Al Bustan Centre Residence Hosts Participants Of 3rd Fazza International Powerlifting Championship

Al Bustan Centre & Residence, the deluxe property which offers world-class services and facilities in the city, played host to more than 128 athletes from 28 countries that participated in the 3rd Fazza International Powerlifting Championship – male & female – held in Dubai recently.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the Fazza International Powerlifting Championship is an annual sports tournament open to athletes with disabilities who are eligible for competition under the rules and regulations of International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Moussa El Hayek, Chief Operating Officer Al Bustan Centre & Residence, said: “We are very honoured to be selected as the official residence of this year’s Fazza International Powerlifting Championship. This tournament is a very important sports event because it recognizes the importance of promoting sports among athletes with disabilities. We applaud the initiative by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in launching the championship which is now becoming an important landmark to sports for the disabled.”

“Our hotel’s facilities are built to provide the requirements of our guests with special needs. We have specially trained staffs that are efficient in handling their requests. We are confident that their stay in Dubai has been a very comfortable and enjoyable one,” added El Hayek.

 

RTA Offers Complimentary Transportation To Participants At The UITP Dubai 2011

Delegates from around the world who will be attending the UITP Dubai 2011, the 59th UITP World Congress and Exhibition, entitled “Boosting Public Transport: Action!” will benefit from the complimentary transportation services offered by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said a spokesperson for the authority.

According to Furat Ali Al Amri, Director of Buses at RTA’s Public Transport Agency and Head of the Transportation Team during this global event, free Silver NOL cards will be provided to participants in the event to facilitate their movement to and from the venue of the event at the Dubai World Trade Center and within the city for the duration of the event.

This is the first time since its inception that the UITP World Congress and Exhibition are held outside Europe, a clear acknowledgement of the position of Dubai as a global business center and the growing importance of the public transport sector in the UAE and the region in general.

It is also the first time that the local host offers these facilities for participating delegates, as the NOL cards will allow them to use the Dubai metro and buses free of charge. And in order to facilitate the travel of participant to and from the Dubai World Trade Center which will host the discussion sessions, workshops and official meetings among others, RTA will offer a detailed map of all the means of transportation available in the city. RTA will also provide shuttle services for participants to attend the various social functions and sightseeing tours within the Emirate that aim to introduce participants to the rich history, culture and heritage of the UAE.

The Authority is currently in the process of finalizing all arrangements to host the event that will take place for the first time since its inception outside the EU and in Dubai on April 10-14.

The 59th UITP World Congress and Exhibition hosted by RTA will promote, discuss and debate UITP’s strategy of doubling public transport market share worldwide by 2025. The event will be the first important milestone for UITP to assess what has been achieved and what is still needed in order to achieve its vision: doubling the public transport market share worldwide by 2025 (PTx2 strategy). The event will offer the opportunity to gauge the capacity of the sector to grow rapidly and will showcase the latest innovations in vehicles, information technologies, equipment and services. UITP is the global advocate for public transport and sustainable mobility, and the promoter of innovations in the sector.
 

Four Lucky Participants Of ’du World Cup Fever Challenge 2010’ Will Meet David Beckham

Truly turning dreams into reality, du added a dash of excitement to life by giving four lucky winners of the ‘du World Cup Fever Challenge 2010’ the once-in-a-lifetime all expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to meet football legend David Beckham.

During a ceremony held at du’s offices, Ahmad Aburahima, VP, Government Relations, du, handed over the award voucher to the lucky four.

“We are delighted to give away these fantastic prizes to the four deserving winners of our World Cup Fever Challenge. We are a company that not only strives to provide the very best in entertainment, but also add a sprinkling of fun and enjoyment to the lives of people in the UAE. With the World Cup Fever Challenge, we provided an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not just to our customers, but to anyone who wished to participate,” said Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communications, du.

David Cook won du’s radio competition and qualified for the World Cup Fever Challenge at Mall of the Emirates. He then selected three of his friends, Ben Goodman, James Cloete & Robert Russell to compete with him at du’s World Cup stand at the mall for the opportunity to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have won this opportunity and can hardly believe we will all be heading off to LA to meet David Beckham, all courtesy du! We are very grateful for this opportunity – this is certainly the sort of thing that happens to a select few!”, said David Cook

The World Cup Fever Challenge, which took place at the du stand during the World Cup, was a hugely exciting interactive game – driven through the radio – based on a competition of penalty shoot-outs and a series of knock-out remote-control football matches.

The winning prize includes four return tickets to Los Angeles that includes a six-night stay, and a lifetime opportunity to meet football legend David Beckham, VIP private lounge access to meet more players, VIP Field Side Seats to an LA Galaxy game , an LA Galaxy gift pack and memorabilia and an allowance to spend during the trip.

In order to ensure the UAE’s football fans really got the most out of the football season, du provided an interactive zone at Mall of the Emirates that offered football enthusiasts the chance to participate in a range of fun and competitive games, including the unique World Cup Challenge radio competition.

du is committed to bringing fun and excitement to the people of the UAE throughout the year, and is continuing to provide great entertainment and surprises at du’s stand in the Galleria area of Mall of the Emirates during Dubai Summer Surprises season.
 

Modhesh Friends Forum Participants Visit Dubai Thalassemia Center

Children participating in Modhesh Friends Forum, organised by Dubai eGovernment as part of Dubai Summer Surprises 2010 being held from June 17 to August 7, were recently taken on a visit to the Dubai Thalassemia Center in Al Wasl Hospital. The children were accompanied by representatives from Dubai eGovernment, supervisors of Modhesh Friends Forum, in addition to several specialist doctors and staff from the Thalassemia Center, who together were focused on bringing a smile to the faces of thalassemia-afflicted children. Modhesh, the ever smiling character was also present to cheer up the children.

The visit to the center underlines Dubai eGovernment’s strong commitment to corporate social responsibility efforts, which benefit all community segments, including children diagnosed with thalassemia. Dubai Thalassemia Center is the UAE’s first specialized center to provide support and care to thalassemia-afflicted people.

The visit by Modhesh Friends Forum participants featured an informative presentation about Thalassemia, its stages of development, diagnosis, and the medical services offered by the center. It also featured an entertaining performance by Modhesh, followed by the distribution of special gifts to the children at the center.
 

Dubai Culture And Bidoun Projects Honour Participants Of ’Writing About Art’ Workshops

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, heritage and the arts, and Bidoun Projects, an arts organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting contemporary artists from the Middle East, successfully concluded the first of its kind ‘Writing About Art’ workshops offering unique insights into art critique to professionals and aspiring writers.

More than 50 writers with a keen interest in the arts took part in the workshops held over the past five months. Experts from around the world engaged the participants in various aspects of writing about the arts, including art criticism, analysis against global benchmarks and a wider perspective of the evolution of the arts across the world.

Alia Al Hashimi, Senior Specialist at the Projects Department in the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said: “The response to the ‘Writing About Art’ workshops, held for the first time ever in the region, has been overwhelming. The event offered a unique platform for artists, art professionals and art writers to come together, brainstorm and promote the standards of art writing. A genuine appreciation of the arts, followed by insightful writing, will help in shaping a stronger arts community.”

She added: “As the first group of art critics graduating from this initiative, the participants will help to engage the community in understanding and appreciating the arts. These art critics will in turn educate the general public about art, thereby facilitating greater interaction between the arts and its audience. They will also play a key role in further reiterating Dubai Culture’s goal to strengthen the cultural scene in the region by promoting original content creation from Dubai. ”

Dubai Culture and Bidoun Projects will explore opportunities in networking with regional publications, gallery directors, and publishing houses to promote the writings done by the workshop participants, to further strengthen art appreciation and awareness, thus creating a vibrant cultural scene in the Emirate.
 

Southern Sun Qamardeen Hotel To Host Student Participants In 5th Edition Of The DSS Apprenticeship Programme

Southern Sun Qamardeen Hotel will once again host the participants of the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) Apprenticeship Programme, organized and managed by The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), an agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED). The DSS Apprenticeship Programme is an annual training and industry-exposure programme for the best and brightest university students throughout the Middle East & North Africa and 2010 will be the fourth consecutive year that Qamardeen Hotel provides a home away from home to the successful candidates during their rewarding two-week apprenticeship in Dubai.

Now in its fifth year, the Apprenticeship Programme 2010 invited a total of 50 universities across 10 key countries in the region, including UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt – and for the first time, Syria. Each country will be represented by a Business Administration or Marketing student following a highly competitive selection process. The winning apprentice will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on DSS – one of the biggest tourism marketing success stories in the region.

Qamardeen Hotel is well positioned to host a programme of this nature having emerged as a popular business hotel in Dubai, since first opening its doors four years ago. Qamardeen Hotel is also one of the only two 4-star properties to appear in the Top 20 ranking of the Trip Advisor Popularity Index, out of the 377 Dubai hotels listed.

Mohamed Al Kamali, Acting Marketing Director DEPE said, "The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment is committed to the investment in the next generation of industry professionals through interactive mentoring that can provide a platform for talented students across the region. This award-winning programme provides valuable practical training and experience, as well as contact with industry professionals, and we extend our appreciation to Southern Sun whose consistent support has contributed to the success of this rewarding initiative."

Richard Weilers, Managing Director of Southern Sun Middle East, expressed pleasure at hosting the apprentices for the fourth consecutive year. "At Southern Sun we understand that for any hotel to be truly successful, it must resonate with its community through value-adding relationships that leave a legacy. The DSS Apprenticeship Programme is a unique and multi-dimensional internship that provides us with an opportunity to contribute to a worthy local initiative that has regional scope. As operators of Qamardeen Hotel, we are pleased to host the student participants during their stay in Dubai, and to ensure their optimum enjoyment of DSS through our service product," said Weilers.

Qamardeen Hotel is conveniently situated in the vibrant Downtown Dubai area, giving the students direct access to various exciting shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities and activities during their free time. Qamardeen offers 186 well-appointed rooms, including 13 luxury suites and a host of amenities and recreational facilities. In addition to providing accommodation during the challenging two-week internship, the hotel provides standard complimentary wireless internet access for all rooms so students can also keep in touch with their families back home. A round-the-clock business centre and Wi-Fi facilities in public areas also provide additional support during times when the apprentices need to brainstorm ideas or work on their reports and assignments.

Since its inception in 2006, when the DSS Apprenticeship programme started with only four participating universities in two countries, the training programme has expanded in coverage and scope and was one of the primary reasons cited by the IPRA Golden World Awards, the Oscars of the public relations industry, in awarding the Travel and Tourism Award 2008 to DEPE, then known as the Dubai Shopping Festival Office.

Southern Sun entered the UAE in January 2007 and within four years has secured a firm foothold in the Middle East market, earning a reputation for excellence built on award winning service, superb cuisine and overall guest experience. Drawing from its 40 years of service, Southern Sun is the leading Hotel Group within Africa and operates a successful hotel portfolio with more than 90 hotels in eight countries.
 

DHCC ’Quit And Win’ Participants Celebrate 30 Days Of Smoke-Free Living

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), a member of Tatweer, today announced 50 per cent of the participants have successfully quit smoking since the start of the 30-day campaign ‘Quit and Win’ on World No Tobacco Day, exceeding the international benchmark of 20-24 per cent for the programme.

Participants and supporters came together at a festive event in the Burjuman mall sharing stories about their experience of giving up the life-threatening addiction and how they were already feeling the positive effects of not smoking.

Domenic Zaffino, Managing Director of a furniture company, who had been smoking for 20 years, said: “I should have quit a long time ago, but I needed a motive. The Quit and Win contest was a great opportunity for me to let go this deadly habit. I am glad I was able to share my day to day experience with other people that I hope will benefit them. I am grateful to DHCC consultants for their extensive follow ups and tips, which have been a source of great support to all smokers and have helped the campaign succeed.”

Rowena Vilar, a fitness center administrator and a smoker for eight years, said: “I encourage all smokers to enroll in such programme before it is too late. You will start to feel the difference from day one.”

Dr Ayesha Almutawa, Vice President for the Centre for Healthcare Planning and Quality, the regulatory body for DHCC said: “DHCC is committed to improving lives and I am delighted to hear so many success stories today, as a result of the Quit and Win programme. It takes personal strength and commitment to break such an addiction and the former smokers here today are an inspiration to the millions of smokers out there who have not yet been able to make that life-changing decision to stop. Quit and Win demonstrates that with the right support and approach, you can achieve what may seem inconceivable at the time.”

In addition to gaining back their health, successful participants were entered into draw to win a range of prizes generously donated by Quit and Win sponsors: Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Burjuman, Noor Dubai – Dubai Media Group, Prism, Johnson & Johnson, Dubai Ladies Club, Grand Cinemas, Wild Wadi Waterpark, Jumeirah Group, Arab Media Group (AMG), Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), Dubai Polo Club and Equestrian Club, and the fitness group Hayya!

The ‘quitters’ also received a certificate and gift to mark their personal achievement. Quit and Win was coordinated as part of a nationwide No Tobacco Campaign organized by ExHealth and sponsored by Green Crescent.