A Red Bull Air Village was set up opposite the Bahar sector at JBR.

The 300 square metre village featured a 4 x 4 x 6 metre plane, a

mock up of the Abu Dhabi Air Race track, a photo gallery displaying
30 images from previous races worldwide, along with gaming
stations where visitors engaged in simulated flights.

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 1


MANAGING EDITOR
PUBLIShER & MANAGING DIRECTOR :
GENERAL MANAGER
DIRECTOR FINANCE
EDitorial
Editor
Deputy Editor
Associate Editor
DEsign
salEs anD MarkEting
Account Manager
Accounts
Circulation Supervisor
2 l UAE Digest, May 2010
May 2010 DH 5
Published from Dubai Media City
The Duke Ellington Big Bank
ADOPTION
The chosen one –UAE tales
JEWELLERY
Gold swopping time
TECHNO
Cyber liability
ART TRAVEL
Interview with MF Hussain Arabian Travel Market
: K Raveendran
ravi@sterlingp.ae
Sankaranarayanan
sankar@sterlingp.ae
: Radhika Natu
radhika@sterlingp.ae
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anandi@sterlingp.ae
Sterling Publications FZ LLC
Loft Office 2, G 01, Dubai Media City
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 ConTenTs

4
The Duke Ellington Big Bank
will be appearing in public at
The Palladium, Dubai following
invitation-only performances in
Abu Dhabi.

8 21
Tweeting about holidays Surf’s up
abroad Taking a legal look at one area of cyber
Is the UAE’s travel industry ready to adopt liability – employees and the Internet
the latest online armoury – Twitter - to sell
its tourist sites?

24
Art for heart’s sake
A legendary painter talks about his
new projects, passion for cinema,
role of controversy and awards

42
10 Gold swopping time
The chosen one have your old jewellery turned
Meet the woman who into new – by swopping it. Time
facilitates adoption in the to visit the gold souk.
GCC

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 3

 IN THE

As(h)ing for
trouble Opening of

T
he middle of last month saw a
volcano erupting a number of
times from under a glacier in
Iceland. The combination of
water, gases and hot inner earth materials
caused thick volcanic ash to spew at least
three kilometres upwards into the sky before
if fell back down in the form of thick clouds.
Then the wind blew, causing the clouds to
travel towards Europe which resulted in
flight cessations for six days which, in turn,
had a severe impact on those stranded in
various countries.
Emirates were the first to cancel all
flights to the UK on 15 April as a result of
UK announcing a ban on travel within its
airspace. Passengers already in transit in
Dubai were provided with hotel accommo-
dation. Other airlines followed immediately
and thousands of travellers worldwide were
affected as flights from the Far East and
other continents were stopped as the inter-
mediate receiving/transit countries could
not provide accommodation for all.
Even so, those in the UAE, more than
30,000, were accommodated in hotels, with
most guests enjoying the extra unexpected
stay, even though it was edged with worries
about plans already made with colleagues
and familes at their destinations.
Following test flights by European
carriers on the 20th, airports in Europe
resumed operations.
Stations ready to receive passengers
10 Metro stations
RTA opens seven metro sta-
tions in April and three others
on May 15, while 28 buses to be deployed
to link the stations with surrounding areas
RTA said they would do it, and they
have been working hard to keep to their
word. Stations at Emirates, Airport Termi-
nal 1, Al Karama, Emirates Towers, Dubai
Internet City, Marina and Ibn Battuta are
now open while those at GGICO, World
Trade Centre and Al Qouz will be opened
on the 15th . The remainder of stations
on the Red Line will be opened during

4 l UAE Digest, May 2010

the coming months until all are functional
before the year’s end.
RTA has carried out site surveys for the
neighbourhoods of the stations opening
shortly and accordingly opened up new bus
routes to feed the metro stations. Twenty
eight buses are being deployed to link the
metro stations with the surrounding areas
and the service is set to run at 13-20 minute
intervals.
Indian Consul General at
Rongali Bihu celebrations
in Dubai
Under the aegis of Assam Society UAE, the
Assamese community celebrated Rongali
Bihu with traditional gaiety in a cultural
Mr. Sanjay Verma, Consul-General of India in Dubai
extravaganza in Dubai. Rongali Bihu
celebrates the onset of the Assamese New
Year and is the biggest socio-cultural spring
festival of the people of Assam in India’s
north-east.
Consul-General of India in Dubai, Mr.
Sanjay Verma graced the occasion as the
chief guest.
During the festivities, Consul General
Verma launched the new website of the
society, www.assamuae.org and released
the fifth edition of ‘Probaxi Bihuwan’, the
Rongali Bihu 2010 souvenir, which serves
as a socio-cultural medium for the UAE’s
vibrant Assamese community.
This year’s Rongali Bihu celebrations
were held at Dubai’s Metropolitan Palace
Hotel in Deira, where members of the
community performed the traditional
Bihu dance and hussorie amidst the unique
sounds of exotic musical instruments
like dhol, pepa and gogona. During the
cultural programme, local artistes were
joined by guest performers from Assam who
enthralled the audience with the famous
sattriya dance and a plethora of popular
Assamese songs.
Youth Without Smoking
campaign
Last month, Dubai Municipality launched
a campaign called, ‘Youth Without Smok-
ing. Activities of the two-month campaign,
Youth without smoking campaign at Al Ahli Club
which will culminate with the World No
Tobacco Day on 31st May, include three
sporting events and involvement of 10
schools. During the campaign, a team from
Municipality Clinic, with the participa-
tion of Dubai Health Authority and Dubai
Medical College, will conduct medical
examinations free of charge for young peo-
ple and make them aware of the seriousness
of the hazards of smoking, which threatens
their health and their future.
The team will be present at many of the
sports tournaments conducted during the
period as well as go to many educational
institutions in the emirate to provide free
services to check carbon dioxide levels,
examine the lungs and offer free medical
consultation on different types of treat-
ment which includes awareness therapies,
conventional treatment using tablets and
other medicines, and new methods of treat-
ment such as laser and other magnet based
devices.
The campaign emphasises on the
importance of a healthy lifestyle, healthy
food, and sports. It targets the middle
school, high school, college and university
students, and the activities of the campaign
will be organised in coordination with
the Knowledge and Human Development
Authority.
Curbing the sale of pirated
software
Five anti-piracy raids in Fujairah
In its ongoing efforts to curb the spread of
pirated software, Microsoft Gulf has filed
criminal complaints which led to five anti-
piracy raids on
resellers in Fu-
jairah. The raids
were conducted
by the Fujairah
branch of the
UAE Ministry
of Economy,
the Fujairah
Municipality
and the UAE
National Media
Council. The
raids resulted in
the confiscation
of personal
computers loaded with pirated copies of
software.
Hassan Yousef Al Mushtaghil, Direc-
tor of the UAE Ministry of Economy in
Fujairah said, “In addition to the impact on
economies and innovation, software piracy
poses real risks to businesses and consumers.
It is for this reason that protecting Intel-
lectual Property Rights is at the top of the
agenda for the ministry where we partner
with organisations such as Microsoft in the
development of strategies and mechanisms
that will help tackle this issue in the Arab
world.”
Symantec unveils plans for
Lunar Data Centre
Symantec Corp. has announced the pur-
chase of two acres of land on the moon as the
build site for its new state-of-the-art ‘Data
Centre of the Future’. The new facility will
benefit from the latest green technologies for
power and cooling, taking advantage of the
moon’s lack of air and freezing temperatures
to keep the data centre cool and utilising
solar light to power the centre. “This data
centre will be the greenest (or in moon
parlance, the whitest) in the galaxy and will
run without an earthly carbon footprint”
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 5
 said a sustainability expert too embarrassed
to be named.
Symantec has a long history of prevent-
ing data from disappearing into black holes.
This move is the culmination of a vision to
move from cyberspace to real space. This
project may be one small step for Symantec,
but one giant leap for the next generation
of data centres. The lunar data centre will
benefit from the next generation of security
protection since it will be built out of reach
of earth-bound elements and threats. It will
communicate with earth via secure wireless
transmissions. Norton concludes: “This level
of security will totally ‘eclipse’ anything
we’ve seen before.”
DWTC reveals first
hospitality partners at
Trade Centre Plaza
Leading F&B outlets confirm plans to
launch as part of the Plaza’s First Class
dining experience
Dubai World Trade Centre has announced
a major milestone for its new world class
entertainment hub - Trade Centre Plaza -
revealing hospitality leaders Bin Hendi, Al
Tayer Trends, Al Khaja Group and Wild
Peeta founders Al Awadhi brothers as
operators confirmed to launch leading food
outlets that will anchor the Plaza’s hospital-
ity offering.
Trade Centre Plaza
6 l UAE Digest, May 2010
The agreements signal the arrival of
Japengo Café, Caffè Nero, Hatam and
Wild Peeta at DWTC’s Trade Centre Plaza
development - the spacious open area adja-
cent to its newly opened extension, located
steps away from the new Trade Centre
metro station which provides visitors easy
access to the exhibition halls. Scheduled to
open in June, these four leading restaurants
will provide business and leisure visitors
with the choice of a variety of international
cuisine options.
Wild Peeta, the Emirati brand of
quick service restaurants selling fusion
Shawarmas and salads will open its first
ever ‘lifestyle’ outlet in the Trade Centre
Plaza this summer. The design of the 1,173
square foot store is a unique collaboration
between Wild Peeta and the University of
Sharjah (Department of Architecture) and
the company’s impressive social media fol-
lowing, which includes a ‘thought wall’ for
visualising and sharing ideas, a ‘story-teller’
area for small presentations and a ‘work’
section that is laptop friendly.
Eco-friendly watch
In the spirit of the Earth Day, Hour Choice
from the Rivoli Group, has announced a
special initiative towards making the Earth
a greener place. Bringing to their stores
across UAE, for the first time is an entirely
eco-friendly timepiece called Sprout. Made
of 100 per cent biodegradable materials for
belts and buckles, mercury free batteries
and natural ingredients like corn resin,
bamboo and organic cotton, the timepieces
are packaged in an eco-friendly box, which
when ripped open and poured water into
will ‘sprout’ into your own patch of grass.
Hour Choice is also inviting children in
the age group of 7 to 12 to paint their vision
on the theme ‘Give Earth Some Time’ on
A3 sheets and submit it to any of their out-
lets in the country before 31st May, 2010.
At the end of the competition, the top 25
young artists will be invited as special guests
for a fantastic summer event at Kidzania,
Dubai Mall.
Ice Station Troll
BT has announced the completion of its
first satellite terminal in Antartica, at one
of the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest
locations. Ice Station Troll is part of the
global network BT is deploying for the
Galileo programme - Europe’s civilian
global positioning system (GPS), deliver-
ing improved accuracy and guaranteed
positioning services. Other sites are lo-
cated on islands such as La Reunion, New
Caledonia, Easter Island and Hawaii.
Detailed planning for Ice Station Troll
began in 2008 and considerable plan-
ning was needed to meet the short ‘good
weather’ window to ship last November.
The project was completed in February.
BT recently signed a contract exten-
sion with the European Space Agency
for the further deployment of a data dis-
semination network for the pilot phase of
Galileo. When fully deployed, the system
will consist of 30 satellites and associated
ground infrastructure - interoperable
with the American GPS.
UAE swings to the sound
of big band jazz
The sound of big band jazz arrives in
the United Arab Emirates with live
performances by The Duke Ellington
Big Band, formed in tribute to the man
widely considered America’s greatest
and most prolific composer. The band
will be appearing at The Palladium,
Dubai Media City, for one night only on
Thursday, 27 May, following restricted
and invitation only performances in Abu
Dhabi. Accompanying the band will be
Mercedes Ellington, the most senior of
the composer’s grandchildren and the
producer, director and choreographer of
the Panoramajazz programme. She is a
torchbearer for the iconic Ellington cul-
tural inheritance and formed The Duke
Ellington Center for the Arts to ensure
continuity of the legacy
Duke Ellington, who led his band
from 1923 until his death in 1974, was
one of most influential artists in recorded
music and widely recognised as one of
the greatest figures in the history of jazz.
His music also included blues, gospel,
film scores, popular and classical and he
composed a huge songbook.
It’s Zee show at DMC
By Vanit Sethi
Indian television giant Zee Network
organised a mega exhibition with numerous
cultural, culinary and couture shows at
the Dubai Media City amphitheatre in
April. Called the Zee Dubai Mega Mela,
the highlight of the three-day event was a
stage appearance by Bollywood heartthrob
Hrithik Roshan, who answered questions
Loy at the show
by the spectators, anchored by Rohit Roy.
Other celebrity performers who graced the
stage were the famous music trio Shankar-
Ehsaan-Loy, and Ali Azmat, the former
lead singer of Pakistani band Junoon. Star
performers of the
hit reality shows
Sa Re Ga Ma (Raja
Hasan, Yashita, San-
chita, Sumedha) and
Dance India Dance
(Kamlesh) added
colour to the scintil-
lating performances.
On the culinary
side, gourmet maes-
tro Sanjeev Kapoor
provided a delicious
taste of India to Shankar and Ehsaan
the visitors at the
fair with signature dishes like tandoori
items and dum style of cooking, while star
chef Vineet Bhatia came up with tandoori
salmon and chocolate samosas. Besides, a
number of Dubai restaurants like Indego,
Ashiana, Bombay Chowpatty, Qureshi’s,
Shamiana, and Bikanervala had set up their
stalls to provide gastronomic treats.
On the fashion scene, the 45-minute
Catwalk Show presented by Centrepoint
was colourful and foot-tapping, combin-
ing boutique fashion with the spectacle of
theatre and dance. With creations from
the Indian subcontinent, alongside lo-
cally inspired and high-street designs, the
show offered something for everyone. A
traditional yet contemporary collection was
featured by Soirée, Dubai’s first high-end,
multi-brand Paki-
stani boutique. The
Samsaara sequence,
featuring collec-
tions by designers
Z4Z & Oozmani
had a Latin theme,
while the FNK Asia
range of clothing
was inspired by
the people of Swat.
Other designers and
fashion brands who
showcased their
creations were BnK
Fashions from Abu Dhabi, Suman Bajaj
from India, Unge from UK, and Monga’s
from India.
Undoubtedly, the last word, or note, at
the event went to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who
performed on the last day of the event, belt-
ing out hits from Rock On, Dil Chahta Hai,
Bunty aur Babli, Taare Zameen Par, and My
Name is Khan. A fitting finale to the colour-
ful and lively event.
The Zee Dubai Mega Mela promises to
be an annual event now.
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 7
 LEISURE

Tweeting about holidays abroad

Is the UAE’s travel industry ready to adopt the latest online armoury –
Twitter - to sell its tourist sites?
By Abha Sadana & M. Sadana

D
evelopment of the
tourism industry and
technology go hand
in hand. Centuries
ago, travel on foot was the norm,
but now tours to space on space-
ships are also available. Earlier, pro-
motion of travel was through word-
of-mouth, but now the internet
has brought travel destinations to
one’s bedroom. People chat about
their travels on Facebook and other
social networking sites. Recently,
the Twitter craze has spread like
wildfire in the US, but it has yet to
become a phenomenon in the UAE
market where high-tech develop-
ments are the norm.
An American company, PacRim
Marketing Group Inc., developed
a strategy to pioneer the use of US Manmohan Sadana
popular social media marketing platforms
such as Twitter in the Japanese travel mar- Twitter has applications which the travel industry can
ket. With offices in Honolulu (US) and adapt for consumers and travellers who are tech-savvy and
Tokyo (Japan), PacRim began testing its like to gather information from others, and learn about
efforts that led to the launching of Twitter
destinations, hotels and activities prior to travel
accounts for its Japanese national employ-
ees, as well as for its editor and writers in
the Japanese language who oversee the waiiarukikata (Hawaii News), Hawaii- times daily. This strategy has received
content of Hawalii-Arukikata.com, one of Friends (Hawaii-arukikata.com Readers’ some success and is ready for replication
the most popular web portal sites for Ha- Café), HawaaiiDeGohan (Hawaii in markets where computerisation is at a
waii. It has created active Twitter accounts Gourmet) and MyHawaiiHotel (Hawaii take-off stage.
for HawaiiTenki (Hawaii Weather), Ha- Hotel deals), that are updated several Twitter is the latest rage in the US,

8 l UAE Digest, May 2010

with the social media explod-
ing to new levels. It has grown
into a real-time short messag-
ing service that works over
multiple networks and devices.
It has picked up in India, and
this platform is a recent craze
among the youth and the mid-
dle-aged. Presently, promotion
of destinations in the UAE and
the Middle East is being done
through established promo-
tional tools like advertising in
print media, electronic media,
outdoor advertising, participa-
tion in fairs and exhibitions,
and word-of-mouth publicity.
The discerning Arab traveller
is educated abroad and well-
versed with the IT revolution. Usage of
Twitter accounts, with the travel industry
back-up in using this platform, will bring
destination promotion to the homes of the
potential tourist.
Spreading the message
In today’s world, Twitter is a simple-to-
use and powerful marketing tool to get
a message out to various media channels
and direct to consumers, if used correctly.
One of its findings in its research of the
Japanese market was that the number
of Japanese who knew how to twitter
was far smaller compared to those in the
US market. Recognising this, PacRim
developed a Japanese-language training
tutorial and posted it on the Japanese
YouTube for Japanese users to learn how
to signup, create a Twitter account, and
to use it to follow individuals or com-
panies they can learn from, and make
others follow. Launched on May 13, the
Japanese-language video can be seen at
www.hawaiiarukikata.com and YouTube.
It would be an ideal opportunity to follow
the same model in Arabic.
We need to realise that the 140-char-
acter message on Twitter keeps commu-
nications brief, but the message remains
powerful as it can link to articles, and
include photos. Twitter is so simple and
fun to use, and has some very practical
applications for specific industries. It has
applications which the travel industry
can adapt for consumers and travellers
who are tech-savvy and like to gather
information from others, and learn about
destinations, hotels and activities prior
to travel.
Twitter can also work on mobile
phones, and its concept is simple: “What
are you doing now?” In 140 characters,
consumers can use Twitter to find their
friends or family at the mall while
travelling, or use it as a powerful instant
communications tool in ‘real-time’ to
communicate experiences of their vaca-
tion directly back to their countries to
friends, family, and also to the general
consumer. Social Media is just that - it is
social, and can spread a message quickly
and instantaneously.
It is worth mentioning that Twitter
was the site US President Barack Obama
took advantage of during his presidential
election. Users can transmit opinions and
comments and also exchange messages
with other users registered on the Twit-
ter account. Hence, whenever travellers
convey messages from a particular site,
they are dynamic, full of life, and the best
source of database the travel industry
and tourism boards can use for the their
promotions and development of tourism
products and policies.
For example, Rakuten Travel Inc.,
which opened its official website on Au-
gust 17, 2009, aims to boost demand among
followers by leaving messages on travel and
campaign information that Rakuten Travel
personnel recommend, in addition to in-
formation related to sightseeing and travel
in general. Rakuten Travel said it plans to
transmit preliminary news releases and
campaign information exclusive to Twitter
in the future.
Another is OpenDoor Inc., the operator
of the comprehensive travel information site
Travelko-chan, which recently began opera-
tions. In addition to transmitting the least
expensive tours and last-minute travel infor-
mation, OpenDoor enables consumers to
share a variety of data and postings among
them by facilitating the retreat (retransmis-
sion) function from August 24, 2009.
The above two companies aim to offer
high-density, yet user-friendly communica-
tions with consumers via Twitter, which is
equipped with higher immediacy bidirec-
tional capacity compared to blogs.
The UAE has the potential to excel, and
in case this technology is adopted in this
market, it can pay rich dividends in the near
future. Tourism in this part of the world
will never be the same again.
(Abha Sadana is a lecturer at the IILM
Institute for Higher Education in New
Delhi, and M. Sadana is the Regional
Director, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of
India)
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 9
 ADOPTION
Helping eager parents
SIMC experts prepare adoptive parents for all emotional and legal issues
By Vanit Sethi
D
ubai’s Synergy Integrated
Medical Centre (SIMC)
expanded their interna-
tional adoption services
and introduced their growing team at
a home study open evening on April 13
at their complex in Al Wasl Road. The
adoption team comprised Dr Randall
Phillips, Director, Synergy International
Adoption Services (Canada); Suzanne
Phillips, Adoption Specialist Hague
Legality; Dr Veronique Cugnet-Richard,
Head of Adoption Department (France);
Emily Kerins and Fiona Brew, both
Adoption Home Study Specialists (UK).
The adoption team at Synergy sup-
ports all adoptive parents in every aspect;
providing them with an international
standard home study that includes an
adoption preparedness programme,
focusing on positive parenting. Their
experts prepare adoptive parents for
all emotional issues that the child may
experience through life, which begins
with the imprint of abandonment and
rejection from their birth mother. The
home studies follow the International
Standards of the Hague Agreement.
Prospective parents, numbering about
25, attended the meeting to familiarise
themselves with adoption issues, legal re-
quirements and preparation programme.
Updated information on the legalities of
adoption in line with the Hague Conven-
tion were provided at the meeting. The
broad areas covered included interna-
tional adoption, the role of Synergy
Services in facilitating adoption, Home
Study Process, how to get started, and
the Hague Convention.
The Synergy service for those plan-
ning international adoption includes a
pre-adoption assessment, home study
10 l UAE Digest, May 2010
prepare parents for the challenge and
joy of entering international adoption
and to ensure a successful adoption
process.
Another open evening is scheduled
for May as there are many people still on
the waiting list, according to Gordona
Sikora, marketing director of SIMC.
Synergy International Adoption
Services is part of SIMC – a new
concept in healthcare, which combines
conventional medicine with comple-
mentary forms of therapy in order to
provide a holistic healing model.
Sharia law does not permit adoption
and referral as necessary. The home study in the United Arab Emirates. The
is completed by a team consisting of a Sharia Court may grant a guardi-
licensed psychologist, counsellor and anship, but such a guardianship is
social worker. Assessment is made of the insufficient for the filing of an I-130
prospective parent’s philosophies, home, petition for US immigration pur-
lifestyle and financial situation to ensure poses, according to the US Board of
that the child enters a safe and loving Immigration Appeals. Individual
environment. The pre-adoption assess- countries should be approached
ment includes 10 to 12 hours of practical regarding their laws in allowing the
parenting, education and counselling to children into their borders.
International adoption, or intercountry adoption, is a type of adoption in
which an individual or couple becomes the legal and permanent parents of a
child born in another country. In general, prospective adoptive parents must
meet the legal adoption requirements of their country of residence and those of
the country in which the child was born.
The laws of different countries vary in their willingness to allow international
adoptions. Some countries, such as China and Korea, have relatively well-
established rules and procedures for international adoptions, while other
countries expressly forbid it. Some countries, notably many African nations,
have extended residency requirements for adoptive parents that in effect rule
out most international adoptions.
 ADOPTION

The chosen one

Beauty, money, fame, age, health and love
might disappear with time, but if you have
a mission that brings deep happiness to
people, you have a blessed life. Dubaiite
for 36 years, Omana Menon, speaks to
Manju Ramanan on her role of facilitating
adoption in the GCC, that has enriched
her own life and, after the death of her
husband, paved the path towards self-
realisation.

S
ometimes you are chosen by destiny to do things you’d never have
imagined. As you carry on your duty steadfast, the meaning be-
hind the patterns emerge. A 20-something Omana Menon, never
thought that, one day, she would be facilitating childless couples
in the GCC (mostly Indians, Americans, Europeans and Australians) by
bridging the gap between Indian orphanages, the government and them,
when she stepped onto this soil 36 years ago. Omana came to join her hus-
band, the late BK Menon, who was working with the Al Ghurair Group
– mainly responsible for the first mall in Dubai, the Al Ghurair Mall, and
the first mineral water plant, Masafi Water. She has two children and is a
grandmother too.
“Way back in 1974, community events and entertainment options in
Dubai were meagre. So we decided to organise the Indian Ladies Associa-
tion,” she says.
The Ladies Association, which originally consisted of an elite group of
women, spearheaded several community activities including starting the
first music class for Carnatic classical music and Bharatanatyam dance by
renting out a flat in Karama. They also indulged in various fund raising
activities like starting a thrift shop where people would donate things they
no longer had a use for, and selling them at throwaway prices to the needy.
Soon, under Omana’s presidency, the club started accommodating women
from all walks of life. “A large part of the UAE consists of working class
Indians and I wanted them to be part of the organisation too,” she states.
So, in 1976, nurses, teachers, home-makers etc, found in the Ladies As-
sociation, a forum of self-expression and a climate of bonding.
Omana, being a senior member of the club, often doubled up as a
counsellor and a confidante to many. During the course of one of her Omana Menon has helped adopt
interactions, she met a childless couple who were keen to adopt a child about 2,000 children from India
from India.
to the GCC countries in the last
“They had been to orphanages there, but the Indian government had
wanted a social worker to submit an assessment about them before it
34 years
would allow for adoption,” she says.

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 11

 To assist them, Omana phoned the was restricted to couples who couldn’t India rules, people in their 30s are given
Indian Association for Promotion of conceive, now it is spread over people infant children who are 2-3 months old,
Adoption in New Delhi, introduced her- who want to adopt,” she states. but if the couple’s combined age is 90
self as the President of the Indian Ladies Is there a parental criterion for adop- years, they are given older children,” she
Association in Dubai and asked tion? The study that Omana submits to states.
them how she could help the But, do the 2-3 year adopted
couple. There is a story about adoption that Omana children adjust normally?
“The Association “It is a popular misnomer
sent me guidelines and I
loves to narrate. It is about a child who is teased that they don’t. I ask parents
prepared a home study, by his peers at school that he is adopted and what they remember of their
got the Indian Consulate runs home to his mother crying. She tells own life when they were two
involved and soon, the couple him: “Tell them, ‘they just happened, you and three years old and they
got the baby,” she states. She was were chosen’. The child goes back to school usually are blank. So, it doesn’t
thrilled! “All this happened even really matter. In fact, we have
before I had any authorised pa-
narrating the same incident and soon his peers a young couple from the UAE
per from the Indian government. are crying - and he’s the one laughing, for he is who adopted an eight-year-old
There was no agency here that the chosen one child,” she adds. It so happened
was doing that. So, it did prompt that the girl had lost both her
me to take it seriously. What parents when a car hit them,
started out as a small step of help, killing them instantly and she was
became my life’s mission,” she adds. being brought up at her uncle’s place,
As for public knowledge about where she was reduced to the position
adoption, word about Omana spread of a servant of the household. The
through word of mouth, and she was neighbours complained to the parish
approached by more people, and the and the priest counselled the family,
same process continued with success. to no avail. That is when the news
“In order to formalise it, I wrote spread across the world and was nar-
to the Indian government request- rated by a priest in a Dubai church.
ing for an enlistment but they didn’t “I was amazed when I saw the
do it for 10 long years, though the couple who had come to me with
process of adoption continued. Only a request to adopt the eight-year-
14 years ago, they enlisted me,” she old child. The lady was in her early
states. Today, the Central Agency for twenties and her husband was a little
Resourcing Adoption that reports older than her. But they adopted her
to the Ministry of Social Empower- happily. When the girl was brought
ment and Justice, through a Govern- here, she was shy and timid but today,
ment of India letter, formalises and she is a star student in one of the
acknowledges Omana is in charge of GEMS schools. It happens to all of
adoption to the GCC countries. them. They blossom after the initial
By enlisting, Omana means that six months,” states Omana.
orphanages in India are intimated of There are so many such experi-
Omana’s name and position in the ences that Omana has had that she
UAE and it recognises her of being feels truly blessed.
the medium of adoption of Indian “Recently, a strapping young man
children to the GCC countries. the Indian government is exhaustive. and a youthful woman came to see me
Ask her, how the process of adoption Right from the prospective parent’s and, as usual, I asked them my routine
itself has undergone change in the past age, financial stability, educational questions, presuming that they were mar-
three decades and she says, there is more background etc, everything is studied ried (and that she was older to him). The
openness now. thoroughly. She also does a personal in- lady came closer and asked me if I failed to
“Earlier, children were not told terview of the parents, counselling them recognise her? She then introduced her son
about the status of their adoption, now about the arduous paperwork involved to me, telling me that he was the first baby
90 per cent of them know that they are in the whole process. I had helped adopt and that he was going
adopted. The process of adoption earlier “According to the Government of to the US and they wanted to meet me and

12 l UAE Digest, May 2010

take my blessings. I cried,” she adds.
With a skewed male-versus-female gen-
der ratio in India, do prospective parents
from the GCC ask for any specific gender
of the child?
“You’ll be surprised that 85 per cent
of parents who come here ask for a female
child,” she replies.
Of course, she gets one of the odd re-
quests where parents want children from
the same caste or religion.
“I tell them it is not possible to note
that at all. When a child is abandoned, no
one can tell that. And anyways, it is not
important. What is important is that a
child comes to your household and fills it
with its banter, happiness and joy.”
The transformation a child under-
goes when he/she comes here after being
adopted is heartening to note. Though
Omana has to submit a yearly report to
the Indian Government till the child is
about three years old, she has never been
disappointed with the way the parents in
the GCC countries bring up their adopted
children.
“The reticent child that comes to me
immediately after he/she is adopted, blos-
soms in six months time with love, care,
food and attention, all provided amply,”
she says.
Does she encourage parents to tell
their children that they are adopted?
“Yes, I do. Because it is always better
that the child knows about his adoption
from his parents than from outsiders. The
immediate families might be supportive,
but there could be a jealous relative or a
friend who can break the news to the child
and devastate him/her,” she explains. She
narrates an incident wherein a girl she
had helped adopt was getting married
and the parents wanted to intimate the
groom’s parents about the adoption. The
girl in question had never been told about
it. When the groom’s parents were very
accepting about the issue, the parents
decided to break the news to the girl too.
They sat her down and told her in all seri-
ousness she was adopted and she laughed
saying that she already knew about it 15
years ago, shocking everyone! “She had
stumbled across some papers when she was
10 and knew the truth all the while but
it didn’t matter to her at all,” she states.
For a lot of parents, the tedious
process of paperwork to get the child to
a foreign country and the paraphernalia
involved is a phase that they forget easily.
“In fact, many children start looking
like their parents, they dress like them,
pick up their mannerisms, use their
language – that makes it all so beautiful
as if the child was waiting for a home
like this,” she adds.
After her husband’s death a few years
ago, Omana believes that this is one job
that has helped her move on in life.
“We all go through a process of
continuous evolution. As children, if
you have played with dolls and doll
houses and that was the most engaging
thing at that stage of your life, you move
on to other things like climbing trees
or other activities. You shed off your
past and move on. Similarly, when my
husband passed away, there was an obvi-
ous void in my life, and I kept to myself.
People asked me to move out, indulge in
pastimes like playing cards, catching up
with friends etc, but I am involved with
my job. I am meeting real people with
real problems and finding solutions for
them. I couldn’t have asked for better,”
she says.
Of course, she reminisces, “Life
then was happier than it is today. You
knew everybody and everybody knew
you. People weren’t in large numbers as
they are today. I was a mother figure for
several people who had just moved in and
you could say I did a lot of what is called
‘social work’. I realise that those were the
seeds that were sown then and this is the
pattern that has evolved.”
On a parting shot, she does admit that
once she sees that the child has adjusted
with his/her new family, she detaches
herself from them. “It happened that
once or twice I ran into the families of the
people I helped adopt and with great hap-
piness went over to talk to them, but they
turned their faces away. I cannot blame
them. I remind them that they adopted
their children and now they don’t want
to think about that period of their life.
What matters to them is now that they
have a child. It hurt me immensely in the
beginning, but I understood why and
dealt with it,” she reiterates.
For her, the entire process is like a
spiritual journey. “You involve yourself
completely with the parents, help them
get a child, see the child grow up and then
detach yourself from it. I have realised
that with age, you also need a sense of
vairagya (detachment) to evolve further.”
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 13
 HEALTH

Your parents love you

A call for child-friendly, safe environments
By Linda Benbow

T
here is an old song/solilo- programme. The findings were discussed school warning signs, speed signs, bumps
quy (one person talking out during a policy session for injuries among or radars to slow down traffic and that
loudly to himself, as if telling children at the Arab Children Health in about 80 per cent of cases children
a story) from the 1950s about Congress held in March. are dropped off into the main road or
a child called Albert who visits the lion Dr. Grivna provided further insight on the opposite side of the road instead
in a zoo, falls into his den and gets eaten on the types of injuries: of directly into the sidewalk,” added Dr.
up by the animal. The father consoles • with traffic accidents representing 63 Grivna.
Albert’s mother by telling her that she can per cent of mortality cases The report calls for the introduc-
have another child, but the mother retorts • Drowning and falls at 10 per cent tion and enforcement of child safety
“What? Just to feed lions, no indeed!” each restraints, effective traffic calming meas-
It’s an amusing song to those who have a • Surveys among local population ures in and around schools to ensure that
peculiar sense of humour, but it does high- showed that over 90 per cent had speed is low enough and safe energy-free
light how parents should be looking after never used car seats before and that drop-off and pick-up points, as well as the
and protecting their children, instead of the majority of children were not dispersion of schools in quiet residential
just letting them do whatever they want restrained whether seated in front or areas away from high speed roads.
to, and maybe getting hurt in the process at the rear of the car. “Creating child-friendly environ-
– or worse. “There are also environmental risk ments through innovative integrated
It takes a lot of time and effort to have factors that need to be addressed such as legislation, enforcement combined with
a child, so shouldn’t you be looking after ensuring appropriate traffic and urban training and education, has the potential
it? That bundle of joy that quickly grows planning around schools and safe drop to eliminate most injury deaths in traffic
into a toddler; and before you know it off and pick up sites for children. We as well as at home”.
has grown into a podgy child who, like a have found, for example, there are few Participating in a separate policy
chrysalis, emerges as a handsome teenager
Safety bus activities at the Arab Children Health Congress 2010
before leaving home to start his adult life.
Parents are both morally and legally
obliged to provide their children with a
safe home life, and preferably a loving one
too.
In this multi-cultural expatriate soci-
ety where families are not always around
to give advice, parenting is often of mixed
standards. So advice often has to come
from authoritive bodies and concerned
groups.
Accidental injuries represent the
number one cause of death among
children up to the age of 14 years in the
United Arab Emirates, according to a
study carried out by Dr. Michal Grivna,
Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine
& Health Sciences, of the University of
the UAE, with the support of Johnson
& Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust
- as part of their Safe Kids Middle East

14 l UAE Digest, May 2010

roundtable session, Mr. Johannes Patter- which gave
mann, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson a definitive
Corporate Citizenship Trust Middle East guide on the
shared best practice and lessons learned correct use of
of the Safe Kids Worldwide and Safe seat belts and
Kids Middle East initiatives which focus child safety
on preventing unintentional childhood restraints in
injury. vehicles.
“Over the past five years, we have been Ac-
working with various partners such as the cording to
Dubai Road and Transport Authority and the World
Dubai Healthcare Authority on educa- Health
tional safety programmes for children Organisation
and families within schools and hospi- (WHO),
tals such as the Safe Kids Booklet, the child safety
Safety School Bus and the Baby Memories restraints
Programme. We strongly believe that have been
a comprehensive approach that is built shown to
on policy and legislation, awareness and reduce infant
education on safety makes a difference in deaths by ap-
terms of reducing child injuries and fatali- proximately
ties”, stated Mr. Patterman. 70 per cent,
Several representatives from govern- and fatalities
ment authorities, international organisa- by between Baby in the correct car safety restraint
tions such as Unicef, the Arab League and 54 per cent
WHO, as well as academics and young and 80 per cent in an accident. It is also for children aged between four and 11
people attended the policy roundtable. known that 83 per cent of belted and years old have been shown to reduce the
restrained children remain uninjured in risk of injury by 59 per cent compared to
BMW promotes the use of accidents. Child safety booster cushions seat belts alone.
child restraints
4,000 child safety booster cushions were Mohammed AbdulKareem Julfar, Assistant Director General for Corporate Support Services Sector,
donates blood during the Dubai Municipality employees’ Blood Donation Drive. Dubai Municipality
distributed in the UAE to families to en- regularly organises these drives where its staff donate to the country’s blood banks which provide blood
courage the use of child restraints in cars for saving lives, in emergencies, and aims at helping thalassaemia affected children who need regular
blood transfusions every three to four weeks.
As part of its ‘Stay Alert. Stay Alive’ road
safety campaign launched in the UAE last
month, aimed at educating families about
the importance of wearing seat belts and
using child safety restraints in vehicles,
BMW Group Middle East, supported
by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi
(HAAD), the Road and Transport Au-
thority of Dubai (RTA), Abu Dhabi Mu-
nicipality and Dubai Municipality, hosted
two road safety public awareness days.
At these, BMW provided interactive
demonstrations on the correct installation
and use of child safety restraints, as well
as distributing 4,000 child safety booster
cushions to qualifying families. There
were also fun activities such as face paint-
ing and giveaways for children. Educa-
tional brochures were provided to parents,

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 15

 GENETICS
Early Cure
It is but a small heel prick. Now, done during the first 48 hours of an infant’s
life, that screens the child for a variety of genetic disorders, some of them
preventable at birth
A
small heel prick test is all it
takes when a baby is born in
the hospital in the UAE where
99 per cent of deliveries occur.
The tests allow for the national neonatal
screening programme for genetic disorders
such as phenylketonuria, congenital hy-
pothyroidism (endocrinologic), metabolic
and hematologic diseases.
The test is conducted because the UAE
has a high rate of consanguineous marriag-
es and there are chances that the children
born out of these marriages might give rise
to offspring with genetic disorders. If left
untreated, these could result in permanent
disability, mental retardation or death. The
tests came into effect due to the efforts of
several organisations in the UAE, experts
and medical practitioners. Jamal Al- Bah,
Chairman of the “Arab Family Organisa-
tion”, in his capacity as Director-General
of the Marriage Fund (1993 to 2005), was
instrumental in raising awareness on the se-
riousness of genetic disorders. These efforts
bore fruit by the issuance of the first law in
the Arab World mandating the process of
pre-marital screening for some common
genetic disorders.
The heel prick
test is done within
a few days of the
baby’s birth, ide-
ally during the
first 48-96 hours
of life. With these
disorders, enzymes
essential in break-
ing down certain
amino acids are
missing, deficient,
16 l UAE Digest, May 2010
or defective. As a result, amino acids or
nitrogen (a component of amino acids)
build up in the body to toxic levels, result-
ing in metabolism disorders that include
Phenylketonuria(PKU), Homocystinuria
(HCY), Citrullinemia (CIT) etc.
Haemoglobinopathies and sickle cell
disease are disorders caused by abnormal
haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells
that is responsible for transporting oxygen
to the body. Babies with these haemo-
globinopathies may have problems with
red blood cell production, resulting in
anaemia (shortage of red blood cells), or
produce abnormally shaped red blood cells
that cause problems in blood circulation
and damage easily. These disorders include
sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and Hb
S/C disease. Other disorders that might
be screened for include congenital hy-
pothyroidism (a hormone deficiency that
causes problems with growth and brain
development) etc. If the baby has tested
positive for any of the disorders, additional
testing is usually done, followed by a refer-
ral to a genetic specialist or a paediatrician
that specialises in endocrine or metabolic
disorders.
Several organisations within the UAE
are working hard to raise awareness, prevent
the spread of genetic disorders and work
towards effective treatment. The Genet-
ics and Development Research Priority
Group based in the Faculty of Medicine and
Health Sciences (FMHS) in Al Ain focuses
on birth defects and congenital abnormali-
ties. The Genetics and Thalassemia Centre
in Dubai offers cytogenic, molecular and
biochemical techniques that address various
types of common genetic disorders, the
genetic service provided by the Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences in Al Ain
and the Maternity and Child Develop-
ment of the Ministry of Health, and The
Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS),
Dubai etc. In fact, the CAGS part of Sheikh
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award
for Medical Sciences, a semi-government
organisation that deals with research per-
taining to the field of genetics in the Arab
world, compiles painstaking data about the
genetic disorders among them and advises
ruling bodies on the path to address these
disorders, resulting in policy level changes.
The CAGS has initi-
ated a comprehensive
Catalogue of Trans-
mission Genetics in
Arabs (CTGA) with
the aim of enlighten-
ing the scientific com-
munity and the public
on the occurrence of
inherited disorders in
Arabs, and to suggest
future investigation
strategies.
 RELATIONSHIPS

Yours untruthfully!
According to a poll conducted by YouGov Siraj Omnibul, a full-service
market research company specialising in online polling and qualitative
research, 14 per cent of people who are in a relationship in the UAE admit
to infidelity

“A
dultery is the applica- with families back home), a glitzy world a relationship suspect their partner of
tion of democracy to filled with the latest gadgets and gizmos infidelity. Only six per cent of women say
love,” says Henry Louis that allows for flirting discretely and they have been unfaithful compared to
Mencken. A statement, indiscriminately, a bevy of opportunities 19 per cent of men who admit infidelity.
most people in a relationship or marriage available at a cost - the results of the poll Arab expatriates are more
will be happy to coun- comes as no surprise. What was usually likely to cheat at 22
ter vehemently. spoken about casually is now proven per cent. A further
To a world statistically. 19 per cent - almost
that still The two in ten - say they
believes that have contemplated in-
marriages fidelity. The findings of
are sacrosanct the research that looked
and that ‘odd at attitudes towards
deviant behaviour’ infidelity were conducted
of straying comes once between 1st and 8th March
in a while, mostly ‘to 2010 under which 699 UAE
them, not to us’; a residents were polled.
recent YouGov Siraj “This poll shows how honest
Omnibus Poll reveals people are when responding
otherwise. The poll re- to our online surveys. As it is
veals that close to one third entirely confidential, people are
of women in a relationship suspect their poll more willing to open up. They
partner of infidelity. states that 14 would never admit to infidelity if
Call it insecurity associated with the per cent of people who are in asked, face to face, by an interviewer. This
buzzing pace of the emirate, a large popu- a relationship in the UAE admit to type of fast, accurate online polling is very
lation of singles (including married singles infidelity and 28 per cent of women in useful for companies who need to ask their

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 17

 customer base sensitive questions, for She narrates the incident of a friend who Jessica Antony, a former beautician,
instance questions about hygiene, finances found out that her partner was dating and a cybercafé attendant, feels that there
or personal care,” says Joanna Longworth, a colleague after she checked his phone are many expatriates trapped in the UAE,
Chief Marketing Officer, YouGov Siraj. text messages. “He would never admit to in relationships they would rather avoid
It is known that the UAE has the high- it always stating that ‘they were friends,’ if they were economically sound. “I have
est number of divorces in the Arab world but his working hours kept increasing. Fi- a son back home who is taken care of by
and like everywhere else in the world; one nally, when she cornered him, he admit- my family members and I earn a salary
of the reasons cited for of Dh2,000 out of which I
divorce is infidelity. have to pay my rent and my
Psychologist and food, as well as send money
marriage therapist home. I cut all corners and
Devika Singh from do the best I can. I did
the Divorce Support have a boyfriend who was
Group, Dubai feels married and he was a good
that the general reasons companion, who knew the
for divorce among the situation I had been in. He
Emirati population lent a patient ear to all my
could be a history of longings for my son and
distress and abuse in the even helped me out finan-
family, extra-marital cially. It was good as long
relationships, changing as it lasted, since he too was
financial situations, and single here. He left when he
ineffective communica- lost his job. I guess single-
tion. “The three main dom in a foreign country
reasons couples tend to gets people together. Some
have increased marital even have second families
conflict stems from ba- here and their families at
sic issues like money, sex home have no clue because
and communication,” they do live very far away,”
she states. she states.
Perhaps the fol- With three children
lowing case illustrates to support back home and
Singh’s statement quite a wayward husband who
aptly: mounted huge credit card
June Fay, a recep- bills before he left for his
tionist at a real estate home country, Flora M,
firm, who has seen slogged for three years to
a friend go through pay off her bills. “I send
the trauma of being money home so that my
dumped, states that children are looked after
distractions are eas- and they have one parent
ily available and provide living with them. In this case,
temporary relief. “The UAE is a land of ted to it and brushed it off saying it was a isn’t it normal that I get attached to some-
many nationalities and they come from ‘temporary leaning’ he indulged in. His one who gives me attention and treats me
various cultures of the world. It is also casual attitude broke her spirit and she specially? I am a human being and I too
a land of business and opportunity, and tried to get to terms with it. She is still in need to be loved and pampered, instead
pressures at work run very high. Combine the marriage though their relationship of being a machine for creating wealth,”
this with a high standard of living and it is not the same. And yes, the fling didn’t she states.
is increasingly difficult for couples to stay last,” she adds. The poll states that 14 per cent of
at the same level with each other unless But, for many, infidelity need not just respondents say they suspect their partner
they are properly grounded and either love be a pleasurable experience. It might stem of being unfaithful, which matches the
each other, or respect each other, or are from a basic need for companionship, percentage of people who have admit-
committed to a relationship,” she states. emotional support and love. ted cheating. However, women are more

18 l UAE Digest, May 2010

likely to be suspicious, with 28 per cent
suspecting their partner of infidelity.
“It won’t be wrong to say that people
make an effort to look good in this part of
the world. Very rarely would you find peo-
ple in public places who are badly turned
out. So, naturally, there is an insecurity
that creeps in and that promotes suspi-
cion,” says Malini Mohan, a homemaker.
So much so, that private investigators
make quite a sum out of these insecurities.
According to newspaper reports, it would
cost anywhere between Dh73,000 for
20 days’ work that includes monitoring a
spouse for a month; though, according to
Khalil Al Mansoori, Director of Criminal
Investigation Department at Dubai Po-
lice, private investigation firms are illegal
in the UAE.
“No one has the right to interfere in
people’s personal lives and take photo-
graphs without their permission. Anyone
who does so will be punished,” he states.
According to the newspaper report,
Paul Hawker of UK-based Research
Associates, who specialises in infidelity
cases, said that it was important for firms
to check out the local laws before sending
detectives internationally. “We work with
clients to help catch any inappropriate
behaviour,” he said. We ask clients to cram
their spouses schedule for a few days with
social activities, but then let them know
that there is a window of opportunity aris-
ing soon. When the time comes, we follow
them and catch them when they meet the
other party. Sometimes we have been able
to get a hotel room right next to where
they were staying, or a table at a restaurant
next to them,” he stated. This might be a
good result to the investigator, but a very
sad thing for the other partner to hear.
When asked what it is about infidelity
that they find the most difficult, the poll’s
respondents, the largest proportion (38
per cent) being of UAE society, believe the
worst part of infidelity is if your partner
falls in love with someone else. Another
significant proportion holds a different
view, 23 per cent say it would be worse if
their partner had an extramarital relation-
ship but it did not involve feelings.
“I understand that you can grow out
of love sometimes in a relationship. But
if you are committed to a marriage and
you have children, you are parents first,
then a husband and wife. I still believe in
the norm that responsible behaviour is
possible and you don’t need to get into an
extra-marital relationship ‘to feel good’
about yourself,” says an Emirati, who is
in a relationship and doesn’t want to be
named.
When looking at how the popula-
tion would react if they discovered their
partner is cheating, the largest propor-
tion (42 per cent) says they would end the
relationship. Arab expats are more likely
to end the relationship (60 per cent).
However, a significant number (29 per
cent), almost two thirds of those polled
in the UAE, would confront the issue
and then forget it.
Asked how she would react if she
found her partner cheating on her, she
says simply, “If he finds someone else, he
can forget about me. When he realises his
mistake it will be too late. I will be hurt
for sure, but I will not stay with him if he
is unfaithful, because if he does it once,
he can do it again,” she adds.
Counsellors state that the amount
of stress these days is higher than it ever
was. This is aggravated by issues like
traffic, accommodation, cost of living,
housing, space – that have a spill-over
in the family circuits as well as relation-
ships. Also observed is the constant use
of negative styles of interacting. This
actually means ineffective communica-
tion that manifests as blaming, taunts,
restricting behaviour that could trigger
off an outburst, wherein one of the
partners involved might find respite out
of a situation through an extra-marital
relationship.
“What people find most frightening
is not perhaps the actual act of infidelity
it is more the idea they are loved less, and
that someone else is loved more. In the
eyes of the UAE, this seems to be more
of a betrayal. It is heartening to see and
important to note that a large majority of
couples are faithful to each other,” states
Joanna Longworth.
But, is there a process of keeping infi-
delity out of your life. What do people do?
“Infidelity means cheating. Be it a
serious affair or a one-night stand. If I am
steadfast in my devotion to my partner, I ex-
pect the same from him. Nearly every day, I
have to tear down a massage parlour visiting
card that gets slipped under my door. It just
has a heart and a mobile number. The fact
that it is circulated so regularly means that
there is a demand for it. And most people
who live around my area are families as well
as singles who have families back home –
which means, some of them indulge in it,”
says Tanya Suhail, a homemaker.
“If you have a good communication
going, it is easier to notice the early signs of
straying. You have to rework on your rela-
tionships, redefine them all the time so that
you stay together, ”says Jennifer D’Souza
an account executive with a company in
Sharjah.
And what do people in the UAE con-
sider to be infidelity? According to the poll,
77 per cent say it is having an affair, 75 per
cent say it is prostitution, 70 per cent say it
is loving someone else, 54 per cent say kiss-
ing and 36 per cent say checking someone
out is a form of infidelity.
The latter is where it all starts actually…
in the mind. And with temptations galore
and in abundance, it takes quite a lot to stay
on track.Beware!
(Names and nationalities of the people
have been changed to protect their identity)
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 19
 TECHNO
Surf’s up
Mark Hill takes a legal look at one area of cyberliability – employees and
the Internet
F
or all those employers and
managers out there, do your
employees have access to the
Internet and to email at work?
If yes, read on! Did you know that an
employer can be found liable for the ac-
tions of its employees on the internet and
certainly any company whose employees
are able to conduct commercial transac-
tions over the web will be exposed to all
sorts of potential legal liabilities.
Harassment, discrimination and
dismissal : Any remarks sent by email
are capable of amounting to harassment
and you could find them used as the basis
for complaints of discrimination under
various local laws. These laws are there
to protect individuals from being treated
less favourably on account of his or her
sex, race, religion and so on. Though not
a clear area of law in many Middle Eastern
jurisdictions, the employer could face
liability because it may be found that the
employer has a duty to prevent its employ-
20 l UAE Digest, May 2010
ees from committing discriminatory acts.
And then we have the inevitable area
of downloading and circulating pornog-
raphy. This can put the employer in a
position of liability i.e. because employers
risk discrimination complaints if they
permit employees to create a hostile
working environment by downloading
and circulating explicit and inappropriate
materials.
Defamation : Defamation arises
where there is the publication of an un-
true statement which “tends to lower the
subject of the statement in the estimation
of right-thinking members of society gen-
erally or causes him or her to be shunned
or avoided”. A little wordy but basically
what it means is that, if you make untrue,
insulting or critical statements about
someone, both the employee and the
employer are risking possible liability
for defamation. So, if an employee is the
author of a defamatory message sent by
email or posted on the Internet, the em-
ployee will be responsible for it and will
be legally liable for any damages it causes
to the reputation of the individual that
the statement is about. The employer may
well be found liable too though - for ex-
ample because the employer has provided
the facilities for the employee to access
the Internet in the first place.
Infringement of intellectual
property rights : The internet increases
the way that employees can infringe
copyright and trade marks. It is a usual
rule that the employer will normally be
held liable for any intellectual property
infringements of its employees but the
employer can also be directly liable for
such infringements where it provides the
bulletin board, the mailing list, the server
or web page on which the infringement
occurs. So employers should take care to
ensure that their employees are observ-
ing copyright notices when downloading
material from the internet. They should
also be well aware of the problem of
downloading and
copying unlicensed
software (some-
thing that the Gulf
is getting better at
but which is still a
problem here).
Forming
contracts where
you don’t mean to:
Contracts can be
formed online just
as much as they can
offline. Something
I see a lot is where
a contract has been
formed in the usual
way by a contract
being signed off-
line but then there
has been email
discussion about
the contract which of risks we have just the company liable; and
can actually end up varying been talking about. • knowingly downloading or requesting
the contract itself. This is just Well, yes there is and software or media files or data streams
not something you want to one of the solutions that will use a greater amount of
happen! And unless control- is a remarkably easy network bandwidth than is permitted
led, this could give rise to the thing for all employ- (especially if you are based in DIC or
danger of employees inadvertently form- ers to do. Are you ready? Tell your DMC where you pay for bandwidth
ing contracts on behalf of their employer employees what they can and can’t do! and not time online).
or varying contractual terms to which the Yep, it really is that simple. Consequence of breach : In the
employer then becomes bound. Oops! The way to do this is by writing a policy, you can also state that the
Criminal law : We have laws around simple policy document saying what is, company will monitor logs of Internet
the Gulf which can have an impact on and is not, allowed. use which will reveal information about
what your employees are doing online. What is not acceptable use? : Your which sites employees are accessing and
Of particular concern in relation to the policy could state that, except in the also the email addresses of those they
internet are the laws which make illegal course of an employee’s duties or with the are communicating with. Then, you
the possession or transmission of child express permission of the employer, the can clearly state that any misuse of the
pornography and other objectionable internet access provided by the company internet on company systems could be
materials. Again, in some situations, may not be used for: viewed as a disciplinary matter. This is
employers can find themselves liable for • personal commercial purposes; something that a lot of employees get
their employee’s criminal conduct on the • sending unsolicited bulk emails; wrong. Please remember that the ques-
internet. • sending out confidential information tion of whether you would be entitled to
The solution : So, cyberliability is about the company; discipline or dismiss an employee who
something that we know exists. And we • any illegal purpose; is using the internet for unauthorised
have seen that the employer can find itself • knowingly causing interference with purposes really comes down to whether
liable for things that most employers in or disruption to any network or infor- or not you have made the policy clear. If
this region would not even have the first mation service; you have no policy, you may not be able
idea might end up being their problem. • sending out personal contact informa- to discipline or dismiss an employee even
Now let’s face it, employers providing tion about employees or officers of the if what they have been doing seems to you
internet access to employees is going to company without their consent; to be blatant.
become increasingly common. So, there • knowingly causing any other person Mark Hill can be contacted at
must be a way of dealing with the kind to view content which would make therightslawyers

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 21

 CRAFT
Paper
quilling
Linda Benbow asked Farah Al-Fardh why
she likes rolled up pieces of paper
F
arah Al-Fardh is an Emirati
quilling artist from Umm Al
Quwain. She has been inter-
ested in arts and crafts since
an early age and loves to create art pieces
using this medium. Farah has taken her
love for this craft to great lengths: she
introduced the art on various television
channels, newspapers and magazines in
the UAE; held workshops in Ras Al
Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Dubai
and Al Ain and launched the first Ara-
bic website on paper quilling. Alongside
all this she also holds a full-time job.
What other crafts do you enjoy?
I enjoy embroidery and making greeting
cards but I love quilling the most
Why is it the best?
I wanted to try a new craft and quilling
ended up being the best choice. I was
also looking for something quite chal-
lenging. This helps me relax.
Why do you want to revive the craft?
The art of paper quilling is new in our
region so I am actually introducing the art
more than reviving it. I want to introduce
22 l UAE Digest, May 2010
it because I enjoy it and it is an art for
all age groups and you can do so many
wonderful things with it.
What made you take the leap from
enjoying a craft to talking about it on
TV and magazines?
I started quilling in 2004 and the first
time I appeared on TV to introduce it
was in February 2008. This art became
a passion I wanted everyone to know
about. So when
I received the invitation
from Sama Dubai TV I said “yes”
right away. And till now I get the same
reaction from people who see my work,
they are amazed and can’t believe that
I made them out of paper strips.
Also, I have taught this craft to
many people (boys and girls) from all
age groups and discovered that kids
tend to focus and concentrate a lot
while practising this, which made their
parents thank me for teaching them,
something that wwould keep them
quiet. And some parents couldn’t
believe that their children managed to
create beautiful artwork.
Does your sister Amna still do this
craftwork – or has she moved on to
something else?
Both of us started round the same time
but didn’t know that we are doing it, al-
though our rooms are opposite each other.
She is still quilling and does many other
paper creations. This art is very addictive;
once you start you cannot stop.
My parents were very supportive
and they always admired my crea-
tivity and artistic mode. I have rel-
atives in different countries who
love to come to my facebook page
and give their positive feedback on
my latest creations. My sisters are

Was it difficult to launch a website on

this topic?
It was really challenging to launch the
website. First of all it was unique (first
website in the world in Arabic and Eng-
lish about paper quilling). I launched preparing for this visit in July. My sister
it on January 13, 2009 and I received Amna and I would like to start a UAE
Tamaiaz Award from Mawarid in May Quilling Guild, and at the moment, are
2009 for coming up with this website. working on getting enough members to
I started working on it round March form this group.
2008 and it has come a long way since My biggest plan would be to have
then (look at www.farooha.net). the first quilling exhibition in the Mid-
dle East and publish a book on quilling
How did the workshop in Ras Al in Arabic.
Khaimah go – were there many enthu-
siastic participants, or did they just Quilling
come to see what it was all about? Quilling is a lovely old art form which
My first workshop was conducted in Ras some believe may date back to ancient
Al Khaimah - all the attendees were art the biggest energy boosters; whenever I Egypt. It has been known by many names,
teachers from different cities and they have a new idea, they will keep asking if I including paper-rolling, paper-scrolling,
were really surprised and interested to have finished the project or not! filigree, paper mosaic. It is theorised that
know to know more about it. So much so early quillers rolled their papers on a
feather, or quill, hence the name quilling.
that they bought all the materials, books What are your plans for the future?
The art form involves the use of strips of
and tools that I had brought with me and I received an invitation from Japan Quill- paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued
took my contact details to order more. I ing Guild to visit and attend a workshop together to create many designs.
am still in touch with them as a quest, with my sister, and I am
Farah won the Tamaiaz Award in the category of Entrepreneurship in May 2009
Does your craft get in the way of your
day job?
Quilling is the relaxation zone for me.
I enjoy my work as Assistant Manager-
Vendor Relations at Dubai World Trade
Centre, and I enjoy quilling. My boss, and
the company, always support my artistic
activities. When I received Tamaiaz
Award they published it in the company
newsletter and when I participated at the
Doll Exhibition; the company sent an
email to all employees announcing my
participation. My craft does not come in
the way of my work as I keep it for week-
ends or after working hours

What does your family think of your

hobby?

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 23

 Horse with
an Indian
Lady
PERSONALITY

Art for heart’s sake

Legendary painter MF Hussain talks to Vanit Sethi
on his new projects, passion for cinema and history,
role of controversy and awards for an artist

W hat are your new artworks that

are now displaying and what are
you working on?
crazy about cinema. My father wouldn’t
let me go to the movies, and, in those
days, it wasn’t considered a good thing to had lost
I’m displaying 10 imprints each of my origi- go to cinema. I got beaten up seven times my mother at
nal works from different themes (horses, (laughs), but still I was adamant. an early age, I kept looking
dance, music, map of India etc) and periods Now, all my works are an artist’s vi- for that image of my mother in differ-
of my career out of a total of 110 each, and sion – recreations of something that has ent women for 50 years. I painted women
these are very affordable. Each imprint is already been created by the Creator. So, all thus in motherlike forms – Durga Mata,
numbered and with my original signature. art is merely recreation and restructuring Mother India etc. But one day, some friend
These imprints are made with different - nothing is original. If anyone says he has asked me to go and see the film Hum
techniques, most prominently the silk created an original work, he is lying. Aapke Hain Koun, which was running for
screen technique, on stone or metal plate.
While the original works are priced
above rupees 10 million (nearly Dh1bil-
lion), these imprints are available for
Dh3,000-4,000 each. That’s why the theme
of these imprints are ‘Art for the people
with more taste than money’. These works
are for the middle class who cannot afford
the originals but want to acquire some art
works. Rich people buy just for investment.
They really don’t know what the art is all
about – all they know is how much it is
worth and how much it could fetch them.

Apart from these imprints, what other

works are you planning?
I came here five years ago and wanted to do
three major projects, but I was looking for
sponsors, which I found here in Dubai and
in London. The three projects are: (i) The
History of Arab Civilisation (dating back “I’m crazy about cinema. My father wouldn’t let me go to
to the times of Babylon) – how Muslims, the movies, and those days, it wasn’t considered a good thing
Christians and Jews have all contributed to
to go to cinema. I got beaten up seven times, but still I was
the betterment of man; (ii) The History of
Indian Civilisation (from Mohenjodaro to
adamant”
Manmohan Singh). That’s the title, because
Manmohan Singh has now become a phe- You have painted many Indian actresses. a year. I saw and became instantly hooked
nomenon; and (iii) This one is my favourite Is it necessary for an artist to have a and saw the movie 67 times in the movie
- 100 years of Indian Cinema. Soon, Indian muse? halls. Actress Madhuri Dixit is the essence
cinema will be completing 100 years; so Yes, why not? Again, it depends on what of Indian womanhood, so she became my
I have to commemorate that because I’m you are painting or looking for. Since I muse for quite some time.

24 l UAE Digest, May 2010

 “People told me ‘you can’t treat the PM like that... at
least inform her why you won’t be going’, but I didn’t.
The next day when I went, she (Indira Gandhi) didn’t
mention anything about my absence”
You have also painted political leaders
like Indira Gandhi. Do you feel artists
need to court politicians to stay on the
right side of power?
Indira Gandhi was the most powerful
woman in the world and the only politician
who truly understood Indian culture and
art, since she was in Shanti Niketan under
Rabindranath Tagore. She was a true
woman of substance. I was doing a portrait
for her, and I was commissioned to work on
a monumental image of her for the interna-
tional airport in Delhi. For five days with
20 minutes each day beginning at 8.30am,
I would paint her. But on the fourth day,
I just didn’t feel like going. People told me
“you can’t treat the PM like that... at least
inform her why you won’t be going”, but I
didn’t. The next day when I went, she didn’t
mention anything about my absence. That
was her grace.
Coming back to art, what do you think of
modern contemporary art?
In the name of modern art, you can do
anything crazy and it becomes art. It’s okay.
I’ve nothing against it. They are doing some
innovation... but it’s more like entertain-
ment. Ninety per cent of art today is
entertainment. But serious art is limited. If
you’ve worked most of your life and created
Finishing Line
something which has a link with
past traditions and culture, that is
serious art.
Indian culture is full of colour
and very sensuous. In the West, it’s
more of form. They have mastered
the matter and split the atom. But in
the East, we went beyond reality. So, it’s
reality and illusion or maya... that is the
beauty of life in two different worlds. You
shouldn’t remain stuck in one form, idea
or philosophy. I’ve done 130 paintings of
the Ramayana (Indian epic) after consult-
ing various scholars.
Do controversy and awards help an artist
sell his works?
First of all, I think controversy is mostly
created by the media. But I’m not accusing
the media - because that’s what keeps it
going. And let’s face it, everybody loves
gossip and controversy, that’s the spice of
life. As long as it is not malicious and does
not hurt people, controversy is fine. Now
see, this controversy over my paintings has
helped me. Many people look at my art
works deliberately to see some nudes. That
way, at least they look at my paintings. So,
it does help an artist and people then try
to understand art.
Similarly, awards like Nobel or Booker
Mother Teresa
“Everybody loves gossip and
controversy... that’s the spice
of life. As long as it is not
malicious and does not hurt
people, controversy is fine”
definitely help writers, some of whom may
not be so well-known, to sell their works. It
has been proved, awards and controversies
do help artists sell their works and become
famous.
Lastly, do you find painting about India
difficult while living outside India?
No, not all. I always carry India within
me. It’s in my blood. I’ve painted in various
cities and countries of the world, and that’s
fascinating. But one lifetime is not enough
to explore India. Even now, after so many
years of my life, I’ve got out only 10 per cent
of India in my paintings. Even if I’m out of
India far away in a jungle or a desert - India
cannot be out of me.
Vivaah (Wedding)
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 25
 “Even if I’m out of India far away in a jungle
or a desert - India cannot be out of me”
Portrait of an artist
Born in 1915 in Pandharpur of Maharash-
tra, a state in western India, M.F. Hussain
began his career as a painter of film posters
and graduated to becoming India’s most
celebrated, as well as controversial, painter.
After being hounded by the Hindu right in
India for his nude paintings of certain Indian
gods and goddesses, he has been outside
India – mostly Dubai and London – since
2006. In January this year, he was offered the
citizenship of Qatar, and he accepted it.
Several court cases against him too have
been pending in India on the charge of of-
fending Hindu sensibilities. Hussain argues
he is seeped deep in India’s predominantly
Hindu traditions which are syncretic and
allow immense scope for freedom of expres-
sion. But in an age of hardening attitudes and
heightened sensibilities, his defence cut no
ice. Ironically, some of his controversial nudes
were done way back in the 1970s, but they
assumed prominence only after the rise of
Hindutva in the early 90s. Curiously, he also
fell foul of the Muslim right over a qawwali
song in one of his films titled Meenaxi, which
was termed blasphemous, but the contro-
versy died down soon after Hussain clarified
that there was no intention to offend.
In the midst of all the brouhaha and
endless debates in India over his art and
patriotism, Hussain has maintained that he is
no less an Indian after being granted Qatari
Art lovers at the MF Hussain exhibition in DIFC
26 l UAE Digest, May 2010
citizenship, and that he is living abroad more
out of work compulsions than fear of the law
or concerns about security. His son, probably
less dictated by political correctness, main-
tained otherwise.
However, his new projects on Indian his-
tory and cinema (to be executed from London)
reveal that while he may be outside India,
India has not really deserted him. “I’m free to
return anytime,” as he has often said.
Iconography
Controversial paintings:
• Durga Mata
• Mother India
• Paintings of Hindu Gods and Godesses
Upcoming projects (to be
completed in 2015):
• History of Arab Civilisation (99 pieces)
• History of Indian Civilisation (200 pieces)
• 100 Years of of Indian Cinema (100 pieces)
Movies:
• Through the eyes of a painter (won a
Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in
1967)
• Gaja Gamini
• Meenaxi: A tale of three cities
• Another proposed film – a socio-political
comedy
Art show in Dubai
MF amazed guests at a private exhibition
on April 8, when he premiered a limited
edition collection of signed imprints.
The collection comprised 120 of his most
sought after masterpieces, some of which
have never been seen before. The exclusive
cocktail event was held at the Capital Club
in the presence of the artist himself, and
was attended by 300 of the most avid art
lovers and well-known figures from the
city’s vibrant social scene.
The exhibition, entitled Imprints of
India, was held in commemoration of
Husain’s 95th birthday this year, in line
with his desire to make art accessible to
all. On display was a series of serigraphs,
lithographs and digital art prints, featuring
some of his most famed work, including
Finishing Line, Krishna Gopala, and Mother
Teresa. “It is a pleasure to show my
collection in Dubai, a city that has brought
so much to me, and makes me feel so
welcome and at home,” said Hussain.
Quickly snapped up by art lovers
during the Dubai exhibition, Hussain’s
imprints made a lasting impression on
exhibition guests. Husain has enjoyed
a long-standing and well-deserved
reputation as the ‘Picasso of India’ and
his art is internationally renowned. His
creative forms have grown to include
drawings, poetry and more recently, film-
making. Hussain was recently honoured
with a special award for his commitment
to Diversity in Art and for his lifetime
achievement as the ‘Greatest Living Indian
Artist’ in the Speaker’s Apartment of
London’s House of Commons.

Films in May
Cheri
It is the turn of the century in Belle Epoque Paris
and a scandalous romp is underfoot. The sensa-
tional tale begins as the ravishing Lea (Michelle
Pfeiffer) contemplates retirement from her
renowned stature as Paris’ most envied seductress
to the rich and famous. Her plans are cut short
when she is approached by a former courtesan and
arch rival, the barb-throwing gossip Charlotte
Peloux (Kathy Bates), who encourages Lea to
teach her disaffected 19 year-old son - a bon vivant
nicknamed “Cheri” (Rupert Friend) - a thing or
two about women. The resulting escapades involve
power struggles over sex, money, age and society -
and, unexpectedly, love itself - as a boy who refuses
to grow up collides with a woman who realises she
cannot stay young forever.
Director Stephen Frears (The Queen) and screen-
writer Christopher Hampton (Atonement) reunite
(Dangerous Liaisons) to playfully bring Colette’s
unconventional romance, Cheri, to the screen.
Valhall Rising
Set in the 10th century, an expedition sets out
to return to Scandinavia but gets lost in the
fog. They eventually reach an unknown land
and think it is Valhall, the Viking equivalent of
Heaven, but it turns out to be America.
CINEMA
Robin Hood
Academy Award winners Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett star in the untold
story of how the man became a legendary hero, directed by Ridley Scott.
In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront cor-
ruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever
alter the balance of world power, in the process becoming an eternal symbol of
freedom for his people.
Robin Hood chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only
in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French.
Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the
corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the
spirited widow Lady Marion, a woman sceptical of the identity and motivations
of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and
salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are
matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indul-
gent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.
With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the inef-
fective rule of the new king, and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and
threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This
unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping
into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more.
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 27
 RETAIL

Dubai retail:
A market in transition

A
lthough the retail sector has underpinning the sector at present. new mall developments and some sectors
not experienced the same More focus on local spending: The of the market approaching saturation,
levels of performance decline market is now adjusting to address the several proposed future malls are likely to
as other sectors of the Dubai needs of the resident population; be delayed. This will result in much lower
real estate market, it is still undergoing a Attention to value: In line with glo- levels of expected future supply entering
period of transition. The significant boost bal trends, the focus of consumers in Du- the retail market during the rest of 2010
in new supply entering the
market in recent years,
declining sales, lower
footfall levels and a
drop in tourist growth
in 2009 have put
greater pressure on the
industry and its players
to reconsider their
strategies to ensure
future growth can be
sustained.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s
April edition of
MENA House View
highlights a number
of new trends that are
emerging within the
sector; the most signifi-
cant of these include
the following:
End of an era for new supply: The bai has moved closer to a stronger value and 2011, with no new super regional
opening of Mirdif City Centre by market- proposition. With a decline in purchas- centres expected before the completion of
leading developer Majid Al Futtaim ing power of the resident population over the first stage of the Mall of Arabia which
Group (MAF) on March 16th, 2010 the past 18 months, consumer shopping is expected to complete in 2013.
marks the end of an era of wide-scale budgets have been reduced significantly. This reduction in the delivery of
development of super-regional malls in This represents a shift away from luxury new retail shopping centres will give the
Dubai. Mirdif City Centre is likely to be driven retail. For retailers and mall own- market the necessary breathing space to
the last of its kind, at least in the short- ers, there is now heightened competition absorb the high levels of supply experi-
medium term as this sector of the market to aggressively capture shoppers interests enced in recent years. Mirdif City Centre
approaches saturation. Mirdif City Centre and disposable income. will be the last super regional centre to
reflects many of the changing trends With financing difficult to achieve for open for the next 3 years. While it is

28 l UAE Digest, May 2010

clearly too early to assess the impact of
this new centre, it is expected to attract
both spending and retail tenants from
other centres in the northern regions of
Dubai. Mirdif City Centre also reflects a
number of the other major trends impact-
ing the market including the focus on
local residents and the increased emphasis
on value proposition.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that retail
sales are now starting to recover, with
increased footfall and turnover being re-
ported by some retailers during the recent
Dubai Shopping Festival. The Dubai
Chamber of Commerce reports that total
retail spending in Dubai is expected to
increase by around 4% in 2010 and by
more than 8% in 2011.
The shift in the structure of the retail
sector is occurring with the emphasis
being on a back-to-basics approach. A
number of prudent retailers are already
looking at new strategies in this regard.
This trend is likely to result in the repo-
sitioning of both existing and new retail
centres away from the previous focus on
luxury brands towards value merchandis-
ing. Owners and managers of shopping
malls will have to consider implementing
active management strategies to re-align
these properties to retain value. Some
obsolescent or underperforming shopping
centres may be redeveloped or even in
some cases converted to other uses - as has
been witnessed in some US and European
markets.
While the focus is expected to switch
to serving the needs of the resident
population of Dubai and the surrounding
emirates, the tourist sector will remain a
significant component of retail spending
in Dubai. Dubai remains an attractive
destination for retail related tourism and
the retail sector is expected to benefit
from the continued growth in visitor
arrivals (forecast to increase by 5 per cent
in 2010) and high levels of investment in
developing the cities tourist infrastructure
(e.g.: the growth and development of
Dubai International Airport, the opening
of Dubai Metro and the promotion of
the city in international tourist source
markets).
Trends in the retail sector
Landlords
• Thinking more creatively by
offering a range of lease lengths
that match the tenant mix.
• Offering longer leases to strong
retailers (from 3 to 20 year
leases).
• Offering incentives to incoming
tenants such as capital
contributions and rent free
periods to offset tenant’s upfront
costs.
•
Offering an exit strategy for poor
performing retailers to recapture
prime space.
• Consideration of redevelopment
options to either add new retail
space or redevelop the centre for
alternative uses.
A must-visit mall in
Mirdiff
First there was Jumeirah Jane, then,
when rents went up and folks started
to move into more modest rentals and
Satwa Sally and Deira Dolly became
dominant. With the advent of freehold
purchases more names appeared as the
Arabian Ranches filled up with those
who had to be temporarily housed at
The Lakes, The Springs, The Meadows,
etc while waiting for their homes to
be completed as soon as possible after
the delivery date had passed. Homes
went up, people moved in and shopping
malls were opened to make the best use
of the spending habits of an affluent
crowd. Each mall had a unique entice-
ment to draw the crowds into their
doors.
For many years Mirdiff was known
for its welcoming green park, big and
cheap villas on the very outskirts of
town - far from the ‘in’ crowd - and
under the flight path of planes using
nearby Dubai Airport. As folks moved
into the area the retailers decided to
move in too - to cater to a new affluent
crowd who didn’t want to travel far to
do their weekend shopping.
Now there is another reason to go
there. The opening of the Dh3 billion,
196,000 square metre Mirdiff City
Tenants
• Likely to seek more flexibility on rental
payments and intervals
• Value creation will mean looking more
closely at alternative income sources such
as speciality retailing, sponsored events
or leasing vacant units on very short term
leases as temporary measures.
• Focus on staff training to improve the
customer experience, and offering
alternative ‘value for money’for
customers e.g. additional services or
membership to money-saving schemes.
• Focus on accessibility, signage, parking
provision and excellent facilities to attract
customers and encourage repeat visits.
• Consider physical changes in unit sizing
and configuration to improve quality of
retail offering.
Centre (MCC) which was delivered
on-time, and with 85 per cent of its 430
retail outlets opening on the same day.
The on-time completion of the massive
project is a major achievement for the
region’s construction industry, said Majid
Al Futtaim Properties CEO Peter Wal-
ichnowski at the official opening
“It is one of the most successful open-
ings of any mall in the region. Once we
started construction two years ago, we
promised to open on 16 March 2010, and
so here it is,” he said.
“We have saved 20 per cent of the
total energy consumption through design
initiatives embedded in the scheme. We
have selected materials with a high recy-
clable content, sourced from sustainable
sources, and have championed a market-
leading 50 per cent of the construction
waste not going to landfill. This is a
remarkable achievement,” said Majid
Al Futtaim Properties vice-president,
project management, Jonathan Emery.
Opening day saw hordes of shoppers
eagerly inspecting new shop names and
new merchandise. And people have not
stopped flooding through the doors since
then. Some come to shop, others come
to eat, or socialise, or watch a film at the
cinema, or play games at the multitude of
entertainments available such as indoor
skydiving, water games and rides. iFly
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 29
 iFly Dubai – an experience language,” said the instructor and my son smiled at me know-
ing how difficult it would be for him to do that. After a few
By Manju Ramanan sessions in sign language that included a pointer for chin up, a
I sat with my six and a half year old son in our first-ever ‘V’ for keeping your legs straight, an inverted comma sign for
class together at the iFly training session at the Mirdiff City folding your knees and a thumbs up for all well – he was ready
Centre. The instructor was addressing a group of flying to take the plunge - oops! flight!
enthusiasts spanning the age groups of 6- 60 teaching them After wearing all the gear that was provided – a flying suit,
the nuances of flying indoors. iFLY Dubai is not a ride or a a pair of socks and special shoes, a woollen cap and a helmet
simulator but a vertical wind tunnel that moves air up in a - the group was ushered into a glass room that surrounded
vertical column offering the best possible flight experience for the wind tunnel room (also made of glass) and made to sit in
indoor skydiving. a semi circle. The wind tunnel room has an instructor who
“No talking inside the wind tunnel, we use only sign takes the participants in and assists them in their airborne
adventure. What I noticed is
that children, because they are
more flexible and believe in
flying (thanks to their dozens
of comic superheroes) take to
the sport easily while adults
enjoy it, but take a while to
get used to being airborne.
Either ways, it is an experi-
ence of a lifetime and should
not be missed. Don’t forget to
remind your child about the
theory of gravity when he’s
trying to practice his flying
skills at home!
Safe for kids, the experi-
ence for first time flyers (peak)
costs Dh145 for kids and
Dh195 for adults offering two
flight chances, off peak rates
are cheaper and offer a single
flight experience. There is a
Learn to Fly package where
you learn the real sky diving
free fall skills. Timings, be-
tween Saturday to Wednesday
between 10 am – 11 pm and
Thursday and Friday between
10 am -12 am.

Hamleys, the world-famous toy re-
tailer, opened its second store in the UAE
here. Eight winners from a nationwide
drawing competition to ‘draw your fa-
vourite toy’ were invited, along with their
classmates to participate in the opening
parade, with winners each receiving a
Dh500 gift voucher to spend within the
store as well as seeing their drawings en-
larged and framed as a permanent feature
within the store.
The official opening began with a
parade of children led by the Hamleys
bear and band towards the store where
they were greeted by a live radio DJ and
staff giving out party bags. Within the
new interactive store, a replica of a red
double-decker London bus was unveiled,
as children explored the 22,000 square
foot store which features a chrome race
track where kids can test the latest remote
control cars, a Girls World dolls house
and a Disney cinema, as well as all their
favourite quality toys. The new store also
features a Hamleys Party Room, which
offers customised birthday parties com-
plete with a play area featuring a bouncy
castle and bicycle track.
Hamleys is an internationally-recog-
nised toy retailer with ambitious plans to

30 l UAE Digest, May 2010

grow the brand further. It was established to the more chic bikini, beach dresses, Juicy Couture has attracted many a Hol-
nearly 250 years ago by William Hamley this new collection, a first in the region, is lywood diva and style-conscious women
and its flagship store on Regent available in various designs, alike over the years from Madonna to Jes-
Street, with over seven floors styles and colours.   Located sica Biel. The flattering, slender fit of the
packed full of toys and games, is on the first floor, products, the price points, the exclusive
considered to be one of London’s the new concept distribution and the loyal celebrity follow-
major tourist attractions and store, expresses ing have all played an important role in
receives about five million the iconic nature shaping the brand.
visitors a year. The company of the Juicy Jumbo Electronics has opened its
has developed an international brand complete newest outlet here. With a floor area of
reputation for choice, quality, with its trade- more than 5000 square feet the store will
and innovation. mark graphics, carry the full range of consumer electron-
Juicy Couture, a contem- slogans and ics including LCD TV’s, digital still
porary brand of casual lifestyle props set in stone cameras, Handycams, laptops, mobile
clothing, has opened the or etched glass. phones and MP3 players. A main focus of
region’s first stand alone acces- Founded in this new store is the contemporary design,
sory boutique at Mirdiff City 1994 by Pamela making it very easy for customers to
Centre. The new boutique Skaist-Levy and navigate. This store opening follows a very
carries an extensive range of Gela Taylor, successful Dubai Shopping Festival for
jewellery, shoes and handbags as premium Jumbo which also marked the company’s
featuring the brand’s stylish designer, 15th year of sponsorship.
and chic collections.  It also marketer and Expanding its reach to customers
showcases the latest Juicy wholesaler of further, Etisalat has opened the doors
swimwear that flatters any chic, sophis- to its 38th retail outlet here, its one-stop
type of body! From the ticated basics shop offering customers a broad range of
basic one-piece swimsuit for women, landline, mobile, broadband and enter-

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 31


tainment services. Located on the first
level of the mall from the North Entrance
and spread over nearly 210 square metres,
this outlet is aimed to enhance the cus-
tomers’ experience with its contemporary
outlook, warm environment, latest tech
gadgets in the market and an experienced
customer care team. Open from 10.00am
to 10.00pm from Sunday to Thursday
and between 10.00am until 12:00am on
Friday and Saturday, the spacious outlet is
designed to offer customers an improved
and wholesome retail experience.
Shoppers and visitors will be able to
visit the Etisalat outlet for new fixed-line
subscriptions, prepaid Wasel and postpaid
mobile connections, and Internet connec-
tions. The outlets are also fully equipped
to provide customers information on
services such as BlackBerry, iPhone,
MobileCAM, 3G USB Modems, e-vision
services and many more main and value-
32 l UAE Digest, May 2010
added services.
Better Life, a leading specialist home
appliance company, has opened the doors
on its seventh store at MCC. With a
shop area of 4,700square feet, the new
store gives customers a warm and relax-
ing shopping experience with its entire
brand portfolio on offer, which includes
Siemens, Electrolux, Grundig, and
Lagostina amongst many others. Aside
from home appliances and accessories,
the store also has on display its new
S2 Kitchen by German manufacturer
SieMatic. A minimalist high end kitchen,
with the comforts and convenience of a
fully furnished living space makes this a
must for any modern household.
For residents looking to personalise
their apartments and villas in the newly
opened developments in the vicinity, the
new store offers tenants the convenience
of having their entire home appliance
kitchen and accessories available in one
single location. As with all Better Life
stores, customer service is paramount,
and an in-house kitchen designer is on
hand to provide assistance and advice to
ensure they chose the best products that
suit their needs.
Delivering on its promise to continue
with its retail expansion plans despite the
global downturn, Al Fahim Holdings,
one of the largest diversified business
groups in the GCC, has opened its stylish
Paris Gallery at Mirdif City Centre. The
new location takes the total number of
outlets in the UAE alone to 27. Covering
a total area of over 29,000 square feet, the
store features more than 480 prestigious
international and regional luxury brands
under one roof and underlines the com-
pany’s commitment towards supporting
the UAE economy.
In a statement, Group CEO Moham-
med A.R. Al Fahim said: “Our latest
store at Mirdif City Centre continues our
retail expansion which utilises our exist-
ing, successful retail blueprint and is the
first of a series of several exciting ventures
we wish to reveal for 2010.”
The new store will also see more em-
ployment opportunities being generated
for UAE nationals who have been trained
in the group’s stringent
retail philosophy. The
group works closely with
Zayed University where
it educates and empowers
Emirati students in the
retail business through its
Luxury Retail Leadership
Programme, Graduate
Management Training
Programme, internal
orientation programme and
On-Job Training.
In celebration of the
new development, Paris
Gallery held a two-day
in-store event and a catwalk
show where it presented the
2010 collections of its top
brands Chopard, Givenchy,
GianFranco Ferre, Escada
and E. Zegna Eyewear.
 ENVIRONMENT

Used computing
equipment
ICT cluster spearheads recycle and
reuse initiative

D
ubai Internet City (DIC) has collected over 1,000
pieces of used computer hardware equipment from
the companies based within its premises as part of
its ongoing recycling campaign. The ‘DIC Recycle –
Reuse’ drive extends to recycling laptops, printers, screen monitors
and scanners, and is being carried out in association with Dubai
Municipality, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian
and Charity Foundation and Microsoft Middle East. DIC’s busi-
ness partners were encouraged to give their used equipments which
will then be distributed among educational, social and charitable
institutions. phones, batteries and accessories, along with other related electron-
The ‘Envirofone Recycling Drive’ is another ongoing green ics. The items thus collected are exported to specialised e-waste
initiative by DIC. Developed by Envirofone, which manages and recycling companies based in Singapore or Malaysia.
promotes the UAE national campaign for the recycling of e-waste, As the region’s leading managed ICT cluster, DIC works to-
mobile phones, accessories and batteries, the programme aims to wards driving sustainability across the region through the platform
create a safer office environment through disposing of electronic of technology. Among its vigorous recycling drive campaigns
waste that would be hazardous and toxic. within the community, DIC also recently commissioned a white
In partnership with Envirofone, DIC has placed drop boxes paper on how telecom operators in the region can reap cost savings
across TECOM business parks including Dubai Knowledge Village through adopting sustainable technologies and meeting industry
and Dubai Media City. Individuals are encouraged to deposit used recognised environmental standards.

Waste management services at petrol stations

Waste management agreement covers 36 service stations
across the emirate of Sharjah
Dulsco Sharjah has announced that it has
recently signed a contract to collect waste
from 36 service stations of Enoc/Eppco in
Sharjah. Dulsco revealed that the agreement
underlines the company’s continued success
in providing expert services and reaffirms
the company’s leadership in the field of waste
management, spanning several decades.
Dulsco Sharjah began the collection of
food and other general waste from these pet-
rol stations on August 1, 2009. The company
already provides other services such as tank
cleaning. Dulsco pointed out that the new
waste collection service contract has further
strengthened its business relationship with
fuel refilling companies.
Providing service stations with waste
collection services is not new to Dulsco as
the company has a long and comprehensive
experience of the same type of service with
Emarat in Dubai and in other emirates.
Dulsco Sharjah has been successfully
providing waste management services to
several companies involving different types its services from all its customers in the emir-
of wastes over the past several years. It is ate. Officials have made it a practice both
set to further increase its customer base to make regular visits to key clients to see if
of companies in the emirate using waste their expectations are being adequately met,
management services. and also to take necessary action immedi-
Moreover, Dulsco has set in motion the ately if found wanting in even the slightest
practice of seeking regular feedback about degree of service.

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 33

 EDUCATION
More ‘brains’, less ‘muscle’
A
move towards knowledge-
intensive activities in Dubai
was highlighted by the Dubai
Competitiveness Centre
(DCC) recently at a debate hosted by Du-
bai Knowledge Village. Gayane Afrikian,
the Director of the DCC, who presented
information on the UAE’s global competi-
tive ranking, said that it was time for Du-
bai to shift from labour-intensive activities
to more knowledge-driven activities. She
also revealed, with regard to promoting a
culture of knowledge in the region, that
there needed to be more of a push towards
continued education where UAE Nation-
als were concerned.
This indication of support towards
improving knowledge and skills in Dubai
was favourably received by higher-educa-
tion and training providers who have been
concerned that a tightening of budgets
during the economic recession might
impact negatively on skills development.
“The UAE is developing rapidly. But
‘more’ is not necessarily better,” said James
Norbury of Specialised Management
Group. “Now, more than ever, companies
require a strong focus on competence and
capability. Sponsors want project manag-
ers and teams to do more with less. Precise
decisions - on time, every time - requires
project managers to facilitate the flow of
34 l UAE Digest, May 2010
information exactly as is expected – this disillusionment and fall in confidence,”
means the multi-tasking capability has to he said. “The most beneficial educa-
be second nature. When business grows, tion is experiential learning that offers
the skills are expected to run in parallel. a practical outlook rather than simple
But when the business contracts, skills textbook training. This provides a good
leave, or are harvested (meaning reduced link between ‘doing’ and ‘knowing’.”
capability to deliver and strain on those
remaining), more is not more ... less is Teaching update
more becomes the key. This is where a Teachers from government schools
focus on skills and competence develop- across the UAE had the opportunity
ment is crucial.” to improve the way they teach mixed
James warned against falling into ability classes and adapt materials at the
‘capability incompetence’. He used an first British Council Teaching Young
example of technology incompetence, Learners and Teenagers Conference in
where people were faced with a mass March. The two one-day mini-confer-
of technological
devices but had little
understanding of
their capability.
“Today we are
faced with the need
to deliver projects
with less, but how?
The answers lie
in the end-to-end
understanding of
how projects benefit
and deliver business
strategy. The axe
is being swung on
many aspects and
has created much
Fatma Al Marri, CEO of the KHDA School Agency in Dubai, delivered a
warm welcome address to British Council conference delegates
ences, held at the Princess Haya bint Al
Hussein School for Girls in Dubai, and
at the Institute of Applied Technology
in Fujairah, gave 350 teachers, supervi-
sors and teacher trainees from primary,
preparatory and secondary government
schools new techniques to deal effective-
ly with mixed ability classes and to adapt
classroom materials to better meet the
needs of their students. Hopefully, this
information will be relayed to their col-
leagues at their individual workplaces.
This was the first regional confer-
ence circuit organised under the British
Council’s English for the Future
programme, and took place in Bahrain,
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and the
UAE. All presenters are IATEFL-
affiliated and include UK education
experts such as Wendy Arnold, Noreen
Caplen-Spence, Coralyn Bradshaw and
Martin Goosey. They are all specialists
in the teaching of young learners and
have previous experience of working in
the Middle East. The conferences were
supported by KHDA in Dubai and IAT
in Fujairah.
Karen Ryan, English Project
Manager for the UAE, said: “This first
Regional Conference Circuit specifically
designed for the needs of government
teachers working with young learners
and teenagers provides an excellent
opportunity for teachers from different
government schools in the UAE to share
best practice between themselves, for the
benefit of Emirati students’.
Six schools by Dewan
for Al Ain
Dewan Architects & Engineers, the firm
behind the design of such landmark
projects as The Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi
and Dubai’s Creek Towers & Plaza,
has been selected to design six of the 18
schools planned by the Abu Dhabi Edu-
cation Council for the emirate of Al Ain.
ADEC recently unveiled plans to
build 100 new schools in the emirate
of Abu Dhabi with construction on 18
schools starting this year. Technology is
a key feature of the design that will be
applied to new school buildings. Labs
and ICT rooms will be equipped with
the latest technology and every educa-
tional space in the new school buildings
will be prepared for wireless connections
to the internet providing a new learning
mode for students in which they will
learn direct computer skills. A number of
technological features will also be applied
to teaching methods, making classes
more interactive and conducive to an en-
vironment where students apply greater
problem-solving and analytical skills.
In order to achieve these aims, Dewan
has worked with its teams of specialists to
deliver world-class architectural solutions
that are economical, environmentally
friendly, buildable and easy to maintain.
These principles were carefully adopted
and packaged within outstanding
exterior designs that correspond with the
client’s vision for the future.
Out of the six schools to be designed
by Dewan, four will be for girls and two
for boys. Each school will have the capac-
ity to cater for between 1,225 and 1,500
students, and will offer classes for either
Grades 6 to 12 or Grades 10 t0 12.
Dewan is well recognised for its
forward-thinking approach to and incor-
poration of eco-friendly and sustainable
design elements in each of its projects. The
firm, established in Abu Dhabi in 1984, is
ranked among the top 100 architectural
firms in the world today, and is one of the
top five ranked firms in the Middle East.
Gulf for Good partners
with top educational
institutions
Gulf for Good (G4G), a Dubai-based
charity that organises adventure chal-
lenges to raise funds to be donated to
handpicked causes, is planning to partner
with educational institutions across the
UAE, to further promote its fund-raising
adventure activities. The initiative is also
part of the charity’s vision to expand its
reach over the Gulf region and boost the
number of regional participants in its
adventure activities.
G4G has previously worked with
UAE-based institutions such as The Eng-
lish College and Dubai Men’s College and
is aiming to involve other schools, colleges
and universities in adventure challenges to
raise funds for charity. The charity’s plan
to collaborate with educational institu-
tions can also assist programmes such
as the ‘Duke of Edinburgh
Awards’ and the Interna-
tional Baccalaureate, both
of which are dedicated to
the personal development
of young people from
all backgrounds and
the promotion of peace
through intercultural
understanding. Some of
G4G’s previous projects
include the construction
of a community hospital in
Nepal, classrooms in Tan-
zania, purchasing children’s
physiotherapy equipment in
Sharjah, computer software
for blind students in Oman
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 35
 English College group teams up with Gulf for Good for the Everest Base Camp Challenge
and medical equipment in Palestine.
“We believe that students can learn
important lessons not only inside the
classroom, but also by interacting with
and playing an active role in the commu-
nity, which can hone a host of practical
skills to complement their theoretical
knowledge,” said Brian Wilkie, Chair-
man and Founder of Gulf for Good.
“With the growing interest of students
in the UAE in acquiring a holistic
education, we are confident that our
challenges will help students to get fitter,
develop their skills, learn to respect and
understand other cultures and become
well-rounded individuals with a culture
of serving the community.”
Gulf for Good was recently honoured
at the first ever ‘Noble Humanitar-
ian Awards Middle East’, a prestigious
annual gathering that recognises the
achievements of philanthropic organisa-
tions.
Founded in 2001, Gulf for Good
(www.gulf4good.org) is operating
under the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum,
President, Dubai’s Department of Civil
Aviation and Chairman & CEO, Emir-
ates Group. To date, G4G has organised
36 l UAE Digest, May 2010
a total of 28 challenges in 17 countries
involving over 550 participants aged
from 15 to 72, and has raised over Dh5
million in total funds, which have
been donated to tangible and deserving
community projects in the adventure
challenge host countries. The chal-
lenges previously organised by the group
include trekking to Machu Piccu in
Peru and Everest Base Camp, cycling
in Cambodia, kayaking in Madagascar,
Oman and Borneo and even camel
trekking in Jordan! This year, they are of-
fering climbing Kilimanjaro, hiking in
Lebanon, cycling in Cuba and cycling,
trekking and kayaking in northern
Thailand.
Pursuing postgraduate
studies
Getex Dubai serves as a platform for
academic programmes
International Conferences & Exhibi-
tions (IC&E), organiser of Getex
Dubai 2010, an education, training and
professional development event held in
April, has announced that post-graduate
studies remain in great demand among
working professionals in the UAE, as
reflected in a recent survey conducted by
IC&E. More than 60 per cent of the sur-
vey’s respondents said they want to pursue
or complete their master’s degree to boost
their employment opportunities, while up
to 74 per cent of those planning to take
up post-graduate studies prefer to attend
classes at the university campus.
The survey also revealed that 22.9 per
cent of learners are interested in online
study programmes, while less than three
per cent prefer self study programmes.
Anselm Godinho, Managing Director,
IC&E, said: “The survey confirms that the
majority of working professionals in the
UAE are proactively seeking opportuni-
ties to boost their career development. We
have also discovered through the survey
that one out of three learners prefer to
attend exhibitions and trade events to find
out more about different postgraduate
programmes.”
According to the survey, 72 per cent
of respondents find information about
various postgraduate courses either
through the internet or by attending trade
exhibitions and conferences. Moreover,
the survey revealed that about 84 per cent
of those who want to pursue a master’s
degree are in the 24 to 35 age bracket.

Summer deals
I
t’s getting hotter every day, children
are being taken to cooler climes
and the pace of life is slowing.
Time for summer offers and
enticements from the hospitality sector
to welcome visitors through their doors.
Take advantage of the abundance of deals
cropping up now, and try out things that
you haven’t tried before: reduced prices
on early dining, extra nights and meals
at hotels, golf bargains, five-star cooking
lessons, a variety of weekend brunches and
more – including a German Maifest in the
Middle East!
Your wedding day should be the most
special celebration of your life, full of
exciting and long lasting memories. The
five-star Park Rotana Abu Dhabi is ready
to offer you a complete hassle-free wed-
ding experience starting from planning
and all the way to your ‘big day’ recep-
tion. The newly opened property caters
to various types of weddings from 100
to 350 guests. Its convenient location,
stunning Grand Park ballroom with
ample pre-function area and outdoor
terrace, luxurious accommodation, great
selection of wedding menus and a team of
professional event planners will make you
and your guests feeling at the centre of it
HOSPITALITY
all. The hotel is even offering a choice of massages at the spa when staying at the
wedding presents (vouchers) from them resort.
to the happy couple, which can be used Stay one night at Al Maha Desert
during the first year of marriage. Resort & Spa and enjoy an additional
Travel back to the 19th century as night at half price with the resort’s ‘The
Hoi An, at Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Extended Experience’ offer. Valid until
Al Beri, Abu Dhabi captures the essence May 31st, the offer includes all meals and
of colonial Vietnamese cuisine with a two nature-based activities per night’s
touch of French flair. Available from stay, such as falconry, guided nature walks,
19th to 28th May. Order before 7pm and desert drives, horse riding, camel treks
enjoy a three-course set menu featuring or archery. Surrounded by some of the
authentic Vietnamese dishes inclusive region’s most spectacular landscape, rich
of house malt or vintage. Hoi An opens with protected wildlife and traditional
daily from 6pm to 11.30pm. Bedouin pastimes, Al Maha provides a
Banyan Tree Al Wadi is Ras Al secluded, romantic and tranquil experi-
ence. The Bedouin-inspired suites all have
their own private, temperature-controlled
swimming pools and a sundeck. As part of
Bedouin suite at Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa
Khaimah’s latest
exclusive resort, 45
minutes drive from
Dubai Airport.
Until September
21, enjoy a compli-
mentary night with
every three paid
nights. Rates include
daily breakfast and
welcome drinks for
two. Also, during
this month, you can
enjoy a 30 per cent
discount off body
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 37
 the Al Maha experience, guests will enjoy
a sumptuous five-course meal in the stun-
ning Al Diwaan restaurant, or can choose
to eat privately at their own deck.
Spend your day at Dubai Creek Golf
& Yacht Club and take advantage of the
special full-day package for less than
Dh500, which includes a continental
breakfast for two people on Lake View
Terrace, one round of golf on the champi-
onship course, plus full day use of all Golf
Academy practice facilities, use of the
club’s gym and tropical swimming pool
all day for two, and enjoy the new buffet
lunch for two at the Boardwalk. Valid for
UAE residents every day until the end of
Dubai Creek Gold & Yacht Club May.
Maifest at JW Marriott

Seafood at
The Gem
Garden
By Linda Benbow

Every Wednesday
night at Holiday Inn
Dubai –Al Barsha is a
seafood night at The
Gem Garden, an all-
day-dining restaurant
with a minimalist Zen
style setting, ideal to
enjoy a family meal
or a business lunch.
Smooth and creamy
seafood soup is a Visit Junsui, Burj Al Arab for a gastronomic journey that explores
delight to savour while the spices of authentic Balinese cuisine. Bumbu Bali’s Chef Heinz von
the popular serving Holzen will be cooking up a storm in Junsui this May, 11th to 15th,
platter of oysters with with his original recipes and will be teaching the secrets of Balinese
choices of accompa- cuisine at interactive afternoon cooking classes from 4pm to 6pm.
niements are replen- Say goodbye to the winter chill and welcome in the warm beauty of
ished regularly. Three springtime, with a traditional German celebration at Hofbräuhaus of
different ways of serving salmon and rollmop herrings the JW Marriott Dubai from 1st to 31st May. In keeping with the spirit
can be found amongst salads and cold fishy mezzes. Hot of Maifest, there’s plenty of food and beverages to enjoy, accompanied
serving dishes contain Thai curry, prawn pilau and stuffed by lively German music and singing. Indulge in a traditional Bavarian
squid. The chef at the live cooking station will chatter to buffet from 6pm to 2am and enjoy specially made May Punch or Mai-
you as he deep fries your choice of fish, or cook it on a hot bock – a German malt brewed only during this season.
griddle with your choice of marinade or flavourings. And, The Media One Hotel, located in the bustling Media City district
something that isn’t seen often enough, the dessert table of Dubai, is bursting with great value food and beverage promotions as
holds a large cheeseboard for those who prefer a savoury well as top-class entertainment. On Sundays, at ‘The Z’ you can buy a
dessert, as well as a selection of enticing looking sweet cocktail and enjoy a second one free of charge, from 6pm to midnight.
delights. A similar promotion on Martinis is held on Thursdays.

38 l UAE Digest, May 2010

 Old ways are still
good ways
By Linda Benbow

Don Corleone at Metropolitan Hotel,

part of the Al Habtoor Group, is still
serving home-made Italian food in
the same way that customers have
enjoyed it for many, many years. The
white-washed stuccoed walls act as a
friendly backdrop for the red-checked
tablecloths on the cosy tables both
inside and outside on the ivy covered verandah. Big and small por- affordable place to visit with its English pub – The Red Lion, top-
tions of pasta, grilled vegetables and cheese fondue await you. floor chinese restaurant - The Summer Place, Indian restaurant with
Yes, the Al Habtoor Group is celebrating its 40th anniversary this live band, and the oriental Market Place on the second floor with a
year. Congratulations! The hotel has always been a popular, wooden bridge arching over a pond of Japanese Koi fish.

The Meydan Hotel, the world's first
five-star trackside hotel has announced
the launch of packages designed specifical-
ly and exclusively for GCC residents and
business groups. Valid until September
prices include free shuttle to Dubai Mall
and DIFC, as well as 24-hour check-in
stays and leisure based services, among
others.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Dei-
ra Creek, offers a great deal for its family
Friday brunch
experience
from May 7
to September
10. Every
Friday from
12.30pm
to 4pm, the
second floor
of the hotel is
transformed
into a Friday
Fun Food Festival, and it’s not just for
the parents, but for the younger members
of the family as well. The price each child
pays for their meals depends on how tall
they are. Children below one metre get to
eat for free. The choice that the children
have for entertainment ranges from video
games to a play area, a magician and even a
mini soccer table. They can also have their
face painted and try some cotton candy
and popcorn. There is also a child-sized
buffet where they can help themselves
or be helped by one of the many staff in
brightly decorated colours. The buffet
itself is placed on low tables to help the
children reach it and has all items that
‘children simply love’. For adults, the buf-
fet is endless, having over 200 dishes to
be offered, in addition to a wide variety
of cooking stations from 11 different
outlets.
Tune in to the latest trends with the
in-house Fashion Advi-
sor, a signature service
for guests of The Ad-
dress Dubai Mall. You
will receive a consulta-
tion at the hotel, fol-
lowed by advice on the
most suitable styles for
you, plus a personalised
shopping session and
great tips for accessoris-
ing your outfits. Try their
exclusive ‘Fashion Dilemma’ session,
perfect for ladies who need help with an
outfit for a specific occasion. Featuring
advice on combining events with the
right fashion, and a shopping trip to
selected outlets. The ‘Style Me and Shop-
ping’ session for ladies and gents includes
a consultation to match styles with the
individual’s personality, plus a trip to key
stores.
Ladies, put on your stilettos and slip
into Shades, the chic and vibrant lounge
at The Address Dubai Marina for a ladies
night-out to remember. Live the Marina
vibe as you unwind to the DJ’s latest selec-
tion of cool rhythms. This trendy hotspot
is ideal for the fashionable at heart. Every
Tuesday, 6pm to midnight, all ladies re-
ceive two complimentary glasses of bubbly.
Stimulate your mind with quiz nights
at Bunkers, The Address Montgomerie
Dubai, with quizmaster Phil Richard, and
enjoy great food and a fabulous ambience.
Enjoy 20 per cent off on selected beverages
and indulge in a specially prepared menu
for the evening. Memorable prizes are up
for grabs. Every Monday from 6.30pm to
10pm.
Experience the ultimate BBQ evening
hosted by Calabar and Zeta at The Ad-
dress Downtown Dubai. Choose from an
impressive array of seafood and marinated
meats grilled to order on the terrace. Set
against the stunning backdrop of the Burj
Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain, it’s the
coolest BBQ in town every Tuesday from
6pm to 10.30pm
Monday nights are alive with Arabian
traditions at Layali Ewaan, The Palace
- the Old Town, with live Arabic music,
belly dancing, tannoura dancer and
shisha on the terrace. Featuring delicious
mezzehs, falafel, saj, ouzi, barbecue and a
lavish buffet in impressive surroundings
adorned with silk tapestries.

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 39

 FASHION
The business of fashion
L
ast month saw a multitude of
fashion shows being staged in
Dubai, with an array of different
audiences. The professionally or-
ganised Motexha 2010 fashion and apparel
exhibition at Dubai World Trade Centre
had its usual success with exhibitors at the
event expressing their satisfaction at the
quality of visitors on the first day as leading
buyers and merchandisers visited the event
to place multiple orders on behalf of their
organisations.
This is what these events are supposed
to be about. A showcase for designers and
companies to display their wares for buy-
ers, whether for stores and businesses, or
individuals, to inspect.
The much-fanfared event of Dubai
Fashion Week (DFW), which began on
Saturday, 3rd April, turned out to be a
social event for those in the audiences and
an opportunity for emerging designers to
show their wares on stage and in the media.
Before the event, organisers had promised
‘new international designers, more buyers
and a spectrum of the season’s fashion’ -
and it did actually provide two out of three
of those.
The semi-professional organisation of
the event was held up to the light in the
local newspapers when various catwalk
Mariam Mazrou successfully showed her
collection of designs at Dubai Fashion
40 l UAE Digest, May 2010
sessions started well after their advertised
timings. Fashionably late is obviously
different in various parts or the world, and
some of the timings of between one to two
hours late in starting were unacceptable to
many in the audience who showed their
disapproval by leaving the rooms.
“Make your feet do the talking” is a
much used slogan nowadays with crowds
turning away from high-priced concerts,
forceful planning dictates and late show-
ings.
The fashion displays that did take place
were well received, and designers will
be happy with the media coverage they
received from the well organised Press
Centre.
Dubai Fashion Week and Splash once
again collaborated to present the Splash
Emerging Talent Contest, which has been
a major breakthrough event for previ-
ous up and coming designers. The judges
decisions were based on creativity in the
collections, selection and usage of fabrics,
use of accessories and presentation.
Samsung Electronics, a sponsor of
Dubai Fashion Week, announced Garima
Irisha Kapoor as the winner of the Sam-
sung Diva of Dubai Fashion Week 2010
judged by Samsung, Dubai-based fashion
designer Salma Khan and Bebhinn Kelly,
Garima Irish Kapoor is Samsung Diva of Dubai Fashion Week
Managing Director and blogger of Hellwa-
Fashion.com.
The Samsung stand welcomed 400 en-
tries over five days, with fashionistas from
all over Dubai posing with Samsung’s Diva
mobile phones to compete for the title
of Diva of Dubai Fashion Week. As the
official product partner for mobile phones
and televisions this year, the Samsung
HellwaFashion.com DFW online diary
was visited by 5,823 people, eager to get
the latest from Dubai Fashion Week, and
included notes on signature looks, up-and-
coming designers, key trends for the season
and of course all the front row gossip about
who is wearing what.
Then came The Bride Show, a fashion-
able feast for fiancés; children under 12
were not allowed in. His Excellency
Abdul Rahman Al Ghurair, Chairman of
Dubai Commerce and Industry officially
inaugurated The Bride Show Dubai with
a ceremonial ribbon cutting, followed by
a tour of Halls 1, 2 and 3 of the Dubai
International Exhibition Centre, where he
met regional and international exhibitors
and was treated to a preview fashion show
by Bollywood designer Vikram Phadnis.
The remaining opening day fashion
shows wowed the crowds as the team of
professional models graced the catwalk
in embellished abayas by Al
Motahajiba Abayas, jalabiyas
and kaftans for Indulge by
Divya Oswal and exquisite
bridal gowns by local favour-
ite and long-time Bride Show
supporter Jalal M. Khan Est.
- ‘Demetrios’.
One of the biggest fea-
tures to get eyes popping and
camera bulbs flashing was the
16 foot tall wedding cake cre-
ated by the culinary masters
at the Shangri-La hotel in
Dubai.
The new
Bridal Lounge, an
interactive dem-
onstration area
for brides-to-be to
gain inspiration,
advice and tips,
proved to be very
popular on the
first day.
Senior make-up
artists from MAC
A 50-carat intense yellow radiant diamond engagement ring
Cosmetics and hair
stylists from Jamil Style, a l’Oréal Profes- has a prestigious Gemological Institute of offered by established favourites, such as
sionnel salon explained the techniques they America certificate. Salam Stores, Escada, Moschino, Paolo
adopt in order to create flawless make-up “We do not solely cater for the most Frani, Catherine Dean, Armani Collezioni
and hair for weddings. expensive tastes; our diamonds range from and suchlike.
Women’s World Live, the new exhibi- $20 (Dh73) upwards with any kind of The glamorous, free, two-day event
tion running alongside The Bride Show certification,” said Gary Shuster, owner of wowed crowds with a line-up of profession-
Dubai, welcomed lots of visitors in fitness South African Jewels, a family business in ally produced fashion shows from the array
gear, which granted them free admission, operation for more than 70 years, that will (over 260) of leading fashion and beauty
to take part in an exercise class wearing launch its showroom in Dubai, located in brands at Mirdif City Centre - showcasing
Kangoo Jumps boots, Latino Cardio, the Al Mas Tower in Jumeirah Lake Tow- a preview of the latest trends and hottest
Body Combat and Dubai Drums, a group ers, in September 2010. styles from around the globe.
drumming session which is proven to raise Mirdiff City Centre held a fashion Visitors to the event were shown how
endorphin levels. The free health checks extravaganza in mid-April with many of they can achieve the chic runway looks seen
at the Philips stand were also a popular the stores in the newly opened mall taking on the catwalk with an amazing line-up of
feature on the first day. part in the New Season Catwalk Show hair, make-up and styling demonstrations,
Millions of dollars of diamonds were on which was eagerly awaited by shoppers in addition to in-store events and exclusive
display at the show with pride of place go- keen to make use of the many discounts customer giveaways.
ing to a 50-carat fancy intense yellow
radiant diamond engagement ring on
offer at $2million (Dh7.34million).
South African Jewels took part
for the second time to sell some of the
world’s most exquisite diamonds to
Dubai’s elite at wholesale price, some
50 per cent less than retail prices.
The company’s decision to sell at
wholesale was made because Dubai
customers still typically pay in cash
and upfront.
Following on from their participa-
tion in The Bride Show Abu Dhabi
in February, where they displayed a
$1million (Dh3.67million) 25 carat
yellow diamond engagement ring, the
company brought a number of pieces
guaranteed to drop jaws and pop eyes.
This time they brought a 50-carat
engagement ring, worth a staggering
$2million (Dh7.34million), which

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 41

 JEWELLERY
Gold swopping time
By Linda Benbow
T
imes are still diffi-
cult at the moment
and the atmos-
phere of ‘make do’
often clashes with the trendy
‘must-have’ moments that pop
into people’s minds. But there
is still a way to have your cake
and eat it – well, actually, to
have your old jewellery turned
into new – just swop it. If
needs be, then pay a little extra
to get your choice of adorn-
ment. Buying, selling and
exchanging of jewellery has
been quietly going on for hun-
dreds of years. Now, it is your
turn to walk through the souks
of Dubai.
Dubai is well known for
its gold shops. The gold souk,
or marketplace, consists of a
few streets which have been set
aside for those in the business
to carry out their trade, as is
customary in the Middle East.
Located within the first bend of Dubai’s
creek, on the Deira side of the water
between Al Khaleej Road and Baniyas
Road, the area has in recent years been
given a facelift by the municipality, which
has constructed covered walkways for the
convenience of shoppers.
Walk through the old and new areas,
malls and showrooms, pavements and
cobblestones to savour the feel of the cos-
42 l UAE Digest, May 2010
mopolitan jewellery on offer. Shop after
shop of baubles, bangles and beads attract
the eye, making them widen in order to
take in the full magnificence of the shiny
displays.
Shades of coloured gold fuse into
delicate necklets and earrings. Shim-
mering shades of dull orange, primrose,
iridescent glittery yellow, dusky pink,
and even white, dazzle the eye when you
take a stroll through the gold souk. Solid
chains, hollow chains, bracelets and
bangles lie next to each other in tempting
bulk displays of jewellery for both adorn-
ment and investment.
Differing nationalities like differ-
ent types of gold, settings and pieces
of adornment. The traditional bright,
shiny colour is well loved by all but a
more yellow coloured metal, and a higher
quality of carat is preferred by the main
bulk of buyers consisting of people from
sub-continent countries and some Gulf
nationals. Europeans prefer the lighter
colours in both matt and gloss. A newer
trend is to buy white gold which looks
very similar to the costlier metal of
platinum.
After the fun of “just looking, thank
you” comes the fun of buying. Ask for
the prices of a number of items that you
like and watch the salesman as he weighs
your chosen few, and quickly presses the
buttons on his ever ready calculator. A
little fore knowledge is necessary here.
The local newspapers print the daily price
of gold on the international markets.
This is the price per ounce of 24 carat
gold. Tone this price down appropriately
for the 18 carat and 22 carat items which
are mainly sold in these shops.
Watch the salesman’s fingers to see
what figures he is entering on the calcula-
tor and check that it is the same figure
that the men in the previous few shops
were selling at. There is usually a small
charge added on to the final cost price for
workmanship of the item.
And then bargain. Haggle. Ask for
the “best price” and think carefully about
whether you want to buy or not. Leave
the shop to see what other jewellery is on
offer in the area and feel free to return to
your original choice. The salesman will be
waiting for you with open arms.
Remember to negotiate a price first be-
fore placing an order for specialist jewel-
lery to be made to your own requirements
and design. Allow up to one week for the
craftsman to do his job properly although
simple items like a necklet of your name
written in Arabic and set onto a chain
should take no longer than three days.
Visitors to Dubai often gaze in wonder
Gold Facts:
• Alloy – Mixture of two or more metals.
Gold is typically alloyed with other
metals to increase its hardness or
change its colour.
• Baht – Thai bullion bar weighing 0.47
ounces or 15.4 grammes.
• Bars – Gold is frequently bought and
sold in bars which are of a wide variety
of weight units and sizes. Bars carry
a manufacturer’s stamp guaranteeing
weight and gold content to protect the
buyer.
• Bullion – Precious metal in ingots, bars
or wafers at least 0.995 pure.
• Carat – The purity of gold is described
by its ‘fineness’ or carat as parts in 24.
Thus, 18 carat is 18/24ths gold or 75 per
cent gold. 24 carat is pure gold.
• Fixing – The London ‘fix’ is a trading
session with five members held twice
daily in the offices of N.M. Rothschild in
at the variety of customers buying and
selling precious metals, for this is a
marketplace where customers are not
always the person who has walked into
the shop. Sometimes the customer, or
buyer, is standing right there behind
the counter. Women with carrier bags
of adornments sell their dowries when
prices are high. Traditional necklaces
of coins and pendants, headdresses of
linked discs, bulky bangles and tola bars
can be sold one day and newer more
appealing items can be bought the fol-
London. It is noted as a place where
large volumes of gold can be traded
and the fix price is widely used as the
reference price for gold on a particular
day.
• Gold – A yellow coloured shiny
chemically resistant precious metal.
Chemical symbol: Au. Specific weight:
19.3g/cm3. Melting point: 1064o
centigrade.
• Hallmark – Marks on gold jewellery
which indicate that the gold content
complies with the stated ‘cartage’ and
with legal standards.
• Krugerrand – A 22 carat gold coin
minted in South Africa. The first bullion
coin to contain exactly one ounce of
pure gold (plus a little alloy to harden
it).
• Mint – A factory, typically government
owned, where the legal tender of a
country is coined.
lowing week when prices have gone down
again. All nationalities play this profitable
game with society hostesses changing their
jewellery almost as much as their change
of wardrobes.
For a cooler and more modern way of
shopping, visit the Gold & Diamond Park
in Al Quoz, Sheik Zayed Road, where a
specialist shopping mall of hundreds of
jewellery shops operates in air-conditioned
splendour. Small and airy glass paned
shops are there, with smartly dressed
young salesmen who knowledgably
discuss gems, precious metals and even
purple gold. Yes, it really does exist. A
combination of precious metals that has
been ingeniously fused to produce a much
treasured new colour of gold.
• Tael – Traditional Chinese unit of
weight for precious metals. The
normal bar sizes are 1 and 5 taels.
1 tael = 37.429grammes.
• Tola – Traditional Indian unit of weight
for precious metals.
1 tola = 11.1grammes.
The normal bar size is 10 tolas.
• Troy ounce – An Anglo-Saxon unit of
weight for precious metals.
1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grammes.
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 43
 BEAUTY
Jewelled skincare
By Linda Benbow
B
vlgari unveiled its range of new
skincare products in a white
tent on the lawns of the Ritz-
Carlton, filled with hostesses
dressed in white, white leather couchettes
for sitting on and massage experts who
Bvlgari guests were given a hand massage
gave guests a hand massage while explain-
ing how to apply the various whitening
products on offer. The theme of the
evening was to show the whitening power
of their jewelled skincare line inspired by
luxurious gemstones.
Currently exclusively available at
Harvey Nichols in Mall of the Emirates,
the range will go on sale later this year
at all leading department stores. Priced
from Dh190, there are 37 products in the
collection, ranging from serums to crèmes
and sun protection – all with a unique
gem formula which is said to have healing
powers for the skin. It uses sapphire,
tourmaline, citrine and amethyst which
emit energy, which is then absorbed by
the skin, improving circulation and giving
skin a radiant appearance.
44 l UAE Digest, May 2010
Amaranthine
Amaranthine opens with a dramatic
flourish of spices and tropical green. This
lick of drama is beautifully ambushed by
an unctuous accord of jasmine and ylang-
ylang, a heady bloom renowned for its
aphrodisiac properties, and clove swathed
in spices, tea, musk and the rounded
beauty of tonka bean absolute. It is avail-
able as Eau de Parfum; and as a limited
edition Parfum (30ml) housed in a hand-
crafted crystal and silver bottle with a
silver butterfly charm bracelet sitting
around its neck. Available
at Penhaligon stores
Clarins’ Daily
Energizer
Clarins, the skin care
expert, has created Daily
Energizer skin care to help
make dreams of flawless
skin come true. Each of
the refreshing, non-oily textures melts
naturally into skin, combining effective-
ness and pleasure in perfect harmony.
MasterCream Eye & Lip
Our eyes and lips proclaim our thoughts,
feelings or intentions. And with time,
our emotions
leave visible
traces. There-
fore the new
MasterCream
Eye & Lip from
Juvena of Swit-
zerland fulfils the
allround skincare
needs of the
most demanding areas of a woman’s face
– with just a single cream. It combines
most highly effective anti-aging active
ingredients with the company’s exclusive
SkinNova SC Technology. Available at
Areej.
Korres Colour
The colour pigments used in Korres Col-
our are crystal substances that alter the
visual properties of the formula to create
a number of effects in terms of colour in-
tensity, transparency and brightness. All
their products have been developed using
natural emulsifiers, vegetable oils
and waxes, herbal extracts and
vitamins. The Mango Butter
Lipstick has an SPF 10 rating and is rich indulge in an unfor-
in precious nutrient substances. Mango gettable experience.
butter melts at body temperature and is Being a ‘lady of a
easily absorbed by the skin, leaving a pleas- certain age’ I asked if
ant sensation. Even in extreme conditions, the make-up consult-
such as heat-waves, severe cold, prolonged ant could help me get
exposure to the sun, or time spent in dry, rid of years of looking
ventilated spaces, mango butter protects the same and wearing
lips effectively and offers a healthy shine. the same type of
make-up, I wanted to
Missha The Style Dia Pearl look a bit more mod-
ern. No problem. Es-
Eyes
tee Lauder sorted out
Missha, the revolutionary cosmetics brand the black bags under
has introduced attractive eye make-up my eyes, slack chin
Announcing the special offers at Areej
with splendid pearls. The shining pearl eye and laughter lines
shadow with Diamond Sparkling Pearls around the mouth. A
glitters from various angles, lending a day per person. DKNY has pre-ordered number of other brands of make-up were
glamorous look to the eyes. Available in its stocks and pays its farmers invoices necessary to transform the visage from
seven different shades. promptly,” Sandra Boubeckeur explained. plain-but-elderly to interesting-looking.
“Also, try out the com- And they worked. My husband said so –
pany’s limited edition Be after a gentle reminder from me on how I
Delicious perfume which has a had spent the morning!
light fruity aroma for daytime Exclusive Areej offers include Prada’s
wear,” she explained. A pouf new limited edition fragrance Infusion De
of spray onto a cardboard Tubereuse Eau De Parfum with the mod-
finger, specially designed for ern interpretations of classic scents and a
smelling purposes proved uniquely designed packaging inspired by
that she was right – it was a the fashion archives of Prada.
very light and pleasant aroma. Throughout the event, customers
“There were only 750 bottles can visit any Areej store and avail
for sale in this region, and half of an extensive range of attractive
those were sold within a week,” she offers on select products, gifts
Beauty extravaganza confirmed. or value sets from some of the
Areej is hosting its annual exclusive This year’s Beauty Extravaganza leading global cosmetic and
Beauty Extravaganza across all their brings many incredible offers on skincare brands; Guerlain,
stores in UAE, Oman and KSA until premium beauty brands, in ad- Dior, Lancôme, Chanel, Gi-
May 8th. dition to make-up workshops, venchy, Yves Saint Laurent,
It was pure conincidence that a friend fragrance layer- La Prairie,
and I entered the Areej store near our ing sessions, Estée
home at the exact time that the Sales beauty Lauder,
and Education Manager from the Estee consultation Clarins,
Lauder Group started to speak to a group pro- Clinique
of ladies about designer fragrances and the grammes, and
special offers that are currently on offer in fragrance many
its stores. launches more.
“Welcome to the launch of DKNY’s and sev-
Pure perfume which has a floral under- eral other
tone and a vanilla top scent. The company pampering
is continuing its trend of helping third treats that
world countries by buying its vanilla from will give
Uganda farmers, where the countryside customers
daily living expense is approx.$1.5 per a chance to
Discover the Elizabeth Arden set for a special price

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 45

 AUTOS

ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7, the next step in BMW’s

efficient dynamics strategy to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
ActiveHybrid 7 - more than15 per cent better fuel economy with
better performance than the new BMW 750i.
ActiveHybrid X6 - up to 20 per cent better fuel efficiency compared to
the conventional X6.

Overseas diagnostics
AGMC, importer of BMW cars, has completed an expansion to its main
showroom in Dubai
By Linda Benbow

H
ave you ever seen a clean on the thickly painted, anti-slip floor, stood to attention near some cars and
car repair garage? No, me and no bits and pieces of engines lying others awaited repairs from the various
neither, until I had a look around. The place was almost clinically marked compartments at its allocated
around the AGMC service clean – well for a car repair shop – with workstation.
centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, which is BMWs, Minis and a Rolls Royce neatly The workshop features the most
part of the company’s newly expanded lined up over work pits or raised on up-to-date equipment and machinery
showroom. There were no grease patches ramps. Portable diagnostic machinery and the most advanced specialist testing

46 l UAE Digest, May 2010

technology in the automotive industry.
When a car in Dubai is hooked up to
the diagnostic machine, the results are
whizzed down the internet superhighway
to the manufacturer’s headquarters in
Germany where experts not only diagnose
the fault(s) but also send back information
on exactly what must be done, which spare
parts must be used and where they can be
found in the Dubai stockroom.
Each car that goes in for a service or
repair is tagged with an electronic barcode
that, when scanned, will monitor the
location of the vehicle and the progress
of its service, its service history and any
parts that have been replaced. This system
is linked to the internet so that customers
can track their car’s progress as it moves
through the various servicing departments
from the comfort of their home or office.
BMW is the first car manufacturer in the
Middle East to offer this tracking service.
The company has started a 24-hour
drop-off service whereby someone is
available throughout the day and night to
accept cars that have a problem.
The new BMW ActiveHybrid X6,
BMW Gran Turismo and BMW 5
Series models were also previewed at the
showroom opening. The arrival of the
new BMW 5 Series Sedan is the third new
BMW model to be launched this year and
is a very different car from the predecessor
model in terms of design, comfort and
engineering. With its new sporting and facilities here in Dubai, we have invested
elegant design, excellent comfort and the in our showrooms in Sharjah and Ras Al
highest standard in efficiency in its class, Khaimah, and a Body-and-Paint centre in
the new 5 Series is expected to open a Dubai’s Al Quoz Industrial Area. Within
new chapter in the model’s impressive the next six months, we will also be open-
success story. ing a satellite service facility in Deira,
Stathis I. Stathis, General Manager, which will provide a 24-hour Fast Lane
AGMC said: “AGMC has been the im- Service with the capacity for 30 to 40 cars
porter of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce per day.”
for 34 years and despite the tough eco-
nomic climate, it continues to see growth
potential in its business. We started out Stay Alert. Stay Alive.
in 1976 with only a three car showroom road safety campaign
and a three bay workshop. I myself was
sent over to Dubai from Cyprus with two BMW Group Middle East, in partnership
colleagues. with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi
I remember our first customer ar- (HAAD) and the Road and Transport
riving in the very small showroom. He Authority of Dubai (RTA), have launched
walked around the car - it was a 5 Series a ‘Stay Alert. Stay Alive.’ road safety
- knocking on its sides and bonnet. Even- initiative. Based on the results of an
tually he said, “Is this Japanese?” He had independent survey to ascertain what
never seen a BMW before, nor had many motivates drivers in the region to take
others, so we had a big job to establish the risk in their vehicles, the group has
brand if we wanted to be successful. identified the use of seatbelts, and in
During our early years, we used to sell particular, appropriate child restraints,
around 40 cars a year. Today, we sell over as the first theme of its umbrella cam-
3,000 cars a year. To accommodate this paign to promote and raise awareness
growth and an ever-increasing portfolio about various road safety issues. Road
of new BMW Group products, we have shows have been held in Abu Dhabi
undergone a Dh80 milllion expansion and Dubai with over 4,000 child safety
plan across all areas of our operations and booster seats being given away to quali-
will be employing an additional 80 staff. fying families.
In addition to expanding our flagship
Mini online design competition
Do you fancy yourself as a modern day Thomas Edison and believe you have the ability to
dazzle the world with a new creation? You’re a creative genius but no one else knows it yet?
Well look no further; to celebrate the launch of the brand spanking new Mini Countryman,
MINIspace.com the creative website behind the brand, has launched a competition asking
the public to design a new invention for the inside of the latest edition. Your mission is to
create something useful that you can’t leave home without on the centre rail of the new car.
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 47
 SPORTS

Riders cross the spectacular Rub Al

Khali or Empty Quarter

Crossing the challenging sands

By Linda Benbow

T
here we were on a Friday,
having lunch outside on the
patio at The Warehouse, Le
Meridien Dubai, quietly
enjoying a chat with our chips, when a
familiar, throaty, revving sound vibrated
around the neat hedges framing a hidden
car park. Everyone jumped up from their
chairs to peep over the hedge but the noise
from a powerful motorbike had moved
on to another place. Then it came around
again, along with a friend or two. The
bike riders had arrived.
And not any old bike riders, either.
These were members of the French team
– French Frogs – who had just completed
a gruelling week of cross country racing
in Abu Dhabi’s desert. There was a lot
of hugging and greeting, especially by
Executive Chef Pierrick Cizeron, who is
a member of the racing team. Then they
settled down to telling tales of the social
side of the week. They didn’t win the
Challenge but they had enjoyed trying to.
Maybe next year, they all stated. A good
bunch of lads.
X-Raid did the trick last month, win-
ning the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
title for a third consecutive year driven by
three different pilots since 2008, while
Mark Coma overcame some intense fifth
and final day challenges to secure his
fourth victory in the opening round of
the FIA Cross-Country Rallies World
Cup and FIM Cross-Country Rallies
World Championship.
Team X-Raid’s Tina Thorner navigat-
ed successfully for Qatari Nasser Al At-
tiyah in 2008 and Frenchman Guerlian
Chechirit in 2009, while Andy Schulz
was co-driver for Novitskiy this year.
While Novitskiy’s eventual triumph
in the cars category was predictable after
he took a comfortable lead at the end of
the first stage itself, the bikes saw fortunes
fluctuating all through the final day,
given that only minutes separated the
top five.
Laurent Rosso played it safe for the
second day running to ensure that his
Team Fitech Nissan Patrol crossed the
finish line to ensure him a second place,
while Emirati Abdul Bari Bin Sugat
was pleased with his third place on the

The French Frogs met for lunch at Warehouse ADDC goes to Team X-Raid

48 l UAE Digest, May 2010


podium.
Bin Sugat’s late charge in the
Challenge saw him eventually
driving past Yannick Comag-
nac on a final day that could
have gone either way, but driver
acumen and Nissan endurance
ensured the Emirati stood with
Novitskiy and Rosso on the
podium.
Francisco Lopez, languishing
at number 40 in the standings
after the penultimate stage after
he incurred heavy penalties, Vicky White steps onto the podium
proved his mettle by finishing ahead of all
category pack leaders.
Obaid Echtibi finished on top in the
Quads category, largely because pack
leader for the previous four days Sebastian
Husseini was unable to capitalise on this
one-hour plus lead that could have eventu-
Emarti Obaid takes top step
ally seen him through.
Local radio presenter Vicky White and
Bin Soughat and Yahha Al Helai
were involved in a tense duel for
second place in a pair of Nissan
Patrols during the fourth stage
of Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
2009. Al Helai finished the rally
in a second place overall along
with his co-driver Khalid Al
Kendi. Ahmed Bin Soughat’s
third stage performance in the
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
2009 moved him up to 11th in the
overall classification in the cars’
category, moving into the fourth
stage.
Colin Mercer, both riding a Suzuki
LTR 450, worked in tandem through-
out the five days to eventually finish
in the top three in the quads category.
White’s achievement is commendable
for the fact that she was a late entrant
following Suzuki’s offer to provide
her with a quad, which
however meant she had no
time for practice.
Glen Hoddle
The London
Legends Cup
A football40 tournament
between the legends Of
Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and
West Ham
Football 40’s first major
tournament will be unveiled
at Upton Park on May 30th,
with Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs
and West Ham’s top legends
competing for the London Legends Cup.
Football’s answer to 20-20 cricket has
been specifically designed for the legends
market, and is an 11-aside game played
for 20 minutes each way, with unlimited
roll-on roll-off substitutions. Its format
readily adapts to a four team tournament
played with two semi-finals followed by
the Final. The London Legends Cup is the
first such event and the three matches will
be refereed by Former Premier League offi-
cials Dermot Gallagher and Steve Dunn.
F40’s Technical Director Glenn
Hoddle, the former England manager,
and ex-Spurs and Chelsea
coach, has announced cut
rate ticket prices for adults
and a special ‘kids for a quid’
price to encourage families
to visit together. He said:
“I have been involved with
Football40 since it’s incep-
tion and have been delighted
to help shape a concept that
we all believe will bring real
opportunities for former
players at both International
and Club level whilst at the
same time creating events
for the fans that will have real excitement
and competition. For my part, I am also
delighted to have accepted the role of
manager of the Football40 England team
and am looking forward to winning some
trophies with them.”
David Sullivan, co-owner of West
Ham Utd FC, hosts to the first major
Football40 tournament said “I believe it is
a fantastic idea to bring back the legends
of football in such a meaningful way with
a highly competitive tournament struc-
ture. I just love the Football 40 concept.”
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 49
 Osvaldo Ar- challenge. But with
diles, a World night golf, we hope to
Cup winner make golf more acces-
with Argentina sible, especially in the
in 1976 along summer months for
with Ricky those wishing to play
Villa opened in the cooler evenings”,
the floodgates Andrew Whitelaw,
for foreign Club Manager, Emirates
talent into Golf Club explained.
English foot- The Emirates Golf
ball. Ex-Spurs Club selected global
manager, and leaders in lighting,
one of Spurs Abacus, to provide the
all-time legends, on-course floodlight-
he is now Foot- ing system, with the
ball40’s man- environmental impact
ager for Spurs a key consideration in
and Argen- the system installed, as
tina. Ossie said: Whitelaw explained;
“Football40 “It was important a
is a wonderful lighting system was
new concept. installed to complement
For that reason, our existing world-class
I have signed facilities and bring out
up to manage the best of the Faldo
Spurs, and also course at night. We
Argentina in required a system that
Mini World ensured energy use and
Cup and light-pollution would
competitive be maintained at a mini-
international tournaments.” The Faldo, a 7,348 yards Par 73 mum whilst providing the best possible
championship course, opened in 2006 conditions for players to enjoy.”
Dreaming of Golf at Night, following the redesign of the Wadi Lower green fee rates have been an-
Course by golfing legend Nick Faldo, will nounced to encourage regular night play
so did we? Come out to
be brought to life in the Dubai evenings by the local golfing community.
play by the very latest in lighting technology.
Faldo Course lights up “Night golf has the potential to Team Abu Dhabi have
revolutionise the game within the UAE.
new team livery
Emirates Golf Club has officially launched Typically, work constraints and limited
night golf on the championship Faldo tee off times means securing a round on Power boat team to begin F1 season in
Course. Last month’s opening enables a quality course in Dubai is a constant Portugal
golfers to enjoy a full round of champion- Team Abu Dhabi’s new livery
ship golf in the heart of Dubai for the first
time, as the Faldo course becomes the
only fully floodlit 18-hole course in the
UAE. Open to public and members alike
with highly competitive rates for 18 holes
and 9 holes, the exciting development will
extend play until midnight every day of
the week, with players able to tee off as
late as 8pm for 18 holes and 10pm for 9
holes on the championship course.

50 l UAE Digest, May 2010

 Gary Player gives a round of applause to juniors at the Gary Player designed, 18-hole Saadiyat Beach Golf Course which has
launched a number of tailored experience packages to cater for the whole family. As part of the club’s young golfer development
programme, it will be hosting free-of-charge Junior Golf Clinics, Fridays and Saturdays from 5-6pm and 6-7pm, for children to
learn more about the game from the club’s top pros.

Team Abu Dhabi will tackle the 2010
UIM F1 World Championship with team
drivers Thani Al-Qamzi and Ahmed Al-
Hameli. The team has a new livery for the
boats that it hopes will help it to regain the
UIM F1 Teams’ Championship and clinch
the UIM F1 Drivers’ Championship.
“We have made these changes to be
consistent with the ambition of the club
and the continued development of Team
Abu Dhabi in UIM F1 racing,” said Salem
Romaithi, Assistant General Manager
of the Abu Dhabi International Marine
Sports Club (ADIMSC). “The aim is to
see one of our own local Abu Dhabi team
drivers winning the title for the first time.
The team has already won with former star
Scott Gillman and it would be the next
step for an Emirati national to win the
title.”
Romaithi confirmed that both Al-
Qamzi and Al-Hameli will benefit from
the latest equipment and new boats for the
2010 championship campaign, which gets
underway in Portugal on May 8-9. The
race boats have been shipped to Portugal,
although Team Abu Dhabi drivers have
been able to test in home waters during
the closed season to ensure they are fully
prepared for the new season.
His Royal Highness Dr. Sheikh Sul-
tan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of
the Board of Directors of the ADIMSC
said: “They are at the business end of the
championship and are always competing
for titles. Team Abu Dhabi are one of the
pillars of the UIM F1 World Champi-
onship. They have won many titles and
achieved a high level of success. That is
why I have renewed confidence in our
drivers, Thani Al-Qamzi and Ahmed
Al-Hameli, to continue in the same way
this year.
Are you tough enough?
Ski Dubai announces ultimate physical
endurance competition
Ski Dubai from Majid Al Futtaim Lei-
sure is bringing one of the world’s tough-
est challenges to its renowned indoor ski
attraction. The Aprilia Ice Warrior Chal-
lenge will see participants pushed to the
limits of mental and physical endurance,
as they race to become the fastest man or
woman to complete the assault course in
sub zero temperatures.
Scheduled to start at 6am on Friday
June 4, the Aprilia Ice Warrior Chal-
lenge will span over two kilometres and
is designed to test the willpower, strength
and determination of contestants as they
push themselves to the limit, overcoming
18 separate obstacles.
Participants will have the opportunity
to be sponsored by friends and family,
with the proceeds going to a chosen chari-
table organisation. Aprilia Motorcycles
will also be giving away an amazing
motorcross bike worth Dh20,000, to
whoever raises the most money for charity.
The competition is open to all and will be
held at Ski Dubai. Last day of registration
is 21st May 2010.

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 51

 REAL ESTATE
A grand vision
The first ever lifesize model of Abu Dhabi’s urban landscape unveiled at
Cityscape
T
he first ever lifesize model of
Abu Dhabi’s urban landscape
as envisioned through Capital
2030 was unveiled at last
month’s Cityscape event by Abu Dhabi
Urban Planning Council (UPC), the
agency responsible for the future of the
emirate’s urban environment.
Measuring 23 metres by 17 metres, the
model marks a milestone moment for the
economic, cultural, environmental and so-
cial aspirations of Abu Dhabi as it brings
together in a single format all the various
masterplans and components for one of
the world’s most ambitious urban develop-
ment projects. Displayed at the UPC’s
Cityscape stand, the model stretches from
the Corniche on Abu Dhabi’s main island
to Shahama, Mussafah and Al Falah on
the mainland and includes the islands of
Saadiyat, Yas, Lulu, Reem and Sowwah,
which have been earmarked as key devel-
opment areas of Capital 2030.
“This initiative is a visible demonstra-
tion of our commitment to deliver what
we embarked upon three years ago when
UPC was set up by Emiree decree. It is a
model that will be constantly updated to
reflect progress on the ground and serve as
a great communication and promotional
platform for all of Abu Dhabi’s stake-
52 l UAE Digest, May 2010
Balcony view of a model of Abu Dhabi’s urban plan
holders,” said His Excellency Falah Al
Ahbabi, General Manager, Abu Dhabi
Urban Planning Council.
Its 1:2000 scale enabled the designers
to include significant details of various
existing landmarks such as the Emir-
ates Palace and the Grand Mosque as
well as some of the iconic projects under
development, including Sowwah Square,
Masdar, and the tower on Lulu Island.
The model was surrounded by a selec-
tion of interactive digital totems which
enabled visitors to gain more insights
into the framework plans for the emirate
and some of the more technical aspects
of UPC’s work in creating a sustainable
next generation Arab capital. Detailed
and interactive information on the 2030
urban structure framework plans for Abu
Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia on these
kiosks presented to visitors a holistic
impression of the scope of Vision 2030
urban development initiative for the
entire Abu Dhabi emirate.
Besides rendering information on
the three broad masterplans for Abu
Dhabi emirate, UPC also showcased
information on other key developments,
including street design and infrastruc-
ture, and the recently launched Urban
Street Design Manual with highlights
of some of the planned changes to make
Abu Dhabi’s streets safer, more vibrant
and pedestrian-friendly.
Developers also had the opportunity
to interact with a virtual demonstra-
tion of the Abu Dhabi Development
Code (zoning code), the city’s regulatory
framework for managing land use and
development as per Plan Capital 2030.
The Code, which regulates all types and
scales of developments both existing
and proposed, will ensure that the city’s
varied planning and livability initiatives
as well as Estidama programmes are well-
connected and work together to create
complete communities.
Waterfront design
guidelines for Al Bateen
In its incessant efforts to safeguard the
natural resources and the cultural herit-
age of Abu Dhabi, as it realises the key
elements of Plan Capital 2030, UPC
recently unveiled the waterfront design
guidelines for the Al Bateen area. The
key objective for the guidelines is to pro-
vide all property owners and developers
along the waterfront with a framework
to contribute to the achievement of Plan
Capital 2030 goals with regard to provid-

Bateen area
ing public access to the water’s edge. This
will be achieved through dedication of
land for the design of community access
and amenities along the entire waterfront.
As per the new guidelines, the water-
front is to be connected physically and
visually to the circulation routes of the
city. Primary pedestrian connections per-
pendicular to the waterfront and linking
Bainunah Boulevard and the surrounding
neighbourhoods will be identified and
preserved for public use. These identified
routes will provide minimum corridor
widths free of built constructions to
maintain unobstructed and sweeping
views to open water. These routes will
integrate landscaping, pedestrian scaled
lighting, public art and street furniture,
way-finding tools and multi-modal trans-
portation uses.
One of the key components of the
Bateen Waterfront guidelines is the de-
velopment of the waterfront promenade
which will eventually become a destina-
tion not only well connected with future
public transit options, but also a place
where all members of the community can
walk or bike and enjoy the scenic beauty.
Additionally, the community will have
the opportunity to participate in diverse
retail, cultural as well as non-commercial
activities, while capitalising on the tour-
ism market.
UPC has, in the recent past, also
unveiled coastal development guidelines
which provide direction for development
in the major coastal basins, extending
from Al Dhabiya Island to the boundary
with the emirate of Dubai.
Reem Island’s Marina
Square
Master developer offered personalised
experience to home owners at Marina
Square
Master developer Tamouh showcased its
Marina Square development on Reem
Island, featuring City of Lights, Meena
Plaza, and Danat Gateway projects during
its fourth consecutive participation at
Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2010. The company
used the platform of the international real
estate exhibition to engage Marina Square
home owners by sharing helpful insights
that will guide them through the process
of moving into and decorating their new
residences at Marina Square. Through
the interactive process, home owners will
acquire knowhow on ways to maximise
the benefits offered by state-of-the-art
architectural design and home-automa-
tion facilities that the apartments come
equipped with.
Senior representatives from Tamouh’s
marketing, project management and
customer service teams addressed queries
pertaining to community living, construc-
tion progress, delivery
timelines and handover
processes. The 400
square metre stand (No.
C10) at Hall No.3 in
ADNEC also featured
several bespoke presenta-
tions by the company’s
facility management arm,
Three60. Home owners
in the Marina Square
development had the op-
portunity to meet with
interior designers, gain
new ideas from Tamouh’s
specially made Interior
Design Handbook and
UAE Digest, May 2010 l 53

Sheikha Lubna Al Qaisimi at The Saadiyat Story
choose a design format that appeals to
their individual taste.
Tamouh is scheduled to commence
delivering homes in this development
from May to June 2010 to the commer-
cial investors, who will then manage the
handover to ultimate homeowners.
Spread across an area of 66 acres with
a built-up space of more than 827,000 sq
metres, Marina Square will house more
than 8,500 residents and have 6,550
parking bays. It is set to bring an exciting
marina lifestyle to the capital, topped with
a vibrant pedestrian culture through its
multifarious gourmet restaurants, luxury
retail outlets, a boutique mall and a five-
star hotel. The mixed-use development
will offer a selection of residential units
including studios, one, two, three and
four-bedroom apartments, townhouses
and villas.
Manarat Al Saadiyat’s
visitor centre
A permanent exhibition telling the story
of Saadiyat Island
Tourism Development and Investment
Company (TDIC), the master developer
of cultural, residential and tourism desti-
54 l UAE Digest, May 2010
nations in Abu Dhabi, has announced
the official inauguration of Manarat
Al Saadiyat visitors’ and art exhibition
centre on Saadiyat Island, by HE Sheikh
Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chair-
man of TDIC, along with key dignitar-
ies and diplomats.
Located in the Cultural District of
Saadiyat Island, Manarat Al Saadiyat
is a purpose-built 15,400 square metre
visitors’ and exhibition centre, designed
to showcase the island’s numerous
projects and to host art exhibitions from
around the world. Home to three major
art galleries; Arts Abu Dhabi Gallery,
Contemporary Art Gallery, and Uni-
versal Art Gallery, Manarat Al Saadiyat
also offers a central events space, sales
centre and a 250-seat theatre.
The inauguration celebrated the
opening of The Saadiyat Story, a new
and permanent exhibition documenting
the historical and cultural milestones,
as well as the vision of Saadiyat Island,
through an interactive narrative of nine
chapters.
“The priority for TDIC’s dynamic
cultural programme is to foster public
understanding of art and culture, and
the official opening of Manarat Al
Saadiyat is another key
milestone in that plan.
This space will enable
us to host exhibitions
from around the world
and to foster a greater
engagement with the
arts on a local level, in
the lead-up to the open-
ing of the museums in
the Saadiyat Cultural
District in 2013,” said
HE Sheikh Sultan bin
Tahnoun Al Nahyan.
The Saadiyat
Story adopts the latest
museum technologies
and employs a variety
of interactive mediums
to engage with visitors;
touchscreen catalogues
to encourage independ-
ent learning, audios from architects for
each of the museums, films documenting
key conservation methods and the vision
and progress of Saadiyat Island, and a
‘virtual book’ technology that has never
before been deployed in the region. Its
final chapter allows visitors to view a real-
time video feed from the major construc-
tion sites on the island.
Designed to offer a rich educational
experience for all visitors irrespective of
their age, culture or level of appreciation
for arts and culture, Manarat Al Saadiyat
is open to all visitors from 10am to 8pm
seven days a week for free.
Al Zarouni: “Investment
projects help achieve
social justice”
Project for medium and
limited income class
Burooj Properties, the real estate arm of
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, has unveiled
its new investment project located in the
City of ‘Mohammed
Bin Zayed-1’, announc-
ing that 20 per cent of
construction work has
been finalised and that
the project is expected
to be complete by end of
2010. A great opportu-
nity for investors looking
for a valuable return on
their investments, the
Mohammed Bin Zayed
project includes 11 plots
with five residential vil-
las on each, catering to
the growing residential
needs of the medium and
limited income class in
Abu Dhabi. Ownership
of plots is exclusively re-
served for UAE citizens.
Twenty per cent of construction work has been finalised at Mohammed Bin Zayed project
Says Adel A. Al Za-
rouni, Managing Director of Burooj Prop- division of the Harrods Group, partici- favoured by Middle Eastern investors who
erties: “It is really important to focus on pated for the first time ever at Cityscape appreciate grand houses or apartments
developing real estate projects that cater to Abu Dhabi 2010 with large lateral space, period features
the needs of the middle and lower income Harrods Estates showcased their and immaculate interiors as well as pre-
class, and it’s also important to place these prime residential property portfolio in mium services such as first class concierge
projects in various areas in the emirate to Central London at the exhibition. The and 24-hour security.
achieve a balanced growth rate and social company was established over 100 years
justice by enabling people to freely choose ago and continues to offer a comprehen-
the location of their homes,” he added. sive range of property services with the
He noted that such investments may highest standards of customer care. It
provide good results, especially consider- specialises in the sale, let, acquisition and
Sharjah’s Al Nujoom
ing that the medium and limited income management of some of the most exclu- Island project to
class constitutes a big portion of the sive properties in Central London. go ahead
community who are looking for luxurious Over the last few years, it has seen a
residential units with reasonable rental steep increase in the number of Middle Salah Butti Obaid bin Butti, Director
prices, and taking into consideration that Eastern buyers in traditionally favoured General of the Sharjah Planning and
projects catering to the needs of this class areas in London such as Knightsbridge Survey Department has said that the
are fairly few in number. and Mayfair. Supported by the strength emirate’s government has not can-
Burooj Properties is currently research- of the Harrods brand, the company has celled nor suspended the Al Nujoom
ing available financing methods with successfully developed strong brand Island project at Al Hamriya.
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank as well as other awareness in key international markets, “We are going ahead with it and
banks to finance the project, of which the predominately the Middle East, Russia the plans for the first 1,000 villas were
total cost amounts to Dh150 million. The and India, with the result that interna- approved by the department and will
total available construction area comes to tional clients now account for 87 per cent be finished in 18 months,” he said.
213,000 square feet. of sales and lettings. The project features Andalusian-style
Prime property in Central London architecture and comprises residential,
Harrods Estates’ debut will remain in high demand and will con- commercial, retail and hospitality fa-
tinue to achieve growth as there is rarely cilities including parks facing the Gulf.
at Cityscape
an oversupply of property in this area.
Harrods Estates, the luxury real estate This category of property is particularly

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 55

 TRAVEL

Arabian Travel Market

By Linda Benbow

A
ah, what fun it is to be an
armchair traveller. Flicking
through brochures, darting
about on the internet from
one page to another, watching happy
people on holiday in foreign climes on the
television. And now, once again, the Ara-
bian Travel Market has arrived in Dubai
where the undecided have an option to
become strolling travellers as they wander
between exhibits and stands showing
enticing pictures of sun, sand, sea, slopes
and snow in a multitude of countries.
The exhibition of colourful informa-
tion, nationals from the many countries,
shows, ceremonies and other enticements
give an entertaining atmosphere to the
intense business of choosing where to
go for a holiday. Last year I received a
neck and head massage at the Thailand
stand, stretched out in an individual first
class cabinette on the Emirates airlines
stand and said “G’day” to many Austral-
ians. There were cultural dance shows
at many of the ‘country’ areas; and
roaming robots singing and dancing
amongst the crowd.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM),
which runs from the 4th to7th at
the Dubai World Trade Centre, has
expanded its web presence to increase
further its networking and knowl-
edge sharing opportunities. Reed
Travel Exhibitions - the organisers
- have invested heavily in the show’s
online activity, introducing Twitter,
Facebook and Linkedin accounts in
addition to its regular web site. The
all-year-round web presence allows
visitors, exhibitors and the media to
interact with one another prior, dur-
ing and after the event.
This year will see the return of
both Travel Agents’ and Careers
Mohammed Al-Arkobi, Vice-President and General
Manager of Makkah Clock Royal Tower (left) and Kent
Cooper, Vice-President, Regional Hotel Sales MEA
56 l UAE Digest, May 2010
Day, to be held on Thursday 6th. Travel
Agents’ Day was first introduced in 2007
and is designed to foster the latest top
class travel and tourism education among
travel agents through a range of seminars
and entertainment features.
Another addition, ‘Jobs Hot off the
Press’ is a service which will deliver- via
Bluetooth- new jobs directly to your
phone. Run by ImageMatters.ae, all visi-
tors on Careers Day will be able to take
advantage of this exciting new service.
Rotana, a hotel management com-
pany, is the official sponsor of registra-
tion for the tenth year running. Just one
of the many sponsorship opportunities
that ATM offers, allowing companies to
expose themselves to over 2,000 exhibi-
tors and 15,000 visitors from around the
globe.
Ahead of the ATM, Fairmont Hotels
& Resorts outlined its growth strategy
in the Middle East and North Africa
as key emerging markets for the hotel
group. After opening four new properties
in 2009, - Fairmont is relaunching two
iconic properties this year – The Savoy in
London and The Peace Hotel in Shang-
hai - while aiming to open five additional
new destinations for 2010. Fairmont
executives noted that despite the chal-
lenging international economy, the hotel
group is growing at a healthy pace, with
plans to open about five new properties
per year, including mega-projects such as
the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, Saudi
Arabia.
The brand blends the history and tra-
dition of its landmark properties with the
contemporary elements of their newly-
built hotels which then become iconic as
well – these brand hallmarks are resonat-
ing with clients travelling to the newer
properties in the Middle East and also
regionally-based clients heading abroad,
where the company addresses the specific
needs of guests from Arab countries such
as halal food and family suites.
One of the most eagerly anticipated
developments for Fairmont in 2010 is
the opening of the Makkah Clock Roy-
al Tower, for which more than 2,600
Makkah Clock Royal Tower
Muslim staff members are currently being museums, commercial outlets, archaeo- East Coast hope that leisure tourists will
hired to service the monumental hospital- logical sites, etc. - were organised to continue to come even with the present
ity complex in Saudi Arabia’s most sacred increase awareness and identification of economic condition.
destination, with more than 850 rooms as Sharjah as a destination. Siji Hotel Apartments feature 78
well as serviced residences. In addition to Al Diar Siji Hotel (ADSH), a tastefully furnished apartment units fitted
pilgrimage bookings, Fairmont antici- five-star business hotel managed by with quality finishes, fixtures and high-
pates that the region’s growing meetings, Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) end furnishings. Each of the 1-, 2-, and
incentives and conferences business will will showcase its newly-opened luxury 3-bedroom apartments has generously-
be a major draw for the Makkah Clock serviced apartments. With the opening sized bedrooms, fully-equipped modern
Royal Tower property. of Siji Hotel Apartments (SHA), Al Diar kitchens with all appliances, as well as
In a special ceremony held at Sharjah Siji Hotel management hopes to increase living and dining areas, in-room entertain-
Millennium Hotel to celebrate the
completion of the first advanced training
for tourist guides, which was organised
by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism
Development Authority (SCTDA),
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi
stated that tourism is one of the main
contributors to the economic growth
and domestic product of the emirate in
particular, and the UAE in general, and
has become, over the last few years, a
major contributor to the payment balance
and the national income.
Al Qassimi said: “The initiative comes
as the authority seeks to enhance the qual-
ity of tourism packages on offer to develop
the tourism sector and strengthen its com-
petitiveness factor. To this end, SCTDA
has started collaborating with Skyline
University College to make the tourist
guide training programme available to all
tourism companies. The programme will
become mandatory in the coming period
and all tourist guides will be certified by
SCTDA who will supervise the pro-
gramme to ensure that laws and regula-
tions based on transparency, are adhered
to. This should provide a kickstart for the
support of the Sharjah tourism sector and
the emirate’s leading tourism packages.”
Since its launch, the training pro-
gramme has seen a large amount of inter- Al Diar Siji Hotel
est from the biggest destination manage-
ment companies in the UAE, including tourist influx to Fujairah as it provides ment including flat screen LCD satellite
Arabian Adventures, Orient Tours, Al additional accommodation options to TVs, and broadband internet connection.
Khalediah Tourism and the Sharjah leisure guests, corporate travellers and Le Méridien Al Aqah in Fujairah is
National Travel Agency. During the first families. Fujairah is now becoming a participating at the event for the seventh
advanced training programme, guides more popular tourist destination in the consecutive year. This year it will be show-
were provided with the latest information UAE, and with alternative choices of casing its newly launched Teens Club
and updates on the tourism sector in the less expensive accommodation which Al Aqah; the latest leisure initiative that
emirate. Field visits to various important also gives more options like bringing and caters to guests aged between 13 and 16.
tourism sites in the emirate - including cooking their own food, hoteliers on the The club is complete with the latest-tech-

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 57

 HOME & GARDEN
Le Meridien Al Aqah
nology facilities, including an internet
centre with safety screening to ensure the
websites are teen-friendly. The facilities
also include video games, Wii challenge,
cinema room, DVD library, mini-gym,
aerobic room, squash court, a book library
and billiards room.
The club offers a variety of scheduled
activities and is supervised by qualified
entertainers to ensure teens have an ideal
opportunity to make new friends and
socialise during their holiday. The club is
located in the resort’s basement level, near
Spa Al Aqah, so it gives parents an ideal
chance to pamper themselves while their
teens have fun.
The hotel will also be announcing its
summer package and promotions for the
coming season, offering value for money
to both local UAE residents and overseas
tourists.
To offer some time-out during the
busy exhibition, visitors can receive a
complimentary foot massage from the
Spa Al Aqah therapists to relax and
re-energise them for the rest of the days’
Desert Island Resort & Spa
58 l UAE Digest, May 2010
walking.
Desert Island Resort & Spa by
Anantara, developed by Tourism
Development & Investment Company
(TDIC), a master developer of cultural,
residential and tourism destinations in
Abu Dhabi, has been voted one of the
world’s greatest hotels by Conde Nast
Traveller, as published in the magazine’s
Gold List 2010..
Located on Sir Bani Yas Island, just
250 kilometres southwest of Abu Dhabi
in the emirate’s Al Gharbia (Western
Region), the resort attracted over 25,000
guests from around the world in its first
year of operation. The island, origi-
nally the private retreat and royal nature
reserve of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
Nahyan, the late founder and President
of the UAE, reopened to the public in
October 2008.
“Over the past year, Sir Bani Yas
Island has established itself as an upbeat
destination for those who seek wildlife
adventures and pure natural habitat in a
luxurious and tranquil setting,” said Lee
Tabler, CEO of TDIC. “The island show-
cases its unique environment through a
range of exciting activities. The opening
of the 64-room boutique resort managed
by award-winning Thai hospitality group
Anantara Resorts has ensured that the
island is firmly placed on the global tour-
ism map.”
As the largest natural island in the
UAE spanning over 87 square kilome-
tres, Sir Bani Yas Island is a nature-based
destination like no other. Home to sev-
eral million trees and plants, and a vast
range of birds and marine life, the island
also includes the Arabian Wildlife Park
where there are around 23 species of free-
roaming animals. The park has hyenas,
giraffes, cheetahs and the Arabian Oryx,
which has been classified as extinct in the
wild since the early 1970s but is being re-
released into the Arabian Peninsula after
extensive rehabilitation and breeding
programmes. The island’s bird sanctu-
ary houses a vast variety of species from
emus to pink flamingos and ostriches,
while the surrounding sea is equally rich
in marine animals as it is frequented by
dolphins and sea turtles.
The Desert Islands Resort & Spa by
Anantara is the perfect hideaway for
those seeking nature-based adventure,
combined with the ultimate in luxury
and pampering. The island’s natural
surroundings offer a beautiful backdrop
for outdoor activities such as wildlife and
nature drives, biking, hiking, kayaking,
archery and snorkelling.
Further developments on Sir Bani Yas
Island are already moving forward with
future plans, including two new nature
lodges, dive & sports centre, conference
centre and an equestrian centre to open
in 2010, providing guests with stunning
views of the island and up-close-and-
personal animal experiences. In 2011 two
more lodges are set to open, bringing the
total number of lodges to four.
 Cheetah cubs born on
Sir Bani Yas Island
Successful breeding and conservation
programme saves species from extinction

As its mission of wildlife and nature conserva-

tion continues to evolve, Sir Bani Yas Island,
recently welcomed four cheetah cubs as a
result of a successful breeding programme. As
the cheetah is classified by the IUCN (Inter-
national Union for Conservation of Nature) as
extinct in the UAE, and vulnerable worldwide,
the births are of particular significance to the
continuation of the species globally and local-
ly. Following the birth of the first ever hyena
cubs in the wild in the UAE, this is yet another
success for Sir Bani Yas Island in protecting
and re-introducing previously extinct animals. Safira with three of her cubs
The cheetahs on Sir Bani Yas Island are from captive bred popula- from their original birthplace in a small cave in the mountains, which
tions. The mother and father of the cubs, Safira and Gabriel were is known because Safira is fitted with a radio collar and can be
raised in His Excellency Sheikh Butti Al Maktoum’s Wildlife Centre, tracked and monitored by the conservation team on the island.
and the Sharjah Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, re- Visitors to the island will soon be able to see the mother and her
spectively. The cheetahs were brought to the island as part of TDIC’s cubs venturing into the 4,100-hectare Arabian Wildlife Park, which is
conservation efforts which include breeding, re-wilding, releasing the only one of its kind in the region bringing guests closer to nature
into the Arabian Wildlife Park to become an integral part of the natu- by taking them through guided tours and educating them about
ral population control for hoofed species on the island. Arabian free-roaming animals that inhabit it.
Survival rates for cheetah cubs are very low both in the wild and The flagship species on Sir Bani Yas is the Arabian Oryx that was
captivity, and according to the conservation team, Safira, the cubs’ introduced in 1971 and was an unprecedented success, as the animal
mother, is doing an impressive job of taking care of her cubs, even was declared extinct in the wild by 1972. Now, there are around 400
though she was raised by humans. She has not yet moved the cubs Arabian Oryx on the island roaming freely in the park.

Rosewood Corniche
As flowers flourish, gardens become
colourful, and families appreciate quality
time outdoors before the Middle Eastern
summer heat kicks in, Rosewood Corniche
in Saudi Arabia invites guests to enjoy a
sumptuous spring break at the Red Sea for a
fraction of the price. With clear blue skies,
ideal temperatures and green scenery for a few
more precious weeks, spring is a favourite time
among the Kingdom’s residents. Whether
for Jeddah’s outdoor activities, shopping or
simply gathering around a meal, it is also
perceived as especially valued family time.
Families will be in honour at Rosewood
Corniche, Jeddah’s premier hotel and will
enjoy great discounts on rooms and suites
until the end of June 2010. Prices include
complimentary buffet breakfast with breath-

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 59

 taking views on the Red Sea at Habsburg
restaurant, in-room check in, VIP
amenities and personalised butler service,
complimentary garment pressing for two
pieces of clothing and free unlimited
internet access. Children below six years
joining their parents will stay free of
charge.
Designed for both business and
leisure travellers, the hotel is ideally
positioned on Jeddah’s Corniche which
runs parallel to the Red Sea for over 20
miles and provides convenient access to
the city’s business and leisure areas.
Over 40 per cent of the people who
check in at the Mövenpick Hotel & Res-
idence Hajar Tower Makkah are from
the GCC, with the biggest contingent
coming in from Saudi Arabia, followed
by visitors from Kuwait and the UAE.
Movenpick Hotel & Residence Hajar tower Makkah
60 l UAE Digest, May 2010
The hotel also receives a large number over the pilgrimage, underlining the
of guests from Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, growing demand for premium residential
Malaysia and Indonesia. and leisure facilities in Makkah.
Tourism contributed 47 billion riyals The first phase of the 41-storey hotel,
– 2.7 per cent of gross domestic product which was opened in 2009, has 283
– to the Saudi Arabian economy in 2008 well-appointed rooms with a full set
driven by religious and business travel. of amenities from wireless Internet to
“Recent studies predict that interna- 24-hour concierge services. The hotel’s
tional tourism expenditure will grow to location within the Abraj Al Bait Tower
$10.74 billion by 2013. We are therefore also gives guests access to a wide range of
looking at targeting pilgrims from coun- lifestyle facilities. Five world-class res-
tries like the USA, UK, Canada, South taurants offering varied dining options, a
Africa, Pakistan, Senegal and Nigeria. six-storey shopping mall, health club and
As a Swiss hospitality brand, we enjoy a a prayer hall that can accommodate 3,000
strong reputation for service excellence worshippers are also part of the hotel and
and a loyal following in these markets,” residences complex.
said Omar Boujlid, General Manager, Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB)
Mövenpick Hotel & Residence Hajar recent brand evolution from ‘Uniquely
Tower, Makkah. Singapore’ to ‘YourSingapore’ is to be
These on-going efforts of the Saudi showcased at the ATM. The brand evolu-
Arabian government tion underpins the country’s strength
to expand tourism as a travel experience that can be easily
infrastructure personalised due to the concentration
in the holy cities of sights, sounds, tastes, culture, and
have received a attractions.
major fillip with At the centre of the brand evolution
the opening of the is an interactive website www.yoursin-
five-star property gapore.com that has been developed in
in Makkah, where response to the rise of digital and social
demand for high- media, and the shift in the way that
end hospitality is in people plan and book travel: from passive
a state of continual content consumption to active engage-
growth. Located a ment.
few steps away from ATM attendees will be able to
the Holy Ka’abah experience the new www.yoursingapore.
and overlooking com website and view a wide range of
the King Abdul multimedia, elaborating on Singapore’s
Aziz Gate, the rapid transformation, and get a sneak
Mövenpick Hotel preview of the STB’s latest commercial
& Residence Hajar at the Singapore pavilion.
Tower offers the Jason Ong, Area Director for the Mid-
most convenient dle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism
and comfortable Board (STB) said:
accommodation Last year Singapore saw a 2.7 per cent
for pilgrims and increase in visitors from the Middle East,
families arriving in with a total of 117,000 visitors arrivals
for Haj or Umrah. from the region. STB is predicting record
The recent Haj tourism numbers for 2010, forecasting to-
season saw the ho- tal annual visitor arrivals to hit between
tel running to full 11.5 million and 12.5. The opening of
capacity, despite two new multi-billion dollar integrated
the swine flu scare resorts – Resorts World Sentosa and
that cast a shadow the Marina Bay Sands – are expected to
attract Middle East visitors who are looking for world-class accom-
modation, entertainment, shopping and dining experiences.
Resorts World Sentosa began operations in January and fea-
tures South East Asia’s first Universal Studios Theme Park which
brings to life the best movie-themed attractions packed within
seven zones ranging from Hollywood, Far Far Away to Sci-Fi
City and The Lost World. The park features 24 thrilling rides and
attractions, including the world’s only Madagascar theme park,
creating a fun-packed destination for both the young and the
young at heart.
Meanwhile, the first-phase of Marina Bay Sands, launched on
April 27, sees the opening of 963 hotel rooms, part of the designer
shopping mall and convention centre, as well as six celebrity chef
restaurants and a casino, offering a luxurious experience for all
travellers.
Just two weeks after launching a brace of GCC routes with
flights to Muscat and Kuwait City, flydubai, Dubai’s first low-cost
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
airline, has announced a further two routes – Assiut in Egypt and
Istanbul, Turkey – to bring the airline’s network to 15 destina-
tions. Priced from Dh350, flights to Assiut, the largest town in
Upper Egypt, are three times per week and start on Monday, May
24.
Travellers will be able to visit Istanbul, European Capital of
Culture 2010, with flydubai’s uncomplicated, low fare service for
as little as Dh450 from Thursday, June 17. Flights to Istanbul will
be five times per week.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said: “The addition of
these new routes is in line with our commitment to make travel to
key destinations in this region more accessible and more afford-
able. Assiut currently has very few direct links to the UAE, so by
offering this destination, we are fulfilling our promise to make
travel a little less complex, a little less stressful and a little less
expensive. Although Istanbul is well known to many, there is such
a demand for short breaks to the city and to the country in general Assiut, Egypt
that we anticipate strong demand for our quality, low-cost service.”
The largest town in southern Egypt, Assiut is known for its
agriculture, especially grain and cotton. It is also home to one of
the country’s largest universities and has much to offer tourists.
Steeped in heritage, Assiut was founded in the Pharaonic era and is
located 400 kilometres south of Cairo.
The flydubai model is simple, with customers paying only for
the services they want to receive. The ticket price includes all taxes
and one piece of hand baggage, weighing up to 10kg, per passen-
ger. Passengers have the option to purchase checked-in baggage
in advance at Dh60 for the first piece and Dh150 for the second,
weighing up to 32kg, subject to availability. Checked baggage at
the airport is also strictly subject to availability and passengers
are advised to book online early to secure the space, as only pre-
purchased baggage can be guaranteed. A nominal payment of Dh5
allows customers to select their seat and Dh100 secures the extra
legroom positions. Bookings can be changed for a small fee, plus
any difference in the fare, and food and drink can be purchased on
board.
Istanbul, Turkey

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 61

 Destination Oman
By Manju Ramanan

flydubai recently took a group of journal- first 10 months and this new route will the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean.
ists on a single day trip on its first flight to only serve to strengthen ties between The Sultanate is known for its culture and
Muscat, Oman, for lunch at the Shangri the UAE and Oman, which was always tradition and everyone who has visited will
La Hotel there. When the flight landed at going to be a natural choice of destina- tell you there is something magical about
Muscat International airport, it was given tion. Oman is a unique destination Oman.”
a traditional welcome of He continued: “While business ties
water being poured on the grow ever stronger between the Emirates
aircraft. and the Sultanate, many passengers will
The flight makes also be looking to visit Oman for a chance
Muscat the third GCC to unwind and indulge in one of the
destination for Dubai's region's most fascinating locations. Oman
first low-cost airline, has seen a vast increase in tourist numbers,
after Doha and Bahrain. attracted by Unesco world heritage sites,
Kuwait is yet another natural wadis and extensive white beaches,
destination the airline and has won a reputation for capturing
will be flying to within the essence of the region. The latest Oman
the next 48 hours. A VIP Tourist Report quotes a 17.5% year-on-year
delegation from Oman, rise in tourist arrivals during the first five
headed by the Undersec- months of 2009, and while visitor numbers
retary for Civil Aviation are recorded at just over two million per
Affairs, HE Mohammed year, the Sultanate hopes to increase that to
bin Sakhar Al-Amri, met Cake cutting ceremony in Muscat 12 million by 2020.”
the flight, which included “With flights to Kuwait, we are widen-
HE Mohammed A. Ahli, Director- that combines ancient history and a ing our network to 13 locations,” he added.
General, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority modern economy with a very friendly, The airline’s existing routes include
and flydubai's Chief Executive Ghaith Al welcoming population. This is a 10,000 Beirut-Lebanon, Amman-Jordan, Damas-
Ghaith. year old society that for centuries was cus and Aleppo-Syria, Alexandria-Egypt,
“flydubai has enjoyed an excellent on the essential trade route between Djibouti-Africa, Doha-Qatar, Khartoum-
Sudan, Baku-Azerbaijan,
Shangri La Hotel, Muscat Bahrain, Kathmandu-Nepal.
FZ043 and FZ045 leave
Dubai at 06.25hrs and
16.25hrs respectively, arriving
in Muscat at 07.25hrs and
17.25hrs local time respectively.
The return flights, FZ044 and
FZ046 leave at 08.10hrs and
18.10hrs and arrive at 09.10hrs
and 19.10hrs local time. The
flydubai model is simple, with
customers paying only for the
services they want to receive. Its
flights operate from Terminal 2
of Dubai International Airport
and the twice daily flights to
Oman cost from Dh250 one
way including all taxes.

62 l UAE Digest, May 2010

T he 400-square metre
India Pavilion will focus
on the country’s Wellness
Tourism, with 28 tour operators/
travel agents and three state
governments showing their
wares, explaining why this is the
preferred destination for many.
Tour packages can be arranged to
Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa and Delhi
among other places.
Medical tourism is a growing
sector in India. Advantages
include reduced costs, the avail-
ability of latest medical technolo-
T.W. Sudhakar, Regional Director, India Tourism
gies and a growing compliance reproductive techniques, such as IVF, and
on international quality standards, as well is almost 30 per cent lower to that in a full range of Assisted Reproductive Tech-
as the fact that foreigners are less likely to western countries and the cheapest in nology (ART) services have made India the
face language barriers in India. Most esti- South-east Asia. first choice for infertility treatments.
mates claim treatment costs in India start 2) All medical treatments and investi- 4) Your package will include pick-up
at around a tenth of the price of compara- gations are done using the latest, techno- from the airport, accommodation at a 4 or
ble treatment in America or UK. logically advanced diagnostic equipment. 5-star hotel, ground transportation to and
The most popular treatments sought 3) The cost of infertility treatments is from doctor’s appointment and hospital,
in India by medical tourists are alterna- almost a quarter of that in developed na- medical procedure, travel reservations, trip
tive medicine, bone-marrow transplant, tions. The availability of modern assisted itinerary and much more.
cardiac bypass, eye surgery and hip replace-
ment. The country is known in particular
for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other
areas of advanced medicine. Wellness options
The natural beauty of India fuels rapid
recovery and there are organisations that Ayurveda
make it all happen for you. They have Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which contains practical
and scientific information on various subjects beneficial to
tie-ups with major hospitals and medi-
humanity like health, philosophy, engineering, astrology etc.
cal institutions. You can contact them at Ayurveda has developed a tradition of medicine and a system
info@indiameditourism.com, furnish the of treatment based on the inherent ability of the human body
essential details and the rest of it will be to rejuvenate, to heal, and to restore its natural balance.
undertaken by medical tour experts. Yoga
India is a perfect destination for medi- Yoga is considered to be the ultimate way of attaining enlight-
cal tourism that combines health treat- enment. Proponents of yoga see daily practice as beneficial
ment with visits to some of the most allur- in itself, leading to improved health, emotional well-being,
mental clarity, and joy in living.
ing and awe-inspiring places of the world.
A growing number of tourists are flocking Naturopathy
in large numbers because of the superlative Nature Cure believes that all the diseases arise due to ac-
cumulation of morbid matter in the body and if scope is given
medical care, equipment and facilities.
for its removal, it provides cure or relief.
It excels in providing quality and cheap
healthcare services to overseas tourists. Panch Karma
Panch Karma is a purifying therapy to enhance the metabolic process through food and herbal
In 2004, some 150,000 foreigners visited
medicines. It is used in deep-rooted chronic disease. As the wastes are eliminated from the
India for treatment, and the numbers have body, the person becomes healthy.
been rising by 15 per cent each year.
Siddha
India is in the process of becoming
The principles and doctrines of the Siddha system, both fundamental and applied, have a close
the “global health destination” owing to similarity to Ayurveda, with specialisation in Iatro-chemistry. According to this system, the hu-
the following advantages: man body is a replica of the universe and so are the food and drugs, irrespective of their origin.
1) The cost of medical services in India

UAE Digest, May 2010 l 63

 END PAGE
Moolah and the muck
By Con Clude
I
t’s like a soap opera on Indian chan-
nels – first were the IPL matches
along with the glitzy IPL Nights;
then skeletons came tumbling out
of cupboards, making news more interest-
ing than a Bollywood masala film.
The Indian Premier League (IPL),
which started with a bang three years
ago, has had its fair share of excitement,
glamour, competition and controversy.
But nothing could prepare anyone for
the scandals rocking the league ever since
Lalit Modi (until recently IPL Chairman)
tweeted on a proposed IPL team. He just
let off steam over the way buyers of Kochi
franchise went about their job.
While the secrecy of the franchise
bugged him, lack of control over the
wheeling-dealing got his goat. All the
while, he merrily deluded himself he
was invincible by moving in a rarefied
stratosphere of cricket legends, Bollywood
babes, feisty cheerleaders and exuberant
crowds.
Sadly, reality has devious ways of
catching up. Modi’s descent began when
he decided to stretch his might and catch
federal minister Shashi Tharoor on the
wrong foot. While Tharoor had to pay for
his public indiscretions by relinquishing
his ministry, Modi (at the time of going
to press) still appeared defiant, threaten-
ing to rip open a can of worms that could
unsettle powerful people.
Bollywood film-makers may be salivat-
ing at the prospect of a blockbuster com-
ing on a platter, but as always, who could
imagine truth will turn out stranger than
64 l UAE Digest, May 2010
fiction? And the whole truth is not out
yet. Money, power, glamour and success
are a heady mix indeed!
Dash from ash
It was a forced holiday for thousands
of people stranded due to the volcanic
ash arising out of Iceland. Not everyone
was happy being stranded and told they
could holiday, as it came with a heavy
price tag. Many people took whatever
transport they could and managed to
reach England from the UAE through a
variety of modes – plane, train, ship and
bus. It wasn’t exactly hop, skip and jump
as everywhere they encountered people
who had the same bright idea as them.
But it must be a big relief to reach home,
despite all odds.
The airlines complained they incurred
huge losses, despite not being obliged
to pay for passenger stays, since it was a
natural occurrence. At such times, people
should take it easy and consider it an act
of God over which they have no control.
What’s the point in grumbling? Why
can’t we let things just be? Why should
airlines keep counting their lost dollars
every time a calamity occurs? Why do we
revel in making ourselves miserable all
the time? Is there a shortage of miseries?
Take a chill pill, folks, and simply
flow with the tide of things! Is that so
difficult?
Going home
You hear about it more often these days –
expats finally going home after a long stay
in the UAE. Some of my relatives, after a
15-year stint here, have packed their bags
and taken up new jobs in Delhi. They
were the last persons we imagined would
go home, as they were happy here with all
four members earning good salaries. But
recession took its toll and two of them
lost their jobs. Wary about getting good
jobs back home, they were pleasantly
surprised by the jump in salaries.
One colleague too has left after two
interrupted stints in Dubai. Her husband
is waiting to join her after he completes
his project in September. He wants to
start his own consultancy; while she is ex-
pecting their second child. He is keen to
return, unmindful of the hurdles ahead.
Both of them arrived at this decision after
evaluating both sides of the coin.
Another ex-colleague has already put
in his papers at the newspaper he worked
for the past seven years. He was offered
a decent raise, but stuck to his guns, and
is now winding things up. He says his
colleagues were shocked when they heard
the news. They did not see it coming,
because he kept the news of his prospec-
tive job in India under wraps until the
offer came.
Others have their own stories to tell.
With the Indian economy doing well
even in the downturn, many Indians
are going back home. When people you
know announce their departure, you feel
a sense of emptiness. But that’s life! We
expats are passengers here who have to
get off at their stop when the time comes.
And it’s coming sooner than ever before.