Dubai Travel » Grand Finale

UAE’s Biggest Singing Talent Hunt Contest Gets Underway at The Arabian Center

Editor — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:03:25 +0000

Arabian Center, the latest hot spot for shopping, leisure and entertainment in Dubai, in association with the Channel Radio 4 Network, is hosting Arabian Center Radio Star 2009, a talent hunt for new and undiscovered singers from the UAE.Arabian Center Radio Star 2009 is being held in three languages – Arabic, English and Hindi, across the three Channel 4 Stations – 107.8 Radio Rabia (Arabic), 104.8 Channel 4 FM (English) and 89.1 Radio 4 FM (Hindi) respectively. The entries for each of the three channels will be short-listed and divided into two sub categories – below 14 and above 14. The Grand Finale will choose 18 winners- 3 in each category, in three languages, making the Arabian Center Radio Star the largest talent search contest for singers in the UAE.The contest is open for registration until June 12, 2009. Eager applicants can register and audition for the Arabian Center Radio Star at a special studio set up at the Arabian Center mall.During the five-week long period of the contest, Channel 4 Radio Network will broadcast live from the mall where the presenters will bring live auditions and updates to the radio listeners. The broadcast of the contest will be aired live on Channel 4 every evening from Arabian Center.The selected singers will compete in the semi finals and the Grand Finale, to be held on June 25, 26 and 27, 2009 on each of the three radio stations, will be held at Arabian Center and broadcasted live.Winners of the contest will walk away with prizes worth AED 150,000/-. The above 14 category winner from each station will get a chance to record a hit single which will be aired on each station, respectively, for a week.Apart from the opportunity to be recognized for their talent for singing, the contest also offers the opportunity for radio listeners to meet with their favourite Radio Hosts at Arabian Center.Speaking on the event, Mr. Tim Jones, COO, Arabian Center said, “Radio Star 2009 is a wonderful platform for new and undiscovered talent to be recognized. We have already witnessed some really good talent and voices that deserve to be heard. We invite all those who have the passion and dream to be a singer to come and take advantage of this amazing opportunity. One of the most exciting parts of this contest is the chance for the winner in the adult category to record a hit single which will be aired on each station throughout the week.”“We are excited to be a part of this contest to hunt for the best singing talent in the UAE along with Channel Radio 4 Network. We have already received an overwhelming response from those who are coming in for the auditions and are positive that the contest will be a huge success,” he further added.

The Dubai Mall hosts 3 million visitors over month-long shopping festival

Editor — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:59:24 +0000

The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, hosted three million visitors over the one-month long shopping and entertainment extravaganza, which concludes today (Friday, May 29, 2009). Festival@The Dubai Mall attracted more than 750,000 visitors every week, strengthening sales across the mall’s 900 retail and F&B outlets.Marking the formal opening of the mall by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Festival@The Dubai Mall offered a diverse bouquet of bargain deals on global brands, ’Win Millions’ raffles, Bid 2 Win auctions for premium products, a Grand Bentley draw and mall-wide entertainment. One of the spectacular attractions during the festival was the unveiling of The Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest performing fountain.Today (May 29, 2009), one lucky winner will get AED 1 million in cash prize at the ’Win Millions’ raffle. The Grand Bentley draw for the luxurious, four-door Bentley Continental Flying Spur will also be held, adding to the prize bonanzas offered on the final day. The mall will come alive to a spectacular display of entertainment as several performers come together for a grand finale. Apart from daily entertainment programmes, the mall has also hosted more than 100 fashion shows during the festival at the newly inaugurated Fashion Catwalk at the Fashion Avenue.Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: "We have achieved the objectives of hosting the Festival@The Dubai Mall, which were to enhance visitors and strengthen sales at our retail outlets. To draw over 3 million visitors in one month is a testament to the success of the mall as well as the city’s global reputation as a premier tourist destination."He added: "The Festival@The Dubai Mall has been a confidence booster for the economy, and offered customers a perfect continuum of shopping and entertainment spectacles from Dubai Shopping Festival to the Dubai Summer Surprises, which will start shortly. We are thankful to all our partners for their support, particularly to the Dubai Shopping Festival Office."With a total cash prize of AED 3.1 million apart, The Festival@The Dubai Mall has set a new benchmark in mall-wide entertainment with the spectacular array of leisure attractions. The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, a popular attraction at the mall, introduced Shark Dives for the adventurous, offering the opportunity to dive into the 11 metre deep aquarium and surf the waters with sand tiger sharks and rays. The Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink introduced ’Disco on Ice’ with an in-house DJ belting out popular music and the Fashion Catwalk was abuzz with haute couture events.The Festival@The Dubai Mall is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of Emaar Hospitality Group.

Final day prize bonanza at Festival@The Dubai Mall: AED 1 million and Bentley car up for grabs

Editor — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:30:41 +0000

One lucky shopper will win the grand prize of AED 1 million on Friday (May 29, 2009) as Festival @The Dubai Mall, the month long shopping and entertainment extravaganza at the world’s largest shopping and leisure destination, draws to a close.The Grand Bentley raffle draw for a luxurious, four-door Bentley Continental Flying Spur will also be held on May 29, adding to the excitement of the closing day celebration. Several entertainers will join in the mall-wide entertainment in a fitting grand finale of the family festival that has attracted thousands of visitors over four weeks. Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The Festival@The Dubai Mall is one of the most unique mall-wide retail promotion events ever undertaken in Dubai. The total cash prize package of AED 3.1 million adds to the excitement of shopping with visitors having the extensive choice of 900 retail stores including 160 F&B outlets.” He added: “The closing day will be a bonanza with two grand draws – one for AED 1 million in the Win Millions raffle, and the other for the Bentley car. Two lucky winners will join over 100 lucky customers, who have already won cash prizes ranging from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000.” Visitors to The Dubai Mall can enter the ‘Win Millions’ raffle for the AED 1 million draw and a daily draw of AED 10,000 on Thursday, by spending a total of AED 500 in any of the retail and/or F&B outlet, while also availing of bargain deals from the participating outlets. They can collect the raffle coupons from the customer service desks. Raffle coupons for the Grand Bentley draw are sold out. Only 5,000 tickets, each priced AED 200, were on sale to win the coveted Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Ticket-holders also have access to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo walk-through tunnel for closer encounters with the 33,000 aquatic animals. The Festival@The Dubai Mall also featured Bid 2 Win, an innovative auction for premium products; bargain deals on various global brands and mall-wide entertainment. It is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of Emaar Hospitality Group.

Dubai World Championship: The Countdown Begins As Rolex Is Named First Official Sponsor

Editor — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:22:22 +0000

With 175 days to go until the Dubai World Championship, Leisurecorp, a division of Nakheel Leisure, has announced a global partnership with Rolex, naming the world’s leading watch company and the Official Timekeeper of The European Tour as the first official sponsor of the much anticipated season ending event of the inaugural Race to Dubai.The partnership also includes the significant sponsorship of this week’s European Open and the 2009 South African Open, which will take place at Pearl Valley Golf Estates, a Leisurecorp-owned golf resort.The agreement is part of a long-term strategic partnership across Leisurecorp’s trilogy of tournaments and extends throughout its global portfolio of golf assets which includes Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, Pearl Valley Golf Estates in South Africa, and Turnberry in Scotland – host venue for The Open Championship in 2009.A key sponsor of the four main bodies governing golf worldwide, Rolex adds three more tournaments to its prestigious calendar of golf events through its partnership with Leisurecorp, thus reinforcing its enduring commitment to and support for world golf.Jean-Noël Bioul, Co-Director, Sponsoring at Rolex, said: “As one of the Tour’s longest standing sponsors and sponsor to more than 20 tournaments in The Race to Dubai, the decision to back such an exciting group of tournaments was a natural progression for our long-term support of golf and one that we are very excited about.“The advent of The Race to Dubai and the drama that surrounds it has made this European Tour season arguably one of the most important in its long and distinguished history. Due to the quality of the competitors and the prize fund on offer, the grand finale in Dubai will be one of the most important sporting events to ever be hosted in the region and we are extremely pleased to be a part of it.”The Race to Dubai season-long competition includes 49 golf tournaments at 26 destinations around the world. The contest will climax in November, when the number 1 to 60 players qualify for the Dubai World Championship, thereby ensuring that only the world’s best players will have the chance to compete for what has become golf’s ultimate prize.Hamza Mustafa, Managing Director of Nakheel Leisure, said: “We are delighted to announce Rolex as a global partner to our international golf programme and as the very first official sponsor of the Dubai World Championship. To have the support and backing of such a respected and world-class brand provides a strong foundation for success, as we progress towards delivering the most anticipated and exciting tournament in world golf.“The Dubai World Championship will provide a thrilling crescendo to The Race to Dubai and in challenging economic times it just goes to show that the most desirable sponsorship properties will continue to attract considerable interest from the corporate community. This is the first of several major partnerships to be announced in the coming months.”The Dubai World Championship will be held on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, from 19 to 22 November. The event recently received patronage from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Executive Council.The 32nd edition of The European Open will be the first of the three events, taking place at The London Golf Club in Kent from 28 to 31 May. This year, golf fans will be able to see a world-class field free of charge on any day of The European Open, following the huge success of The European Open’s ‘free ticket Thursday’ last year, which attracted nearly 24,000 spectators.The 2009 South African Open Championship will take place at Pearl Valley Golf Estates in South Africa, from 17 to 20 December. Set against the backdrop of the Drakenstein Mountains in the heart of the Cape Winelands, Pearl Valley is one of the most spectacular courses on the European Tour and the Championship promises to be an important event in the early stages of the 2009/2010 season.

Grand Finale Of Fashion Catwalk Shows At The Dubai Mall On May 22 And 23

Editor — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:15:11 +0000

The grand finale of the Fashion Catwalk Shows at The Dubai Mall will be held on May 22 and 23 (Friday and Saturday) with some of world’s leading brands showcasing the latest in fashion trends at the event.

The Fashion Catwalk shows are a crowd-puller at the ongoing Festival@The Dubai Mall, and celebrate the extensive fashion retailer spread showcased at the Fashion Avenue of the mall. Visitors can get bargain deals on fashion haute couture at Fashion Avenue, a dedicated precinct featuring the world’s most technologically advanced catwalk and 70 stores dedicated to global brands.

Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The launch of the Fashion Catwalk has proven to be very successful and popular as is evident in the increasing numbers of guests to the shows. It has helped complement Fashion Avenue, which features one of the largest collections of the world’s leading fashion labels in a mall environment. The Dubai Mall is the first to also have an in-mall fashion ramp, which is a true technological marvel, as is highlighted at the shows.”

Thousands of visitors have attended the Fashion Catwalk shows featuring high-end fashion names, elaborate displays of high-street fashion and children’s wear. Some of the participating brands include Missoni, Mulberry, Furla, Topshop, Topman, Guess Jeans, Diesel, ALDO, Reiss, Gap, Jacardi Paris and Tommy Hilfiger.

Temperley, a London-based ready-to-wear brand launched in 2000, was one of the lead participants in the shows. A spokesperson of the store said: “We were delighted to have participated at the Fashion Catwalk show at The Dubai Mall. It was a great success and the store’s footfall has increased significantly. We have had customers visit the store requesting a specific outfit seen on the catwalk. The Fashion Catwalk has helped us reach our target audience in a very creative way.”

The upcoming Fashion Catwalk shows will be held during the Festival@The Dubai Mall from 5pm to 9pm at the Fashion Avenue, located on the ground floor of the mall.

More Retail Therapy Is AED 1 Million Wish-List Of Shoppers

Editor — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:03:18 +0000

With only 10 days to go for the grand draw for AED 1 million, marking the grand finale of Festival@The Dubai Mall, visitors are flocking to the mall to enter the Win Millions raffle. By 29 May, a total of AED 3.1 million worth in prize money would have been won by shoppers during the month-long retail and entertainment extravaganza.

Since the festival began, over 90 lucky shoppers, from 24 different countries have won prizes ranging from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000. The Middle East, Europe, USA and Asia have all been represented, with UAE Nationals being the most frequent winners.

Shoppers are excited about the prospect of winning AED 1 million, and most of them have more retail spend on their wish-list if they happen to win the grand prize.

Palestinian National Ali Yasin, 26, would love to buy a sail boat. “I would also like to travel the world especially to South America for the culture, Africa for the nature and Antarctica for the nothingness that exists there. The idea of traveling or sailing into nothing is very appealing. And if I still have any remaining money I would buy all sorts of gifts for my family.”

Lebanese Bride-to-be, Amal Fayad, 24, said: “Oh, I would buy so many things with a million dirhams right now. First I would throw a bigger wedding in Lebanon, buy more clothes, and travel to more destinations for my honeymoon and of course I would save more money for our future life together.”

Saqib Iqbal, a stock broker from Los Angeles who was on vacation in Dubai said: “I would invest all the money is stocks because now is the time when you can buy cheap and then can sell at a higher price.”

On the festivities at The Dubai Mall he said, “It is awesome. The mall is huge and so much bigger than what we have in LA. I would come again to Dubai…definitely.”

Launched on April 30, 2009, Festival@The Dubai Mall is a month-long retail extravaganza with bargain deals, raffle draws and colourful entertainment regaling visitors. Customers spending an aggregate amount of AED 500 at the retail and F&B outlets over the festival period can collect raffle coupons to participate in the Win Millions draw.

In addition to five daily draws for AED 10,000, a weekly draw for AED 100,000 is held every Saturday with the winners standing to gain a bonus of AED 50,000 if they are present at the mall during the draw. The final draw will be held on May 29, at 10pm, where one lucky winner will win AED 1 million.

Festival@The Dubai Mall is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, Emaar Hospitality Group’s five star hotel brand.

Dubai World Championship Receives Patronage From His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince Of Dubai

Editor — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:56 +0000

The inaugural Dubai World Championship has received a significant endorsement from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai after he granted his official Patronage for what is set to become one of the Middle East’s premier sporting events.

The Dubai World Championship is the grand finale to The Race to Dubai – a season-long competition which encompasses 52 golf tournaments around the world. The leading 60 players in The Race to Dubai will qualify for the Dubai World Championship ensuring that only the world’s best players will compete at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 19-22.

The patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum means the Dubai World Championship will join an elite list of sporting events such as the Dubai World Cup and Dubai Tennis Championships which received patronage in their beginnings before growing to become leading events in world sport.

Abdul Wahid Al Ulama, Leisurecorp Vice Chairman, said:
“The significance of The Race to Dubai and the Dubai World Championship cannot be underestimated and has already placed the Emirate of Dubai at the forefront of the global sports world as an innovator and leader in the historic sport of golf.

“We are truly honoured to have received patronage from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and with his support and guidance, we are certain that the Dubai World Championship will become one of the Middle East’s most important sporting events.”

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said:
“The European Tour is honoured that His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has granted his official patronage for the Dubai World Championship. This gives us great confidence as we continue with The Race to Dubai and look forward to a successful inaugural Dubai World Championship on the superb Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.”

Preparations for the Dubai World Championship are well underway with the Greg Norman-designed Earth course unveiled by Leisurecorp in January. Stars Sergio Garcia, Darren Clarke, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Robert Karlsson and young Emirati golfer Khalid Yousef previewed the final four holes of the course described by the legendary Norman as “the most challenging mile in golf”.

David Spencer, Leisurecorp CEO-Golf, said:
“As a Dubai World company, Leisurecorp is extremely proud to support the Emirate’s growth as a world-class destination for sport and tourism and we believe that the Dubai World Championship is very much in line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s great vision for Dubai and the UAE.

“The excitement surrounding The Race to Dubai has made this European Tour season one of the most important in living memory. The Dubai World Championship will feature arguably the most impressive field of sporting talent ever assembled in Dubai, and they will all be competing for golf’s ultimate prize, which means that come November the eyes of the sporting world will be on Jumeirah Golf Estates.”