World-Class Singer Marwan Khoury Joins Sharq Orchestra In A Celebration Of Arabic Music At DUCTAC This New Year

For one night only this January, come and experience the magic of Sharq Orchestra’s captivating interpretations of Arabic popular music as they present their New Year Concert at DUCTAC’s Centrepoint Theatre, alongside Marwan Khoury, one of the world’s most celebrated Arabic artists.

Following the success of Essence of Arabia as part of last year’s DUCTAC SEASON, Solo Violinist Mohamad Hamami and Sharq Orchestra are returning to DUCTAC with the kind support of Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, to delight music lovers of all ages and origins with their unreserved performances of Arabic classics and their own compositions.

For this special performance at DUCTAC on 14th January 2011, Sharq Orchestra will be joined by Marwan Khoury, providing the breathtaking voice that will be familiar to the thousands who have seen him perform live or listened to one of his many studio albums. Singer, writer, composer, arranger and producer, his work has been nationally, regionally and internationally performed and adapted by numerous famous artists. Hailing from Lebanon, Marwan Khoury’s live performances at the Opera House of Egypt and Cartage Festival of Tunisia, among others, have cemented his reputation as one of the most respected Arab artists of his generation.

When Mohamad Hamami created Sharq Orchestra in 2008, the unique concept brought together 45 musicians from 22 nations with the aim of bringing music in general, and Arabic music in particular, to a wider audience. Hamami describes Sharq’s music as “orchestral in shape, classical in technique and lively at heart.”

Hamami leads, conducts and plays solo violin with his orchestra, and under his charismatic leadership, the orchestra’s classically-trained musicians of diverse backgrounds produce exciting performances that can be enjoyed by long-term lovers of Arabic music, as well as those listening for the first time.

DUCTAC’s General Manager Millie Tsai said: “Anyone who loves music or is eager for the best-possible introduction to the sounds of the region will not fail to enjoy the captivating interpretations of Mohamad Hamami and Sharq Orchestra. We are thrilled to be welcoming them to DUCTAC once again and are also honoured that Marwan Khoury will be joining them on stage at the Centrepoint Theatre. The show promises to be an unforgettable evening of musical entertainment.”

New Year Concert is part of DUCTAC’s Season 10/11, a multidisciplinary arts festival featuring a host of high-calibre artists and performers from around the globe. SEASON 2010/11 includes visual art, music, dance, drama and film events providing the community with a rich cultural programme throughout the winter.

New Year Concert with Solo Violinist Mohamad Hamami, Sharq Orchestra and Special Guest Marwan Khoury

Date: Friday 14th January

Time: 8.00pm

Venue: Centrepoint Theatre DUCTAC
Level 2, Mall of the Emirates

Tickets: VIP – AED 500
Stalls – AED 300, AED200
Balcony – AED150
Student – AED50 (limited seats available)
 

World-Class Entertainment Hits Dubai This Festive Season As DUCTAC Prepares To Let It Snow!

This December, head to DUCTAC to experience the very best in festive entertainment as the fabulous, multi award-winning singer Alison Jiear performs your favourite festive songs, show tunes and Disney classics with her extraordinary live band and a specially formed local choir.

Guaranteed to get anyone into the festive mood, Let It Snow – a Festive Spectacular is a musical celebration of some of the best-loved songs of the season and fabulous music that’s equally evocative of this special time of the year.

Singing along will definitely be encouraged as Alison and her band perform your favourite jazz standards, show numbers and Christmas classics. Let It Snow – a Festive Spectacular features classics like ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing’ and ‘Gypsy In My Soul’, as well as Broadway favourites and some of the world’s best-loved show tunes including ‘Over the Rainbow’ and a specially arranged medley from The Sound of Music. There’ll be Disney songs such as ‘When you Wish Upon a Star’, and many seasonal numbers including ‘White Christmas’, ‘Jingle Bells’, and, of course, ‘Let it Snow’.

Alison Jiear is a Laurence Olivier Award-nominated actress with a “bring down the house pop voice” (NY Times). A critically acclaimed concert artist, Alison has travelled the world with her one-woman show, from Sydney to New York to London. She is performing for the first time in the Middle East with an amazing live band who, between them, have played with artists including Sting, Sir Cliff Richard, Mick Hucknall, Will Young, Gloria Gaynor and Dame Shirley Bassey. But there’s one star who is set to make a special appearance at DUCTAC that they haven’t performed with before– Santa Claus! And with his magic in the air those of you who think it never snows in Dubai may be in for a surprise!

Alison and her band will be accompanied by a choir that was formed when open auditions were held at DUCTAC last month. The successful auditionees range from 10 to 40 years old and come from all over the world. DUCTAC’s General Manager Millie Tsai said: “It was amazing to see such a huge number of local people come along to audition to be a part of our show. The choir sound amazing already and they are all so excited to meet Alison and the band. It’s such a great opportunity for these talented singers to work in a professional theatre environment and be part of what promises to be a really incredible show.”

Director Joseph Fowler, says: “The whole team was blown away by the wealth of talent in Dubai, as well as how brave the auditionees were to stand up and sing for the panel – especially as many of them have never been on stage before. I’m positive that the choir, Alison and the amazing musicians who will be joining us from the UK will make Let it Snow an unmissable festive night out!”

Let it Snow is a festive treat for everyone, so bring the whole family and come and celebrate with us at DUCTAC!

Let it Snow – A Festive Spectacular

Dates: Friday 3rd – Saturday 11th December
(no show on 7th December)

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: Centrepoint Theatre
DUCTAC
Level 2, Mall of the Emirates

Tickets:
Regular
Stalls AED 150
Balcony – AED120
Friends of DUCTAC
Stalls – AED125
Balcony – AED 100
Student – AED 60 (limited seats available)
 

Iconic Projects And World-Class Lifestyles Mark Global Showcase Of Emaar Properties At Cityscape

Emaar Properties PJSC, the global property developer, is highlighting its proven capabilities in delivering world-class assets at Cityscape Global 2010, the premier real estate expo to be held at Dubai International Convention Centre from Oct. 4 to 7.

Emaar’s rich portfolio of delivered projects in Dubai and other key global markets will take centrestage at the event in addition to an overview of key projects that are currently being developed. The Emaar pavilion will also feature the development portfolio of the company’s subsidiaries, including hotels, shopping malls, leisure choices and healthcare centres.

A highlight of Emaar at Cityscape Global is a spectacular display of Downtown Dubai, the 500-acre destination development of the company anchored by Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building featuring the world’s first Armani Hotel.

Encompassing The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, several world-class hotels, residences and prime office space, Downtown Dubai underscores Emaar’s strategy of developing fully integrated communities that energise the economy.

Also on display will be Emaar’s lifestyle developments in Turkey and Pakistan have been handed over to customers, and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Canada, will be handed over to customers in the coming months.

Mr Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director, Emaar Properties, said: “From pioneering master-planned communities in Dubai to developing iconic projects, Emaar has consistently set the benchmarks for world-class property development in Dubai and our global markets. At Cityscape Global, we are emphasising on the lifestyle appeal of our projects and our commitment to delivery. We are creating a new world for our customers – truly integrated communities where they can live, work and play.”

He added: “This year’s Cityscape is special as we are showcasing Burj Khalifa – now a thriving ‘vertical city’ – following its grand inauguration in January. The tower is a powerful statement on our project development competencies, and we are drawing on our strengths and track-record to create world-class projects in all our markets.”

Emaar will present from a comprehensive overview of Downtown Dubai as well as models of up-and-coming residential developments in the community and a dedicated section for Armani Hotel Dubai and Armani Residences. For the first time, a special section will also be set aside for ‘Downtown Dubai venues’ – Burj Park, Burj Steps, Burj Plaza and Emaar Boulevard – which are ideal for hosting lifestyle, business or personal events.

Among key international developments of Emaar at Cityscape Global are the Emaar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah, developed by Emaar Middle East; Tuscan Valley Houses in Istanbul; Samarah Dead Sea Resort in Jordan; Canyon Views and Crescent Bay in Pakistan; BeitMisk in Lebanon; The Eighth Gate in Syria and Wills Creek town homes in South Surrey, Canada.

Of these projects, Emaar has handed over the first phase of Tuscan Valley Houses and Mirador villas in Canyon Views. The first commercial offices in The Eighth Gate have also been handed over within the Commercial Centre of the project, which is billed to become the No 1 business hub of Syria.

Emaar’s International’s project showcase will also feature various mall and hospitality developments in key markets including Egypt, Morocco and France. Among the highlights of Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality & leisure subsidiary, at Cityscape Global include The Address Hotels + Resorts in Dubai and other international markets.

Emaar Malls Group, which owns and manages The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall; and Emaar Retail, credited with introducing innovative leisure concepts, will demonstrate their strengths in line with Emaar’s philosophy of developing integrated communities.

Emaar’s 540 sq m pavilion is located in front of Hall 7. For more details, log on to www.emaar.com.

Empower Launches World-Class Customer Service Center Offering Integrated Services

Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) has launched a world class customer service center that provides customers with integrated services to cater to the demands of customers growing at the rate of 60 percent annually.

Designed to provide quality and efficient services, the new center reflects the company’s commitment to enhance customer support.

Empower’s customer base included individual customers as well as large businesses, including projects in Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Business Bay.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said: “Customers are the backbone of our operations as we believe customer satisfaction is the key to business success. As dedicated providers of district cooling services not only in the UAE but also in the region, we aspire to deliver satisfaction through a group of professionals backed with the knowledge and technical expertise. We offer our clients an experience rather than a service.”

The customer service center reflects the core values of Empower and it reinforces its position on the global front as an organization that delivers efficient service. The system is designed to manage customers’ queries through increased efficiency and productivity.

A dedicated team of Empower will be on hand at all times to serve customers in registration, bill payment, final bill and general enquiries.

Bin Shafar added: “Our customer base rose by 60 % in 2010. This is why we launched this center as the number of customers has increased dramatically. Customers of Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Business Bay can avail of this service.”

This is the third customer service center for Empower, after Business Bay and Jumeirah Beach Residence, which are only dedicated to bill payments. The customer servicing center timings will be from 9 am to 2 pm in Ramadan and from 7:30 am to 3:30 am thereafter.

The Dubai based company believes that district cooling technology achieves optimal results not only to customers but also to the society at a socio-economic level through diminishing the electricity and water consumption thus conserving the environmental resources of the Emirate of Dubai.

Empower’s district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. Empower which is a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and TECOM Investments has world class work stations being built on various locations in the Emirate of Dubai.
 

Big 5 PMV Moves To New World-Class Home

The Big 5 PMV, the Middle East’s leading event for plant, construction machinery and vehicles, is moving to a new world-class home in Dubai.Organisers Streamline Marketing Group and dmg world media announced today that the third edition of the event, taking place from 23-26 November, will be staged in the new state-of-the-art exhibition halls currently nearing completion at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.The switch from an adjacent outdoor temporary structure is made possible by the fact that the new halls, due for completion in September, are being built to a superior technical specification, which will allow, for the first time, the huge construction machinery that Big 5 PMV hosts, to be displayed in the main body of the exhibition centre. The new halls boast 25,000m2 gross space and ceiling heights ranging from 10m – 14m.“These are tough times for the construction industry as a whole, so we are doing everything we can to provide the best facilities and business environment for exhibitors,” said Nick Webb, Director of Streamline Marketing Group.“The new exhibition halls feature world class facilities, and with significantly higher ceilings and increased weight loading capabilities they’re the perfect venue to host heavy construction equipment.”Webb added: “We are also putting considerable emphasis on our key buyers programme, identifying those construction companies in the region who will be purchasing equipment and will utilise the show in November for their procurement needs. The combination of targeted marketing and a key location will cement Big 5 PMV’s success in a difficult year”.The new halls integrate with the existing exhibition building, bringing the entire Big 5 event under one roof and creating fast and easy access to all parts of the exhibition for trade visitors, more than 58,000 of whom attended last year.More good news for visitors this year is that they will be able to travel to the exhibition via the Dubai Metro whose red line, running for 52.1 km between Rashidiya and Jebel Ali, opens in September. The Dubai World Trade Centre metro station is immediately adjacent to the new halls and with a 634 people per train capacity and widely applauded cost of travel, will significantly improve access to the venue.Peter Sutton, Vice President – Venues at Dubai World Trade Centre, the parent company of DICEC, said: “The expansion of DICEC underlines our commitment to making Dubai an essential hub for major international events. The ability to physically bring together the Big 5 with its plant, machinery and vehicles section is a huge strategic leap forward and will benefit visitors and exhibitors alike.”Simon Mellor, Vice President, Construction at dmg world media, organisers of the Big 5, said: “While construction activity has slowed, Dubai remains the business gateway to the Middle East.All of the elements have come together – a new, world-class venue, Big 5 and Big 5 PMV under the same roof and an improved understanding of what the market requires. We’re confident of delivering an exceptional event and a good return on investment for exhibitors in difficult times.”