Emarati Students In UK Volunteer To Help DTCM Drive Awareness About UAE Heritage

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has announced that it has tapped the support of Emarati students in Britain for its exhibition at the recently concluded World Travel Market in London. The first-ever collaboration between DTCM and the students was hugely successful and was lauded for effectively disseminating information about the various travel and holiday offerings as well as festivals and tourist attractions in the UAE.

Saleh Al Geziry, Director of Overseas Promotions and Inward Missions, DTCM, said that the idea to partner with the students for the exhibition was part of DTCM’s strategy to achieve its core objective at the event, which was to raise awareness about the vibrant tourism sector of the Emirate, especially concerning the heritage tourism segment. On the other hand, the students have been able to gain practical experience that helped improve their know-how and expertise in the field of tourism.

In recognition of the students’ contributions, certificates of recognition were presented by Saleh Al Geziry to all the participating students. Those who volunteered to assist DTCM were Saeed Mohammed from the Faculty of Economy, Essex University; Mohammed Al Sayegh, who is pursuing a PhD in Microbiology at the University of London; Ahmed Al Mazmy, who is in his third year at the Royal College of Surgeons in London; Rashed Bin Mohammed Al Suwaidi, a sophomore at the Faculty of Economy in Richmond University; and Khalifa Hussein Al Suwaidi, a political science student at New Castle University.

The students, for their part, said that they were delighted to help DTCM and noted that the activity was greatly beneficial in helping them learn more about the tourism sector of Dubai, especially with regards to heritage tourism.
 

Dubai Bank Kunooz Account Proves 7 Times Lucky For Emarati Customer

For Rashid Khalifa, an Emarati government employee in his forties, August has proved to be an extremely special month – when he was declared the winner of Dubai Bank’s million dirham draw as a valued Kunooz account holder.

Having won 10,000 dirhams each in six previous draws, Rashid was hoping that he would be lucky one more time, this hope proved well founded when he received a call from Dubai Bank that he had won the million dirham prize.

On this occasion, Rashid, a father of four children who has been a Kunooz Account holder for the last ten months, said, “This is a wonderful moment for me and I am going to use this windfall to invest in my children’s future. I have reinvested the entire million dirhams back into Kunooz as it is a flexible and Shari’a compliant savings account with the promise of winning substantial prizes through daily and monthly draws.”

Tariq Al Farsi, Head of Branches at Dubai Bank, who presented the winning cheque to Mr. Khalifa, said, “Month after month, winners like Mr. Rashid have been the recipients of a million dirhams, transforming their lives forever. The appeal of Kunooz, with its savings potential and the opportunity to generate optimal returns, has grown exponentially among customers across the UAE. The added benefit of channeling their savings in a prudent and Shari’a-compliant manner has also proved to be a big draw for customers.”

Under the Kunooz monthly cash prize promotion, each multiple of AED 1,000 deposited in the Kunooz Account qualifies the customer for multiple entries into the draw for daily cash prizes of AED 30,000. For every multiple of AED 5,000 deposited, account holders become eligible for entry into the monthly grand prize draw of AED 1 million. The programme also offers participants the possibility to win more than once.
 

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.
 

Emarati Collectors Share Passion Of Collecting At The Collectors Exhibition

The Collectors exhibition, a signature event of Dubai Summer Surprises, has attracted its fair share of Emarati collectors this year with a range of diverse yet unique collectibles. Well known hobbyists like Suhail Zarooni have put Emarati collectors on the world map and more such collectors are following his lead to success.

Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Al Aqeeli took up his hobby of collecting vintage sunglasses two to three years ago. Inspired by the late His Highness Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ahmed’s collection might seem unattractive at first but gets attention when he mentions he has glasses worn by none other than Saddam Hussein.

Azza Al Marri took her hobby of collecting old items to a new level when she began meeting people of various nationalities and started collecting miscellaneous household items from them. Her collection now includes collecting authentic radios, bowls, precious antiques, daggers, and precious stones.

“Some of the items I have are from my family, and some of them are gifts from my dad as he likes to collect antiques as well. The beautiful thing about my hobby is that I didn’t buy these antiques, but I got them from my family as a family treasure and heritage through generations and I intend to keep this for generations that come after me,” said Azza.

Fathya Al Qassab has a collection that can only be called unique. While everyone has relished the egg-shaped Kinder Surprises chocolate, Fathya went on to collect the toys inside it. Today, she proudly owns more than 1500 pieces.

Visitors to BurJuman are also sure to be awed by a whole collection of modified cars. Salem Al Shaqsi, who began modifying cars in the 1990s, is well known throughout UAE for his unique craft. So far, he has customised around 190 cars across the GCC. Salem’s cars have also featured in Hollywood hits such as Fast and the Furious.

Wafa Khalid began collecting as a child and today has a collection that includes stamps, coins, post cards, phone cards, entrance tickets, mugs, hotel keys, sugar sachets, and toys. “My hobbies made me learn a lot about countries I have items from, made me read and search more about them. It’s great to know that there are others who share the same passion. It doesn’t matter what your hobby is as long as it makes you happy and gives you a break from life’s busy schedule,” said Wafa.

Suhail Zarooni needs no mention in the list of collectors in the UAE. Suhail’s collection at The Collectors this year includes Cartier limited edition pens, miniature car collection – for which he holds a Guinness World Record, stamps, 24K gold plated bank notes, coins, crushed bank notes, antiques, princess Diana doll collection (collected by his wife), Harry Potter (collection by Suhail Al Zarooni’s sons, Mubarak & Saif Suhail Al Zarooni), British Royal Family collection, Thai Royal Family collection, newspapers, Starbucks mugs, antique crockery, rare crockery, and trinkets from Wedgwood.

The Collectors exhibition goes on in BurJuman till July 24. Other collections include old manuscripts from the Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage, unique collection of Christain Lacroix Evian bottles, DSS branded telephone cards, stamps, coins, paper money, and classic cars. Also of special interest is a collection of garments worn by the prolific Lebanese singer Sabah, known across the Arab world as the ‘singing bird’.
 

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).

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).

The First Emarati In The Art Of Etiquette & Protocol Is Showcasing The Communication Smartness In Aswaaq

As part of aswaaq strategy to enhance the corporate internal communication for its employees, a workshop of etiquette and protocol has been conducted in aswaaq headquarters.The Etiquette & protocol program which was prepared & presented by Mr. Mohammad Marzooqi , the first Emarati in the art of etiquette and protocol , was running for 4 days training session to increase the quality level of customer service for aswaaq’s employee , especially as they are dealing with a large segment of society and retails industry in aswaaq community centers.

He emphasized that the program of Etiquette and protocol it is from the core of the Islamic principles, where there is a lot of the principles of etiquette are taken from the Holy quran and Prophet Mohammad, May the Peace of God Be upon Him (PBUH)

Also he addressed about the protocol used in the invitations and how to guide to a good management of the official visits and international arrangements that must be taken in the process.Commenting on the workshop session, Hind Al Falasi the Relations Manager of aswaaq said :” we always leverage in aswaaq on the internal communication to enhance the customer care skills in accordance with the highest global standards in Retails industry, particularly in the relevant areas to retails industry and tackle various segments of public which requires the preparation of employees in these community centers to deal with community members of all professional .”Mr.Marzooqi explained the behavior of courtesy etiquette, respect and improve the individual’s relationship with others, exchange greetings, the manners of dress and choice of clothing for every occasion and its importance in strengthening the relations between the members of the community.
 

Dubai Media Incorporated Conducts A Humanitarian Visit To The Pediatric Department Of Al Wasl Hospital

Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), one of the pioneering media organizations and creative services group in the Middle East, announced today, a delegation, of DMI media professionals and show presenters visited children at Al Wasl Hospital, Dubai, to put a smile on their faces and bring happiness and joy to their hearts. The initiative was overseen by DMI’s newly launched Corporate Social Responsibility Department.

The delegation distributed presents to the children, after which they participated in entertainment activities organized at the dedicated children’s play area at the hospital. Children joined the Emarati singer Mohammed Al Mazroui in singing, in an atmosphere filled with joy and excitement. The delegation spent the day playing and coloring with the children.

At the end of the visit, Mariam Al Murr Bin Hareiz, CSR Manager of DMI, presented a memorial trophy to Dr. Abdulla Al Khayyat, Manager of Al Wasl Hospital, in appreciation to his efforts in providing the media members of DMI to visit the children of the hospital. Dr. Khayyat also offered a memorial trophy to DMI in valuation to this unique initiative, and for the pioneering humanitarian role of DMI.

This visit is a component of a group of social activities planned as part of DMI’s CSR department’s strategy this year, which will continue and diversify to serve the society and enhance the connections between the different segments of the community.