Blockbuster perseverance pays off

Abu Dhabi: One of the most enthusiastic participants of the Gulf News Blockbusters, who first entered the contest back in 1992, won the heats for the adult singles category on Monday.

Abdul Rab Bin Da'ar, an Emirati fan of the contest, emerged the winner after a high-paced match with his opponent. 

"I feel elated. I have tried so many times, but this is the first time I've won. Usually I get knocked out during the heats," Bin Da'ar said.

"It is much easier to be in the audience and to come up with the answer. But being on the dais is a totally different feel as the match was neck and neck," he noted.

Bin Da'ar has always had a thirst for knowledge, and the subjects he is most passionate about include geography, history and English literature, in addition to natural science and British and American history. 


"I grew up reading and learning and I'm addicted to it," he had said earlier, noting that he had a British educational background in Tanzania, which initially sparked his interest in achieving vast knowledge about different subjects.

The second winner from the same category was Dr Veena Shinoy, who works at the NMC hospital. "Last year, I was able to win the heats just like now, but I lost at the quarterfinals. This year I hope to make it to the top," she said.

Naheed Patel, promotions manager at Gulf News, said: "It was a tough call. There were 16 contestants. The last game was especially tricky and very exciting. For the very last question, there was just one block left on the board for the contestants to claim. The winner could have been any one of them and everybody in the room was fired up."

The heats will continue in Dubai from tomorrow, and the winners of the heats will play against each other in the finals to be held after Eid Al Fitr.

The audience cheers for the contestants of the Gulf News Blockbusters competition.

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Scholar stresses importance of achieving Islamic unity

Shaikh Mohammad during the Ramadan Lectures held at Al Bateen Palace. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, FNC Speaker, along with other dignitaries also attended the lecture.

Abu Dhabi: General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, attended the first lecture on Cursing and Excommunication at his Ramadan majlis.

The lecture was delivered by Islamic Shiite scholar Al Syed Ali Al Ameen on Monday evening.

Also in attendance was Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's representative in the Western Region; and other Shaikhs and senior officials. 

The lecturer emphasised the importance of rapport and linkage between the different sects in Islam and the dangers of division and distance between groups. 


He also emphasised the importance of being aware of religious scholars and theologists. He also said the divisions were encouraged by the enemies of this nation to weaken it and take its mind away from the important issues, thus, weakening it and making it a backward nation.

Al Ameen also said that many of the Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) sayings emphasised the unity aspect between Muslims, to the effect that all Muslims are as one man, and that Muslims are brothers that do not betray or lie to each other.

Visual treat for UAE residents as falling meteors to light up morning sky

Al Ain: The early morning sky above the emirates will be lit with the light of hundreds of falling meteors on Wednesday.

The event, generated by the annual passing of a comet, has been attracting many stargazers and astronomers as Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG) has arranged an open to all facility to enjoy the nature’s firework near Dubai.

Around 10 meteors will be falling in a minute, said the DAG, noting that this would be the debris, made of dirt and ice, of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The celestial event had begun on July 17 and it will continue until August 24, however, the group said the climax will be on Wednesday.

Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, president of the DAG, said in a web announcement that the spectacle that appears to emanate from the constellation in the northern sky called Parshawyyat — Arabic for bearer of Ghoul’s head — or Perseus named after the Greek hero Perseus.

He said August is usually the month of meteors, with rocky debris from a wandering comet filling the sky with shooting stars these nights. One of the best displays of shooting stars is reaching its peak in the next couple of days.

The DAG will set up a desert camp and anybody willing to watch it from the depths of the desert is welcome to join the Perseid meteor shower observation trip that will take place 60km outside Dubai, early on August 12 morning.

The trip is open to anybody interested in the showers, the group said in its web announcement. The location for the gathering is outside the Emirates Cooperative Society at Al Twar in Dubai at 8:30pm.

According to media reports, this year is expected to produce an above average number of shooting stars that could offer a rewarding experience to sky-watchers around the globe. The bright streaks and occasional blazing fireballs of the meteors should reach their peak well before dawn Wednesday and after sunset that night, the reports said.

But Tuesday night should offer a better view as the waning moon doesn't rise until 11pm and the sky will be darkest before the moonlight interferes, the San Fransisco Chronicle quoted astronomy professor Andrew Fraknoi as saying.

The Perseid meteors are the debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which flies from deep space into the inner solar system every 130 years on its long, looping orbit around the sun, where it remains for several years. And each year in August, while the comet is flying inside our solar system, the solar wind and the sun's heat scatter the comet's tail of dust, ice and rocks widely across the sky.

Then, as the debris particles hit the Earth's upper atmosphere, shock waves from their impact cause them to flare into brightness and they show as long streaks of light – and sometimes as brilliant fireballs. Archaeologists have found Chinese records of the Perseids from an unknown scribe writing in 36AD, and the comet itself was discovered in 1862 by astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle.

For more details long onto www.dubaiastronomy.com

Attractive offers on food items during Ramadan

Dubai: Shoppers can look forward to good deals in the run-up to Ramadan as hypermarkets are offering special prices on essential food items.

Special areas have been set up for the sales and promotions. Some like Geant in Ibn Battuta have erected colourful tents as most hypermarkets have got into the festive mood.

The global downturn will definitely not affect sales, some managers of hypermarkets said.

"I can confirm that prices will be stable [during Ramadan] and many items will be discounted between 30 and 40 per cent," said Shawqi Khalil Darwish, purchase manager at Union Cooperative.

He said shoppers usually rush to purchase food items, expecting a shortage during the holy month.

"There is no need to panic. We have enough food for all of GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]," he said.

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Lulu Hypermarkets are offering a special Ramadan kit of 22 essential (non-perishable) items such as rice, oil, juices, dry fruits, sugar and tea for Dh180. It will also hold a date festival across its chain of hypermarkets offering about 16 varieties of locally-grown dates along with 50 varieties from other countries.

"The idea is to support local farmers," said Nanda Kumar, marketing manager of Emke Group, which manages Lulu hypermarkets. Other hypermarkets like Giant and Carrefour have printed pull-outs detailing the special prices for not only food but electronic items and school bags as well.

"The beginning of Ramadan coincides with the end of [summer] vacations and the start of school [terms]," said Kumar, noting that hypermarkets will be very busy as people stock up.

Ramadan is also about charity, said Darwish, noting that Union Cooperative will donate 2 per cent of its sales to charity.

Water taxi service to launch at creek next year

ubai: At least 17 locations where passengers can hail a water taxi for fast travel on Dubai Creek and the new developments along the coast of the emirate have been finalised.

"We have finalised the locations to build the water taxi ranks at 17 points where passengers can go and ride the taxi," said Dr Khalid Al Zahid, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the RTA's Marine Agency.

He said that the water taxi service will be launched in Dubai in the first quarter of next year to provide an alternative mode of transport to alleviate traffic congestion.

At least ten water taxis at a cost of Dh30 million will be operational on Dubai Creek as part of a plan by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority's Marine Agency to develop a comprehensive water public transport system in the emirate.

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"Residents and tourists will be able to book the water taxis over the phone just like the normal taxis and will have to wait for it at the agreed boarding station," Al Zahid added.

The Marine Agency is spending more than Dh1.2 billion on water transport projects. Apart from the existing abra service, it has already launched a water bus service at the Dubai Creek.

The water taxi will have 11 seats including two for people with special needs. It will have a dual-base catamaran low wash, a smooth ceiling and a central air-conditioning system.

It has seats similar to business class seats on aeroplanes with a remote-controlled LCD monitor fitted on the back of each seat, and a table for food.

"It is a VIP service and will mostly cater to tourist and visitors to major businesses and hotels," he said.

The water taxi measures about 11 metres in length, and four metres in width. It weighs nine tonnes and runs at a speed of up to 35 knots per hour.

He said that the Marine Agency has already started an air-conditioned water bus service at the Dubai Creek.

"We will start the first phase of Dubai Ferry service in 2011 within the Dubai Creek and then it will be linked to the coastal areas and will have stations at Jumeirah Beach Park and the Palm Jumeirah," he added.

He said that the ferry service will be extended to all the coastal and offshore developments gradually to cope with the demands of the new developments.

Each ferry will have capacity to carry 100 passengers and will initially cover six kilometres of Dubai Creek, linking stations such as Deira City Centre, Baniyas Station and the Gold Souq on Deira side and Al Ghubaiba on the Bur Dubai side of the creek.

"Air-conditioned boats travelling up and down the creek for 18 hours a day on new water routes will link up with Dubai Metro and public buses will definitely provide easy transport facilities and help reduce traffic jams," Al Zahid commented.