Emaar Retail Honours Staff Achievements With STAAR Awards

Emaar Retail LLC, a pioneer in innovative entertainment, leisure and retail concepts, has introduced the STAAR Awards to acknowledge and demonstrate appreciation for the outstanding achievements of its 800-strong staff members.

The STAAR Awards honours employees for five key parameters: Smile, Teamwork, Attitude, Attention to Detail and Respect. Each of the five leisure assets of Emaar Retail including Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, KidZania®, Reel Cinemas and SEGA Republic nominates staff members for STAAR Awards. Based on these nominations, one employee is selected every month from each attraction for outstanding performance within these parameters.

STAAR winners were awarded at a recent ceremony held on May 26, 2011 by Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Retail LLC. He said: “Emaar Retail is committed to providing the best of customer experience for our visitors, and in this regard, the active engagement of our staff members plays a vital role. The STAAR Awards are a key management initiative to further encourage our staff members to enhance customer services standards and contribute to the overall efficiencies of the organisation.”

Emaar Retail LLC manages Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, which opens a new window of learning by showcasing some 33,000 aquatic animals; the Olympic-size Dubai Ice Rink; the Middle East’s largest and first of its kind indoor theme park – SEGA Republic; the region’s largest megaplex; KidZania®, the first and only one of its kind, award-winning children’s edutainment centre in the region; the 22-screen Reel Cinemas at The Dubai Mall, and the 6-screen premier boutique Reel Cinemas at Dubai Marina Mall.
 

Al Tayer Honours RTA Best Scoring Departments In The Standards Of Dubai Government Excellence Program

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji: His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) highlighted the importance of having in place a distinctive national leadership at various business levels, stating that, during the last five years, RTA provided all forms of support & resources, implemented development projects and introduced a host of motivational tools with a view to building and qualifying capable national leaders at all work sites and organizational levels.

Al Tayer recently made these remarks in an event held to honour the best RTA departments based on the results of the internal assessment of departments carried out on the basis of the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) 2010, in the presence of RTA’s CEOs and Directors.

“RTA is keen on promoting its human resources and uplifting the caliber of its young promising leaders as they are the backbone of positive strategic thinking of the RTA; which has rolled out several training programs such as Qiyadi Program targeting 40 Directors and Managers nominated to take up senior management positions. It also initiated the Improvement of Individual Performance of RTA Directors Program, aimed at qualifying 140 Directors and Managers through offering them 16 different courses, and the Pioneering Program aimed at educating RTA leadership on the policies, regulations and vital processes. It also instituted the Knowledge Transfer to Rail Agency Employees Program, and made agreements with several UAE educational institutions aimed at establishing educational programs serving RTA business such as Roads Diploma, encouraging employees to pursue their academic education, and granting employees educational vacations and overseas missions.

“From inception RTA made several achievements and successes such as launching the Strategic Transport Plan 2020, constructing & operating the Dubai Metro Red Line on 09/09/09, designing & constructing roads, bridges and crossings network, upgrading land & marine mass transit systems, and setting up a corporate risk assessment and analysis system.

“In the foreseeable future, RTA will set sight on three key drivers; the first one is to offer better services to customers and strategic partners. RTA customers satisfaction rating has soared substantially over the last few years jumping from 59 per cent in 2006 to 85 per cent in 2010. The second one is to raise employees’ satisfaction rating and the third one is to promote saving and enhancement of efficiency. Saving must be a culture and work methodology of the RTA in future, and offering quality service must be an objective of each and every employee,” said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer praised the Departments winning the first five positions in accordance with the results of the internal assessment of the performance of Departments based on the standards of the Dubai Government Excellence Program 2010 where Traffic Department, Traffic & Roads Agency ranked first after achieving massive performance improvement leapfrogging from the 33rd position in 2008 to the 8th position in 2009 and once again to the first one in 2010. The Human Resources Department & Development came second, followed by Internal Audit Dep’t in the third position, Contracts & Procurement Dep’t in the fourth position and Strategic Planning Dep’t in the fifth position. Al Tayer also decorated the Most Advanced Departments where Human Resources & Development Dep’t topped the list, next came Automatic Fare Collection Dep’t as second, Parking Dep’t as third, Roads Dep’t as fourth, Drivers Licensing Dep’t as fifth, Safety and Risk Planning & Regulation Dep’t as sixth and Rail Projects Construction Dep’t was the 7th.

Al Tayer called on male and female employees at various RTA sectors and agencies to lend all possible support to the excellence teams and committees, urging them to continue the excellence drive and redouble their efforts in order to realize the aspirations sought by the RTA.

For her part engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, said: “Winning the first position is a natural result of the efforts made by the Department last year and the success ingredients enjoyed by the Departments of Traffic & Roads Agency; which have made substantial progress in the performance criteria during the past months.

“This achievement is a source of pride and at the same time prompts us to put in more efforts as it came early on during the current year; which motivates other Departments of the Agency to take early action this year towards achieving higher positions. This status also poses a continuous challenge to the Traffic Department in order to maintain its premier position,” said Maitha in a final remark.
 

MEED Honours Supreme Winners Of Quality Awards For Projects At Gala Ceremony

MEED, the Middle East’s premier business intelligence provider, held a gala awards ceremony to recognize top projects across eight different categories at the first MEED Quality Awards for Projects, an independently-judged excellence recognition competition for projects completed in the GCC.

Held on 22 March at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the glittering awards ceremony was attended by key government officials and representatives from leading private sector enterprises in the region.

The gas desulphurisation refinery in Bahrain topped the list for the ‘Oil and Gas’ category whereas Qatar’s Mesaieed-A IPP won the ‘Power’ category. Al Ghubrah-5 in Oman and the GPIC carbon dioxide recovery plant in Bahrain emerged winners in the ‘Water Reuse’ and ‘Sustainable Project’ categories respectively. Kuwait National Library was selected for the ‘Social Project of the Year’ award that was sponsored by AMEinfo.

Projects from the UAE took away the maximum awards with five distinctions.

Burj Khalifa was the undisputed winner in the ‘Building Project of the Year’ category sponsored by Technal Middle East, while the ‘Transport Project of the Year’ sponsored by Cadillac was picked up Dubai Metro Red Line. ‘Ferrari Experience’ won the leisure and tourism category for the UAE. Additionally, the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi received a special award titled the ‘MEED Editors Outstanding Achievement for Culture Award’, while ‘MEED Editors Outstanding Achievement Award for Heritage’ went to the ‘Revitalisation of the Old Souq of Dubai’ project.

Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman, MEED Quality Awards for Projects, said: “The 32 projects that were nominated for the GCC Awards have gone through a rigorous selection process at the national level. Each project was undoubtedly the result of a significant amount of planning and collective effort on behalf of the teams that have created them. The entries demonstrated an immense amount of maturity and each of them answers a specific need within the country where it exists.

“Ascertaining the GCC-wide winners across eight different categories was a difficult decision with projects closely contending for the top spot. To ensure a fair judgement, best practices and bias-free procedures were used while evaluating the first Quality Awards for Projects at the GCC level.”

The award is aimed at promoting integrity and best practices across the GCC region in project management besides recognizing outstanding construction, engineering, sustainable development, architecture, construction and economic and social planning. Each of these was a key criterion that the winners had to meet.

The MEED Quality Awards for Projects are supported by the Bahrain Society of Engineers, Kuwait Society of Engineers, Oman Society of Engineers, Qatar Society of Engineers, Saudi Council of Engineers and the Engineers Society (UAE).

For more details on the MEED Quality Awards for Projects, please visit www.meedawards.com.
 

Dubai Trade Honours Its Employees And Strategic Partners

Dubai Trade, the innovative online service provider of Dubai World, hosted a special event to honour its employees, strategic partners and their executives who have played critical roles in the implementation of major projects, to make trade easier, during 2010 – 2011.

Special mementos and certificates of appreciation were presented at a gala ceremony by Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, and Board Member, Dubai Trade, and Mahmood Al Bastaki, Director, Dubai Trade, to more than 50 executives from DP World, Dubai Customs, Economic Zones World, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, and ITC, the group shared service providers, in addition to Dubai Trade’s own employees.

The projects included Phase II of Contact Centre, data compilation for the World Bank’s “Doing Business” Report, upgrading of single sign-on infrastructure, the E-Services Excellence Award (ESEA) 2010, the upgrading of the portal, www.dubaitrade.ae, and the Certified Trade & Logistics Professional (CTLP) programme, a Certification Course initiated and developed by Dubai Trade and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport.

Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Group CEO, Dubai World, and Chairman, Dubai Trade, said:
“Creating the right cyber environment in which the supply chain community could conduct safe, secure and seamless transactions is Dubai Trade’s mission. We are pleased to note that this is being achieved with remarkable success and with full cooperation from the other stakeholders, in line with the broader e-commerce policies of the Dubai Government. We congratulate all those assembled here on their achievements and hope to see many more milestones in our collective development.”

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, and Board Member, Dubai Trade said:
“As the leading facilitator of trade flow, DP World, UAE Region commends the integration and synergy that Dubai Trade has brought to importers and exporters in Dubai. Dubai Trade succeeded in achieving a difficult dream by focusing on customer service and within a few years changed the trading culture of Dubai by enabling a transformational shift to e-services to conduct supply chain transactions through its portal.”

Mahmood Al Bastaki, Director, Dubai Trade, said:
“Dubai Trade shares with its strategic partners a commitment and belief that together we will achieve the vision that has been set for Dubai by its leadership. This is not a journey that we have taken alone, as is evident from this honourable gathering. We have constantly worked towards making our portal, www.dubaitrade.ae, ever friendlier to our customers. We deeply appreciate the highly productive contributions made by our partners and their teams of professionals towards realising our goals. Congratulations to all of them.”

2010 was a year of multi-faceted achievements for Dubai Trade’s online portal, www.dubaitrade.ae, which registered a record 11.4 million transactions, marking a 25.7% increased compared to 2009. The numbers of e-services Dubai Trade offers its customers also rose by 12% to 758 during the same period.

The record breaking number of transactions was reached as Dubai Trade has consistently updated and expanded its portfolio of integrated innovative services to serve the growing clientele of DP World, Economic Zones World, Dubai Customs and Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).

Du Wins Top Honours At Prestigious MENA Cristal Awards 2011

In a clear acknowledgement of its creative capabilities, du has been honoured with two awards at the prestigious Mena Cristal Awards 2011, the sixth edition of the Middle East’s first-ever advertising festival. The company was honoured with an impressive Gold (Cristal) award in the Corporate Category for its Ramadan “Time” TV commercial – featuring world-renowned Emirati artist Ahmed Bukhatir – and a Silver (Finalist) award in the Outdoor category for its Real Business Broadband DMC ambient execution “Eye”.

“Through a unified and strategic approach to advertising and communication, we aim to communicate our brand’s young, friendly and innovative image and identity, and we are pleased to see that these efforts are being recognised across the region. We are deeply honoured to receive these awards, and very proud of our ‘Time’ and ‘Eye’ campaigns, along with our many other shortlisted achievements, which clearly demonstrate that we are succeeding in reaching out to people and – true to our philosophy of adding life to life – providing our customers with a unique and inspiring experience of our brand,” commented Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communications, du.

du was shortlisted for seven awards across four categories including the Smart Business Plan "Building", "Park", "Airport" campaigns in the Daily Press Category, the Smart Business Plan "Building" and Real Business Broadband “Eye” in the Outdoor Category, Business Mobile Broadband “Dubai” in the Magazine Category and the Ramadan TV commercial, “Time”, in the Corporate Category.

“I was honoured to be a part of creating this fantastic TV commercial with du and am very proud of this phenomenal achievement. The aim of this campaign was to help people get the most out of their spiritual journey and bring them closer to their loved ones during Ramadan through the powerful medium of music and prayer. This award truly bears testament to our success in uniting friends and family and providing them with a source of inspiration and comfort during this important religious time,” said Ahmed Bukhatir.

The company recently welcomed Ahmed Bukhatir as its new brand ambassador, in a collaboration that will provide du customers with access to the popular Al Munshed’s spiritual works. Ahmed Bukhatir has been one of the pioneers of Nasheed, an Islamic art in which an artist sings without any musical instrument. The content on offer included music downloads of all 10 Nasheeds from Bukhatir’s seventh album, ‘Moments with Allah’, including the popular new Nasheed, ‘Moth Arafto Allah Rabbi’, meaning ‘Since I came to know my God’.

The MENA Cristal Festival was founded in 2005 with the aim of introducing a new and ambitious competition for advertising in all North African and Middle Eastern countries. It rewards the best advertising creations with the famous Cristal trophy, in the same fashion as the Cristal Festival in Switzerland on which it is modelled. This event gathers all the communications actors in the world: advertising agencies, advertisers, producers, directors, media, survey companies and TV producers, among others, and the aim of the festival is to associate creativity and business, and to promote Arabic advertising creativity.
 

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Honours Winners Of 3rd DAST 2010

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, has honoured the winning Departments and organizations of the 3rd edition of the Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport (DAST) 2010; a key initiative launched by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) with the aim of leveraging the public and private sector entities to contribute to alleviating the traffic congestion and conserve the environment.

Upon his arrival to the Award ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Center, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was received by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, and a number of Directors of public and private entities.

HH and the attendance watched a movie about DAST focusing on the endeavours of the Dubai Emirate in conserving the environment and natural wealth as well as the implementation of the principles of sustained development which are capable of shaping the future and welfare of mankind. It also touched on the initiatives run by the RTA in operating hybrid eco-friendly vehicles, the improved quality of fuel used in public buses and the application of the global standards governing vehicle gas emissions in Dubai.

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Patron of the Award, flanked by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, honoured the winners of various categories of the DAST. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) won the first position in the Mobility Management category in recognition of its role in fostering positive impacts of mass transportation. Its scheme has contributed to the improvement of the Dubai Carbon Print; which is higher than the global level as it clocked 9.9 hectare per person compared to the natural level of 2.1 hectare per person, as well as the prevailing rates in the USA (9.4) and Switzerland (5.5). It also contributed to the reduction of emissions generated by the mobility of customers seeking to avail DEWA services particularly for the sake of paying invoices, and played a role in realizing the sustainable development through cutting the fuel consumption of the transport means used by customers and DEWA fleet as well. Wellington University Dubai ranked second in recognition of its initiative entitled: “Why should you drive if you can ride the Dubai Metro?”. The University provided complementary buses to shuttle students between the Metro Station and the University in a bid to further the culture of mass transportation, minimize the number of private vehicles, sort out the parking problem faced by the University and cut air pollution levels. City Center finished third in the mass transit category for its initiative of providing buses to commute hotel residents to the Center.

HH Sheikh Hamdan also honoured the winners of Transport Safety Award category where Emirates Driving Institute clinched the first position in recognition of its scheme: The Role of Defensive Driving. The course included a blend of theoretical lectures, safety discussions, and vehicles maintenance workshops. BMW Group finished second for Road Safety campaign as it carried out multiple campaigns to educate drivers on road safety.

These campaigns have contributed to raising the awareness of motorists in using safety belts, baby seats in vehicles and maintaining the awareness through schools activities and others. Home Center Company finished third for its initiative Safe Driving Campaign; which focused on the safety of the delivery team and road users. The company continuously prepares training programs for drivers, regularly monitors RTA rules to circulate them to drivers, imposes penalties on drivers flouting traffic and driving rules, and monitors excessive speeds as well as the extended driving hours.

In Environment Conservation category, S. S. Lootah Company finished first for its scheme of Using the Bio Fuel to Power Heavy Trucks Fleet in a voluntary initiative considered among the best global practices where 5% of the bio fuel is used in powering the heavy vehicles after being blended with the normal fuel, and the scheme contributed to reducing the emission of carbon dioxide. The Group also launched several programs aimed at diffusing the environmental awareness such as the Green Vehicle where a part of the Group’s fleet switched to the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) besides using hybrid and electrical vehicles. The Drydocks World-Dubai finished second for its initiative relating to controlling the environmental impacts of transport and eliminating the solid waste and the drydocks-generated wastes. The third position went to FedEx International Co. for its initiative: The Green Cleaning of Vehicles; which involved replacing its fleet with European made environment-friendly vehicles.

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum then honoured the winners of the Special Needs Mobility Category where the Dubai Centre for Special Needs scooped the first position in recognition of its initiative Special Needs Transportation; which contributed to enabling the physically-impaired persons to drive vehicles and carried out appropriate modifications on vehicles to customize them to suit the degree and nature of disability or movement difficulties they suffer in the interest and benefit of the disabled person. The Center also prepared a Technical Manual detailing the types of disability, changes introduced on vehicles and the use instructions amplified by images and illustrative shapes. The Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services finished second for its Ambulance Services for Motherhood and Childhood vehicle service as the vehicle ensures the privacy of the pregnant woman in receiving the suitable treatment by female rescuers and drivers. The Award of the third position has been blocked this time.

 

Esmod  Dubais Mutation Fashion Show Honours Unconventional Designs

Esmod Dubai, the leading fashion school in the region, highlighted the beauty of unconventional fashion design during its ‘Mutation Fashion Show’ yesterday (Tuesday, December 21, 2010) at the school, in the presence of the French Consul General Mr. Eric Giraud-Telme. The fashion extravaganza celebrated diversity, difference and distinction through 70 experimental creations designed by Esmod – Dubai’s own students.

“A designer does not always have to rely on a final sketch or a specific vision of a fashion piece. Various forms and methods can be experimented on to arrive at a unique garment that reflects individuality and sends out a strong fashion statement. ‘Mutations’ honours this unconventional approach to design and challenges our students to rely on their instincts and innate skills rather than to just sticking to formulaic fashion,” said Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder of Esmod Dubai.

Since the 1980s the fashion world has been challenging aesthetic conventions through their ground-breaking designs. Prominent designers such as Thierry Mugler, Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo and Jean-Paul Gaultier have been renowned for challenging the ‘beautiful people’ mentality by advocating ‘the beauty of difference and the liberation of imperfection.’ Their works have gained great appreciation among today’s generation of youths who are sympathetic to pop icons such as mutant superheroes that rise above prejudice, intolerance and oppression.

The ‘Mutation Fashion Show’ capitalized on the popularity of the mutant outcast theme during its one-day run that started at 8 pm.

Esmod – Dubai has already contracted Mr. Christophe Beaufays to conduct a new ‘Haute Couture & Ready-To-Wear Collections’ course in response to the growing demand for specialised fashion programs in the Middle East. The three-month program, which will be offered to a select group of students and also beginners, will provide 100 per cent hands-on-training, enhance creativity and improve the draping techniques of the students.

Esmod-Dubai also revealed that its new Fashion courses, including jewellery design and fashion photography, will commence on January 16, 2011.

Since its inception in 2006, Esmod Dubai has been accommodating a steadily growing number of students in its mission to capitalise on the region’s booming fashion industry and the steady drift of the Middle Eastern consumer towards haute couture. The Dubai campus now embraces students from 47 different countries, of which over 40 per cent are GCC nationals and UAE locals.
 

RTA Honours The Winners Of Safety Awards 2010

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has honoured its best contractors and consultants through RTA’s Safety Awards accorded annually to the contractors & consultants who adopt the best practices that ensure occupational safety at all projects and construction sites.

The ceremony, which was held in RTA’s Conference Hall, was patronized by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA and attended by several officials of Dubai Government Departments and Authorities as well as RTA’s CEOs and representatives of various contracting and consultant companies.

Al Tayer honoured the award-winning companies for 2010 where Parsons International Ltd has won the Safety Award for the Best Consultant, and Systra-Parsons finished runner-up in the same category. DURL Consortium, the contractor of Dubai Metro Project, won the Safety Award for the Best Contractor, while Emirates Driving Institute ranked second.

At the level of RTA Agencies & Sectors, the Traffic & Roads Agency grabbed the Best RTA Health, Safety & Environment System Implementation Team Award and Rail Agency finished second. A Special Recognition was accorded to the Corporate Technical Support Services Sector in appreciation of its efforts in implementing the Health, Safety & Environment System. Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Strategy & Corporate Governance, won RTA Board Safety Award in recognition of his efforts in the implementation of the highest Health, Safety & Environment standards across the Sector.

In his speech to the Awards ceremony, Al Tayer stressed that the compliance with the occupational health and safety standards across RTA’s projects is one of the core values that could not be waived or compromised under any condition whatsoever. He also stated that all projects undertaken by the RTA were designed and carried out to the highest safety & security standards and had to undergo comprehensive assessment throughout all implementation phases to ensure that construction processes were fully aligned with the global standards of projects occupational safety.

“Launching RTA Safety Awards comes in implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, calling for the implementation of the highest occupational safety standards throughout all RTA projects and construction sites. It also stems from RTA’s Strategic Plan 2009 – 2013 aligned with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2007 – 2015 (Infrastructure, Environment and Lands Sector) envisaging the provision of an integrated transport and transit system that ensures smooth traffic movement and the highest levels of safety for all users,” said Al Tayer.

“RTA is assigning paramount importance to the occupational safety issue in all projects and programs undertaken. This attention has been translated into the establishing of special Quality, Health, Safety & Environment Units within all RTA’s operational agencies which are directly cater to auditing safety & security assurance procedures, protecting the environment at all work sites, and subjecting all projects undertaken by the RTA to a comprehensive assessment and audit regime inclusive of occupational health and safety issues. It is also illustrated in the establishing of the Safety, Risk, Regulation & Planning Department under the setup of RTA Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector to make surprise and scheduled visits to worksites and construction projects to verify compliance with all safety standards. Besides that, RTA Board has endorsed RTA Corporate Health, Safety and Environment Policy as well as RTA Corporate Risk Management System and attends to the continuous implementation of the system,” continued Al Tayer

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director further stated that compliance with the occupational health and safety procedures at all project sites of the RTA resulted in a drop in the rates of dangerous occupational accidents leading to death or disability to zero by 2010, in addition to a reduction in the ratio of non-compliant reports in the fields of Occupational Health & Safety at worksites in 2009 and 2010 to about 26%.

“In its 2nd edition, the Safety Awards have been upgraded to cover contractors and consultants who adopt the best practices to achieve occupational safety at various projects of RTA agencies & sectors; which was restricted in the first edition of the Awards only to roads projects of Traffic & Roads Agency. The second edition of the Awards has made a resounding success reflected in the participation of more than 65 contractors and consultants out of their conviction of the importance of occupational safety issue.

“The Safety Awards aim at raising the awareness level of the public and community organizations and urging them to play an active and constructive role in supporting RTA efforts. They also aim at enhancing RTA’s pioneer role in bolstering the partnership and cooperative ties among all agencies, prioritizing the concepts and practices of occupational safety within local organizations and media outlets, broadening the attention paid to safety and social responsibility across a wide spectrum of the community, especially amid RTA’s strategic partners.

“RTA Safety Awards comprise four categories, namely: Safety Award for the Best RTA Consultant, Safety Award for the Best RTA Contractor, Safety Award for the Best RTA Health, Safety & Environment System Implementation Team, and RTA Board Safety Award for the Best Operation Team or employee of RTA agencies and sectors.”

In conclusion, RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to all companies that took part in the Safety Award and extended his congratulations to all winning companies in the second edition of the Award.

It is note-worthy that RTA Safety Awards have a supreme panel headed by Amair Saleem, Director of Safety, Risk, Regulation & Planning, and consists of the following staff as members: Nada Jasim, Marwan Najeeb Razzo, Mohammed Al Ruwaished, Anas Dollan, Hassan Al Baheesi, Zuhair Al Saffar, Abdullah Al Farsi, Ayman Nofal and Suraj Isamil.
 

Emirates Grand Hotel In Dubai Honours Employees Through Star Of The Month Programme

The Iberotel Emirates Grand Hotel, situated in the vibrant business district in Dubai, held the Star of The Month programme honouring those highly active employees who are serving the property with dedication. The programme is the property’s way of showing appreciation and rewarding its staff who go an ‘extra mile’ to delight internal and external customers.

The property chooses the Star of The Month program through both written and verbal feedback from both external (hotel guests) and internal customers (colleagues). The award is given to the best employee of the hotel who can be nominated from any department. According to the hotel management the success of any property can be measured in part by an efficient work force that chooses to remain and grow with the property. Thus such awards are their way of saying ‘thank you’ for the contributions of good workers.

Eyad Hamed, Resident Manger Iberotel Emirates Grand Hotel said: “We are pleased to honour all our hard working staff members who gave their time, knowledge, and energy to the property. I am sure these awards will go a long way and bring out the best in their personality. These employees have made extraordinary contribution to our organization and have been a source of inspiration for all of us. Thus the property’s management is thankful to them for the deep affection they have shown towards both internal and external guests.”

Beckoning from the sidewalk of Sheikh Zayed Road stands the majestic Emirates Grand – brightly lit and surrounded by the twinkling stars of Dubai’s skyline. The elegant property has 93 Deluxe rooms; 66 one bed-room suites; 127 premier one-bed room suites; and 123 two-bedroom suites. The property also has a tennis court, wellness center, swimming pool & Jacuzzi, meeting rooms and a business centre. The all-day dining restaurant on 46th floor gives guests innumerable gastronomic choices and the pool lounge offers a relaxing experience. The Spa is home to a splendid range of treatments and consists of 13 luxurious treatment rooms, imbued with contemporary splendor and serenity to complement the authentic spa experience!
 

Dubai Festival For Youth Theatre Honours Finest Emirati Talent At Closing Ceremony

The best of youth theatre talent in the UAE was honoured at the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, a pioneering initiative by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage.

The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre also honoured Emirati actress, Moza AlMazroei with the ‘Personality of the Year’ award for her outstanding contribution to theatre. The first female actress to brace theatre in the UAE, AlMazroei opened the doors for theatre actresses to follow.

Eight theatre groups from across the UAE showcased their talent at the festival held at the Dubai Cultural and Scientific Association. An eminent jury of professionals evaluated their performances and announced awards in several categories.

The winners are:
• Best Play: ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
• Best Director: Hassan Yousef for ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
• Best Script: Humeid Fares for ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
• Best male actor: Ibrahim Istazy for his role in ‘The salt is gone’ by the Dubai National Theatre Group
• Best female supporting role: Alia Al Mana’aii for her role in ‘Door’ by the Modern Theatre Group
• Best male supporting role: Nawaf Al Matrooshi for his role in ‘The salt is gone’ by Dubai National Theatre Group and Salah Mohammad for ‘The slip of a lifetime’ by Umm Al Quwein National Theatre group
• Best role for a non-Emirati: Raed Dalati for his role in ‘The salt is gone’ by Dubai National Theatre Group
• Best use of Lighting: Ibrahim Haidar for ‘The slip of a lifetime’ by Umm Al Quwein National Theatre Group
• Best music and sound effects: Jasem Ismail for ‘The slip of a lifetime’ by Umm Al Quwein National Theatre Group
• Best Stage Design: Mohammad Saleh for ‘The Door’ by the Modern Theatre Group
• Best costumes: Hassan Yousef for ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group

Salem Belyouha, Projects & Events Manager of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “We congratulate the winners and all the participants who took part in making this year’s event a success. This year, our audience doubled, which reflects the increasing popularity of the festival amongst the youth. The plays also were bolder and more mature in content, which is a testament to the potential of our youth; we are honoured to have provided them a platform to showcase their talent.”

He added: “The festival also hosted workshops that were led by experts, to broaden the knowledge on all aspects of theatre production. The opportunity to interact with renowned theatre personalities taught participants to further enhance their skills, which was reflected in the significant improvement of quality of productions.”

The seminars highlighted the role of women in theatre, the use and development of technology in theatre, and the importance of scriptwriting to compose the perfect production.

The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre is one of pioneering initiatives of Dubai Culture aimed at strengthening, promoting, and driving support for the cultural scene of the Emirate.