Al Ain: Dazzling displays by remote-controlled planes got the Al Ain Aerobatic Show 2009 off to a flying start as their larger counterparts banked and rolled to the amazement of thousands of spectators here on Wednesday.
The Italian maestros of the Yakitalia and Pioneer display teams wowed crowds with their performances and Will Curtis went solo in his bright-red Rizon-sponsored Sukhoi 26.
Pilots from the showpiece Aero GP race series – the Formula 1 of Air Racing - took to the skies to put the finishing touches to their displays, before the high-octane competition kicks off on Friday.
At the ground, Hollywood stunt driver, Mark Hager, and his precision-perfect team of experts proved that four wheels are as good as two propellers as they performed the thrilling Hager’s Raiders police chase spectacular. And in another regional ‘first’, the British Swift Glider Display Team harnessed the power of gravity to perform breath-taking, engine-free stunts in the air.
Al Ain Aerobatic Show is being organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority with the support of UAE Air Force and a host of other sponsors and support organisation from January 29 to January 31.
Daily tickets for the show have been priced at Dh40 per adult and Dh25 for children between three and 10 years of age. Children under three can enter free.
Al Ain: Daredevil stunt pilots from around the word yesterday held thousands of spectators spellbound with dazzling performances at the opening day of the sixth edition of Al Ain International Aerobatics Show in the Oasis City.
People poured in from all over the UAE, neighbouring GCC states, and other countries to watch the annual aerobatic fiesta. Pilots will use their modern and vintage jet and propeller machines daily to stage their skilful aerobatic manoeuvres in the four-day event.
With all the stands packed to capacity, many spectators were seen watching the show from the comfort of their cars parked along the road that winds its way through the high sand dunes leading to the airport.
The show is being jointly organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and UAE Air Force and Air Defence. More than 100 aircraft from different countries are participating in the extravaganza.
The opening day included different shows by Saudi Arabian and Italian teams, UAE paratroopers team, and individual performances of pilots participating in the Aero GP - aviation's Formula 1 - that has been marking the 100th year anniversary of air racing.
An eight-member UAE sky diving team jumped from 10,000 feet along with pictures of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and High Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, along with a large UAE flag. All the paratroopers landed in front of the spectators with high precision.
Spectators were also entertained by comedy shows and thrilling acts such women dancing on the wings of planes, and flying of remote control aircraft.
Famous Hollywood stuntman Mark Hager also staged breathtaking and hilarious acts for the spectator's. Hager has five world records to his credit.
Hager's team, called Brotherhood of Destruction, comprises of two cars, one motorcycle, and a truck. All the vehicles have Los Angeles Police Department livery. The team staged a hot pursuit of the bike rider with dangerous manoeuvres.
Royal Saudi Hawks, a regular feature of the show, performed highly precise aerobatic displays on seven Hawk aircraft, living up to their highly acclaimed reputation.
The show will continue until January 31. The organisers have also arranged lots of attractions to entertain families. A vast area has been put aside for exhibitions for national and international organisations.
"I am happy to attend the show and proud of organisers who have staged a world class aerobatics event in the country," said Ebrahim Ahmad Al Za'abi, an Emirati. The show, he said, has been promoting air sport in the country as well as putting the city of Al Ain on the world tourism map.
Pradeep Kumar, an expatriate from Dubai, said the air show is excellent and a must see event.
He, however, complained about the ticket prices saying that they are too high and large families will not be able to afford it. "I would suggest that the organisers reduce the prices to an affordable level so that more people could enjoy the show," he said.
Asif Ali Bajwah, an expatriate from Al Ain, said he had taken a day off from work to attend the opening day of the air show.
"My children were insisting that we go for the show, and now they are enjoying themselves," he said, adding that this is the fourth consecutive year he has been coming for the show.
Dubai: Sixty-six art-works that symbolise a shared cultural milieu of India and the UAE went on display at the Dubai Ladies Club on Wednesday.
The exhibition called "Kaleidoscope" is about twenty-six Indian artists, including the famous Maqbool Fida Husain, who are participating together with 10 UAE artists including Dr Najat Makki, Mona Al Khaja, Wasel Safwan, Mousab Abdul Qadir Al Rais, Matar Bin Lahej among others.
This cultural initiative is being launched by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and was organised with the support of senior Indian business establishments to showcase the best aspects of contemporary Indian cultural achievements.
This is the first time that both UAE nationals and Indian artists are sharing a platform to portray their personal and unique expressions in vibrant colours.
At the exhibition, about 66 artworks will be displayed for sale of which 20 per cent of all the sale proceeds will be donated to the Dubai Autism Centre.
Indian Ambassador, Talmiz Ahmad said: "Today, amidst robust political and economic ties, there is a sense that, perhaps, the cultural engagement has got diluted.
"When I saw the artworks that are on display, what struck me was the similarity that I came across in two different artworks, one done by an Emirati artist and the other by an Indian artist, both strangers to each other.
"I see a strong sense of camaraderie and a sense of creativity and excitement. Through this exhibition we have achieved something wonderful which is what we are celebrating today."
Fatima Saleh Al Hashemi, 22, is from Abu Dhabi and her artwork - titled 'Identity' - was done in mixed medium.
Explaining her work she said: "My painting is talking of the Arabic and Islamic identity. I personally feel that we are gradually losing it. The calligraphy text in black and grey say 'Identity is the lungs of Society'."
Fatima strongly feels art is a medium that has the capacity to reach across borders.
Ayushi Sajnani is a Dubai-based Indian artist whose work titled 'The Reflection' was done in oil on wood.
She says the 20 years she has spent in the UAE are being reflected in her works.
"My origin is Indian but I have lived here for most part of my life and so one tends to grasp in a lot from this culture," she said.
First Family Health Festival In DSF Unveiled - As part of its on-going activities, Dubai Shopping Festival will see the roll out of the first-of-its-kind health initiative, the Family Health Festival. Conceived by ExHealth and supported by Dubai Health Care City and Green Crescent Insurance Company, the month long activity aims to generate awareness among the residents about various health problems such as diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and many others.
Green Crescent, a dedicated health insurance company has extended their support as a key sponsor.“We at the DSF Office always strive to diversify our events, and Dubai shopping Festival is such a dynamic event that it can be the platform for many creative initiatives. We truly feel that such an initiative will go a long way in creating much needed awareness among the UAE community at large about key health issues,” says Yousif Mubarak, COO of DSF Office.A series of free health check-ups, talks, well-crafted games interspersed with discounted vouchers amongst others, is proposed to be conducted at high footfall areas to acquaint the visitors about potential health risks. The roadmap will see participation from all the leading malls in addition to Global Village.
A panel of experts will conduct health check-ups while information booklets will be distributed about the ailments alongside talks by specialists drawn from leading medical service providers.“Changing lifestyles and current pressures lead to several health-related problems which lie dormant and are often detected too late. Public education is of prime importance. DSF undoubtedly provides a great leverage to disseminate vital information on health and wellbeing. We hope this initiative will go a long way in doing just that,” says Dr Ayesha Abdullah, Senior Vice President of DHCC. “One of the best ways to avoid serious illness and high health costs is to educate the public about prevention.
The activities connected with the Family Health Festival are the significant effort in this direction and we are happy to be associated with,” says Carl J. Sardegna, Chief Executive Officer of Green Crescent Insurance Company.Conceived by Ex Health, an outfit dedicated entity providing exceptional healthcare solutions, the Family Health Festival will help residents gain knowledge about early detective measures and offer useful details on risks, symptoms and prevention through an interactive medium.“Healthcare is central to the well being of a community.
A healthier population bears a direct impact on the overall vigor of any economy and hence it becomes urgent that we constantly roll initiatives which aim to disseminate information on related issues. A stitch in time, as they say saves nine and it is possible more applicable that ever before in wake of rising healthcare costs shifting lifestyles,” says Dr. Prem Jagyasi, MD and CEO, ExHealth. A dedicated website www.familyhealthfestival.com will provide further information and a schedule of the participating malls.
Dubai Sports television channel, part of Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), one of the pioneering media organizations and creative services group in the region, today announced it has cemented a deal with Bundesliga, Germany’s premier football league, and the Sportsman Media Group, the sports rights and marketing agency that owns all media rights to Bundesliga games (outside Germany), making the Dubai-based channel the official and exclusive broadcaster of all the German league matches in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.The deal was signed by Rashid Al Amiri General Manager of Dubai Sports channel, Thomas Kröhne, founder and CEO of the Sportsman Media Group, and Jörg Daubitzer, Chief Operating Officer of the DFL (German football league) Sports Enterprises.
The contract will enable Dubai Sports channel to broadcast all Bundesliga matches via its two free-to-air stations to more than 100 million households in 23 Arab and North-African countries. Details of the prestigious deal were announced at a joint press conference held at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai.
The 24-hour free-to-air Dubai Sports channel has won the rights for all Bundesliga games following an intense bidding process after a tough competition with several high-calibre global broadcasting corporations.Expressing his delight to continue the Dubai Sports channel’s association with the German football league games, Al Amiri said: “We are thrilled to win broadcasting rights for the Bundesliga matches, one of the most professional soccer leagues in the world that attracts millions of viewers globally. Our successful bid validates our status as the region’s widely popular sports channel that offers top-notch bouquet of programming and this has been acknowledged by the German football organisations.“Over the past few years, we have consistently brought German league matches to Dubai Sports viewers with additional spotlights such as ‘Kick Off’ which gives an overview of each game prior to the start and analyses of other games during the week. As a comprehensive sports channel, we are keen to further strengthen our programme offerings, especially in football, in the near future.”Dubai Sports channel has been broadcasting various German league matches, live and exclusive, over the past few years on its satellite channels 1 and 2.Thomas Kröhne, CEO Of Sportsman Group, said: “We are glad to sign the Bundesliga broadcasting rights contract with Dubai Sports channels for the key territory as our new and innovative partner.
We believe Dubai Sports channel will contribute a great deal to further enhance the value and appeal of Bundesliga, as it always has in the past."Jörg Daubitzer, Chief Operating Officer of DFL Sports Enterprises, said: “When you have a partner of the caliber and status of Dubai Sports channel, which has provided some of the best coverage for German football league in the last three years, it is imperative the relationship has to be sustained and renewed at every opportunity.“Although we had received overwhelming offers for broadcast rights from various Arab and Asian networks, our choice was undoubtedly Dubai Sports as the channel has already played a splendid role in providing excellent coverage of Bundesliga games on a weekly basis.”Dubai Sports channel offers its viewers an expansive range of premium programming schedule that includes live or exclusive coverage of most of the key regional and international sporting events.
Jacky’s Electronics, the UAE’s leading multi-brand electronics retailer, is giving away 2009 LG mobile phones to all shoppers in an exciting promotion at this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). Any purchase worth AED300 made during the festival, Jacky’s loyal customers can enter a weekly raffle draw to win the 2009 LG mobile phones.
There will be four draws during this DSF period. Additionally, Jacky’s Electronics has rolled out exciting bundle offers across all product categories during the duration of DSF from 15 January till 15 February. “Jacky’s has long been a Support Sponsor of DSF since its inception and we are always proud of our association with this eagerly awaited annual festival and look forward to a successful DSF 2009.
Consumer electronics and IT are part of people’s everyday life and we will see most of the shoppers availing our incredible offers and exciting promotions during DSF,” said Jimmy Patel, General Manager, Jacky’s Electronics. Additionally, all Emirates-NBD, ADCB & HSBC Credit Card Customers can avail of Easy Payment Instalment Schemes for three months at 0% interest in all Jacky’s outlets. Jacky’s DSF promotions are available across all outlets of Jacky’s Electronics and Jacky’s Express particularly in the recently opened largest mall-based outlet in Dubai Mall.
