Colourful Closing Ceremony Of DIFF To Be Telecast Live Exclusively On Abu Dhabi Emarat Channel

The closing night red carpet and awards ceremony of the seventh Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will be telecast live exclusively on Abu Dhabi Emarat Channel on Sunday, Dec. 19 from 6 pm, followed by a repeat telecast on Monday morning, Dec. 20, the Festival and Abu Dhabi Media Company announced today.

Highlights of the finale of DIFF 2010 include the Festival’s honouring of its 2010 Lifetime Achievement Honourees; and the presentation of the 2010 Muhr Arab, Muhr Asia Africa and Muhr Emirati Awards. The live telecast will also cover the red carpet ceremony to be attended by international celebrities and stars from the Arab world and the UAE.

The prestigious awards, for the best feature, documentary and short films and talent from the Arab world and the two continents, will be accompanied by prizes in excess of USD 600,000. IN addition, DIFF will also present the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), Human Rights Film Network, Damas People’s Choice, Dubai Film Connection and DIFF Young Journalist awards.

DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The event is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com

Emarati Traditions Come To The Fore With DSS 2010 Min Bladi Al Emarat At Dubai Mall

Min Bladi Al Emarat, a DSS 2010 Signature Event and a festivity showcasing the tradition and culture of UAE, is currently underway at the Gold Souk Atrium at Dubai Mall. Running until July 26, the event portrays numerous aspects of Emarati life through contests. Besides the contests, visitors to Dubai Mall will also be treated to traditional music bands and dance.

"Min Bladi aims at raising awareness amongst visitors, residents, and UAE nationals about the heritage, customs, and traditions of UAE. Our goal through this event is to revive UAE heritage and in the process also create a platform for the exchange of cultures and instill a sense of identity among the young generations. We want to convey to them a clear-cut, all-embracing image of the deep-rooted traditions of our forefathers,” said Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment.

Competitions within Min Bladi are categorized as follows:

July 22 – best local food – Harees
Al harees, a savoured dish across UAE, is made mainly from meat and wheat, and is a popular treat during special occasions such as Ramadan, Eid, and weddings.

July 23 – local food – Legyumat
A sweet dish, legyumat is a favourite among Emaratis and expatriates in the UAE. Easy to make, the legyumat balls are fried and topped with date syrup or honey.

July 24 – best henna design
An integral part of life across the GCC and the Indian subcontinent, henna finds favour with the young and old, men and women alike. Min Bladi Al Emarat brings an interesting aspect of henna through henna designing.

July 25 – local food – Aseedha
A sweet dish akin to pudding and made from wheat, wheat flour, clarified butter, and sugar.

July 26 – local food – Khabees
Khabees is again a sweet dish and made up of flour and oil and is commonly served as a traditional dish for breakfasts, especially during Eid.
 

First Arabic Website Address with .Emarat Launched

 The Presidential Affairs Ministry has launched in cooperation with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) the first Arabic website on the Internet Khalifa.emarat.

HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs launched the website of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

The ministry lauded the efforts exerted by the TRA to achieve this feat, adding that the UAE domain in the Internet reflects UAE’s pride in Arabic language due to its role in the Arab culture. The new domain will also convey to the world the progress being experienced by the UAE. 

The UAE has become one of the four countries in the world allowed by the Internet Corporation Assigned for Names and Numbers (ICCAN) to use the Internet domain in its mother tongue.

Etisalat Receives Arabic ’Dot Emarat’ Domain

Etisalat today received approval for two Arabic-language Internet domain names – .emarat (in Arabic script). Etisalat’s announcement of a full Arabic Internet presence highlights its commitment to the UAE national identity through support of the Arabic language.

“The Arabic language is one of the cornerstones of our national identity and we are proud to register our domain name in Arabic,” said Nasser bin Obood Al Falasi, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Etisalat. “As the largest company in the UAE and one of the nation’s most important corporate ambassadors to international markets, having our domain in Arabic not only reinforces our proud position as a UAE company, but supports our international expansion into other Arab countries.”

Dot emarat was approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) making the UAE one of the first four countries in the history of the Internet to secure an internationalized top level domain name.

The new launched domain name will allow people whose primary language script is Arabic, to access websites entirely with Arabic characters.

Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It has over 107m customers in these markets, whose population now exceeds 2bn.
 

An Insight Into The Emarati Way Of Life Through DSS 2009 Min Bladi Al Emarat

A signature event of the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2009, ’Min Bladi Al Emarat’ is currently showcasing a host of activities featuring the Emarati way of life and culture at Dubai Marina Mall. The event is on till July 10th.

Some of the displays include arrays of antique cooking items, a cloth weaving corner, and a traditional medicine shop. A hospitality tent welcomes visitors to the exhibition with dates, tea, Arabic coffee, and sweets. Aside from these, a photo exhibit provides a dramatic glimpse on the country and its people. A traditional dance troupe is also at the venue, giving performances of traditional songs and dances.

The highlight of Min Bladi Al Emarat is the competitions featuring contests in various Emarati cuisine and tradition. The Best Legyumat (local food) competition will be held on July 9 and the last day of the competition on July 10th, will witness contests in the Best Henna Design and the Best Khabees (local food).

Her Excellency Dr. Maryam Matar officially opens DSS 2009 Min Bladi Al Emarat

Her Excellency Dr. Maryam Mattar, Director General of the Community Development Authority, officially inaugurated the DSS 2009 Signature Event ‘Min Bladi Al Emarat’ at Dubai Marina Mall on Thursday, July 02, 2009. The event was attended by Ibrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of DSF Office and Yousif Mubarak, COO of DSF office, in addition to a host of other officials.Min Bladi Al Emarat is a folkloric festivity showcasing the tradition and culture of UAE. The event is a much-awaited festivity of local traditions and customs and will go on till July 10.Her Excellency Dr. Maryam hailed Min Bladi as an event that authentically reflects UAE heritage and stressed that “such events should be organized more often in shopping malls where we can reach out to the younger generation and introduce to them the Emarati values.”Ibrahim Saleh said, “Min Bladi Al Emarat is popular not only as a heritage event but one that has contributed to the understanding of UAE and its traditions. Our aim is to make it possible for visitors and tourists to have an insight into the culture of this country and enable young Emaratis to relate to their identity. Additionally, the venue of this year’s Min Bladi Al Emarat, Dubai Marina Mall, is an indication of the DSF Office’s efforts to promote Dubai’s newest shopping and leisure destinations.”This year’s Min Bladi sees the inclusion of numerous activities in addition to the popular competitions that have been a characteristic of the event since its start. A Heritage Oasis, Traditional Craftsmen, a Hospitality Tent, and Traditional Shows are part of the attractions this year. While these activities will begin on July 1, the competitions will start off on July 6.Competitions within Min Bladi have been categorized as follows:The competitions for this year are mainly focused on local food and tradition. Contests for the Best Perfume and the Best Harees (local food), will be held on July 6. The following day, contestants will compete in the Best Incense and Best Aseeda (local food) categories.The Best Balaleeth (local food) contest will be the highlight for July 8 followed by the Best Legyumat (local food) on July 9. The last day of the competition will witness contests in the Best Henna Design and the Best Khabees (local food).
 

Emarati Traditions Come To The Fore As DSS 2009 Min Bladi Al Emarat Begins July 1

Min Bladi Al Emarat, a DSS 2009 Signature Event and a folkloric festivity showcasing the tradition and culture of UAE, kicks off on Wednesday, July 1, at Dubai Marina Mall, a member of the Dubai Shopping Malls Group. The event is a much-awaited festivity of local traditions and customs and will go on till July 10.

This year’s Min Bladi sees the inclusion of numerous activities in addition to the popular competitions that have been a characteristic of the event since its start. A Heritage Oasis, Traditional Craftsmen, a Hospitality Tent, and Traditional Shows are part of the attractions this year. While these activities will begin on July 1, the competitions will start off on July 6.

Maitha Gobash, Events Services Manager at DSF Office said, "Min Bladi aims at raising awareness amongst visitors, residents, and UAE nationals about the heritage, customs, and traditions of UAE. Our goal through this event is to revive UAE heritage and in the process also create a platform for the exchange of cultures and instill a sense of identity among the young generations. We want to convey to them a clear-cut, all-embracing image of the deeply-rooted traditions of our forefathers."

Competitions within Min Bladi have been categorized as follows:
The competitions for this year are mainly focused on local food and tradition. Contests for the Best Perfume and the Best Harees (local food), will be held on July 6. The following day, contestants will compete in the Best Incense and Best Aseeda (local food) categories.

The Best Balaleeth (local food) contest will be the highlight for July 8 followed by the Best Legyumat (local food) on July 9. The last day of the competition will witness contests in the Best Henna Design and the Best Khabees (local food).

13 Sponsors For Dubai Summer Surprises 2009

The Dubai Shopping Festival Office has announced 13 key sponsors for the upcoming Dubai Summer Surprises 2009, the region’s largest summer and shopping entertainment event. The sponsors consist of leading local and regional business houses some of whom have partnered with the summer event since its inception in 1998. With a budget of AED 70 million, DSS 2009 will go on for 65 days, from June 11 till August 14 under the slogan ‘Surprising Dubai’.

This year’s patrons for the summer event include Coca Cola ME, Al Futtaim Group – Dubai Festival City, Al Ghurair City, BurJuman, Emaar Malls Group LLC, Dubai Duty Free, WAFI, Dubai Shopping Malls Group, Dubai World Trade Centre, Emarat, Emirates Airline, MAF Shopping Malls, and MasterCard Worldwide.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports; Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of DSF Office Supreme Committee, hailed the DSS twelfth edition patrons, stating that sponsoring an event in the magnitude of DSS in a volatile global economic climate is an indication of the healthy and robust stance that the private sector enjoys in Dubai. HH said that “many of these leading companies have been supporting DSS since its inception and it just goes to show the relentless commitment of the private sector towards supporting Dubai’s Government initiatives, thus enhancing a unique alliance that has been a key factor of the DSS success story.”

“To support DSS is to support Dubai’s endeavor to maintain its regional leadership and position as a premier hub for business and leisure, and with the support of the private sector we will achieve our aim despite any challenges that we might face. Having 13 sponsors is a loud vote of confidence for Dubai Summer Surprises and its pivotal role in accelerating Dubai’s economy during the summer.”

“It’s a known fact that DSS has managed to become the most awaited summer event in the region. Tourists from around the region consider it as a great holiday destination that offers them all the attractions that they look for; retailers consider it a high season for their sales and shoppers look forward to its promotions and winning schemes. Clearly, it’s an event that caters for everyone.”

Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of DSF Office said, “We would like to thank our sponsors for their commitment and unwavering support during these challenging times. We see their support as not just for DSS but for the whole of Dubai as a destination and an affirmation that development is an ongoing process in this vibrant city. It also reflects the cooperation and trust that the Government of Dubai and private sector entities share.”

“The twelfth edition of DSS is a continuation of the past successes of the event and our strategy at the DSF Office will focus on aiding tourism and entertainment projects in achieving a high level of sustainable development as envisaged in the ‘Dubai 2015’ plan. DSS 2009 will witness new inclusions focused on providing the ideal summer vacation for families,” said Laila.

She also pointed out the new retail initiative being organized by the DSF Office that will run across four specific periods including Dubai Summer Surprises, Back-to-School season, Ramadan, and Eid Al Fitr. The four-month long promotion has been designed to benefit both retailers and consumers by organizing value added promotions and offers added Laila.