction on a second 17.6-kilometre Green line is scheduled to begin in a few months, he said.
The new metro lines are part of Dubai's largest infrastructure project ever undertaken, a fully automated, driverless railway system in which 100 trains will whisk 650 million passengers every year to 56 stations along four separate lines to be completed by 2011.
"Forty-nine months for such a calibre of project is a very challenging task. We are on time, this is important," Al Khaja said on the first of the two-day Middle East Rail 2006 conference.
"I have been to conferences in many other countries [where] many of them do not believe it will happen. We tell them it will happen in Dubai."
He told 300 railway and business leaders that the metro is critical to meet Dubai's growing population that is predicted to climb to 5.5 million by 2020.
Al Khaja said the RTA has a huge fast-tracking advantage over other planning organisations because "the system is different here, we don't have bureaucrats here."
courtesy of Gulf News
Labels: Construction, Dubai, Dubai Metro
Sunday, December 03, 2006
DUBAI — The country was lashed by strong winds and heavy rains yesterday. The heaviest showers of this winter flooded roads, houses, shops and uprooted trees in many areas. Hundreds of minor road accidents were also reported across the country.
While, traffic came to a standstill in several parts of Dubai and Sharjah and the public parks and beaches remained deserted, the rain- soaked day also marred a number of outdoor celebrations organised by various government departments to mark the UAE’s 35th National Day. A number of events lined up in Dubai and Sharjah were cancelled, or, postponed owing to the rains, organisers said.
Watani Programme announced that the National Day celebrations planned for December 2 including the event at the Mamzar Park at 5pm were postponed till further notice. The UAE Balloon team which was supposed to stage a show at the Union House at 6am yesterday morning was forced to postpone the programme due to the heavy showers.
A source at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said around 15 outdoor events in various parts of Dubai had to be postponed. “One of the major events, the preparation of the biggest Al Lukaimat, a traditional Arabic dish was postponed to Sunday due to heavy rains on Saturday,” a statement from the DTCM read.
The culinary event was supposed to feature more than 300 chefs from various nationalities preparing 35,000 pieces of Al Lukaimat and to be distributed to the public at Heritage Village.
Celebrations at the Qanat Al Qasbah in Sharjah stand cancelled, while the UAE National day celebrations with a public meeting at the Indian Association Sharjah had to be cancelled in the wake of the inability of the people to attend the event due to bad weather. The Dubai Rock 2006 to be held today, organisers said, “is now rescheduled for December 14 because the venue is a mess due to the rains.”
Rain continued to play havoc causing huge water ponds in the sandy patches in Sharjah, Ajman and Dubai with a number of parked cars submerged in the water. Many of the roads, particularly in Sharjah and Ajman were also water logged bringing the traffic to move at a snail’s pace in these emirates. A portion of a road under construction in Deira collapsed due to the heavy shower and water accumulation, it was reported.
Water flooding in homes
Several residents complained of water flooding into homes and leaking ceilings. “Most residents have faced a tough day clearing their homes flooded with knee deep water and leaking ceilings,” complained a woman who along with her family was forced to abandon their house and take shelter in their friends’ home in an adjoining area.
“ This time it is particularly very bad,” said the resident, expressing helplessness over the damage caused to her home and furniture during the heavy rain spell yesterday.
A spokesperson at the Meteorological Office of the Dubai International Airport (DIA), the downpour was caused by a low atmospheric pressure.
Phil Targett, duty forecaster at the Met Office, said the unsettled weather condition resulted to the mercury dropping at 18 degrees Celsius, with the highest temperature registered at 20 degrees Celsius.
Airports unaffected
Meanwhile, despite the heavy rainfall, operations at the Dubai International Airport and the Sharjah International Airport have remained unaffected with flights departing and arriving as scheduled.
Targett said that the weather is predicted to be fine today. “We can expect a fine weather condition with chance of rain in the afternoon and evening,” he said. The Met Office has also forecasted that the rest of the week from Monday until Wednesday will remain partly cloudy.
The Dubai Police reported over 100 minor accidents in several parts of Dubai. A source said over 30 minor road accidents were recorded during the day by Bur Dubai Police station, Jebel Ali — 15, Rashidiya — 20 and Al Ghusaisd 20. The Dubai Civil Defence however had no major emergencies to attend except for a couple of cases of short circuit.
In Abu Dhabi, the day-long rain yesterday brought the temperature down to 20 degree Celsius from 31 degee C. The Meteorological Department of the National Authority of Communication recorded 6.5 mm rain in Abu Dhabi from 9am till 6pm yesterday.
Many outdoor National Day celebrations planned along the Corniche had to be cancelled due to the heavy rains. According to the Meteorological Department, there will be gradual improvement in the weather conditions with less amount of clouds and weak chance of rain starting from west area of the country.
For the next 48 hours, the weather is expected to be cloudy with a chance of rain over northern areas, the temperatures will be around mean values, with moderate wind and sea waves rising upto height 2-4 ft. Generally, the UAE winter continues until March. Temperatures during these months vary between 20-35 degrees Celsius in daytime, but can go as low as 15 degrees C at night. Infrequent rainfalls are normal, as well as sandstorms and fog, which occurs during some winter mornings. A report from Sharjah and Ajman said roads, parking lots and roundabouts all turned into pools of water due to the heavy rain that lashed the country on Friday night and yesterday.
Cars submerged in water
Cars in parking lots of residential areas were submerged in the water, giving a hard time to the owners.
The residents blamed the poor drainage system in the emirates which according to them, is “ becoming worse” with every passing year.
Sources from Sharjah Police said there were minor accidents occurring within the emirate of Sharjah.
The traffic police worked hard to direct the traffic on the intersection where its signal lights stopped functioning briefly due to the rains.
In Ajman the situation was worse as several residents were almost cut off with the streets being submerged in rain waters. The emirate resembled a huge lake. Areas like Al Nuaimia, Al Zahra and Corniche Road were all flooded with water. However, Ali Al Matroushi, an official from Ajman traffic Police said no major accidents were reported despite the flooding of the roads.
Al Ain City and its surrounding areas received moderate rains yesterday. The sky remained heavily overcast with strong winds. Rains continued to lash the city for several hours. A Met official forecast more rains in the next couple of days. Al Ain city recorded a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and humidity rose to a maximum of 100 per cent on Saturday. The forecast for Sunday stated that the city would see “very cloudy and overcast skies with possibilities of thundershowers during the day”.
The RAK emirate yesterday experienced heavy rains that lasted for several hours and flooded almost all of the emirate’s streets, valleys and dams with a dip in temperature. The showers started pouring since early dawn and continued throughout the day, affecting traffic. The RAK Air Wing Section (AWS), in cooperation with different sections from RAK Police Department conducted a large-scale operation to rescue around 300 holidaymakers who had been stranded by the heavy rains and floods that hit different parts of the emirate.
People stranded
“Most of the stranded people were families and individuals from different nationalities who went out to celebrate the National Day besides workers of construction companies and quarries,” Captain Pilot Saeed Al Yamahi, of AWS, told Khaleej Times.” Most of the operations took place in Al Beeh Valley and Al Beeh Grand Dam, located around 10 kilometres to the west of RAK old city, where the heavy floods destroyed parts of the asphalt road making it impossible for cars to move,” he added.
Teams from Coats Guard Section (CGS) managed to rescue a ship that veered due to the heavy storm and rains that hit the emirate’s coast. The Iranian vessel was said to have changed its course while it was on its way from Dubai to Iran carrying around 150 tonnes of foodstuffs. The CGS boats towed the broke-down ship to the RAK Port for maintenance. The ship’s eight-member crew sustained minor injuries and was treated in the emergency department of Saqer Hospital.
A man died on the spot when the car he was driving lost control and rammed into a power post in Al Geel area. The mishap was believed to have been caused by slippery road conditions.
The RAK Public Works Department (PWD) and RAK Civil Defence Department (CDD) dispatched several teams to pump out water from a large number of houses and streets to normalise the traffic.
Dubai Rock postponed
THE organisers of Dubai Rock 2006 scheduled to be held today have postponed the event to December 14 following the heavy rains and bad weather conditions.
Allan Jackson, the event director, Spotlight, said “We left no stone unturned to make this event the biggest one ever on Dubai soil but due to non-favourtable weather conditions and in the interest of public safety at large, we have decided to postpone the event to December 14.”
“There is no need to worry as tickets can be exchanged for the new date. Enquiries can also be made on 050-8469777/ 050-8472999,” he added.
reported and courtesy of Khaleej Times
While, traffic came to a standstill in several parts of Dubai and Sharjah and the public parks and beaches remained deserted, the rain- soaked day also marred a number of outdoor celebrations organised by various government departments to mark the UAE’s 35th National Day. A number of events lined up in Dubai and Sharjah were cancelled, or, postponed owing to the rains, organisers said.
Watani Programme announced that the National Day celebrations planned for December 2 including the event at the Mamzar Park at 5pm were postponed till further notice. The UAE Balloon team which was supposed to stage a show at the Union House at 6am yesterday morning was forced to postpone the programme due to the heavy showers.
A source at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said around 15 outdoor events in various parts of Dubai had to be postponed. “One of the major events, the preparation of the biggest Al Lukaimat, a traditional Arabic dish was postponed to Sunday due to heavy rains on Saturday,” a statement from the DTCM read.
The culinary event was supposed to feature more than 300 chefs from various nationalities preparing 35,000 pieces of Al Lukaimat and to be distributed to the public at Heritage Village.
Celebrations at the Qanat Al Qasbah in Sharjah stand cancelled, while the UAE National day celebrations with a public meeting at the Indian Association Sharjah had to be cancelled in the wake of the inability of the people to attend the event due to bad weather. The Dubai Rock 2006 to be held today, organisers said, “is now rescheduled for December 14 because the venue is a mess due to the rains.”
Rain continued to play havoc causing huge water ponds in the sandy patches in Sharjah, Ajman and Dubai with a number of parked cars submerged in the water. Many of the roads, particularly in Sharjah and Ajman were also water logged bringing the traffic to move at a snail’s pace in these emirates. A portion of a road under construction in Deira collapsed due to the heavy shower and water accumulation, it was reported.
Water flooding in homes
Several residents complained of water flooding into homes and leaking ceilings. “Most residents have faced a tough day clearing their homes flooded with knee deep water and leaking ceilings,” complained a woman who along with her family was forced to abandon their house and take shelter in their friends’ home in an adjoining area.
“ This time it is particularly very bad,” said the resident, expressing helplessness over the damage caused to her home and furniture during the heavy rain spell yesterday.
A spokesperson at the Meteorological Office of the Dubai International Airport (DIA), the downpour was caused by a low atmospheric pressure.
Phil Targett, duty forecaster at the Met Office, said the unsettled weather condition resulted to the mercury dropping at 18 degrees Celsius, with the highest temperature registered at 20 degrees Celsius.
Airports unaffected
Meanwhile, despite the heavy rainfall, operations at the Dubai International Airport and the Sharjah International Airport have remained unaffected with flights departing and arriving as scheduled.
Targett said that the weather is predicted to be fine today. “We can expect a fine weather condition with chance of rain in the afternoon and evening,” he said. The Met Office has also forecasted that the rest of the week from Monday until Wednesday will remain partly cloudy.
The Dubai Police reported over 100 minor accidents in several parts of Dubai. A source said over 30 minor road accidents were recorded during the day by Bur Dubai Police station, Jebel Ali — 15, Rashidiya — 20 and Al Ghusaisd 20. The Dubai Civil Defence however had no major emergencies to attend except for a couple of cases of short circuit.
In Abu Dhabi, the day-long rain yesterday brought the temperature down to 20 degree Celsius from 31 degee C. The Meteorological Department of the National Authority of Communication recorded 6.5 mm rain in Abu Dhabi from 9am till 6pm yesterday.
Many outdoor National Day celebrations planned along the Corniche had to be cancelled due to the heavy rains. According to the Meteorological Department, there will be gradual improvement in the weather conditions with less amount of clouds and weak chance of rain starting from west area of the country.
For the next 48 hours, the weather is expected to be cloudy with a chance of rain over northern areas, the temperatures will be around mean values, with moderate wind and sea waves rising upto height 2-4 ft. Generally, the UAE winter continues until March. Temperatures during these months vary between 20-35 degrees Celsius in daytime, but can go as low as 15 degrees C at night. Infrequent rainfalls are normal, as well as sandstorms and fog, which occurs during some winter mornings. A report from Sharjah and Ajman said roads, parking lots and roundabouts all turned into pools of water due to the heavy rain that lashed the country on Friday night and yesterday.
Cars submerged in water
Cars in parking lots of residential areas were submerged in the water, giving a hard time to the owners.
The residents blamed the poor drainage system in the emirates which according to them, is “ becoming worse” with every passing year.
Sources from Sharjah Police said there were minor accidents occurring within the emirate of Sharjah.
The traffic police worked hard to direct the traffic on the intersection where its signal lights stopped functioning briefly due to the rains.
In Ajman the situation was worse as several residents were almost cut off with the streets being submerged in rain waters. The emirate resembled a huge lake. Areas like Al Nuaimia, Al Zahra and Corniche Road were all flooded with water. However, Ali Al Matroushi, an official from Ajman traffic Police said no major accidents were reported despite the flooding of the roads.
Al Ain City and its surrounding areas received moderate rains yesterday. The sky remained heavily overcast with strong winds. Rains continued to lash the city for several hours. A Met official forecast more rains in the next couple of days. Al Ain city recorded a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and humidity rose to a maximum of 100 per cent on Saturday. The forecast for Sunday stated that the city would see “very cloudy and overcast skies with possibilities of thundershowers during the day”.
The RAK emirate yesterday experienced heavy rains that lasted for several hours and flooded almost all of the emirate’s streets, valleys and dams with a dip in temperature. The showers started pouring since early dawn and continued throughout the day, affecting traffic. The RAK Air Wing Section (AWS), in cooperation with different sections from RAK Police Department conducted a large-scale operation to rescue around 300 holidaymakers who had been stranded by the heavy rains and floods that hit different parts of the emirate.
People stranded
“Most of the stranded people were families and individuals from different nationalities who went out to celebrate the National Day besides workers of construction companies and quarries,” Captain Pilot Saeed Al Yamahi, of AWS, told Khaleej Times.” Most of the operations took place in Al Beeh Valley and Al Beeh Grand Dam, located around 10 kilometres to the west of RAK old city, where the heavy floods destroyed parts of the asphalt road making it impossible for cars to move,” he added.
Teams from Coats Guard Section (CGS) managed to rescue a ship that veered due to the heavy storm and rains that hit the emirate’s coast. The Iranian vessel was said to have changed its course while it was on its way from Dubai to Iran carrying around 150 tonnes of foodstuffs. The CGS boats towed the broke-down ship to the RAK Port for maintenance. The ship’s eight-member crew sustained minor injuries and was treated in the emergency department of Saqer Hospital.
A man died on the spot when the car he was driving lost control and rammed into a power post in Al Geel area. The mishap was believed to have been caused by slippery road conditions.
The RAK Public Works Department (PWD) and RAK Civil Defence Department (CDD) dispatched several teams to pump out water from a large number of houses and streets to normalise the traffic.
Dubai Rock postponed
THE organisers of Dubai Rock 2006 scheduled to be held today have postponed the event to December 14 following the heavy rains and bad weather conditions.
Allan Jackson, the event director, Spotlight, said “We left no stone unturned to make this event the biggest one ever on Dubai soil but due to non-favourtable weather conditions and in the interest of public safety at large, we have decided to postpone the event to December 14.”
“There is no need to worry as tickets can be exchanged for the new date. Enquiries can also be made on 050-8469777/ 050-8472999,” he added.
reported and courtesy of Khaleej Times
Labels: Dubai
South Africa rallied from 12-0 down at halftime to crush New Zealand 31-12 in the final of the rugby Dubai Sevens after New Zealand routed Canada 31-0 in heavy rain earlier Saturday. Canada was in the quarter-finals of an IRB Sevens rugby tournament for the first time since 2004. The Canadians lost to France 36-0, again under tough weather conditions, in a Plate semifinal later Saturday.
"It seems we struggle against New Zealand in the quarter-finals, much like the Commonwealth Games where we also faced them," Canadian coach Shane Thompson said. "It is almost like we have to learn how to take our game and intensity to the level they seem to play at on day two."
The Canadians had just as much trouble with France.
"You run into games like that where bounces go the other way and things really went well for France," Canadian manager Doug Tate said. "The game was full of deflected balls into guys' hands going at full speed and little chip kicks that stopped dead in the mud.
"The team was given a chance to play against the top teams, which is the only way you can move to that level. We have lots of work to do on defensive structure and eliminating little mistakes that at this level are turned into points."
Added Thompson: "A disappointing day but we came out healthy and the new players were given a good introduction to how fast it is played on the circuit.
"We can't duplicate this at home and they will be better for it."
Five unanswered second-half tries propelled South Africa to victory in the sevens world series opener, and a chance at George next weekend to win its home tournament for the first time and steal a clear early lead in the standings.
"When we got this squad together I said that we were going into these opening two events to win," South Africa coach Paul Treu said. "I think in the past we were perhaps happy with third but that changed for these events this year, and now we go home to George."
New Zealand, Dubai champs from 1999-2002, started better at the muddy Exiles club, with Edwin Cocker and captain Nigel Hunt crossing for a 12-0 lead by the break.
Treu then introduced Thobela Mdaka, and he scored only 27 seconds from the restart. Captain Kabamba Floors was over next, and his turnover set up Mdaka's second try for the lead.
Danwell Demas raced in, and the try scoring was capped by Stefan Basson, who was named player of the tournament.
"At halftime, Paul just told us to believe that we could do it, and we did," Basson said.
After dominating the first six world series then not even making a final last season, New Zealand was relieved to start the new series well.
"The fact that we're disappointed to lose a final speaks volumes after last year," coach Gordon Tietjens said. "The boys played really well in difficult conditions in the first half but South Africa then kept hold of possession and you can't win this game without the ball."
New Zealand eliminated world champion Fiji 17-12 in the semifinals, where South Africa dispatched two-time defending Dubai champ England 17-0.
Samoa, ousted 19-10 in the quarter-finals by South Africa, ended up winning the plate, downing France 26-7.
Argentina, which didn't win a pool match on Friday, rebounded with three victories to claim the bowl from Zimbabwe 26-7. Santiago Gomez Cora's four tries in the tournament gave him 146 and the all-time series record.
Wales, which failed only on points differential from reaching the quarter-finals, took home the shield.
"It seems we struggle against New Zealand in the quarter-finals, much like the Commonwealth Games where we also faced them," Canadian coach Shane Thompson said. "It is almost like we have to learn how to take our game and intensity to the level they seem to play at on day two."
The Canadians had just as much trouble with France.
"You run into games like that where bounces go the other way and things really went well for France," Canadian manager Doug Tate said. "The game was full of deflected balls into guys' hands going at full speed and little chip kicks that stopped dead in the mud.
"The team was given a chance to play against the top teams, which is the only way you can move to that level. We have lots of work to do on defensive structure and eliminating little mistakes that at this level are turned into points."
Added Thompson: "A disappointing day but we came out healthy and the new players were given a good introduction to how fast it is played on the circuit.
"We can't duplicate this at home and they will be better for it."
Five unanswered second-half tries propelled South Africa to victory in the sevens world series opener, and a chance at George next weekend to win its home tournament for the first time and steal a clear early lead in the standings.
"When we got this squad together I said that we were going into these opening two events to win," South Africa coach Paul Treu said. "I think in the past we were perhaps happy with third but that changed for these events this year, and now we go home to George."
New Zealand, Dubai champs from 1999-2002, started better at the muddy Exiles club, with Edwin Cocker and captain Nigel Hunt crossing for a 12-0 lead by the break.
Treu then introduced Thobela Mdaka, and he scored only 27 seconds from the restart. Captain Kabamba Floors was over next, and his turnover set up Mdaka's second try for the lead.
Danwell Demas raced in, and the try scoring was capped by Stefan Basson, who was named player of the tournament.
"At halftime, Paul just told us to believe that we could do it, and we did," Basson said.
After dominating the first six world series then not even making a final last season, New Zealand was relieved to start the new series well.
"The fact that we're disappointed to lose a final speaks volumes after last year," coach Gordon Tietjens said. "The boys played really well in difficult conditions in the first half but South Africa then kept hold of possession and you can't win this game without the ball."
New Zealand eliminated world champion Fiji 17-12 in the semifinals, where South Africa dispatched two-time defending Dubai champ England 17-0.
Samoa, ousted 19-10 in the quarter-finals by South Africa, ended up winning the plate, downing France 26-7.
Argentina, which didn't win a pool match on Friday, rebounded with three victories to claim the bowl from Zimbabwe 26-7. Santiago Gomez Cora's four tries in the tournament gave him 146 and the all-time series record.
Wales, which failed only on points differential from reaching the quarter-finals, took home the shield.
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