Skywards Winning Artists To Showcase Their Work At Art Dubai Fair

The winners of Skywards’ (Emirates’ frequent flyer programme) first Future Artists Programme competition will be on hand in Dubai to showcase their winning designs and other art in their portfolios at the Art Dubai Fair. The Art Dubai Fair will take place at the Madinat Jumeirah from 16-19 March 2011.

The three artists, whose designs are displayed on the 2011 Skywards membership cards, received a prize of US $5,000 and are being flown to Dubai to participate in the fair. The three winning designs, as well as each artist’s name, are displayed on the back of the new cards.

“Through the annual Future Artists Programme, winners enjoy global exposure and recognition for their work. The three winning artists have a unique opportunity to showcase their winning designs and portfolios at this year’s Art Dubai Fair,” said Brian LaBelle, Senior Vice President, Skywards. “We had a tremendous response to last year’s completion and encourage artists from around the world to submit their work for this year’s competition.”

The winning artists originate from Iraq and Iran. Gold card artist Nedim Kufi, originally from Baghdad, now living in the Netherlands, got his inspiration for the “Rumman” bronzes depicted on the Gold cards from the seeds of a pomegranate. “I was dissecting a pomegranate, carefully examining each seed, and arranging them on a table, one by one. It occurred to me to rearrange the seeds into a new artistic form, which was the inspiration for the 3D computer-generated image of scattered bronze nuggets now displayed on the Skywards Gold cards,” he said.

Silver card artist Amir Vafaei from Tehran, Iran, got his idea for “Waves” from the distinctive motifs in Turkmen carpet designs. “Each piece shown in this exhibition is part of a collection where the ideas are driven from Turkmen carpet designs,” said Amir Vafaei. “Undoubtedly, being able to display an art piece at any important international event is the ultimate for an artist; hence I am glad to be able to display four of my sculptures at Art Dubai, which has given me the chance to communicate with more audiences and artists worldwide.”

Blue card artist Kambiz Sabri from Tehran, Iran was inspired by mother-nature to produce his “Rain” design. “Rain is a blue message from the sky to the earth…the rain of love and peace for all people around the world,” he explained. “I created large rain drops in the space surrounded by a cube, a sculpture made of light and transparency. I have tried to display a dream with the special imagination of nature, by changing the scale and using transparent and decorative materials such as plexiglass.”

Judging was conducted by a panel of highly regarded industry professionals and experts and Skywards members. The panel of judges created a shortlist of entries which was then presented to Skywards members for final vote on the website. Among the judging criteria were creative merit, technical excellence and suitability for end use.

Last year winners were selected from more than 3,500 entries. The three winning entries are used on the Skywards membership cards, as well as all supporting online and offline communications and promotional material. The website for the competition is www.ourfutureartists.com. More details on the winners can be viewed there.

A new Future Artists Programme competition for new artwork for the 2012 membership cards will commence later this year. Details will be announced shortly. The competition is annual and open to budding artists in most countries around the globe. All styles of art, including sculpture, photography and paintings are considered.

 

Celebrate Eid With ZUMAs Award Winning Japanese Brunch Menu

Zuma is celebrating the end of the Holy month with its award winning contemporary Japanese BAIKINGU Eid brunch, which will be on offer during the two days of Eid from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Aimed at satisfying the most discerning palette, ZUMA’s Eid brunch options will offer fresh sushi, sashimi and maki rolls as well as a range of ZUMA favorites and hot starters from the robatayaki grill. Guests can enjoy their Eid weekend indulging in a culinary feast with their family and friends, in a contemporary and relaxed setting.

“The exceptional taste, flavour and variety of ZUMA’s Eid brunch menu is the perfect finale to a month of fasting, and will allow families to come together over exceptional food, relaxing ambiance and a sublime dining experience. We are constantly looking for ways to surpass our guests’ expectations and ZUMA’s Eid Brunch is the ideal culmination of this promise.” said Ajaz Sheikh, Director of Operations – Middle East, ZUMA.

The ZUMA brunch comes in three options; KITSU: priced at AED 315, including a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages and cleansers, KOWAKU: priced at AED 425 and includes unlimited bellinis, sake tasters, and an upmarket sommelier’s selection of wines and KYASHA: Priced at AED 550 and includes Veuve Clicquot Rose.

The Eid brunch will also allow kids under 11 to dine for free when accompanied by an adult. Reservations are essential and for bookings, please call 04 425 5660 or email: reservations@zumarestaurant.ae

Located in Podium 6 at The Gate Village in Dubai International Financial Centre, ZUMA offers its guests complimentary parking. For location details, please visit http://www.zumarestaurant.com
 

Celebrate Eid With ZUMA’s Award Winning Japanese Brunch Menu

Zuma is celebrating the end of the Holy month with its award winning contemporary Japanese BAIKINGU Eid brunch, which will be on offer during the two days of Eid from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Aimed at satisfying the most discerning palette, ZUMA’s Eid brunch options will offer fresh sushi, sashimi and maki rolls as well as a range of ZUMA favorites and hot starters from the robatayaki grill. Guests can enjoy their Eid weekend indulging in a culinary feast with their family and friends, in a contemporary and relaxed setting.

“The exceptional taste, flavour and variety of ZUMA’s Eid brunch menu is the perfect finale to a month of fasting, and will allow families to come together over exceptional food, relaxing ambiance and a sublime dining experience. We are constantly looking for ways to surpass our guests’ expectations and ZUMA’s Eid Brunch is the ideal culmination of this promise.” said Ajaz Sheikh, Director of Operations – Middle East, ZUMA.

The ZUMA brunch comes in three options; KITSU: priced at AED 315, including a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages and cleansers, KOWAKU: priced at AED 425 and includes unlimited bellinis, sake tasters, and an upmarket sommelier’s selection of wines and KYASHA: Priced at AED 550 and includes Veuve Clicquot Rose.

The Eid brunch will also allow kids under 11 to dine for free when accompanied by an adult. Reservations are essential and for bookings, please call 04 425 5660 or email: reservations@zumarestaurant.ae

Located in Podium 6 at The Gate Village in Dubai International Financial Centre, ZUMA offers its guests complimentary parking. For location details, please visit http://www.zumarestaurant.com
 

RTA Honours Employees Winning DGEP Awards 2009

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), has recently honoured RTA employees who won the Dubai Government Excellence Performance (DGEP) Awards 2009, where RTA scooped 10 awards; namely: the Government Entity with the Most Advanced Performance Award, the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity Award, the Distinguished Work Team Award, the distinguished Government Employee Award, the Distinguished Administrative Employee Award, the Creative Employee Award, the Distinguished Technical/ Engineering Employee Award, the Distinguished New Employees Award, and the Unsung Hero Award.

In a speech delivered in the ceremony held to celebrate the winners, Al Tayer praised the efforts of the winners and their dedicated & assiduous efforts which were culminated in reaching the podium and shaking hands with HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, and HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council.

Al Tayer stressed that taking the lion share in the DGEP Awards was a result of the dedicated collective efforts of all RTA employees, team spirit, relentless attention to keep pace with all developments in all fields, introduction of modern management concepts, caring for human resources, and fostering the spirit of creativity & innovation in the working environment.

“The achievement made brings to us immense & fresh responsibilities in terms of maintaining it, and doubling the number & categories of the Awards to be won in next rounds. RTA firmly believes that the frameworks and methodologies set by the Award are crucial for achieving excellence and upgrading the corporate performance” said Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman further added: “RTA will keep up the same momentum adopted in completing projects that have bolstered the impressive record of RTA achievements. Recently RTA opened 11 new metro stations, thus raising the number of stations opened to 21 stations i.e. more than double the stations opened on 09/09/09. It also launched the Water Taxi service and opened a host of road projects such as Meydan Bridges, Main Bridges of the 1st Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Qudrah Bridge, Phase II of Al Ittihad Road Widening Project, and operation of 1068 modern buses in the fleet of public buses.

“Dubai Emirate has unique integrated mass transit systems spanning the Dubai Metro, public buses, abras, water bus, water taxi and taxicabs. The next phase requires further efforts to achieve full integration of all modes of public transport” added Al Tayer.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer then honoured the winners in the category of the Government Entity with the Most Advanced Performance, the category of the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity, and the category of the Distinguished Team Award (090909 Team which delivered Dubai Metro Project on time). He also honoured Dr.

Khalid Al Zahid, who won the distinguished Government Employee Award, and engineer Ramadan Abdullah, who won the Distinguished Administrative Employee Award, engineer Hussain Al Banna, who won the Creative Employee Award, Dr. Othman Metex, who won the Distinguished Technical/ Engineering Employee Award, engineer Sarah Ishaq, who won the Distinguished New Employees Award, and Ismail Juma and Qaid Mohammed Al Halaqbi, who were honoured in the Unsung Hero Award category.

Al Tayer also honoured the support teams, committees, standardization staff, and the work teams nominated by the RTA to the DGEP 2009. Among those honoured were Laila Mohammed Taher Faridoon, Director of RTA Executive Office, who was nominated under the category of the Distinguished Employee, engineer Ali Al Mansouri, who was nominated under the category of Distinguished Site Employee, Suhailah Hajji, who was nominated under the category of the Distinguished Financial Employee, and Dr. Khalid Hamdi, who was nominated under the category of the Distinguished Employee in Specialist Jobs. The list of honourees also included the nominees under the categories of the Financially Distinguished Government Entity, the Joint Government Project (Comprehensive Addressing System), the Distinguished Administrative Initiative (Dubai Award for Sustained Transport), and the Distinguished Technological & Technical Project (Dubai Metro Technologies).

The honourees expressed their pleasure with the DGEP, which is one of the best awards in the region that honours innovators, leverages the government sector, and upgrades the performance level through nurturing modern management concepts in customer service & achieving customer satisfaction, developing resources, simplifying procedures, documenting systems and fostering the spirit of creativity. They stated that such recognition motivates them, as well as their colleagues, to commit more dedicated efforts to double the achievements and make the way once again to the podium.
 

Olivier Award Winning Actress Leanne Jones To Work With Young Dubai Talent In Spotlight Academy @ DUCTAC’s Production Of Hairspray

Olivier award winning actress LEANNE JONES has joined Spotlight Academy @ DUCTAC’s forthcoming production of Hairspray and will reprise her critically acclaimed role of Tracy Turnblad in the Tony and Olivier Award winning show.

Leanne, who won the prestigious Olivier Award in 2008 for Best Actress in a Musical for Hairspray, also received the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Newcomer and Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical as a member of the show’s Original London Cast at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End.

As part of the Spotlight Academy @ DUCTAC team, she will work each day to help local Dubai students learn, prepare, rehearse and perform in Spotlight Academy @ DUCTAC’s first production.

She is joined by fellow Hairspray Original London Cast member TEREL NUGENT who will reprise his role of Seaweed J Stubbs, STEPHEN McGLYNN (Burt in Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!) who will play Wilbur Turnblad and ANTONY STUART-HICKS (Wizard of Oz) who will play Edna Turnblad.

Hairspray is the first production from SPOTLIGHT ACADEMY @ DUCTAC, which gives the very best local talent the chance to work, rehearse and perform alongside some of the UK’s leading theatrical stars. Auditions took place in May with the successful performers taking part in two weeks of intensive theatre workshops and rehearsals with some of the UK’s top creative talent, culminating in SEVEN performances of Hairspray in DUCTAC’s magnificent Centrepoint Theatre.

The show is produced on behalf of DUCTAC by JC Theatre Productions and The Shakespeare 4 Kidz Theatre Company. Producer and Director Julian Chenery, who has brought his acclaimed Shakespeare 4 Kidz shows to Dubai for the past 4 years, is delighted that Leanne has found time to squeeze the Spotlight Academy @ DUCTAC into her busy schedule.

“Leanne was a sensation when she burst onto the West End stage as Tracy Turnblad. She is one of the most talented musical theatre stars in the world and tremendous fun. I know that everyone who is lucky enough to be part of this exciting production will love her and learn so much from working with her.”

Leanne arrives in Dubai directly from the London production of Jonathan Larsson’s Tick, Tick, Boom! and prior to a UK tour of Dave Simpson’s play The Naked Truth.

Packed with great songs, amazing dance routines and bags of humour, Hairspray is a fun, feel good night out for all the family. So don’t miss your chance to see Leanne performing live on stage in Dubai alongside the stars of the future – book your tickets now at the DUCTAC box office (04 341 4777) or through www.timeouttickets.com or www.boxofficeme.com

Performances run from Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 July at the Centrepoint Theatre, DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates.

See www.hairspraydubai.com or www.ductac.org for further details
 

Shoppers Continue Winning at Mall of the Emirates & Deira City Centre Weekly DSS Draws

A nineteen year old Egyptian student and a Kuwaiti tourist have been announced as winners of the third weekly DSS joint promotion draw between Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre.Each of them will receive AED 100,000 in the form of both cash and vouchers from Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre.Mother of three children, Najah Hamdan Saif from Kuwait was visiting Mall of the Emirates for the very first time. “It’s an unforgettable experience for us,” she said. “To think this was my first time here is amazing. Of course I’d heard so much about it but had never actually been inside Mall of the Emirates. I can’t wait to come back.”Nineteen-year-old university student Ahmad Mohammed entered into the weekly draw after shopping for clothes at Deira City Centre. His father, a lawyer who has been living in the city for almost four decades said, “This is such good news for us. I’m not sure what Ahmad wants to do with this money but one thing is certain – we’ll be celebrating this win over and over again with our family.”The mega joint promotion on offer by Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre is the first time two of Dubai’s most popular malls have come together. The bonanza gives a combined AED 2 million away in AED 200,000 each week to two winners and AED 400,000 in the last draw. To participate in the six weekly draws still to go all customers need to do is shop for a minimum of AED 300 at either of the malls.