June 2009 DH 5

Get your Seawings and

see a different perspective

TRAVEL
Peaceful Sri Lanka

DILEMMA
Think like a winner
SPORTS

IN FOCUS Female horse riding team

Sharing your home – DSS

the good, bad and the ugly Dubai Summer Surprises
 Law catches up
with credit card predators
I
n common law jurisprudence, a suspect is
presumed innocent until proved otherwise.
But as far as banks are concerned, particularly
when it comes to credit cards, the reverse must
hold true. Any bank may be deemed an offender
until it can establish itself to be above board.
There are signs that finally the law is catching
up. The signing of sweeping credit card reforms
into law by President Barack Obama will hopefully
shield consumers from predatory practices by credit
card companies. By K Raveendran you can convince the bank that you had
The American reforms in the credit card market
may be a far cry from their having any substantial
impact on the fortunes of the local and regional credit
card customers, who enjoy little regulatory protection
against policies that virtually amount to cheating. Shock
rate hikes, unannounced penalties for a plethora of alleged
defaults, promotional offers that trap customers into debt
traps are all standard practices. The small prints in the
credit card statements and application forms are veritable
traps for unwary customers.
Credit card companies and banks lose no opportunity
to cheat. And they keep discovering newer and newer ways
of implementing their agenda. Some of these are truly
ingenious. Take for instance long holidays like Eid and
Ramadan, when banks’ functioning becomes irregular.
Even cheques dated sufficiently in advance will not be
sent for clearance until it safely overshoots the payment
date so that the bank or the finance company concerned
can charge a fine for delayed payment. And such fines
invariably come accompanied by a series of other penalties,
including outrageous finance charges and complicated
interest calculations that can drive even a Maths wizard to
desperation.
And if you ask for the break-up of the interest charges,
the replies you get range from absolute nonsense to
calculated indifference. The lady call centre attendant of
a leading global bank once told a curious card
customer that the interest charges were calcu-
lated by the bank’s computer system and she
was in no position to provide any details.
There are innumerable other ways of
cheating as well. Suppose you deposit a certain
number of notes of a certain denomination in
the envelopes provided with the cash payment
terminals. Sometimes the amount credited
will be a couple of notes less. There is no way
deposited more than what has been credited.
It is the bank’s word, against anybody else’s,
that matters. There is nothing you can do to redress your
grievance, except pray that this does not happen to you a
second time.
This is precisely what President Obama meant when he
said “credit card debt is easily a one-way street”, while sign-
ing the legislation incorporating the credit card market
reforms: “It is easy to get in, but almost impossible to get
out.”
The new law forbids rate increases on existing balances
unless consumers are at least 60 days late paying their bill
or the initial rate was a promotional rate that has expired,
and requires 45 days’ notice to raise rates.
The new law bans fees for payment processing, such as
surcharges for paying by telephone; imposes steep restric-
tions on issuing cards to people under 21 years of age, and
requires that promotional interest rates on new cards stay
valid for six months.
The new US law may not force international banks op-
erating locally and regionally to play the game in the same
spirit. But there is one consolation for the card customers
here: the American banks would be accountable to at
least the US regulators, who could question the banks on
their policies and procedures all over the world. That’s
good news for us too.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 1

Get your Seawings and
see a different perspective
IN FOCUS
Sharing your home –
the good, bad and the ugly
MANAGING EDITOR : K Raveendran
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2 l UAE Digest, June 2009
June 2009 DH 5
TRAVEL
Peaceful Sri Lanka
DILEMMA
Think like a winner
SPORTS
Female horse riding team
DSS
Dubai Summer Surprises
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 HOME & GARDEN

Contents

12
On the Cover
it’s an indiana Jones moment when you first see the flying boat land
in the water. a local company takes up to six passengers on aerial
sightseeing tours of Dubai and everyone gets a window seat.

14 16 24
Making room for others A winning mind Modesty always in style
The good, bad and ugly about sharing Focusing your mind on winning in life – Modesty is now the new ‘in’, according to
accommodation – your home – with others. both professionally and personally. international fashion designer Rabia.Z, a
UAE national.

50 54
Arabyana: Emirati A small miracle
women and horse riding Sri Lanka is aggressively marketing itself as a destination that has
Nobody could have imagined UAE having its own women’s ‘defeated terror’ and ‘restored peace’. ‘A land like no other’ is now a ‘small
horse riding team. This dream has turned into a reality. miracle’ - a new tagline for the island nation that has been plagued by
three decades of conflict.

4 l UAE Digest, June 2009


MegaTrends discussed
at Emirates Palace
A
bu Dhabi University held
the ‘MegaTrends, Essential
Strategic Insights 2009’,
under the patronage of HH
Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of
Abu Dhabi University last month, at the
Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. A
first conference of its kind, MegaTrends
featured presentations and strategic advice
from economic experts across the globe,
complemented by local expertise.
The opening address was given by HE
Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan
- Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism
Authority (ADTA), Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre (Adnec) and the Tour-
ism Development & Investment Company
(TDIC) - during which he outlined
key business, tourism and educational
initiatives aimed at winning new business
for the emirate and at raising service
standards throughout the local industry.
He also updated delegates on perform-
ance forecasts for Abu Dhabi’s tourism
industry – identified by the Abu Dhabi
government as a key economic diversifica-
tion driver.
Meanwhile, HE Sultan bin Saeed Al
Mansouri, the UAE’s Minister of Econo-
my, discussed the global macro-economic
situation and the UAE government’s plan
to strengthen its economy.
The main keynote speech of the day,
and one that, as expected, generated huge
interest, was given by Paul Krugman,
Professor of Economics at Princeton
University, and the 2008 Nobel Prize win-
ner for Economics. He talked about the
future direction of the global economy,
examining the European response to the
worldwide economic slump, the effective-
ness of the US Administration’s economic
policy, and looking at which countries are
most likely to emerge faster and in better
shape from the economic downturn.
Professor Krugman is generally regard-
ed as the foremost authority on economic
recovery and an advisor to US President
Barak Obama. He is also the author of
several books, including best sellers, The
Conscience of a Liberal, The Return of
IN THE NEWS
Depression Economics and
The Great Unravelling.
HE Ali Saeed bin
Harmal Al Dhaheri,
Chairman of ADU, said
Megatrends was central
to anyone wanting to plan
their organisation’s finances
for the future, and offered
networking opportunities
with the biggest, best and
brightest in the region.
“It was a key forum for
the development of a win-
ning strategy for investment
in the region, with the best
and brightest industry
leaders discussing their pre-
dictions. Attendance at this
conference offered delegates
the opportunity to extend
their investment strategies HE Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan
to new, more profitable sec-
tors across the whole of the GCC, and in
particular within the UAE, allowing the
enhancement of an organisation’s com- concluded.
petitive advantage with better informed Other highlights of the day included
business strategies for the future. an address by the leading international
Attendees are now in a better position futurologist Ross Dawson on the tech-
to develop new and improved bank- nologies that will drive growth and the
ing and risk management techniques, opportunities presented by social and
enhancing transparency and improving generational change. There were also three
liquidity in the banking and financial separate panel discussions looking specifi-
systems of the UAE, as they have got the cally at the GCC’s financial landscape,
inside track on how exposed investments the position of the UAE’s banks, and the
in the property market really are,” he future of the Gulf ’s property market.
Krugman wins Nobel Prize for economics
The American economist Paul R. Krugman won the Nobel Economics prize last month for his
analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity. Mr Krugman, 55, a professor at
Princeton University in New Jersey and a columnist for The New York Times, formulated a new
theory to answer questions about free trade, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
“What are the effects of free trade and globalisation? What are the driving forces behind
worldwide urbanisation? Paul Krugman has formulated a new theory to answer these ques-
tions,” the academy said, in its citation.
“He has thereby integrated the previously disparate research fields of international trade and
economic geography,” it said.
Mr Krugman was the lone of winner of the 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) award, the latest in
a string of American researchers to be honoured. The award, known as the Nobel Memorial
Prize in Economic Sciences, is the last of the six Nobel prizes announced this year and is not one
of the original Nobels. It was created in 1968 by the Swedish central bank in Nobel’s memory.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 5
 IN THE NEWS

Winners, charitable acts

and other tidbits
from construction and real estate to edu-
cation and health services, and achieved
higher level of quality standards.
The function was graced by H. E
Sheikh Nahayan bin  Mubarak Al
Nahayan, UAE’s Minister of Higher
Education and Scientific Research, who
spoke  eloquently,  praising the achieve-
ments of these awardees and their valu-
able contributions not only to India and
UAE, but also to the economies of the
two countries. 
The Capital Club, Dubai’s premier
private business club, recently held an
event to celebrate its first anniversary
and support the Start Foundation, a
not-for-profit child development and art
education organisation. HE Dr Omar bin
Secret Sound winner Ben Tomblin (right) collected a cheque for Dh80,000 from Dubai 92FM break- Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai Inter-
fast show hosts Catboy (left) and Geordiebird recently at a ceremony at Dubai Festival Centre. Tomb-
lin’s keen ear helped him beat the competition for the jackpot when he correctly identified the sound that
national Financial Centre (DIFC) and
had frustrated the station’s listeners for weeks — Catboy dipping his hand into a pile of buttons! Ben, Chairman of the Capital Club, hosted
who has lived in the UAE for nine years, has various plans for the money, including treats for his wife the Club’s Board of Governors, members
and two school-age children. and other dignitaries at the club located

T
he newly elected Board of the
Indian Business & Professional
Council (IBPC) held their
first major event to felicitate
the recipients of the prestigious Padmi
Shri Award to Mr Sunny Varkey, Dr B R
Shetty, Dr Ashok Gupta; and Pravashi
Bharatiya Samman Award to Dr J R Gan-
garamani.  These awards were conferred
on   them by the President of India for
their distinguished achievements in the
fields of business and community serv-
ices.  All the awardees have been pioneers
in their chosen fields of activity, ranging
within Gate Village at the heart of DIFC.
Since its launch in late 2006, the
Capital Club has attracted over 1,300
members, from some 600 organisations,
including some of the region’s most
senior decision-makers and leaders in
business, finance and government. The
luxury décor of the club – which houses

From left to right: Dr GM Bajpai – Vice President, IBPC; Mr Kulwant Singh – Member, IBPC; Dr Ashok Gupta -  Padma Shri Award Win-
ner; Mr Sunny Varkey - Padma Shri Award Winner; Dr J R Gangaramani – Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award Winner; Dr B.R Shetty -
Padma Shri Award Winner; Mr Paras Shahdadpuri – President, IBPC; H. E Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al Nahayan - Minister of Higher
Education and Scientific Research; H. E Mr Venu Rajamony – Consul-General of India;  H. E Mr Talmiz Ahmad – Ambassador of India to
UAE; Mr Nilesh Kumar Ved - Member, IBPC; Mr Navin Kapoor - Member, IBPC;  Mr Abbas Ali Mirza – Member & Past President, IBPC

6 l UAE Digest, June 2009

restaurants, lounges, private meeting rooms, a wellness centre, and guest
rooms - is exquisite and includes contemporary art from the region, fine
antiques, handcrafted furniture and rich imported fabrics.
In recent months, the Capital Club has hosted or been the chosen venue
for exclusive events for members with high-powered international guests
and speakers. These have included the President of Singapore, the Royal
Family of the Netherlands, The British Royal Family, The Royal Family
of Denmark, ministers from the UK, Thailand, Turkey and Switzerland,
a Formula 1 Racing Driver, a World Champion snooker player, and the
Board of the UAE Central Bank.
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)’s new vault became (left to right) Mr. Arif Naqvi, Governor; H.H. Sheikh Ahmed
operational at the end of April. Situated in the heart of the Jumeirah Lakes bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Honoury Chairman; HE Dr Omar
Towers free zone community, the DMCC vault combines the advantages of bin Sulaiman, Chairman of the Board of Governors; Guy
a unique location together with the highest global security standards. The Guillemard, CEO Signature Clubs Int.
vault is intended for both short and long-term storage of precious metals
and other high-value products.
The vault is open to local and international banks, corporates, HNWIs
and DMCC members and uses the latest security equipment and inventory
management systems. It is protected 24/7 by dedicated operational secu-
rity and surveillance teams and offers state-of-the-art facilities to satisfy
customers’ storage requirements. A direct link with Dubai Police Control
Room helps ensure the fastest possible emergency response. DMCC has
appointed Brink’s Global Services (BGS), the market leader in risk man-
agement and secure logistics for the complete day-to-day operations and
management of the new vault.
National Bonds Corporation, the UAE’s innovative Shari’a compliant
National Saving scheme has announced a major revamp to the draw format
of its popular saving scheme by changing the draw from a monthly to a
weekly format. This new structure is aimed to encourage more people to
save and reward them by becoming millionaires every week.
National Bonds Corporation promotes a savings culture and strongly
believes that by increasing the draw frequency, it will help bond-holders to
achieve their short and long-term goals. The first weekly National Bonds (left to right) Chris Genockey, Manager - Projects/Commodities,
Brinks Global Services; Chirag Sharma, Business Development
Millionaire was announced on May 9, and from then on every Saturday of
Manager – Gold, DMCC; Pierre Grabowski, Director, Property
the week. Asset Security, DMCC; Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chair-
Under the new format, there will be 101 prizes every week distributed man, DMCC; Malcolm Clingham, General Manager, Brinks
across different prize categories - Dh1 million, Dh10,000, Dh5,000, Global Services; David Rutledge, CEO, DMCC; Clive O’Flynn,
Dh1,000 and Dh500. Bond-holders eligible to win the grand prize of Dh1 Vice-President of Operations & Security Brinks Global Services
Ltd; and Harendra Kailath, Director – Gold, DMCC.
million every week are those with minimum savings of Dh10,000. While
all bond-holders regardless of their savings amount, are eligible for the
remaining 100 prizes.
Nakheel officially opened the Palm Monorail to the public at a ceremo-
ny held at Gateway Station, Palm Jumeirah on Thursday, April 30, 2009,
the first transport system of its kind to open in the Middle East. It is now
running four trains between the Gateway Towers and Atlantis stations,
with a capacity of 2,400 passengers per hour per day.  The service runs
from 8am to 10pm daily, with tickets costing Dh15 for a single journey
and Dh25 for a round trip.  The system will be increased to a total of nine
trains per hour with a capacity of 6,000 passengers per hour per day once
connected to the Dubai Metro.
State-of-the-art technology has been employed to overcome a number
of challenges, including running 1,000 metres of rail over-sea, meeting
Dubai’s unique climatic conditions, and protecting the communities of
Palm Jumeirah from noise pollution by using a virtually silent track system. 
Developed by a consortium of leading international companies, led by the
Marubeni Corporation, the Palm Monorail’s system is fully automatic and Nazek H. Al-Sabbagh, Marwan Al Qamzi and Col. Abdulla Ali
driverless, although an attendant will be on board at all times. Abdulla Al Ghithi at the Metro station

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 7

 EVENTS

DSS is aimed at making vacation time eventful for kids

Dubai has earned the tag of being the
fourth dominant retail city in the world.
With 4,000 participating outlets and
over 40 shopping malls offering sales,
DSS is being marketed as a ‘shoputain-
ment’ event. The opening ceremony is
slated to be “full of surprises” as the or-
ganising authorities like to put it. Apart
from shopping and dining, there will be
various raffle draws, international events
and dance shows, as well as 33 world class
spas in Dubai, offering the best deals to
visitors to rejuvenate.
“We were inspired by the unparalleled
attractions offered by our city and its
state-of-the-art infrastructure, in addi-
tion to its ever-expanding entertainment
and shopping destinations,” says Yousif
Mubarak, COO of DSF Office.
One of the stand-out attractions this
year is the ‘cool activities at the beach’.
Activities including rain parties, barbe-
cue nights, covered sun beds, beach spa

A summer of
treatments, and sea-food restaurants, to
name a few that will add flavour to the
season. There are special offers at luxury

surprises
spas, including the ones at Atlantis and
The Address hotel.
“Dubai, with its envious coastline
offers the scope to transform its beaches
into a hot spot this summer. The idea is
to make the beach a festive zone for fami-
The twelfth edition of the Dubai Summer Surprises lies,” explains Rania Al Mughrabi.
Signature events include Sheila and
adds new features to attract more tourists Abaya Fashion, World of Stories, Junior
By Ambily Vijaykumar
Chefs will compete in various categories Children can take part in various creative

T
to display their talents activities during this festival season
welve years ago, an idea came to life;
an idea to transform the desert sum-
mer into a festival. Dubai became
the chosen home for a two-month
extravaganza that has come to attract close to
15 million visitors from all over the world, so
far. With a total spend of about Dh19 billion,
the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) has become
the crowning glory of entertainment during
the scorching summers in the emirate. This
year, the organisers have chosen a theme for the
event that has packaged Dubai as a ‘Surpris-
ing’ destination. “It will be 65 days of non-stop
surprises for visitors and residents,” says Rania
Al Mughrabi, Director of Events and Strategy
at DSF office.
Beginning June 11, the event is being aimed
at making the summer vacation a treat for all.

8 l UAE Digest, June 2009

 Raffle Draws will be one of the most sought after events during DSS
Chef of the Year, Art Oasis, Kids Fashion
Week, Kids Olympics Games, The Col-
lectors, and a Photography Exhibition.
Another first this year also includes a
tie-up with National Geographic to spot
the best photograph on local culture. The
chosen photograph will win a handsome
price packet.
Events this year have been given a
twist. The Kids fashion week will see chil-
dren and their families introducing their
personal line of collection on the ramp.
This is being seen as an opportunity for
families to pool in their creative energies
together, while getting an opportunity to
spend quality time with each other.
“World of Stories has been a huge
success with kids all these years. This year
too, this event has been planned to attract
young visitors. The new addition, however,
has been the introduction of stories from
the Holy Qurán,” informs Rania.
It seems to be a season for innova-
tion. Part of that is the ‘Hospitality Tent’
feature where locals will host guests in
DSS will also showcase local Kids can’t get enogh of Modhesh
Emirati culture for the world
International groups will present performances that will hook viewers
tents that have been a traditional home
for Emiratis. This will give guests an
opportunity to experience local culture
from close quarters. There is also culinary
talent on display with over 600 chefs
from five-star hotels across the region
participating in over 22 categories for the
coveted Junior Chef of the Year Awards.
Staying with talent, 16 fashion designers
from the GCC and the UAE will also be
putting their creations on display at the
Sheila and Abaya Fashion.
With outside temperatures soaring
during this period, the in-mall events like
Min Bladi Al Emarat are expected to be
a huge draw.
“Min Bladi has been a major crowd
puller since it featured in the in-mall
events. The main attractions are the
competitions that are held to pick the
best displays of local food and culture.
The event is an authentic presentation of
culture in the UAE,” explains Rania.
To make the DSS an attractive feature
for visitors, close to 350 hotels with
Participating retail outlets and
malls will have sales on offer
40,000 rooms will be offering attractive
packages. The icing on the cake will be for
visiting journalists. The Visiting Journal-
ists Programme has been revamped for the
year to include families of journalists who
can come and stay in Dubai and experi-
ence the festivities during this period.
The Apprenticeship Programme will host
selected students from the GCC and
the UAE for internships. This will offer
students an opportunity to interact and
exchange knowledge about their national
cultures.
This year will also see new destinations
in Dubai being promoted, apart from the
trademark ones that have come to repre-
sent the city. These include the Atlantis
Hotel, Burj Dubai, Ski Dubai, Dubai Mall
and the Bastakiya District.
Adding to the fun and cheer of the
festival will be the DSS mascot Modhesh.
The ‘ambassador of smiles’ will be under-
taking numerous goodwill tours around
the region visiting schools and hospitals to
meet children and spread the cheer.
Retailers will bring down prices to make
the most of the DSS and the tourist count
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 9
 ACTIVITIES
Adventures in Dubai
From sports car racing at the autodrome and flying on a microlight aircraft
to riding horses and having dinner on a crane above the sea, Dubai offers
plenty for those inclined to get the adrenalin flowing in their veins
By Vanit Sethi
W
ith the temperature
soaring above 40C, it’s
a torture to step outside
AC offices and homes.
But while the body seeks rest, the mind
has no such compulsions as it flits back
to the pleasanter months when outdoor
activities beckoned. For a journalist
more used to sitting at a desk in front of
a computer or covering literary seminars,
seeking out sporting adventures had been
the last thing on my mind. Yet, when such
opportunities arose, I was too tempted to
turn them down. Dubai has given me the
chance to explore my wild side (I didn’t
know I had one!) on four different occa-
sions.
Audi Track: Flashback to March 2008.
I’m at the Dubai Autodrome for a press
conference conducted by three iconic
German brands – Lufthansa, Audi, and
Kempinski. They have a triple promotion
offer under which if you fly on a Lufthansa
flight or test-ride an Audi car or stay at
a Kempinski hotel, you are eligible for
fantastic discounts and offers. I’m waiting
impatiently to test ride the Audi on the
10 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Autodrome’s track.
The crowd files out, and we are given
a helmet and protective gear. There are
two persons per car and we are told to
follow the leader. My partner takes to
the wheel and I sit beside him, my heart
pounding violently. As the car twists and
turns along the racetrack, I feel a certain
thrill in the beginning, but slightly giddy
afterwards. I control myself and hold on
to the door handle. I want to tell my part-
ner, “Hey, slow down! You don’t have to
drive that fast, you’re not a pro!” I won-
der why the instructor told us to do 15
rounds each when five would have been
more than enough. I look at my partner
and give a big smile, muttering curses
underneath. “How’s it?” he asks? “Great!”
I answer (indeed!). Folding my hands and
uttering a short prayer, I realise we are
nearing the end of his turn. But now it’s
mine, and I start praying again.
After looking at the controls and hav-
ing a feel of them, I press the accelerator
and we zoom ahead. ‘Wow! This just
flies on the track’. Funnily, I feel better
now that I’m in control. But much as I
would like to slow down on the curves,
this machine just does its own thing, and
my reflexes work overtime. “Not bad!
Ain’t I a pro!” I give a self-satisfied smirk.
Now, time flies and my turn is through. I
come out confidently, my chest swelling
in pride. The Audi guys now debrief us
and tell us not to treat Dubai’s roads as
racetracks. Guffaws all around!
Microlight flight: February 2009. The
chill of winter is now almost over. At
least in the day time. I’m feeling warm
waiting outside for a hired bus to the
Al Marmoon Reserve near Sports City.
We are promised a flight on a microlight
aircraft just above the reserve, courtesy of
Mashreq Bank. The bus starts nearly one
hour late after picking up all the latecom-
ers (nothing new in Dubai). Another 40
minutes, and we are there at the gates of
the reserve.
We are told to gear up for the flight.
Some ‘acrophobics’ backed out. We are
told to await our turns (which turns out
rather long for chivalrous males). Finally,
my pilot calls me out and I’m sitting
strapped behind him in the two-seater
microlight (run by both machine and

wind power – a cross between helicopter
and hang glider). As the flying contrap-
tion takes off from an improvised runway,
I feel like a bird, seeing miles of sand
beneath me and suddenly a patch of green
with oryx scampering around. “There, see
them running,” my pilot blares out above
the din of the machine. Above me, the
glider wing sways in the wind.
Powerful gusts of breeze, send a tin-
gling chill down my spine. I realise win-
ter’s not yet over. It’s already dark and the
planes look very colourful – like lighted
balloons floating around. The pilot gives
a jerk on his joystick and we’re in landing
mode. A gentle thud on the runway and
we come to a halt.
Crane’s Eyeview: It’s April now. The
Walk is full of evening strollers enjoying
their constitutional. The air is relaxed,
it being a weekend. But I’m hurrying
towards Hotel Hilton where a 100-tonne
crane will lift me in the air over Jumeirah
Beach for a ‘Dinner in the Sky’. As I
reach there around 7pm, I see a group of
people suspended in mid-air, with waiters
serving them soft drinks and snacks.
I’m eagerly awaiting my turn on the
last trip with 20 others. Shutterbugs
are busy with their flashes. After the
crane descends, we clamber on and are
strapped to our chairs by the organisers
Event Horizon and Mindset Media. We
ascend up in the evening sky. As soon as
we are airborne, waiters get busy. While
our feet hang free in the air, our table
for 22 rotates 180 degrees at 50 metres
above the ground. We can almost peep
inside Jumeirah Beach Residence, but
while cameras were aplenty, nobody had
thought of binoculars. “There, you can
see Atlantis quite clearly, and the Burj
Al Arab at a distance,” excited voices
screamed.
Horse Sense: Just four days later, I’m
learning how to communicate with horses
inside the Hoofbeatz pavilion at Dubai
Polo and Equestrian Club. Hoofbeatz is
a first-of-its-kind programme designed to
improve the quality and length of a horse’s
life, increase the skills and knowledge
base of equine care-givers and expand the
horses’ reach to include the general public.
The brainchild of Anwer Sher and
Eileen Verdieck (a Pakistani-American
couple whose love of horses brought them
together), Hoofbeatz holds training pro-
grammes, horse riding classes, and horse
shows with song and dance on weekends.
I learn how horses are very much like
human beings (introvert, extrovert, left-
brained, right-brained) and we need to
understand them before gaining mastery
of them. Eileen explains patiently all the
characteristics of horses, while Anwer
butts in with his expert comments. I see
the horses being prepared for a show. One
horse loves to stand on the centrestage to
acknowledge public applause.
Outside, we are first encouraged to
pat the horses to gain their confidence, let
them smell our palms to become familiar
and then walk along with them before
trying to mount them with the help of
trainers. Once we are in the saddle, the
horses walk around in circles showing
perfect training. After a couple of rounds,
it is time to dismount and say goodbye to
Anwer, Eileen and the horses.
But I’m still waiting to watch a show
with my family. And of course, counting
the days before the next adventure crops
up!
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 11
 ACTIVITIES
The view down there
By Linda Benbow
I
t’s an Indiana Jones moment when
you first see the flying boat land in
the water. Memories of exciting mo-
ments in films of exotic rivers and
coasts in faraway places with goodies and
baddies waiting to see who would get on
and off the seaplane stir in your memory.
All the tourists at Jebel Ali Hotel Resort
stared in fascination as a Rigid Inflatable
Boat (RIB) motored towards the water
plane with twin hulls instead of landing
wheels (although I am informed that
there are wheels in there – for the unlikely
event that it has to land on terra firma). A
young man confidently jumped from RIB
to hull and cheerfully unlatched the side
window, smiling at the gawping passen-
gers inside the aircraft.
This, and more, is what you should
expect when flying with Seawings, a
seaplane tour company which takes up to
Jebel Ali Port
12 l UAE Digest, June 2009
six passengers at a time on aerial sight-
seeing tours of Dubai in a Cessna 208
Caravan amphibian aircraft. The single
leather seats are in a 1–1 configuration
which means that everyone has a window
seat and can enjoy the scenery without
interruption.
The World Islands, Palm Islands, Ju-
meirah Beach, Dubai-land, Sports City,
Burj Al Arab, Burj Dubai, Maritime
City, Port Rashid and Festival City are
only some of the popular tourist sights
you may see on a Seawings scenic flight.
Recently included in the Seawings
offering are Lifestyle, Adventure and
Sport activities, incorporating an array
of events such as golfing, beach activities,
kayaking, snorkelling, sailing, trek-
king and spa treatments. Whether it’s
sailing on a dhow in the blue oceans of
Musandam; or fishing on a Schooner
Dubai World Central Creek
off the beautiful historic
coastline of Ras Al Khaimah;
or flying over the red dunes to
Fujairah’s phenomenal wreck
dives, plentiful coral reefs
and abundant marine life, the
company has a package to suit
your needs.
The flights take off from
the marina at Jebel Ali Golf
& Spa Resort and, to comply
with coastguard regulations,
each passenger needs to carry
their original passport with
them.
Palm Jumeirah

Burj Al Arab

Jumeirah Lakes Dubai Marina

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 13

 IN FOCUS
(All characters in this piece are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone living, not dead, is purely intentional)
T
he kitchen smells of fish, but
my family is vegetarian. The
television in the living room is
on, but I’ve been out at work
all day. The washing machine is busy
too, but I was done with the washing on
Friday. So am I the chosen one for some
extra-terrestrial treat? Before I could con-
jure images of aliens infesting my house,
a lady in her early thirties popped out of
the kitchen with an overstretched smile.
“Hi! I am Angela, Walter’s wife. We were
supposed to move in yesterday evening,
but had to take our daughter to the doc-
tor, so we moved bag and baggage in the
afternoon today. I hadn’t washed clothes
in the last four days, so thought I might as
well get over with that. I hope you don’t
mind the smell of fish. Your husband says
you are a vegetarian. MBC is showing one
of my favourites,” she says, her smile intact
throughout the entire conversation and
finally extending her foamy hands towards
14 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Making room
for others
Sharing your house with another family
or individual is not as easy as it sounds,
says Ambily Vijaykumar
me. I return courtesy with an exhausted
smile and a sigh. It has been a hard day
at work and I needed some rest; that is if
my two-year-old allows me to. “So, they
are finally here - and here to stay,” I said
to myself. “How is your daughter now,” I
ask. “She is better. I have put her to sleep,”
she replies.
Walter is an ex-colleague of my hus-
band. When he was looking for a sharing
accommodation, as fate would have it, my
husband offered to have the family over
at our place. My only introduction to
our ‘future home-mates’ was, “they are in
need, and humanity is primary.”
Apart from humanity, economics be-
hind the act was attractive too I thought.
Having the monthly rentals halved was a
proposition no one could refuse, even if
it meant putting up with a constant third
person during dinner, on the sofa, while
watching a favourite film, or while having
some personal talk. Physical presence
apart, the occasional interventions in the
form of questions was a bonus, as was also
the disappearance and re-appearance of
books from my personal collection in the
living room. But undeniably, having a few
more people at home does add cheer to
an otherwise dull evening. So it was ‘wait
and watch’ with Angela, Walter and their
little one.
Early mornings began with exchang-
ing pleasantries with our new in-house
neighbours. Added to my new task of
re-adjusting the space around us was to
teach my son a new t-word: territory. He
knew toys and treats and he liked them
too, but I knew he would not take a lik-
ing to the new one. He had to be told to
not go into ‘uncle’s room’; not use ‘uncle’s
bathroom’, and not ‘beat their daughter’.
The side-effects of this daily exercise
began to show within a few weeks of the
new folks moving in. I and my husband
would take turns to chase our restless son
who would barge into ‘uncle’s room’.
Their daughter seemed perennially
drawn to us. The Hindu faith believes
in births and re-births. And this one
seemed like a continuation from one of
our previous births. Our son, however,
took a particular dislike for her. “Why do
you touch her and smile at her,” he would
ask us. To which we would explain, “She is
your friend.”
The kitchen, including the refrigera-
tor and washing machine, and the living
room, including the television, was being
shared so as to optimise space. But space
was a constraint in the fridge with their
cooked non-vegetarian curry being stored
alongside my veggies. My utensils always
smelt of freshly chopped fish. But that
was okay as long as I was not eating it.
The washing machine was ours but we
took turns so that the new family also got
to wash their clothes regularly. My only
concern was that they would wash clothes
in running water. “That was criminal
wastage of water,” I told my husband. He a trusted maid to take care of him as well on rent, now, I was back on a ‘house-
spoke to Walter the next day and he got as the house. But February 2009 was mate hunting’ mission. But I had burnt
the point. a tough month. Neither of my parents my fingers and learnt my lessons. Like a
Noise from the television could be could be here and there was still time be- seasoned chess player, I knew my moves.
heard well past eleven at night because fore my maid could be brought to Dubai. So I placed an advertisement on a property
Walter was a sports buff and most cricket I left my son at a relative’s place near my website giving a detailed description of my
matches were telecast late at night. We house for the whole day and put up with requirements. It was almost like hunting
had been through the sharing business his anger and frustration after I returned for a husband. Back in India matrimonial
twice before this one. While one experi- from work every day. He was missing be- websites have details of height, weight,
ence was excellent, the other was unbear- ing at home. Adding fuel to the fire was complexion, caste, religion, salary bracket
able. The third one too was showing signs a jobless Walter, his angry wife, and his and also family status requirements in
of the same. The kids would quarrel, ‘now aggressive’ daughter. them. I was being kind with only three
Angela would shout, Walter would watch But our perseverance paid off and adjectives in the requirements category for
TV, and we would watch them like specta- the maid was in Dubai within a month, our ‘house-mates’. After the last experi-
tors in our own house. So we made it a cutting short our ordeal. However, her ence, that wasn’t asking for too much I
point to go for long evening walks, hoping presence meant that Walter and his fam- thought.
that by the time we got back, they were ily would have to leave. Soon I realised that I was asking for
off to sleep. Sometimes our wishes were We did not know how to approach the sky. Hence, I began trimming my
granted, but mostly we came home to the the issue. But again, as fate would have requirement list to find that I was being
quarrelling couple. it, Walter found a job in Sharjah and flooded with calls and was being spoilt for
As if all this was not enough, the wanted to move there because he was choice. That is when I realised that I have
global economic crisis too made its way being offered a room on a sharing basis probably outgrown the old saying ‘Once
into our home (that is true of each home by one of his relatives. Our job was made bitten twice shy’. With an advantage of
today). And that made the need for having easy and my maid (also a vegetarian), put experience, I can now hope for the best
someone to share our rental load more up with fish, meat and eggs for two weeks and be prepared for the worst.
pressing. But fate had something else in before Walter and his family moved out.
store for Walter. Three months after mov- After nailing the idea of ‘territory’ into
ing into our house, he lost his job. Despite his innocent mind, I had to now teach
our lack of fondness for our home-mates, him to redraw his boundaries, if only for
we decided to put up with things, because a temporary period.
we couldn’t rub salt into their wounds. The fear of new rental increases in the
I began working towards the end of area of Dubai where we stay mellowed my
2008. My parents took turns to come to dislike for house-mates. Having sworn
Dubai to take care of my son till we found never to give out any room in the house

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 15

 DILEMMA
Focus on an element
of a winning mind
By Kevin Abdulrahman
What does winning the game of life
mean?
Life is a game, and winning is the equiva-
lent of success in whatever is of importance
to you in this world.
In your talks, you speak about a win-
ning mind - can you describe it in one
sentence?
A winning mind is a very broad topic - it
is a mind that is in control of emotions, a
mind that is courageous, a mind that looks
for the other side of the coin, a mind that
is focussed on achieving their goals and
desires.
Let’s talk about focus. Tell us more
about the importance of having focus in
your life.
Our lives are filled with events (big and
small) that occur on a daily basis, that’s
the beauty of life. With so much going
on, it requires those with a winning mind
to stay on course without being distracted
by surrounding influences. If you are not
focussed, you tend to lag behind in your
commitments, your tasks and also achiev-
ing your goals. To be productive in your
personal and professional life, you need
to be focussed and able to deflect life’s
distractions.
How serious is this issue of lack of focus?
Think of the signal that streams to your
satellite dish. When uninterrupted, it
gives you a crystal clear picture on your
TV. What happens when there is interfer-
ence in the signal, due to say wind or
thunderstorms? The signal is interrupted
and as a result, the picture on the screen is
affected.
16 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Kevin Abdulrahman
The signal is the focus. The picture on
the screen is the result.
On the face of it, people don’t realise
the price they pay for not being focussed.
Especially at a time like this, many have
let the economical and environmental
factors distract them. This distraction
brings about lower productivity in peo-
ple’s personal lives. Within organisations,
this has resulted in reduced productivity
and therefore a reduction in potential
earnings.
What about those who want to have a
few things on their plate, so to speak, to
get ahead?
This is a trap faced by most people
wanting to win in their game of life.
Sometimes it seems like you are getting
ahead by having so much on your plate,
“Once the Mind is
nourished, people tend
to find that their world
unlocks to a new level in
both their personal and
professional lives”. KA
but focussing on completing one task at a
time actually helps you achieve more. It
may be boring, it may look dull, but you
will achieve more, one task at a time. I see
so many young entrepreneurs who are al-
ways looking for the next best thing, who
are always trying to put deals together,
who feel that they need to have their
fingers in every single pie that they hear
of. What they don’t realise is their energy
is dissipated and they cannot achieve the
higher result they would have if focussed
on a single task at a time.
Imagine you wanted to start a fire
on a straw mat using a magnifying glass.
Can you start a fire if you keep on mov-
ing the magnifying glass? We all know
that one must hold the magnifying glass
at a certain point over time in order to
focus the rays from the sun. As a result,
a fire is started by staying put and staying
focussed. So I usually say, once you start a
fire, then you can use that fire to start your
other fires.
A well-known icon focussed his skill of
picking and buying stocks in undervalued
companies and watched them flourish in
their due time. As a result, he amassed a
great deal of wealth. That man is Warren
Buffet, the second richest man in the
world. He applied the simple principle of
focus.

So how does one manage to do so with-

out going off course?
In whatever aspect of life, you must always
ask yourself a simple question, “what price
will I have to pay?” What is the price that
you will have to pay to remain focussed
to achieve a given task? Once you have
answered that, you then ask yourself what
is the price you will have to pay if you are
distracted because life got in your way?
Once you have both answers, you can
weigh up which will cost you more. When
I take my clients through this exercise,
they usually realise that the price they pay
for being distracted is much higher than
the price of staying focussed. I also suggest
to my clients that they have little rewards
attached to completing a task, something
to look forward to. This can be getting
a cup of your favourite vanilla latte once
you have finished your project, catching
up with a friend once you have completed
your assignments or going on a vacation
with your family once you close a specific
business deal.

Can one obtain focus overnight?

It amazes me how many people are resist-
ant to change in their environment or in
the actions they have to take. Yet the same
people have an expectation of immediate
results. You will find that like most things
in life, focus becomes easier with practice
and time.
We weren’t born running; after learn-
ing how to move using our limbs, we
learned to crawl, then we learned how to
balance after hundreds of hard hitting
falls, then we started to walk. After that
we learned to run, then got on our bikes
and learned to ride and then drive. Some
of us have learned to fly and those who
took it all their way even learned to get to
the moon. The same applies with achiev-
ing immense focus in your life, take one
step at a time and most important of
all, never give up. Keep doing it, persist
and know that it will be hard especially
when times are tough and you are under
pressure. You will find that in time,
mastering focus will show in the fire of
your results.
A winning mind knows that every day
spent focusing on an end reward moves it
one step closer to attaining its goals. No
matter how minute the results, by focuss-
ing more, you will see yourself achieving
more. When you start to achieve, you
grow confident, but that is a different
topic altogether… “Have a winning day.”
Kevin Abdulrahman is an internation-
al author of the book Winning The Game
Of Life. He is also a world-class inspira-
tional keynote speaker, a sought after mind
nutrition expert, and a mind coach to the
elite in every field. Kevin provides cus-
tomised trainings to his clients, including
individuals, teams, companies and athletes
who want to catapult from where they are
to where they want to and should be. If
you want to go from good to great log on
to www.MeetWithKevin.com or email his
team on Coaching@MeetWithKevin.com

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 17

 BEAUTY

Painting a unique you

By Parinaaz Navdar

O
ne morning last
month, instead Moni Atieh shared her make-up tips
of Arabic cuisine,
Xennya, the Arabic
restaurant at Holiday Inn Dubai-
Al Barsha, was full of women of all
types and ages waiting to be shown
how to make themselves beautiful
on a day-to-day basis. The cap-
tivated audience discovered Lise
Watier’s cosmetic ranges, available
at Paris Gallery. A passionate
Moni Atieh, Lise Watier’s national
trainer for the UAE, explained
how Canada’s No. 1 beauty
brand and award-winning name
shot to international success. A model volunteered to have her face cleaned Ladies at the beauty workshop
The ladies were introduced to and then made-up to show a new look
the extensive, intelligent skin-care
lines formulated for the active woman. foundation and use compact or loose pow- to keep it on for a meeting she had later in
These included the firm’s latest anti-ageing der which suits their skin type better. the day. The trick here, says Moni, is blend-
range and cosmetic breakthrough called Razia Desai was chosen from the ing – the eye shadow should be blended
‘l’experience’.  audience to have a make-over with each in with the eyeliner, using a flat brush, to
As the morning progressed, Moni step being carefully explained by Moni, get the desired effect. White eye shadow
had lots of handy tips for the audience. who also cheerfully answered questions lightly dusted just under the eyebrow
She stressed that the base for any makeup from the audience while continuing with completes the look.
should always be a good moisturiser with her dabbing and smoothing of creams and ‘Savannah Dreams’, the current
SPF20, at least, in a place as sunny as water-resistant eye-liner pencils which seasonal look from Lise Watier, was a hit
Dubai. double-up as eye shadows when smudged among the ladies, with the fashionably
To choose your foundation, it is best to along the eyelid. exotic appeal of its nude, tawny hues. As
see which shade matches best against the Razia was very pleased with the result. Emile S. Farran, Cosmetics Division Man-
inside of your arm, near the wrist. This is At first, she said, she was “very worried ager of Gulf Beauty International said,
because the top is more exposed to the sun about the orange eye shadow” because “Every woman is beautiful. Lise Watier is
while you’re out or driving. Also, people most colours tend not to suit her. She was about being beautiful and unique at the
with oily skin should stay away from liquid pleasantly surprised, however, and decided same time.”

The Landmark Group has launched its first beauty retail concept in the Middle East, Beautybay,
at the Oasis Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road. It has a range of internationally renowned beauty
products encompassing both value and luxury offerings. A gallery for make-up, fragrances, skincare,
facial, bath and body ranges, hair salon and beauty accessories, the store stocks several exclusive
brands including Diego Dalla Palma, Erborian, Fenix, Rouge Bunny Rouge, and Mojo Fragrances
along with brand favourites such as Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani,
Calvin Klein and Christian Dior. The shop has in-house make-up artists and beauty experts to
assist shoppers, along with individually designed beauty treatment rooms for private skin consulta-
tions and make-over’s.
Areej, the cosmetics and perfume retail chain, continues its expan-
sion by opening its fifteenth store in the UAE at the Dubai Marina
Mall. This is part of the company’s growth plan to be present in
strategically located shopping arenas throughout the UAE. On
a total floor space of 1,750 square feet, the store offers a broad
array of products from the top brands including Dior, Guerlain,
Lancôme, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Estee Lauder,
Clinique, Clarins, La Prairie and many more

18 l UAE Digest, June 2009

 CHILDREN

Cycling for charity across

the UAE and Europe

G
uido De Wilde, Vice Presi-
dent, Regional Director of
Starwood Hotels and Resorts
in the Middle East, will par-
ticipate in a cross-country cycling trip in
Europe in September to raise $100,000 to
support education and other programmes
for homeless children. Guido, who began
his career with Starwood in 1983, has
been likened to the famous Godot, from
Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot.
However, no-one will be waiting for
Guido as he has already begun his charity
drive to reach out to the deprived and
impoverished children of the world.
Age has not been a hindrance for
the 50-year-old VP, who developed the
initiative in addition to his challeng-
ing role of managing and leading the
development of Starwood’s brands in the
Middle East. Guido, who is Belgian and
can communicate in
seven languages, is
based in the UAE. He
began training for the
trip by cycling from Al
Dhaid in Sharjah to
Starwood’s East Coast Guido de Wilde cycled from Al Dhaid to
property, Le Méridien Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
Al Aqah Beach Resort
in Al Fujairah.
“Age will never stop you if you are France and Spain.
honestly seeking to help others and Guido looks at this participation as a
ease their pain, as the results of such a rejuvenation of his soul, not only because
humanitarian deed will be of a great help it is just a form of sport, but also because it
to overcome the difficulties and fatigue is essentially associated with the concept
associated with this noble journey,” said of CSR. “My participation was organised
Guido. through my company, which launched
In September 2009, Guido will par- a non-profit initiative with the aim to
ticipate in a 360-km bike race over three further strengthen and enhance Unicef ’s
days, where he will climb seven moun- programmes for the unprivileged children
tain summits on the borders between of the world.”

50 years of ‘no more tears’

Johnson’s Baby, the world-wide trusted
baby skincare expert, is celebrating the
50th anniversary of its ‘No More Tears’
(NMT) formula this year, which has
brought laughter and fun to mothers and
during bath time
babies world-wide during bath time for half
a century.
Mothers understand the importance
of selecting the right products which will
gently cleanse the baby’s body without
causing irritation to their eyes, skin and
hair, leaving room only for cheerful memo-
ries during bath time. Fifty years ago, based
on the deep understanding of the mother
and baby relationship, Johnson’s Baby
developed a new set of safety standards to
mark the quality and gentleness of its mild,
cleansing, soap-free shampoos; thus ‘No
More Tears’ formula was born.
Now recognised world over, and recom-
mended by 95per cent of paediatricians in
the Middle East, the NMT formula is not
only available in Johnson’s Baby Shampoo,
but also in body cleansers and wipes. So
all over tender and safe care is provided
for newborns and growing toddlers of all
stages.

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 19

 HEALTH & WELLNESS

Tanning your hide

A
ccording to Skin Cancer
Research UK, children who
have had sunburn at an early
age have double the chance of
developing skin cancer later in life. “This is
why children, especially, must be protected
from the sun,” says Dr Rolf Soehnchen,
consultant dermatologist at the American
Hospital Dubai. “This same caution and
need for protection also applies to adults,
whose skin can age prematurely through
over-exposure to the sun,” he adds. Dr
Soehnchen was speaking at a community
information session held at the Ameri-
can Hospital Dubai recently, which was
arranged free of charge to attendees along
with skin screening days.
The skin acts as a barrier, helping to
regulate our temperature, receive sensory
impulses and synthesise vitamin D. How-
ever, extended sun exposure can break
down the barrier and damage the skin,
causing a high risk of long-term damage.
“Sun exposure, in general, causes La Roche-Posay held free skin consultations and electronic diagnosis near the
short-term and long-term damage over the pharmacy in The American Hospital’s Outpatients Department.
course of our lives; this includes permanent
destruction of the skin’s supporting struc- tect their skin with a minimum of SPF 30 and the epidermis. Therefore, exposure to
ture, premature wrinkling, pre-cancerous in this part of the world. Nevertheless, it is sunlight is still dangerous even when the
skin lesions, drug reactions, eye damage, important for all six skin types to protect sun is not visible.
dilated blood vessels, sunburn and the their skin with sunscreen. “Most people are exposed to sunlight
most dangerous is skin cancer,” warns Dr Dr Soehnchen explodes another popu- on a daily basis and protection is therefore
Soehnchen. lar idea: “Another common myth is the necessary,” Dr Soehnchen says. “The top
There are many myths about exposure idea that the more a parent exposes a child rules for effective protection include avoid-
to the sun, such as that a suntan is healthy to the sun, the more the child will get used ing direct exposure to the sun between the
because it protects the body from sunburn. to it. Contrary to popular belief, the more hours of midday and 4pm, as that is the
However, a suntan is not a sign of healthy exposure to the sun, the greater the risk of period when the sun’s rays are strongest;
skin. There are six skin types, 1 (pale white long-term sun damage and the develop- never expose a child under three years old
skin), 2 (White), 3 (White average), 4 ment of more dangerous problems.” to the sun; and avoid long sun exposure,
(Beige or Lightly Tanned), 5 (Moderate There is a popular belief that the sun even if protected by SPF (sunscreen) which
Brown or Tanned) and 6 (Dark Brown or is dangerous only when it is visible and should be used every time the skin is ex-
Black). Depending on the skin type, some strong. In reality, UVA rays are constant posed to the sun even when it’s cloudy, and
people will tan and/or burn more easily and do not depend on season, latitude or it should be re-applied every two hours.
than others. In particular, people who have time of day. UVA rays are not stopped en- All children should be protected with a
skin types one, two and three need to pro- tirely by barriers such as windows, clouds hat, sunglasses, T-shirt and sunscreen.

20 l UAE Digest, June 2009

No smoking day
D
ubai Healthcare City
(DHCC) signed up 500
smokers who committed
to a 30-day Quit and Win
programme to give up smoking, which
started on May31, World No Tobacco
Day. A recruitment drive was held two
weeks before the big day through health
information stands in shopping malls
and workshops within major organisa-
tions, including Dubal, Dubai Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, Noor Dubai,
and Dubai Ladies Club.
Dr Ayesha Abdullah, Senior Vice-
President of DHCC said: “Tobacco use is
the single most preventable cause of pre-
mature death and disease. As a healthcare
city committed to excellence, with over
1,400 physicians, DHCC has a responsi-
bility to increasing health awareness and
supporting disease prevention through
initiatives such as Quit and Win. It is
never too late to stop smoking and I hope
the efforts of people taking part in this
programme will encourage more smokers
to make the life-saving decision to end
their addiction.”
Khider Mustafa, an employee of
DHCC who signed up to Quit and Win
said: “I have been smoking for 15 years. I
have thought about trying to give it up in
the past but never made a firm commit-
ment. What I like about Quit and Win
is that it is focused on behaviour and
having the right support network, rather
than any alternative ‘smoking’ products.
I know the next 30 days are not going
to be easy but neither is the future if I
continue smoking, so I am entering this
programme with both apprehension and
hope.”
Dubai Municipality also observed the
special day with a wide variety of activi-
ties in its various buildings and public
libraries. An exhibition was organised
by the Clinic and Community Health
Section of the Public Health Services De-
partment explaining how smoking affects
different organs of human beings. It also
showed the difference between normal
lungs and diseased ones. The lung of the
smoker cannot expand like an ordinary
one. Tar collected in a jar on an exhibit
shows how much tar goes into the lungs
if a person smokes 10 cigarettes a day for
a period of one month. The exhibition
also showed how much smoking affects
the mouth.
Nusaiba Hassan Qaid, Head of
Clinic and Community Health Section
said the ‘No Tobacco Day’ campaign will
continue throughout the month of June,
and after the summer, it will spread to for ladies to do now and shows that the
schools, colleges and universities in the health risks of smoking are not just about
emirate. cigarettes,” said Dr. Bassam Mahboub, a
More local women are taking up chest physician and Vice Chairman of the
smoking shisha as part of a worrying Emirates Respiratory Society.
new lifestyle trend within the UAE, Smoking cessation clinics needed to
respiratory doctors revealed last month. be set up in women’s health centres and
Although traditionally it is men who maternity hospitals to help women quit,
smoke in the Middle East, doctors say added Dr. Mahboub. Such clinics, which
they are seeing increasing numbers of offer addiction counselling and access to
women with respiratory complaints and new anti-smoking medications, such as
smoking-related diseases, as a result of Pfizer’s Champix, have been shown to be
shisha smoking. highly successful, upping quit rates almost
“We do not know how many ladies four-fold after 12 weeks.
smoke shisha, because they go to a pri- “Women using shisha is a major prob-
vate area of a café and smoke, but we are lem, and when they come for a pregnancy
in the process of conducting research to test, they should be asked about this and
determine how prevalent water-pipe shi- encouraged to stop, and quit smoking
sha smoking has become. It’s a big thing clinics should be there to help them,”
concluded Dr. Mahboub.
Eng. Redha Salman at the exhibition held on the occasion
of the World No Tobacco Day at Dubai Municipality
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 21
 HOME
Beds and baths
M
ore than 30 years ago ‘And
So To Bed’, a specialist firm
in fine antique beds, was
founded. When demand
outstripped supply, they began to manufac-
ture their own designs based on traditional
pieces and opened their first shop on the
Kings Road, London. Traditionalists at
heart, the design team drew inspiration
from a vast array of historical designs,
from a Louis Philippe lit bateau to gilded
Baroque styles, Gothic four posters fit for
a castle to wonderful pure brass Victo-
rian bedsteads. Alongside these antique-
inspired pieces, they also have timeless
classics, perfect for contemporary interiors.
From the simplest design to the grand-
est fantasy, these beds are heirlooms;
hand-made and hand finished by artisans
who are devoted to their craft. There is a
breathtaking variety of polished wood, ve-
neers and bespoke paint finishes available.
Complementing the beds, are beautiful
bedroom furniture in an eclectic range
of styles as well as all the final finishing
touches; from lamps and throws to luxuri-
ous linens, pillows and duvets.
And So To Bed also specialises in mat-
tresses and divans, offering the very best
selection of quality ranges. The dedicated
mattress area in every showroom is staffed
by highly trained experts who will help you
make the perfect choice for the best night’s
sleep of your life. If you have a dream
bed in mind, talk to the specialists in the
22 l UAE Digest, June 2009
showrooms and they will do their best to
make it a reality.
RAK Ceramics, the world’s largest
ceramic manufacturer, has launched
its ‘Elegance Ceramics’, a high-fashion
brand that caters to the needs and modern
demands of its growing portfolio of
elite customers in key markets around
the world. Targeting a high-value niche
market, this serves as a ceramics boutique
whose new concept opens fresh creative
possibilities and expands the horizon for
innovation to satisfy the unique artistic
demands of select customers who are will-
ing to pay a premium. Accordingly, RAK
Ceramics has opened exclusive Elegance
Ceramics Boutiques in Dubai, Abu Dhabi
and Ras Al Khaimah to complement its
showrooms. The new top-range products
feature a distinct fusion of art and fashion
through an extensive array of concept de-
signs created by leading Italian designers.
Abdallah Massaad, Assistant CEO,
RAK Ceramics said: “Elegance Ceramics
is the perfect fit for customers with a dis-
tinctive taste in fashion, innovation and
style. RAK Ceramics is keen to cultivate
the immense potential of such a premium
niche market as there has been an excel-
lent growth in demand for high-fashion
ceramic products and designs. With this
range we have achieved greater flexibility
to offer a more dedicated, diverse and per-
sonalised range of products and services.
It delivers rich design concepts that cater
to different tastes and conforms to diverse
lifestyles.”
“Our products are certainly not just
mere wall claddings; they ultimately serve
as an inspirational fashion statement and
a metaphor for the emotions of life itself.
This launch expands our scope for creativ-
ity and innovation, which will seal our
reputation as a leading trend-
setter and fashion icon in the
global ceramics industry,”
added Massaad.
“This launch is part of
a strategy to continuously
expand our market base,
create new revenue streams
and ultimately increase
profits. Moreover, it dem-
onstrates RAK Ceramics’
resilience and its unique
ability to remain focused on
its goals despite the global
economic challenges. We
have performed exceedingly well in 2008,
a highly delicate period that saw other
companies sustain diminished sales and
profits. More importantly, RAK Ceramics
continues to showcase a positive perform-
ance this year as profits have now reached
over Dh65 million in the first quarter of
2009 alone. These are clear indications
that the company is in the right direction
towards achieving another banner year,”
said Massaad.
RAK Ceramics has an installed capac-
ity of 325,000 square metres per day for
tiles and 12,000 pieces per day for sanitary
wares, through 10 modern tile plants and
two sanitaryware plants at its two million
square metre manufacturing facility in
Ras Al Khaimah. The company exports
its innovative products and designs to over
135 countries, targeting architects, project
developers and retail customers.

Wear it
with style
True style is in the details
F
or over three decades now, Stefano Ricci
has focused on maintaining the highest
standards of Italian craftsmanship in
the men’s apparel and accessories that
he designs. Inspired by a family tradition of travel
and the sophisticated atmosphere of his Florentine
hometown, the designer has developed a passion
for fabric weaving, which now fuels his continu-
ing search for new materials and more innovative
textile production processes. For example, he uses
high-quality cotton from Egypt and the finest silk
from China, where he has observed traditional
modes of fabric making. Also interested in hand-
printed fabrics, Ricci combines different colours to
create pieces that have a unique graphic identity.
Among the brand’s current offerings are the
Luxury Collection, which consists of exclusively
printed silk ties and shirts, and the Millennium
Luxury Collection, which includes silk embroi-
dered tuxedos, cummerbunds, shirt ties and
bowties accented with Swarovski crystals. Because
details mean so much to this designer, he believes
that every gentleman should also have a good
selection of small but essential accessories such as
jeweled cuff links that add colour and elegance to
any masculine outfit.
It appeals to the urbane man who travels widely
and appreciates objects that are meticulously
crafted from extraordinary materials and is pre-
ferred by Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise and
Robert de Niro, as well as by numerous business
and political leaders.
Stefano Ricci’s latest ready-to-wear collection
and accessories are available at selected Rodeo
Drive boutiques across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Marks & Spencer Al-Futtaim, has launched an
exclusive collection designed by renowned interna-
tional fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. ‘Zandra
Rhodes, Exclusively for Marks & Spencer’ is a cap-
sule collection of key pieces incorporating iconic
Zandra Rhodes prints. Available in Womenswear
(both smart wear and accessories), the collection
uses five original prints in a variety of colourways.
FASHION
The range was designed by the M&S in-house
design team, in collaboration and consultation
with the designer.
Zandra Rhodes is one of the world’s most dis-
tinguished and known fashion designers. Born in
England, she was introduced to fashion at an early
age by her mother and graduated from Medway
College of Art and then the Royal College of Art
in London, majoring in textile design. From the
moment her early textile designs appeared in the
1960s, Zandra established herself as a designer
who would create fashion. In the 1970s, she was
one of the new wave of designers that put London
at the forefront of the international fashion scene.
Her image and lifestyle have always been as flam-
boyant, glamorous and extroverted as her designs.
Having firmly stamped her identity on the inter-
national world of fashion, Zandra designed for the
late Diana, Princess of Wales, and continues to
create her inimitable designs for renowned figures
around the world. Her honours include being
made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
by the Queen in 1997.
A fashion show held recently at Coral Deira,
Dubai raised the curtain on a range of uniforms
offering new levels of sophistication and vibrancy.
These were designed by Francois Desroches, Crea-
tive Director, MPJ – Marketing Pro-junction and
will henceforth be worn by staff across all proper-
ties managed by Coral Hotels & Resorts.
Francois distinguishes himself with his
unconventional use of pattern, fabric and shape.
And now, he has come up with an absolutely spec-
tacular range of uniforms titled Notorious that’s
exclusively designed for the hotel chain. Notorious
is divided into three lines: Majestic for 5-star plus
hotels; City Chic for 4-star hotels and Fantasy
for resorts. Francois is a showman. He not only
creates dresses but creates spectacles. Notorious is
an incredible collection that makes a strong state-
ment. It is a kaleidoscope of colours studded with
exquisite details. And yet, a practical elegance runs
through the entire collection.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 23
 FASHION
Modesty always in
style
Her work can be described as hip, classy and a fusion of East meets
West with a touch of modesty. Rabis.M meets Rabia in London and
discusses how it feels to touch the international base at the Arabian
Fashion World event, and how modesty is now the new ‘in’
A
s I waited for the Arabian
Fashion World event to begin
at the Intercontinental Hotel
in London’s posh area of Park
Lane, the crowd kept mounting up in the
hall. It was an event organised by the Arab-
British Chamber of Commerce in aid of
Islamic Relief Charity, the first-of-its-kind
in London. The reception was full of cor-
porate bigshots and members of the Saudi
royal family plus others who attended
this prestigious event. Among the fashion
designers from the Middle East who really
stood out was Rabia.Z, a UAE national.
Other designers included Saudi fashion de-
signer Amina Al Jassim, Moroccan Samira
Haddouchi, Jordanian Omar Kashoura
and Abed Mahfouz from Lebanon. At the
end of the show, designers had the opportu-
nity to interact with the public; it was then
that I really looked forward to congratulate
Rabia.Z on her outstanding fashion collec-
tion. She appeared to be a very friendly and
smiling individual.
Rabia Z was born in Dubai and com-
pleted her schooling at Cambridge High
School. She carried on studying business
as her major and took fashion classes for
over three years in New York, California
and Dubai. She was offered a place at the
London College of Fashion where she
completed her post-graduation.
For Rabia, the people around her have
always been a driving force. She recollects
how, as a teenager, she was reminded of her
strong fashion sense and good fashion fore-
casting: “My first mentor was my mother,
24 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Rabia Z
who owned a very chic boutique. This is
where I had the opportunity to play and
dress up as a little girl.”
When she first started taking up
fashion courses at the Fashion Institute
of Technology and Business in New
York, she had worked at the Valentino
store, where her manager Giorgio and his
fashion magazine stylist wife Christine
mentored her.
“Christine taught me and both of
them highly encouraged me as a free-
lance fashion designer. I freelanced as an
evening wear designer from the age of
18, and since then, I officially launched
my label in Dubai. My fashion industry
mentor is my dear friend Soniya Kripalani,
who is also an award-winning film-maker.
I am also represented as one of her stories
for her upcoming documentary.”
Fashion for every individual has its
own definition. For some it is about
following a certain trend even if it does
not suit you but for Rabia, fashion is all
about self-expression and a style that is
widespread at a given time. “For me, style
is more than just fashion. As the experts
quote: ‘Style is forever’, my logo for the
past nine years has been revolving around
modesty: ‘Where modesty is always in
style’.”
It was no surprise when Rabia men-
tioned the names of Yoji Yamamoto as her
works remind of Yoji’s creations, but of
course, inspiration is pivotal to every soul.
She further adds the name of John Gal-
liano for his creativity.
Rabia’s participation at the Arabian
Fashion World was an excellent platform
for her on an international level. She was
thrilled to be nominated as one of the five
designers to exhibit their collections.
“I was fortunate to have this opportu-
nity and the best part is that aside from
showing my collection in London, I have
received such a warm welcome to my
designs and styles, without having to edit
my work to suit the needs and demands of
a very selective event. I have been able to
show my work fully styled the way I nor-
mally do on the ramps - having the models
stylishly covered.”
It is undoubtedly true that Rabia has
revolutionised the face of Western fashion
by incorporating it with an Eastern touch
- it seems very hip and chic, yet modest.
She feels totally blessed and grateful and
highly accomplished, for it is certainly hard
work putting such creative ideas together
and implementing them with an excellent
collection. The influences are unique and
the collections are something never ever
produced by any other Emirati female
fashion designer.
Rabia explains what led her to launch
her brand. “I started wearing the hijab back
in America nine years ago and then sold
basic long dress-shirts and tunics on my
old website. Typically, in the Arab region,
one can either expect too traditional or too
modern a dress style, where it’s not modest
or covers enough. That balance has been
very hard to find in the last decade. There
were no pret-a-porter labels specialising in
such a concept.”
Going international is something that
should not come as a surprise to Rabia’s fu-
ture plans, as she certainly has that on her
mind. When her brand was first launched
at the 2007 Dubai Fashion Week as an
emerging talent winner, she immediately
planned her sub-label Ruby and wanted to
launch it in the US at The Target stores.
“This goes back one and a half years ago,
before they started collaborating with
renowned designers which is the next big
thing done by them and H&M today.
Though, I must admit it is harder to get
in.”
In order to make sure you are on the
right path of success, it is important to
ensure you are not lacking any determi-
nation, creativity and talent, which no
fashion school can ever teach you. Rabia
focuses on consistency and hard work,
clear and unshakeable vision. Even though
there is a great deal of struggle involved,
along with sacrifice and compromise, and
also battling for values, it is important not
to give up and never to lose the purpose of
accomplishing a dream.
No creativity is complete without the
support of loved ones, Rabia adds that it
is through their support that she has been
able to come this far in such a short period
of time. She is a daughter, sister, wife and a
mother to her four-year-old son.
She feels that one of the biggest chal-
lenges faced by designers in the Gulf is
how the big malls don’t give retail space
to region’s designers. This is something
that needs to change.  Personally, she does
not feel any kind of competition as many
designers work harmoniously. However,
she adds that, comparatively, launching
oneself as a designer in Dubai is not as hard
as it is abroad. “Women can easily launch
their labels here and outsource their work
locally through tailoring shops. If they
don’t have significant training and a profes-
sional production team to work with, it
can be very difficult to be taken as a serious
professional. Custom pieces like abayas and
evening gowns are easier to make here. But
ready-to-wear and mass luxury streetwear
is extremely difficult to launch and create
locally.”
Since Rabia has got back from London,
things have been hectic for her. She has just
finished another fashion show in Dubai
and is now looking forward to the Dubai
Fashion Fiesta in June. “I will be back in
London for another show in July, so I am
looking forward to that, and I can’t say
much at the moment, except that it will be
very exciting.”
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 25
 HOSPITALITY
Sizzling summer offers
R
ecreation-wise you may think
the UAE’s sun is too hot to
weather, but there are ways
around that uncomfortable
thought. After all, many people from
around the world pay hard-earned money
to come and visit the country and enjoy
what is on offer during this time. Air-con-
ditioned shopping malls, hotels and DSS
events beckon. Take a tip from the tour-
ists, put it together with local knowhow
and enjoy the less crowded atmosphere.
Go on, get off the sofa, go out somewhere
and enjoy yourself.
There is summer value at Atlantis The
Palm with rooms available from Dh800
until September 19. This price includes
lots of complimentary things such as:
• unlimited access to Aquaventure – the
regions’ largest waterpark
• access to Lost Chambers where there
are over 20 marine habitats within the
26 l UAE Digest, June 2009
sunken avenues of the Lost City
• access to Kids Club for one day; the
club has daily supervised activities
with a focus on adventure, play, explo-
ration and education
• access for Club Rush for one day; this
is a supervised club where teens can
hang out
• one free massage when you book a
massage at Atlantis Spa, and
• preferential rates at Dolphin Bay
Earlybirds at Legends Steakhouse,
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club can
enjoy reduced prices between 6:30pm
and 8:30pm every day and receive a three-
course choice menu and half a bottle of
vintage for Dh190. A perfect opportu-
nity to sample superb food in magnificent
surroundings. Tel: 2956000
Emirates Golf Club’s Friday Family
Brunch provides something for all the
family. Located in The Conservatory
Atlantis Mayan Temple with sharks
Restaurant & Terrace, this informal
brunch offers an international buffet
with an English carvery, live pasta station
and crepes, at Dh115 for adults and Dh55
for under 12s, available from 12noon to
3pm. For reservations Tel: 3802222
Views restaurant, Le Meridien Al
Aqah, Fujairah, is offering a value-
packed Friday lunch from 12.30pm to
3.30pm, priced at Dh222, including
unlimited bubbly. Visit www. lemeridien.
com/fujairah
Go to the Super Quiz Nights at the
Courtyard by Marriott ballroom on
Thursday the 4th , 18th and 25th of June
from 8pm till late in the night. Team up
with friends, family or colleagues for a
fun night where you can win huge prizes
with Deano and Justin as your hosts. Test
your general, sports or entertainment
knowledge in teams from four up to eight
persons. At the end of the series, the team
Sunset at Creek Clubhouse
with most points will win the super prize.
For bookings call 8852222.
Friday brunch with a side order of
‘Free Wheels’ at the Courtyard by Mar-
riott. No worries, sit back and relax as
you will be driven to and from the hotel
for free. A memorable day awaits you and
your family at Cucina the Italian Kitchen
where you enjoy the best of trattoria style
cuisine. Each Friday from 12noon to 4 pm
Dubai-based luxury hotel company,
Jumeirah Group, has recently introduced
a unique global promotion, offering
parents around the world the chance to
treat themselves and their children to the
perfect summer holiday at some of the
most luxurious hotels in the world. Its
iconic five-star hotels and resorts in Du-
bai, London and New York will be offer-
ing guests amazing value and memorable
experiences with ‘Jumeirah Summer Days’
which will enable families with children
below 15 years of age staying and eating on
a complimentary basis at their Jumeirah
hotel of choice. The host of benefits also
includes a complimentary buffet break-
fast, internet and movies, and a daily gift
certificate redeemable in spas, sports and
leisure facilities, and restaurants and bars.
Both the young and the young-at-heart
staying in Jumeirah’s Dubai hotels will
also receive complimentary access to Wild
Wadi Water Park.
Dh450 per room per night is what it
will take to indulge the comfort of beauti-
fully appointed classic rooms and other
facilities at Al Murooj Rotana Dubai this
summer. Hurry to make your booking
as there are a limited number of rooms
allocated for this promotion. The rate is
valid until September 15 on room only largely credited for the rise of jazz music
basis and subject to 10pc Municipality in the UAE, will perform tunes from New
fees and 10pc service charge. Orleans from 8pm to 11pm. Ladies will re-
Located in the heart of Park Hyatt ceive a cocktail upon arrival, compliments
where large windows overlook Dubai of the house, and all guests will get to
Creek, The Lounge is surrounded by sev- choose from a variety of starters, entrees,
eral water features and a central indoor sides and desserts from a European café-
garden, providing a peaceful haven where style a la carte menu.
guests can savour one of the most beloved
of English rituals: afternoon high tea.
Served from 3pm to 7pm daily, this Jazz Musician
light, elegant meal consists of three cours-
es, starting with assorted crustless finger
sandwiches, freshly baked raisin and ap-
ple scones served with clotted cream and
strawberry jam, and, finally, a selection of
tea pastries and cakes. Taking centre-
stage is, of course, an assortment of nine
varieties of fine tea. Afternoon Tea is
priced at Dh115 per couple.
From June 1st until September 18th,
all diners who spend Dh400 in any of
the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira
Creek’s 10 dining venues, and dhow
dinner cruise, will receive a Dh100 cash
voucher, valid until December 30, to be
redeemed during their next visit to any of
the outlets at the hotel.
Warehouse, Le Meridien Dubai’s
newly launched combination of bars,
restaurants, and lounges, is gearing up for
Jazz Nights every Tuesday, in association
with Jack Daniels. Guests will enjoy live
entertainment and Warehouse’s already
popular fusion cuisine at the bar, in ad-
dition to a wide range of beverages. Jazz
Nights will be held at Warehouse’s bars,
in collaboration with Jack Daniels, fea-
turing an exclusive JD cocktail selection
at Dh30 apiece. The Afif Trio, a group
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 27
 HOSPITALITY
Beat the
heat in
Ajman
Kempinski
F
or families deciding to forego
their travel plans due to mon-
etary reasons on account of the
recession, it makes sense to try
out cheaper options locally while chilling
out at the weekends. Ajman has stunning
views of the Arabian Gulf and a beautiful,
pristine beach. In addition, it offers both
a quiet weekend or a lively one, depending
on your taste and inclination.
One good place to escape with your
family on a Thursday night for a two-day
weekend is the Ajman Kempinski, with
its fabulous sea views, luxurious rooms at
affordable rates and a host of facilities like
swimming, yoga, spa, tennis, boating, surf-
ing, plus wining-dining options.
The hotel also offers tennis and yoga
classes. The Mahesh Bhupathy Tennis
Academy (MBTA) opened at the hotel
last year offering comprehensive courses
and training programmes to suit different
levels of players. The hotel also teamed up
with Gems of Yoga to launch regular yoga
sessions at the resort’s Laguna Beach Club,
where expert practitioners guide both
beginners and experienced followers.
For businessmen, the hotel provides
innovative and memorable open-air
meeting experiences. Coined ‘Business
on the Beach’, the concept can encompass
everything from straight-laced board
meetings to swinging Hawaiian ones,
treasure-hunts, orienteering and yoga by
the Arabian Sea. Cleverly planned meet-
ings set among landscaped gardens of the
hotel blend high-speed wireless internet
connection in fixed areas, flip charts,
comfortable seating and the relaxed
ambience of fresh sea breeze. Meetings
can culminate with sundowners by the
poolside, incorporating a themed alfresco
dinner, or fun and exciting team-building
28 l UAE Digest, June 2009
activities such as Beach Olympics, relay
races and water sports.
The hotel has also introduced new
levels of exclusivity with its Leisure Club
room concept which features 24 lavishly
furnished rooms offering a privileged set
of amenities and personalised service.
The rooms are elegantly decorated
with a hint of Arabesque influence. All
rooms have a private balcony with teak
furniture where guests can enjoy private
breakfasts while admiring unspoilt sea
views, or sipping cocktails during daz-
zling sunsets.
HMH signs 15 new hotels
The Arabian Travel Market 2009 paid
rich dividends for HMH – Hospitality
Management Holdings - this year, with
the group adding 15 exciting projects to
its ever-expanding portfolio of world-
class properties. Michel Noblet, CEO,
HMH, said, “This takes our portfolio of
signed contracts to 60.”
Giving details of the signings, Michel
said: “We have finalised a management
contract with YNNA Holdings for a pa-
latial 5-star property in Morocco called
Coral Mogador, Agdal – Marrakech. It
is our biggest project so far and
will include six restaurants, an
exhibition hall and ballroom
with a capacity to accommodate
3,000 people, plus several meet-
ing spaces.”
Another unique addition is
Coral Cosmopolitan Hotel, the
brand’s first project in Cairo.
HMH also formalised contracts
for Coral Martini Aleppo and
Coral Plaza Al Ahsa in KSA.
Opening soon will be Coral
Cape Town, the brand’s first
property in South Africa. Owned by CII
Hotel & Resorts Cape Town (Pty) Ltd
a subsidiary of CII Holdings (Pty) Ltd.,
it is an ultra-luxurious property located
in the heart of the city 20-minute drive
from Cape Town International Airport.
Making the announcement, Group CEO
for CII Holdings, Mr Hamza Farooqui,
said: “We are proud to say that Coral
Cape Town will be open as planned well
in advance of 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
EWA Hotel Apartments doubled
its portfolio of existing properties by
clinching a mega deal with Al Hamra
Palace Group for eight new hotels in
KSA. Michel said: ‘All eight properties
are already operational and spread across
Riyadh City and Jeddah.”
Corp Executive Hotels too secured
a new agreement to manage Corp City
Centre Riyadh - an outstanding property
in KSA. Due for completion next month,
the 86-keys hotel is strategically located
in the commercial hub of Riyadh.
Mr. Michel Noblet, Mr. Hamza Farooqui, Mr.
Ahmad Usman and HE Sheikh Mohammed
bin Faisal Al Qassimi celebrate the fact that
Coral International Cape Town is on schedule
to open later this year, well in advance of the
2010 FIFA World Cup.
Room at Suitehotel Mall of the Emirates
Barsha hotels
T
he first Suitehotel in the Mid-
dle East officially opened on
May 31st in Dubai. Located
within the vicinity of the Mall
of the Emirates on Sheikh Zayed Road,
the hotel offers a new way of hotel living
and easy access to a world-class shopping
mall and an indoor ski slope.
Suitehotel Mall of the Emirates
consists of 180 suites, including 54 Junior
Suites (48 square metres each), 124 Master
Bedrooms (31 square metres) and 2 special
needs rooms. The suites are spacious and
adjustable living areas designed to accom-
modate all lifestyles, whether it is for busi-
ness or for leisure. There is a 24/7 Deli
Boutique with irresistible freshly made
food, as well as the possibility of dining at
‘Amici’, the Italian restaurant, and having
drinks at ‘Ezaz’ bar.
Specific services also include:
• an outdoor temperature-controlled
swimming pool at the rooftop, an
exercise room with the latest fitness
facilities
• Play Station 3 gaming
• a Reading area
• an e -corner in the lobby with free
internet access ; and
• massages offered every Thursday.
The hotel provides complimentary
scheduled shuttle transfers to and from
Dubai International Airport, as well as
shuttle transfers twice daily to Jumeirah
Beach Park.
Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha
Commenting on the opening of
the hotel, Mr. Christophe Landais,
Managing Director Accor Hospitality
Middle East said, “Suitehotel Mall of the
Emirates is an important milestone in
our portfolio as it is the first project of its
kind in the Middle East. A Suitehotel has
recently been inaugurated in Marra-
kech, adding to the network of 25 hotels
worldwide.”
Meanwhile, also in Barsha, Holiday
Inn Dubai welcomed a new General
Manager, Mr Reda Moukthar, at an ex-
clusive cocktail evening. Mr Moukthar,
who assumed the post recently, brings a
strong experience in hospitality, having
worked with top hotel chains worldwide.
Addressing the gathering, Mr
Moukthar said: ‘Times are tough, but we
still see tremendous business potential.
Holiday Inn is a strong name that is
able, by virtue of the brand, to generate
a lot of business. We are confident of a
turnaround in the market. When we look
at our market, we see it as a perfect mix
of both corporate and leisure sectors and
Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha is ideal
for both.’
Having 310 well-appointed rooms,
the hotel is conveniently located next to
the Mall of the Emirates. Included in its
facilities are six outstanding restaurants,
state-of-the-art gymnasium, world-class
meeting rooms and business centre, and a
lovely swimming pool.
Reda Moukthar
Mr Moukthar said, “Our hotel is aver-
aging better than most others in the area.
We have enough built-in appeal to attract
a strong customer base and achieve healthy
occupancy rates.
A special emphasis is being placed on
strengthening the hotel’s appeal to the
corporate sector. We have devised some
unique packages this season that not
only offer good value for money but are
designed around our customers’ needs. At
the same time, we believe in empowering
the staff, allowing employees to use judge-
ment, rather than follow a rule book on
customer service.’
Just nine months into operation,
Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha is
extremely well-positioned in the market.
‘The feedback from our guests has been
phenomenal. Most of the clients are eager
to return.’
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 29
 FOOD
Ruth’s Chris’ Steak House
By Linda Benbow
W
hat do you wear when
going to a steakhouse
to eat? Jeans? Casual
smart? Luckily, I decided
to dress up a bit on hearing that Ruth’s
Chris’ Steak House is situated inside the
Monarch Dubai at One Sheikh Zayed
Road, as the interior of the hotel just oozes
sophistication and comfort. Friendly yet
discreet faces showed us the way to the
mezzanine floor restaurant which is a
gem to discover among the cacophony of
genteel dining choices in Dubai.
America’s largest premium steak
restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steak House
is now in Dubai. The chain has made
its mark in the restaurant world with its
premium quality steaks in true American
style; large portions of indulgent food, an
excellent beverage selection and exquisite
interior design has placed them in a league
of its own. Recently, with their aware-
ness of being a value-driven premium
establishment, the classy diner decided
to offer more choices in portion size and
pricing which now accommodates all
appetites - from the ravenous to the less
indulgent. So, instead of offering one size
of steak portion, which was previously
true to the American sizing of eloquently
large, they are now offering the choice of
two sizes with reduced prices in line with
the change.
A large filet steak, the most tender cut
of corn-fed Midwestern beef, was cooked
to ‘bleu’ perfection as requested, and
enjoyed with the largest fried tomato that
I have seen for a while, creamed spinach
30 l UAE Digest, June 2009
and buttery mashed potato. I decided to
try the petit filet, little filet, which were
two junior-sized but equally thick steaks
topped with curvy prawns cooked top-to-
toe to look like a perfect circle of pink.
Other choices could have been T-bone,
Cowboy ribeye, New York strip and
Porterhouse for two to share.
They serve salads, crab cakes, lobster,
Louisiana seafood gumbo and Porto-
bello mushrooms too. Desserts include
caramelised banana cream pie, and bread
pudding with sauce and cheesecake. Are
you beginning to get the feeling that this
is a feel-good, look-good eatery? You are
not wrong.
The restaurant is open Sunday to
Thursday for lunch and dinner, and on
Friday and Saturday for dinner.
Bread Butter Pudding (serves 6)
Ingredients
• 8 cup French bread with crusts
• 4 cup full cream milk
• 120 grams salted butter
• 2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tablspoon cinnamon
• 9 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 120 grams raisins
Preparation
• Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees celsius
• Cut bread into 3/4 inch squares. Dry
out in 120 degrees celsius oven until
crisp with no colour.
• Place milk and butter in a stock pot
on stove.
• Add 1 cup sugar to milk and butter
stock pot. Bring to a simmer.
• Mix 1 cup sugar and cinnamon
together in a mixing bowl.
• Add eggs, salt and vanilla to cin-
namon and sugar and mix together-
whip until smooth.
• Remove stock pot from heat and
slowly add simmering milk to egg
mixture and whip to incorporate.
Pour into container.
• Core and peel apples and chop into
1/2 inch pieces. Add to custard and
mix well.
• Slowly add French bread and raisons
and mix well.
• Let mixture soak for 30 minutes at
room temperature, mixing every ten
minutes.
Baking
• Grease the inside of 6 mini-cake pans
with softened butter.
• Ladle a heaping 250 grams of bread
pudding batter into the buttered pans
and place onto a sheet pan.
• Repeat with remaining pans. Pans
should be filled to the top.
• Place into pre-heated oven for 40- 50
minutes, until the top of the bread
pudding is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and place on cool-
ing rack for one hour.
Head chef Paul de Visser advises:
“Best served with vanilla ice-cream or hot
vanilla custard.”

Wake up and drink the coffee!
W
ith 800 billion cups
consumed around the
world every year, coffee
comes second as the
most consumed beverage worldwide,
after water. Yet, not many people realise
that the exhilarating aroma, distinctive
taste and invigorating spell they seek in
a cup of coffee, are not all there is to ask
for. Recent scientific research on coffee
brings evidence of several of its positive
effects on health, and eliminates some of
the myths that have burdened the popular
beverage for long.
Perhaps one of the most common
myths attached to coffee consumption is
the effect of caffeine on health. Current
scientific evidence shows that moderate
intake of caffeine does not present any
health hazards. On the contrary, it pro-
vides a number of benefits associated with
mental and physical performance.
Studies have shown that people who
drink coffee are relaxed and more inter-
ested in their work. The caffeine in coffee
helps restore and maintain alertness;
improving performance and enhancing
your mood. When studying, coffee helps
improve attention and wakefulness;
increasing attentiveness and, as a result, it
facilitates learning.
In addition, studies have established
that moderate coffee consumption boosts
energy for better physical performance.
This could help athletes perform better at
endurance exercises as well as high inten-
sity routines. It can also reduce post-work-
out muscle pain and feelings of fatigue
during the last minutes of a workout.
FOOD
Moderation, however, is key in mak- and by doing so, it contributes to protect-
ing the most of the caffeine benefits. ing your body from heart disease, cancer
“When we monitor our daily caffeine and premature aging.
intake, it is also important to take into Sipping up to alert your senses,
consideration the caffeine present in enhance your mood, boost your perform-
sources beside coffee, such as soft drinks, ance and get plenty of anti-oxidants are
tea, energy drinks, or dark chocolate,” major reasons to enjoy drinking coffee
advises Al Khatib. beside the exquisite taste and aroma. Ex-
Recent research demonstrates that cof- periencing the invigorating benefits of a
fee contributes significantly to the daily refreshing cup of coffee is also an occasion
dietary intake of anti-oxidants which can to get together with family, friends and
help protect your cells from oxidation, work associates everyday!
Coffee: Interesting Facts
• It can take up to four years for a coffee tree to reach mature production.
• Each cherry consists of two coffee beans.
• The two main types of commercially grown coffee are Arabica and Robusta.
• The word ‘coffee‘originates from the Arabic word ‘kaweh’, meaning strength or vigour.
• By the 9th century, coffee was widely consumed in Persia. It was widespread throughout
the Arabic world by the 15th century.
• The Dutch began growing coffee on the island of Java, now part of Indonesia, in 1696.
• Coffee reached Europe early in the 17th Century. Louis XIV and Pope Clement III were
early converts to the drink.
• London‘s 17th-century coffee-houses became known as ‘Penny Universities‘; for the price
of a coffee it was possible to join in discussion with the artists, merchants and poets who
frequented them. This led to Charles II attempting to close down coffee houses in 1676,
thinking them hotbeds of political intrigue.
• In the 1700s, a French naval officer, Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, stole a cutting from the
King’s coffee tree, in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, and took it to the Caribbean island of
Martinique. Fifty years later, there were an estimated 18 million coffee trees there.
• By 1800, Brazil had become the largest producer of coffee in the world.
• The beginnings of Soluble Coffee can be traced all the way back to 1930 when the Brazil-
ian government approached Nestlé to find a solution to the surplus Brazilian coffee crops.
Seven years of research and development by Nestlé technologists and experts resulted
in a breakthrough in 1938: a quality cup of coffee simply made by adding water, while
retaining coffee’s natural flavor. The new instant coffee powder was named Nescafe.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 31
 FOOD
D’fusion delight
By Linda Benbow
A
night out in Barsha might
not be everyone’s idea of fun,
but as I live in that end of the
town it was a pleasant surprise
to find a new hotel with a new restaurant
and a licensed bar. Not only that, but
it was a weird place, in a nice way, if you
know what I mean. India with a twist.
The only time I’ve seen Indian sushi on a
menu (turned out to be an assortment of
individual tastes such as chicken satay on
a stick, a cube of fish, and yes, a nori sea-
weed wrapped rice and tandoori chicken
roll cut into small familiar-looking sushi
shapes). Or try the Pav Bhaji Vol-au-vent
or Mexican Bhel.
D’fusion is the name of the restaurant
in the Grandeur Hotel located near Mall
of the Emirates. The taxi drivers already
know the name of the place, I know this
from first-hand experience.
Having ordered drinks from the cock-
tail and mocktail menus, the next
enjoying task was to sift through
the options on offer in this new
fusion restaurant. You vaguely
recognise most of the names, and
very agreeable tastes they turn
out to be too with bhindi (ladies
fingers), aloo (potato), roti (dried
baked flat bread) and paratha
(fried flat bread), among some of
the known choices.
But the best bit of culinary
entertainment comes with the
32 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Chef at the Chaat Cart
Pav Bhaji Vol-au-vent
Chaat Cart which is wheeled around the
nightclub styled dining area to those who
order puris and chaat. A chef moves the
trolley of traditional Indian savouries
to your table and treats them with equal
amounts of respect, nouvelle flair and
legendary Indian chutzpah. You choose
from a variety of fillings and he packs
them into the centre of tiny fried pastry
delights. Cheese Sev Puri are puffed
mini popodums filled with lentils and a
sweet-spicy-tangy cheese, Paani Puri are
puffed mini popodums filled with lentils
and a sweet-spicy-tangy juice, and Sev
Puri are mini popodums topped with
crunchy, funchy Indian tidbits. Papadi
Chaat are mini popodums topped with
flaked potatoes and creamed fresh yo-
ghurt, Dahi Bhalla are lentil dumplings
in creamed fresh yoghurt while Fruit
Chaat comprises of fresh fruit bits tossed
Fusion Five
in secret spices, fresh mint and coriander
leaves.
Save room for stalwart desserts, such
as halwa and gulab jamun which should
lead you very nicely into the singing and
dancing that happens on occasion with
the Fusion Five live band entertaining
diners all evening.
Set to provide a full-on entertain-
ment experience, the restaurant has also
signed on a resident band, the Fusion
Five, named so because of their ability
to perform tunes from several different
languages, focusing on five fan favourites
– Hindi, English, Konkani, Swahili and
Bengali. The music performed covers var-
ious genres that appeal to listeners of all
ages, with a special focus on Bollywood
hits. The Fusion Five also encourages
guests to pick their favourite songs, and
request forms are available throughout
the evening.
D’fusion is also a great after-
hours spot. The full service bar
features signature cocktails like
Arabian Nights (rose-infused lime
juice with mint leaves), Masala
Mojito (the Cuban classic infused
with Indian spices), infused golas
(sweet, shaved ice treats) and an
impressive someliers’ list that fea-
tures a varied selection that can be
ordered by the glass as well as by
the bottle and perfectly comple-
ment one’s meal.
 FOOD

Chocolat, the only company in the

UAE creating luxury handmade Swiss
chocolates, has launched its Taste of
Arabia range. It will make private col-
lections of chocolates for individuals and
corporations
Cakes created by skilful pastry chefs from the kitchens of Raffles
Hotel, Dubai are made to order and can be delivered at your
home or venue The deli counter has
over a 100 cheeses from

All aboard for the

England to France,
yellow to blue, creamy to
crumbly, and everything
in between; this is a

Gourmet Station cheese lover’s paradise

By Linda Benbow

T
here are pockets of culinary exclusivity in Dubai, and a net-
work of word-of-mouth gossip that ensures that the hostess
with the mostest can deliver scrumptious home-made meals
at dinner parties that have guests willing to put their name
on a waiting list for. They can keep their secrets! Now there is a place
that brings in wonderful tastes from abroad so that all can taste and en-
joy. Gourmet Station has opened on the third floor of the newly opened
Oasis Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road. This rare concept is a boutique
food market that brings to the city speciality gourmet food products
in the retail sphere. So the best of products that were so long available
probably only at a five-star meal, can now be bought off the shelves at
Gourmet Station to prepare at your own home. They also have a special-
ity chef in-house who can tell you how to DIY. 
The store has some amazing features too – like smell management,
a meat curing cabinet, a coffee grinder that custom grinds your choice From Karen and the guys at Le Mesurier, there’s Curried Marrow
of coffee beans; even their shopping trollies are specially designed to fit Mustard Relish and Pear, Tomato & Saffron Chutney that can liven
the curb of your leg so they aren’t a hindrance when you are walking up any meal
around with it! Yes, a lot of thought has gone into making this gourmet
destination. A select menu of cooked food supervised by Executive Chef Francis
A feast to the eyes and a delight to the senses, this gorgeous food Matthias. To preserve maximum possible taste, the kitchens utilise the
market brings to Dubai a rare accumulation of speciality meats, artisan ‘ blast chilling’ process whereby freshly prepared hot food is placed in an
breads, finest cheeses and even the best of grocery. That which so long instant freezing unit that brings the temperature down within a matter
of minutes, thus preventing bacterial growth. There is a theatrical open
would have been available only while enjoying a five-star meal, is now kitchen so customers can view all cooking procedures as they walk around
available off the shelves. the shop floor
As you walk into the bakery department you are greeted by the
tempting aroma of fresh bread and cheese croissants made using black
bomber and extra matured Welsh cheddar. For the evening, buy a whole
lemon meringue pie which is good-to-go for a dinner party dessert.
At the fish counter, you will find fresh catches and the most exotic
choices of both salt and freshwater fish every day. The seafood section
also sells a variety of edible and exotic seaweed. And caviar too.
The meat counter is a veritable ‘fest’ with the choicest of fresh meat
selected by an expert team with first-hand knowledge of the product,
brought on by visiting the home farms and by building relationships
with suppliers, thereby offering the very best to foodies.

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 33

 FOOD
A basket of goodies
D
elice threw open the doors of its
newest and most extraordinary
boutique yet in Dubai Mall.
The well-known confectionery
company celebrated its latest development
in grand style, by hosting the wives of over
30 ambassadors based in the UAE. The
VIP dignitaries were joined by top officials
of Dubai Government and Emaar as they
browsed through a wide assortment of exotic
confectionery creations that have made
Delice synonymous with style and luxury.
Hand-made marzipan flavourings decorated
with nuts sit cosily alongside chocolates with
gold leaf adornments. All natural ingre-
dients, with no additives, these sweets are
made to eat and enjoy as quickly as possible.
Expanding in an exceptional location
with a strong retail presence, the Dubai
Mall outlet is Delice’s most architecturally
innovative store ever, featuring a distinctive
30-foot glass outlet that creates a stunning
new attraction inside the mall. The iconic
boutique offers more than 100 signature
creations that are prized by the UAE’s
royalty and an overwhelming number of
five-star hotels in the region.
Biryani aficionados got a chance to
display their cooking skills at the fourth edi-
tion of Biryani Muqabla organised by award
winning Indian restaurant Mumtaz Mahal
at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa
recently. The day-long cooking competition
Winner, contestants and judges in the annual biryani competition
34 l UAE Digest, June 2009
was open to amateur chefs who would like to
have fun while whipping up their favourite
biryani recipes.
This year, the organisers’ of Biryani
Muqabla received over 500 entries, which
were narrowed down to 10 finalists who got
a chance to prepare their mouth-watering
dishes in front of biryani-loving guests and
a panel of judges consisting of Mr Rakesh
Puri, author and food critic along with Mr
Gareth Rees, food critic with a popular local
publication. The best biryani concoction
was selected on the basis of appearance,
aroma, texture and taste. The winning cook,
Ms Sonia Gonsalves with her ‘Dum Prawn
Biryani’, took home a diamond pendant
from contest sponsor Joyalukkas while the
nine runners-up received consolation prizes.
Fresh Fruits Company (FFC) is the first
company to implement ISO 22000; a new
international standard designed to ensure
safe food supply chains worldwide. Food
reaches consumers via supply chains that
link many different types of organisations
stretching across multiple borders. One
weak link can result in unsafe food that is
dangerous to health- and when it happens,
the hazards to consumers can be serious and
the cost to food chain suppliers consider-
able. In order to control the safety hazards
in the food chain, Dubai Municipality
introduced a new regulation called HACCP
or ISO 22000 certification; this has become
mandatory for all companies involved in the
supply of food and beverages in the emirate
of Dubai. 
UAE is a cosmopolitan environment,
comprising over 145 nationalities, all with
different tastes and consumer preferences.
This makes for a wide demand for main-
stream fruits and vegetable varieties, not
forgetting exotics to cater for, and this makes
procuring supply for 12 months of the year a
huge challenge, but with the right suppliers
and relationships, based on experience and
integrity, FFC have ensured that popular
items like bananas, apples, pears, oranges,
kiwi fruits and grapes are available all year
round for the consumer’s fruit-bowl.
Some of their current distribution outlets
include: Spinneys, Choithram, Lal’s, major
shipchandlers, major Ruler’s Palaces in Du-
bai, Carrefour, Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah
Beach Hotel .
France’s Moulinex has announced the
Gulf-wide launch of Masterchef 8000 that
makes food and juice preparation easier
than ever before with the introduction of
the direct drive technology. Featuring a
new front-use appliance with a powerful 850
watt motor incorporating a 1.5 litre blender,
preparing a meal is now faster than ever.
It is designed for heavy use with full metal
whisks and disks for perfect cutting, fine
grating and slicing and a metal grid in the
juice extractor for added durability.
Masterchef 8000
 ART

One thousand
art masterpieces
to adorn Burj Dubai
E
maar Properties, the developer largest collections of art and sculpture ing Picasso, Miro, Calder and now Jaume
of Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest from leading Middle East and interna- Plensa.”
building, has announced that tional artists, we are celebrating their Emaar is developing Burj Dubai, the
visitors to the tower will be endeavour and the global significance of world’s tallest free-standing structure, and
welcomed with more than 1,000 spe- Burj Dubai.” has opened The Dubai Mall, the world’s
cially commissioned pieces of art that will He said: “World Voices will be a com- largest shopping and entertainment desti-
adorn the interiors of Burj Dubai and the pelling addition to Plensa’s astonishing nation. The developerhas joined hands with
surrounding Emaar Boulevard, when it canon of public work. It takes inspiration Giorgio Armani to strengthen its presence
opens later this year. With art pieces from from Dubai and sends a positive message in hospitality. The company is opening edu-
prominent Middle East and international to the world.” cational institutions and healthcare centres
artists, visitors will experience a breathtak- Burj Dubai’s architects and interior in South Asia, Middle East and North
ing artistic tribute to the spirit of global designers Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Africa, and the Subcontinent.
harmony. LLP (SOM) ap-
Among the specially commissioned art proached interna-
for Burj Dubai, occupying pride of place in tional and Middle
the tower’s residential lobby will be World East-based artists to
Voices by internationally renowned artist submit concepts for
Jaume Plensa. Plensa’s masterpiece in tita- the centrepiece of the
nium and alloy was hand-picked by Emaar Burj Dubai’s residen-
Chairman Mr Mohamed Alabbar follow- tial lobby more than
ing a year-long selection process led by the a year ago. Plensa’s
building’s architect Skidmore, Owings & winning design was
Merrill LLP (SOM) of Chicago. chosen from a short-
Jaume Plensa’s World Voices is com- list of five.
posed of 196 cymbals that represent the George Efstath-
196 countries of the world - symbolic to iou, the Managing
Burj Dubai being a collaboration of people Partner for SOM
from across the globe and befiting its global leading the Burj
iconic status. Cast in bronze and brass alloy Dubai team said,
and plated with 18-carat gold, the cymbals “The 1,000 art pieces
are horizontally suspended onto titanium will include a wide
rods anchored at the bottom of two pools, range of contempo-
symbolising reeds in a lake. Finished by rary artists as well as
hand, the cymbals create a distinct timbre museum-standard
as they are struck by dripping water, which historic art recognis-
the artist compared to the sound of water ing the Gulf ’s unique
falling on leaves. heritage.”
Speaking on the art focus for the tower, He added: “A part
Mr. Alabbar said: “Art is central to the of SOM’s tradition is
Burj Dubai project, not only as a visual a strong connection
statement but as a means to link cultures of their projects with
and communities. Thousands of people the art world. SOM
from around the world have collaborated has worked with
to achieve this landmark, the world’s tallest leading artists from
building. By assembling one of the world’s the world includ-

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 35

 ART

India is her inspiration

Vivacious and pretty, Rouble Nagi creates murals of beauty
in her homeland and abroad. A frequent visitor to Dubai,
she now trots the globe wherever her work takes her
By Vanit Sethi

Rouble Nagi has created 800 murals worldwide

in 33 mediums. Currently, she is working on
three high-profile projects in Dubai
Rouble Nagi sitting in front of her art work titled Flashback

H
er works adorn the walls of
India’s most famous hotels,
the new snazzy restaurants
in metros, exclusive clubs
in leafy suburbs, top corporate offices,
upmarket schools and academies, and the
living rooms of business magnates and Bol-
lywood celebrities. And she’s only 29.
Meet the charming and vivacious Rou-
ble Nagi who now hobnobs with the likes
of Salman Khan, Wasim Akram, Rahul
Bajaj and Subhash Ghai while globetrot-
ting to places like London, Paris, New York
and Dubai, while also squeezing various
Indian destinations in her itinerary. She
loves the limelight and the fame it brings
her, but her passion is holding art classes
for underprivileged children. For this, the
money pouring in from corporate honchos
and Bollywood bigwigs comes in handy.
Having already worked in 33 different-
mediums, she has a lot going for her at an
age most people barely find a foothold in
their chosen careers. After graduating in
Fine Arts from the Slade School of Arts in
London at the age of 19 in 1999, she par-
ticipated in an exhibition in the eastern
Indian state of West Bengal, where her
potential was noticed in her very first en-
deavour. After that, there was no looking
back for her. Her first opportunity at pro-
fessional mural designing came in 2004
when she designed and executed ‘Frescoes
and Mosaic’ for Hotel Kenilworth in Goa.
In the short span of five years since then,
she already has 800 murals worldwide to
her credit. In Dubai, she has been associat-
ed with ETA and Dodsal, but is currently
working on projects for three high-profile
residences in Emirates Hills. With an
exhibition slated for October in the city,
she is keenly looking at exploring greater
opportunities in the Gulf market.
However jet-setting her lifestyle
may be at the moment, she admits she is
happiest in the company of poor, young
children for whom art is both a medium
of escape from their drudgery as well
as a tool for expressing their creativity.
Though her name is associated with a cur-
rency (the Russian), she is fascinated more
by the colours of life than the colour of
money. And while her father was fascinat-
ed with Russian culture (which explains
her name), she is more engrossed with the
myriad tapestry of Indian customs and
traditions, which finds expression in her
various art works at home and abroad.
Indian culture, literature and mythology
has a strong influence on her works and
inspires her through all the mediums. At
the same time, books are her constant
companion, with her favourite authors be-
ing Rabindranath Tagore, Richard Bach,
Ruskin Bond and Paulo Coelho. Tagore’s
Gitanjali and Coelho’s The Alchemist are
her all-time favourites.
She remarks excitedly: “In my country,
India, whenever people encounter a
difficulty, they seek out many ways to
overcome it. It is this same powerful
imagination that is driving the country
and its people forward to a better future.
This is the kind of emotion I bring to my
canvas or mural.”
And like Vincent Van Gogh, she
concludes: “I want to touch people with
my art.”

36 l UAE Digest, June 2009

 Free Mind
A mural of Dubai Metro
With Bollywood heartthrob
Salman Khan
Books are her constant companion with her favourite authors being
Rabindranath Tagore, Richard Bach, Ruskin Bond and Paulo Coelho
Spreading cheer with ‘Rounak’
“Every child has a right to express his creativity,” says
Rouble Nagi, who has been organising art camps for
underprivileged children and school kids for some
time now, in association with a non-governmental
organisation, Pratham, under the name ‘Rounak’.
Having worked closely with underprivileged kids,
Rouble believes this cause needs to be taken further.
For this, she has roped in close friends like film-maker
Subhash Ghai, businessman Sanjay Kapur, socialite
and art patron Asha Patel, and founder of Pratham
Madhav Chauhan, to form the Rouble Nagi Art Foun-
dation (RNAF).
The primary aim of the foundation is to initiate
creative and emotional development of children in
India and across the world through arts and crafts.
RNAF will have art camps for children and hold exhi-
bitions to promote the same. It will work closely with
Pratham to help organise these art camps for slum
and school kids, which will be supported by senior
artists both from India and abroad. RNAF will also
provide specialised art courses which will be included
in their existing art classes, to be taught by trained
teachers and volunteers.
Apart from these, RNAF plans to sponsor and
curate shows for young, physically challenged artists
who cannot afford to exhibit their works. Sponsor-
ships for education scholarships in the field of arts
and entertainment for young students will also be
provided by the foundation. Former Pakistani cricket
captain, Wasim Akram has been signed on as the
Goodwill Ambassador for the RNAF.
A fresco in Hotel Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa
Personal milestones
Brief Biography:
• 1980: Born in Jammu & Kashmir, India.
• 1999: Graduated in Fine Arts from Slade School of Arts, London.
• 1999: Did English theatre Now She Says She’s God with Indian-British
actor Tom Alter.
Work Mediums: Glass Murals, Tile Mosaic, Cold Ceramic, Metal, Fibre,
Frescos, Mix Media, Terracotta, C4X, Wood Carving, Designer Pots.
Executed Projects:
• 12 hotels in India, out of which 5 are of the Taj Group and 3 of Hyatt
Regency.
• 9 restaurants in India – 4 in Delhi NCR, 3 in Mumbai, and 2 in
Kolkata.
• 3 clubs in India – Club Link, Mumbai; The Palms, Gurgaon; Residency
Club, Pune.
• 13 commercial/corporate buildings, prominent ones being ETA and
Dodsal in Dubai; Kala Academy, Mumbai; CitiBank, Mumbai; VGP
Group, Chennai; Dalmia International School, Thane; and Whistling
Woods International Ltd, Mumbai.
• 16 residence-cum-office complexes in Mumbai, Delhi, Ludhiana, Ja-
landhar, Dubai and New York. Prominent ones are those of Indian film
producer Sajid Nadiadwala, Bollywood actor Salman Khan, industrial-
ist Bajaj, Ali Bagash (owner of Bagash Enterprises) in Dubai; and a
house in New York.
• She has worked with 9 architects, 3 builders and 3 international firms
– HBA, Leiber Cooper, and BLD.
Exhibitions and Auctions:
Several exhibitions of her art works have been held in Mumbai, Delhi,
Chennai and Lucknow, with one exhibition scheduled for October in
Dubai. Four of her paintings have been auctioned in London and Leeds.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 37
 AUTHORS
The world of words
The first festival of its kind in the Middle East, the EIAFL was a runaway
hit with more than 20,000 people attending the three-day event
By Vanit Sethi
T
he magical world of books and
literature came alive at the
Dubai Festival City towards
the end of February. Sixty-five
writers from across the world dazzled
Dubai for three days with the sheer
brilliance of their intellect and the power
of their words. The Emirates International
Airline Festival of Literature (EIAFL)
benefited from the controversy over a
book, due to which Canadian writer
Margaret Atwood pulled out, but later
regretted it and participated in a round-
table video conference on ‘Writers and
Censorship’.
Top authors attracted sellout
audiences, despite the tickets being rather
highly priced at Dh100 for some debates.
Many writers were delighted to be in
Dubai and talking to their fans from the
region. They patiently autographed their
works for readers, posed for photographs
with them, and answered their interesting
queries.
Festival director Isobel Abulhoul
expressed satisfaction over the
‘overwhelmingly positive feeedback’ from
all the authors. Queues of adoring fans
formed in the lobbies, with people waiting
for two hours to get their books signed.
There was a team of nine students and
their teacher who travelled from Kuwait,
one librarian flew in from Istanbul, and a
student from India who posed questions
Book lovers browse through novels in the lobby of the
Hotel InterContinental in Dubai Festival City
38 l UAE Digest, June 2009
for most writers.
In all, there were 51 events (including
talks, conversations and debates)
conducted in both English and Arabic,
using simultaneous translation facilities
provided by the Dubai Culture and
Arts Authority and the Mohammed bin
Rashid Foundation.
Outside the venues, a whole range
of books by the participating authors
was displayed for sale by Magrudy’s, one
of the festival organisers. Some books
– especially those by Robin Sharma,
Wilbur Smith and Anthony Horowitz-
sold like hot cakes. The winners of a
children’s short story competition were
thrilled to receive their prizes from
Anthony Horowitz. All the winners
(from ages 8 to 15) immediately became
published authors as their stories (in
English and Arabic) were collated
into a book, called The Sea, which was
selling briskly at the festival (available at
Magrudy’s stores throughout the UAE).
The final day of the festival
(Education Day) saw authors fanning
out to schools and colleges throughout
Dubai to conduct presentations, engage
in discussions and debate with students
and teachers.
Fringe Festival: Alongside the
literary meet, a Fringe Festival too was
vying for attention in Festival City malls
and promenades. This event gave an
Writers participating in a debate on censorship issues. Margaret
Atwood (left on screen) spoke from Canada through a video-link up
opportunity to more than 60 schools,
colleges and community groups to display
a range of talents. Among the highlights
were Kathak (a classical Indian dance-
form), the foot-tapping Samba of Brazil,
a Japanese tea-drinking ceremony and
Arabic poetry sessions.
Many visitors I spoke to expressed
surprise that Dubai could pull off its
first international literary event with
such style. What was heartening was the
presence of a large number of children
and teenagers who had willingly come
along with their parents.
The dazzling dozen
Choosing 12 writers from a stellar line-
up of 65 can be an excruciating task, but
one that I was consumed with. Judging
by audience attendance, ticket and book
sales, queues for book signings, and
the remarks of book lovers, here is the
shortlist. I admit it is largely subjective
– given that festival organisers were
reluctant to put authors on a literary
race- track – but one, I’m sure, that will
benefit our readers sift through the ocean
of words. With the long summer months
ahead, the world of books can provide
the much-needed respite. It goes without
saying that this is just a brief guide to
authors (in alphabetical order) and their
most-talked about works. It is not a best-
selling list.
1. Anita Nair (India)
Best-selling author of the novels The Better Man, Ladies Coupe and Mistress,
Anita Nair’s new book is Goodnight & God Bless, a collection of literary essays.
She has also written four books for children and published a book of poetry. Her
books have been translated into 29 languages around the world. Most recently,
she was awarded the FLO FICCI Women Achievers Awards 2008 for Literature.
Mistress: Radha, a beautiful woman in her early thirties, is married to a man she
does not love. Chris, a foreigner, arrives in a small Kerala town to write a book
on Radha’s uncle, an acclaimed Kathakali artiste. Radha has an affair with Chris
and no qualms about cheating on her husband, who is unable to confront her.

2. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria/USA)

Born in 1977 in Nigeria, Chimamanda studied medicine and pharmacy at the
University of Nigeria, then moved to the US to study communications and
political science at Eastern Connecticut State University, and later did an MA
in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She has published several
short stories, poetry, one play, and two novels. Purple Hibiscus won the 2005
Commonwealth Writers Prize, and Half of a Yellow Sun the 2007 Orange
Broadband Prize for Fiction.
Purple Hibiscus: Kambili is a young girl growing up in Nigeria, torn between
the old pagan ways and her Catholic upbringing, her life structured by her strict
father. However, a trip to visit her aunt in another town shows her another way of
living. With the help of her brother, aunt, cousins, and a priest, she begins to see
new ways of thought and action.

3. Frank McCourt (Ireland/USA)

Born in 1930 in New York to Irish immigrant parents, Frank grew up in Ireland
and returned to America in 1949. For 30 years, he taught in New York City high
schools. His first book, Angela’s Ashes, won the Pulitzer Prize, the National
Book Critics Circle Award, and the L.A. Times Book Award.
Angela’s Ashes: Malachy Senior is an alcoholic, indifferent to his family’s
suffering, though desperately fond of his children. Angela is simultaneously
pathetic and heroic, with an ability to ensure the survival of four of her seven
children. Denial kills three children and a marriage, while lack of the most basic
human contact turns her to incest. Miraculously, Frank survives and thrives,
driven by the things his father did not possess - common sense, hard work,
sobriety, and literary genius.

4. Jung Chang (China/UK)

Born in China in 1952, Jung Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of 14, and
then a peasant, a ‘barefoot doctor’, steel worker and electrician before becoming
an English-language student and assistant lecturer at Sichuan University. She
left for Britain in 1978 on a scholarship for a Ph.D. in Linguistics from York
University - the first person from China to receive a doctorate from a British
university. Her award-winning book Wild Swans was published in 1991. With
her British husband, Jon Halliday, she is also the author of Mao: The Unknown
Story.
Wild Swans: This inspiring biography tells the story of three daughters of China
and their survival against Communism. Beginning in the early 1900s and ending
in 1978, it chronicles the endless struggle of China to find its place in the world,
the suffering of its people, and the terror that almost destroyed the nation.

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 39

 5. Kate Adie (UK)
The BBC’s chief news correspondent became one of the best-known faces on
television for her reporting from major war zones. Her coverage of the American
Embassy siege in Iran (1980) brought her to prominence. She later covered the
brutal suppression of the student uprising in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. She
was awarded an OBE in 1993.
Into Danger: Regularly reporting from war zones has given Kate a curiosity
about people attracted to danger. This fascinating quest has taken her to four
corners of the globe - meeting stunt people, landmine exploders, political
activists, criminals, prostitutes, and even a 96-year-old ‘snake man’ who was
bitten countless times while trying to find venom for vaccines.

6. Mark Tully (India/UK)

Born in Calcutta and educated in England, Mark Tully was BBC’s
correspondent in South Asia for 25 years. He now works as a journalist in New
Delhi with his colleague and partner, Gillian Wright, who also translates Indian
language fiction into English. Together, they have worked on a number of books,
including the highly acclaimed No Full Stops in India, The Heart of India, and
his most recent India’s Unending Journey.
India’s Unending Journey: In this fascinating and timely work, Tully reveals
the profound impact India has had on his life and beliefs, and what we can all
learn from this rapidly changing nation. Embarking on a journey that captures
the many faces of the vast country, he explores how successfully India reconciles
opposites, marries the sensual with the sacred, finds harmony in discord, and
treats certainty with suspicion.

7. Mohammed Al Murr (UAE)

Before assuming the position of Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Culture and
Arts Authority (DCAA), Mohammed Al Murr served as the Chairman of
Dubai Cultural Council from its establishment in January 2004 until March
2008, when it merged with DCAA. Born in Dubai in 1955, he began his lifelong
obsession with reading and writing at an early age.
Dubai Tales: A collection of 24 short stories, with each one of them having a
sharp sting in the tail. The comic predicaments of his characters are all the more
acute because their lives are caught between the conflicting claims of modernism
and tradition, nowhere more intense than in the Gulf.

8. Rajaa Al Sanea (Saudi Arabia)

She is the author of Banat Al Riyadh (The Girls of Riyadh), a phenomenally
successful first novel (both in Arabic and English) about young Saudi women,
causing some controversy in Saudi Arabia. Born into a family of doctors, Rajaa
obtained her dentistry qualification from King Saud University and is currently
studying for a PhD at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
The Girls of Riyadh: Gamrah, Sadeem, Michelle and Lamees are all young and
attractive, sneaking out behind their parents’ backs, dating, shopping, watching
American TV and having fun, while still trying to be good little Muslim girls.
But can you be a 21st century girl and a conservative Saudi woman at the same
time?

40 l UAE Digest, June 2009

9. Ranulph Fiennes (UK/South Africa)
A former member of the SAS and Army of the Sultan of Oman, Sir Ranulph
Fiennes has led major expeditions to both poles and elsewhere in the world
for over 30 years, earning him the Guinness accolade of ‘the world’s greatest
living explorer’. He has written two autobiographies and three other books of
adventure.
Living Dangerously: This book takes Fiennes from his boyhood and army career
to a series of breathtaking expeditions. His determination to seek new challenges
has led him to the North Pole without dogs or motorised equipment; to find the
lost city of Ubar, hidden in the Arabian desert; and an extraordinary journey
across the Antarctic to the South Pole.

10. Robin S. Sharma (Canada)

One of the world’s top experts on personal development and leadership, Robin
Sharma is the author of seven major international bestsellers. He is the CEO of
Sharma Leadership International Inc., a success coaching and training firm with
clients such as FedEx, IBM, Microsoft, GM, Nike and Panasonic.
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrrari: Julian Mantle, a lawyer, is forced to confront
the spiritual crisis of his life. Following a heart attack, he decides to sell all his
possessions and trek to India. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture,
he meets Himalayan gurus who offer powerful, wise and practical lessons that
teach us to live fully, one day at a time.

11. Victoria Hislop (UK)

Victoria studied English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, and later worked in book
publishing and public relations. After becoming a mother in 1990, she started
working as a freelance journalist, before branching out into travel journalism.
Her first novel The Island won her ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at the Galaxy British
Book Awards in 2007.
The Return: Beneath the majestic towers of Alhambra, Granada’s cobbled streets
resonate with music and secrets. Sonia Cameron knows nothing of the city’s
shocking past, as she is there just to dance. However, in a quiet cafe, a chance
conversation and an intriguing collection of old photographs draw her into the
extraordinary tale of Spain’s devastating civil war.

12. Wilbur Smith (UK/Zambia)

Born in central Africa in 1933, Wilbur Smith was educated at Michaelhouse and
Rhodes University. He became a full-time writer in 1964 after the publication
of When the Lion Feeds. Since then, he has written 30 novels, all meticulously
researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His books have been
translated into 26 different languages.
Assegai: It is 1913 and ex-soldier turned professional big game hunter, Leon
Courtney, is in British East Africa guiding rich and powerful men from America
and Europe on safaris in the Masai tribe territories. But Leon had not bargained
for falling passionately in love with Eva, the Count’s beautiful and enigmatic
mistress.

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 41

 EDUCATION
New programmes and
innovative training schemes
A
bami Consultancy & Train-
ing has opened a brand new
outdoor activity learning cen-
tre at the Al Ghazal Golf Club
in Abu Dhabi. Located adjacent to the
international airport, the centre provides
facilities to deliver a comprehensive range
of personal, leadership and team building
activities. This experiential learning and
development company has delivered over
374 Team and Leadership Programmes
from its two learning centres at the Hatta
Fort Hotel and Jebel Ali Golf Resort &
Spa during the past three years and is now
ready to train clients from all industry
sectors, 365 days a year, at the Abami Al
Ghazal Learning Centre.
Managing Director, Graham Nugent
explains. “Today, businesses need to be
able to quantify their investment and
know that the money spent on learning
and development will have the greatest
impact on business performance. The new
activity learning centre will provide the
highest level of training designed to meet
the client’s exact requirements, developing
a well-rounded and qualified workforce.”
Implementing open and customised
in-house learning workshops with a focus
42 l UAE Digest, June 2009
on leadership, personal and team devel-
opment, winning strategy and bespoke
solutions, the learning and development
programmes are designed using experien-
tial learning methodology, where interac-
tive exercises, business simulations and
indoor and outdoor challenges combine
with powerful and engaging facilitator
discussions to deliver exceptional results.
These unique methods provide challeng-
ing, motivating experiences that result
in a dramatic difference in managerial
and employee attitudes, knowledge and
competence.
A Jebel Ali-based manufacturer of
crew training simulators for the avia-
tion and aerospace industries—Spatial
Composite Solutions—has been com-
missioned to design, build and instal
an Airbus A320 Cabin Service Trainer
(CST) for Etihad Airways. The device
will provide Etihad with a realistic en-
vironment in which to train cabin crew
on all aspects of premium cabin service
and food preparation procedures. To be
located at Etihad’s new Crew Training
Academy in Abu Dhabi, the CST is
scheduled to be installed and commis-
sioned in June and will be RFT (ready for
training) at the end of July.
The CST will be a 1:1 scale rep-
lica of an actual Airbus A320 fuselage,
featuring a forward cabin complete with
galleys, seats, overhead storage bins, door
exits and electronic control systems. The
400-cycle electrics will power the galley
areas, the refrigeration and the A/C
systems, while the galleys themselves will
be equipped with the same ovens, bun
warmers, toasters and coffeemakers that
would be used during in-flight service at
30,000 ft.
The contract has been awarded to
Spatial by EDM of Manchester, UK,
who is a global provider of training and
simulation systems for civil aviation and
is a specialist in the design of military
training devices for UK’s Ministry of
Defence.
The Emirates Academy of Hospitali-
ty Management, part of Jumeirah Group
the Dubai-based luxury hotel group; is
offering a Master of Science degree in
International Hospitality Management
- the first of its kind in the GCC region.
Commencing in October 2009, the pro-
gramme is aimed at the hospitality lead-
ers of the future, building on the founda-
tions laid by undergraduate studies with
an emphasis on managerial competence.
It will be open to students continuing
their education with the Academy as well
as external applicants looking to advance
their careers into executive, corporate and
senior management levels.
The post-graduate curriculum is based
on extensive industry and educational re-
search and has been benchmarked against
15 other internationally renowned
Masters programmes. With senior and
executive managers from the hospitality
trade contributing to the course design
and content, graduates will emerge with
highly developed skills and knowledge
relevant to the industry.
Turjuman Media Consultancy has
launched the acclaimed International
Public Relations License for the first
time in the Arab World, in collaboration
A member of the Spatial Composite Solutions team working on an Airbus A320 Cabin Service
Trainer at the company’s Jebel Ali factory
with the Chartered Institute of Public
Relations (CIPR), the professional body
for PR practitioners in the UK. The CIPR
diploma – which is available in Arabic and
English – aims to produce a new genera-
tion of public relations professionals, who
will adopt the latest international public
relations methods to avoid the incorrect
application of public relations in the Arab
region. The programme teaches trainees
to properly manage public relations for
private and public sector, and build a
strong reputation and image that serve the
strategic goals of various establishments.
The programme is intended for public
relations experts who have actual public
relations experience. Beginners will first
need to get a foundation level degree and
advanced level degree before they are able
to get the CIPR degree which is often
described as the academic cornerstone for
public relations professionals in Britain.
The first group of students commenced
their studies in April and will complete
the programme in mid-December 2009,
while the second group of students will
start the training programme in Septem-
ber 2009.
Hult Velocity Warriors Team from
the Hult International Business School
emerged victorious from the F1 in Schools
Corporate Challenge 2009 recently after
a race took place at the Schools Centre
for Excellence at Dubai Autodrome.
The competition is a multi-disciplinary
technology challenge designed to apply
academic learning to real life situations by
using software to collaborate, design, ana-
lyse, manufacture, test and race miniature
gas powered F1 cars, in the face of limita-
tions in time-frame and design param-
eters. Kareem Hertzog, team manager
Hult Velocity Warriors
for Hult Velocity Warriors, and Sumeeth work that will motivate and keep the best
Shankar made notable contributions to people in the organisation and help build a
the team’s victory. successful business.”
April saw HE Sheikh Nahyan Ma- Also in April, Al Hosn University
barak Al Nahyan addressing a gathering in Abu Dhabi hosted the “First Annual
at the opening of a two-day forum in Abu Women in Engineering Event” at its
Dhabi, entitled ‘Advancing and retaining Women’s Campus to discuss the achieve-
UAE nationals in the workplace’. The ments of women engineers and their key
forum was dedicated towards the Emira- role in the UAE’s industrial and social
tisation of workforce in the UAE. development. Academic advisors from
The forum was organised by Abu several schools attended the event to
Dhabi University (ADU), in conjunc- learn about women’s success in engineer-
tion with Aim events, to address the ing and the different tools to acquire
issues concerning the development of and enhance personal, community and
employee calibre, improving retention national growth. The university has taken
rates, maintaining a motivated workforce measures to encourage the entry of female
and managing quotas. students into engineering and other tech-
In his address, HE Sheikh Nahayan nical programmes, including recruitment
stressed the need for collaboration among of female professors in the engineering
all sectors of society for creation of job faculty.
opportunities for UAE nationals in the HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan ad-
private sector, and thus, reducing their dressed a two-day forum entitled ‘Advancing and
dependence on the government and retaining UAE Nationals in the workplace’
other public sector agencies for employ-
ment. He added that “the number of
people seeking employment, after all, is
relatively small when compared to the
large number of jobs required to drive
our nation. However, as we all know,
there are many complications connected
with social, economic and technological
considerations that affect the placement
of nationals seeking employment in the
jobs that are available.”
Professor of Management Practice
at the London Business School, and
keynote speaker for the evening, Lynda
Gratton emphasised on “significant in-
vestment in training for Emiratis and the
creation of long-term career paths which
includes developing new skills, but more
importantly interesting and meaningful
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 43
 MEDIA
Of crisis and change
The 8th Arab Media Forum dealt with a host of issues from
the decline of print media to the growth of online media, from
the global economic crisis to the Gaza war coverage, and from
investigative journalism to satellite fatwas
By Vanit Sethi
F
rom Dubai Media City to
Atlantis Hotel, Palm Jumeirah is
a five-minute ride on the brand
new monorail, but on two days
in May they seemed like two differ-
ent worlds. The opulent luxury of the
ballroom’s grand structure faded from the
mind as journalists from across the region
engaged in electrifying discussions on
the state of the media in the Middle East.
After paeans to the vision of Dubai by
Amre Moussa, the Secretary-General of
the League of Arab States, in the presence
of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and
Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler
of Dubai, the gathering of journalists
unbound its shackles, giving vent to a
plethora of ideas that remain submerged
in the grind of daily deadlines and the
fear of complicated regulations. Secure in
the comfort of a peer network and away
from the shadows of official scrutiny, the
torrent of words poured forth.
It seemed a surreal world, though
it dealt with very real issues. Issues of
conflict and courage, corruption and
censorship, convention and change,
chaos and creativity. From the American
investigative journalist Seymour Hersh
to the Chinese business editor Hu Shuli,
a range of opinions were expressed in the
two-day jamboree. Held under the broad
title of Arab Media: Weathering a Period
of Crisis and Change, the forum kicked off
with the impact of the global economic
crisis on the media and its future implica-
tions. Questions were raised about the
44 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Seymour Hersh
Abdullatif Al Sayegh
independence of the media in the light of
governments bailing out ailing establish-
ments. Participants in the discussion
warned about the grim scenario in the
wake of closure of well-established media
outlets.
In another discussion, participants
held out hope for the print media in the
Arab world, even as it showed a definite
decline in the West. However, Abdul-
latif Al Sayegh, CEO of the Arab Media
Group, painted a bleak picture for the
print media with his audio-visual presen-
tation. In his view, the future definitely
belonged to the Internet as youngsters
were turning away from newspapers. This
was hotly disputed in the Q&A session.
The new media was the focus of another
discussion, which was especially televised
for BBC Arabia’s ‘Open Agenda’.
An interesting session was on the role
of the business media during the econom-
ic crisis. Moderating the session, Todd
Benjamin, former financial editor of the
CNN, wondered where business journal-
ists were before the crisis. Participants
were of the view that
they were not fully
equipped to predict
the crisis, even as
they admitted they
should have seen it
coming. “Most of us
got carried away by
the hype during the
boom time,” one of
them admitted. Mohammed Al
Sanousi
Heat and light
On the second day, the Arabic versions
of foreign TV channels came under the
scanner, as doubts were raised about their
objectives and messages. To questions on
cultural invasion from the skies, Kuwait’s
former minister of information Moham-
med Al Sanousi rubbished the fears as
‘unjustified’, arguing that Arab viewers
should be open to various cultural influ-
ences and stop suffering from a persecu-
tion complex.
Nabil Al Khatib Salah Negm Amre Moussa

But the last session – Arab media coverage of the Gaza bombing -
‘It’s a new 24/7 world’ was the one which drew the most fireworks. There was a virtual battle
between Ahmed Al Sheikh and Nabil Al Khatib, representing Al
“Contrary to what I read in the Western press, I see a lot
Jazeerah and Al Arabiya. A prolonged debate raged on the issue of
of development in Dubai,” said Amre Moussa, Secretary-
objectivity and impartiality, and also on the use of words like ‘mar-
General of the League of Arab States. This was in contrast
tyrs’ for children. Nassim El Khoury, a professor in Lebanon, felt Al
to the rest of the Arab region where negativity reigns
Jazeera was doing the right thing, while Salah Negm, Head of News,
supreme, he felt. “This culture of negativity must end if
BBC Arabic, felt they were playing to the gallery. The Q&A session
the region is to make any progress.”
was also full of fireworks.
The next morning, Pulitzer-prize winning American
However, the highlight of the forum was a conversation with
investigative journalist Seymour Hersh was also all praise
Seymour Hersh on investigative journalism conducted by Najla
for Dubai, calling it at the ‘cutting-edge’ of competition.
Al Awadhi, Deputy CEO of DMI. Arab and expatriate journalists
He felt journalists worked in the most trying circumstanc-
exchanged a lot of insights and opinions at the forum, making it a
es. “The difference between us in the West and you here
livewire event. Most of them seemed to cry out: ‘I want to break free.’
is that we get awards when we uncover a story, while
you could be put in jail,” he remarked, while answering a
pointed question on the issue of censorship in the region. Arab Media Outlook
However, he also felt that America had lost its edge
in the media, as after 9/11, too many journalists became The Arab Media Outlook is a comprehensive overview of the media
cheerleaders for the Bush administration. He feared scene in the Arab World, published by the Dubai Press Club. It
Obama was making the same mistakes as his predecessor, surveys the main trends and developments in the region’s media in-
despite his well-meaning intentions. “There is a feeling in dustry and forecasts the potential of growth and expected changes
the West that we know what’s best for you. But that’s not for the next five years. The study is based on extensive interviews
true. We don’t know what’s best for us either.” with media owners, experts, journalists and top functionaries from
On the role of journalists, he was quite categorical that other fields with close connection to the industry.
“we have to hold our leaders to the highest standards. The following table projects the Compound Annual Growth Rate
That’s our job, and it’s good for our governments too.” (CAGR) of total advertising revenue in different media for the Gulf
But he admitted nobody liked investigative journalists and and MENA region. The fastest growth is in Qatar (25%) with the
likened them to a ‘dead rat brought to a party.” Neverthe- UAE and Saudi Arabia coming next (16% each), while the slowest
less, for things to change, the media has to do its job, he growth is in Bahrain (5%).
stressed.
Country TV News Magazine Radio Outdoor Internet Total
And things do change, he affirmed, when someone
paper
asked him whether the press did make any difference at
U.A.E. 3% 16% 13% 60% 22% 9% 16%
all. He cited the Abu Ghraib torture in Iraq and the My
Saudi 8% 16% 14% 19% 20% N/A 16%
Lai massacre in Vietnam – both of which he exposed –
Arabia
as instances of changes brought about by investigative
Oman 12% 14% 4% N/A 11% N/A 13%
journalism.
Qatar 30% 23% 26% 6% 37% 82% 25%
In a final word to Arab governments, he said they
Bahrain -7% 8% 0% 31% 3% 27% 5%
have to be more responsive to their people. “Everybody
Kuwait 10% 13% 9% 0% 13% N/A 13%
is watching now. The Internet has changed our lives
Pan-Arab 12% 3% 13% 29% N/A 45% 12%
dramatically. Leaders can no more get away with crimes
Illustrative projected CAGR of total advertising revenue by media
they could earlier. It’s a new 24/7 world. Things are not
(2008-2012) in the GCC and Pan-Arab region
the same anymore.”

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 45

 AUTOS
VW races ahead
By Speed E. Ryder
I
t was a hot sunny day in May when
over 200 invited motoring journal-
ists, dealers, and others associated
with the ‘vroom vroom’ trade of
cars were invited by Volkswagen Middle
East to try out some of their models in the
safety of the tracks at Dubai Autodrome.
The party of drivers came from ten coun-
tries across the region, and each of the
speedsters were eager to try the Volkswa-
gen brand and technologies.
Distinctive hubs of the third generation Scirocco
46 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Through vehicle demonstrations,
driving sessions and brand education,
participants were exposed to the ultimate
that the Volkswagen model range,
services and innovative technologies has
to offer at one of the most established
race tracks in the Middle East. The event
elements also enhanced the attendees’
knowledge and understanding of the
VW brand and better awareness of the
different cars in the market.
The Toureg goes through its paces on a specially built all - terrain circuit
Participants from Bahrain, Qatar,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman,
Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE were
able to discover the exhilarating world
and culture of Volkswagen in six key
sessions conducted by three international
product trainers and six professional
driving instructors.
In the driving session, participants
were able to test drive the latest six
Volkswagen cars launched in the Middle

East region, such as the new sixth genera-
tion of the iconic Golf, which marks the
car’s leadership position in the ‘Golf class’
in its full diversity and glory.
The third generation of the Scirocco,
the legendary two-door sports car which
wrote history as the most successful
Volkswagen coupé of all time, was under
loving examination during the event for
these speed enthusiasts.
Participants also experienced driving
the all new Passat CC, the sporty dynamic
car which represents a brand new segment
in the automobile industry combining the
rationality of a saloon and the emotional
appeal of a sports coupé.
Tiguan
The Tiguan Sport and Style, the
latest compact Sports Utility Vehicle
from Volkswagen, has its own driving
experience circuit, especially for drivers
who enjoy the individual appearance and
flexibility of an SUV, but also expect a
premium level of comfort, agility and
variability.
The other two Volkswagen cars which
were presented and driven by the partici-
pants through different and challenging
circuits were the Passat R36 and the
Touareg V6. Drivers embraced the most
powerful Passat in the Volkswagen series,
the Passat R36, which is the second ver-
sion to be debuting under the “R” sports
Going uphill is no problem for the Toureg
Passat
label after the R32.
Lastly, Touareg V6 justified how it
unites the world of off-road vehicles with
the comfortable dimensions of a luxury
sedan and the dynamic attributes of a
sports car.
Joerg Andrischock, Acting Managing
Director of Volkswagen Middle East said,
“The Volkswagen Driven By Performance
event was a huge success, allowing the
participants a chance to test their driving
skills and Volkswagens latest range of cars
and technologies, plus ensuring the best
brand knowledge for all of our employ-
ees to help them meet all our customer’s
future needs.”
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 47
 AUTOS
A zippy ride in the City
By Linda Benbow
I
t came, I saw, it conquered my
doubts. The new Honda City is a
sporty saloon car that has a nippy
feel and sound to it and a spacious in-
terior volume. Put your foot on the pedal,
zoom along the highway, and you will find
that the roaring sound coming from the
engine disguises the fact that
you are actually travelling well
within the speed limits.
This is the sort of thing
that I was looking for. A
misleading vehicle. A car that
looks like a steady, reliable,
young person’s motto but is ac-
tually faster and quicker than
you think. Watch the faces at
the traffic lights as you quickly
pull away when the lights turn
green, and they are left watch-
ing the spin of your tyres.
The reliable part comes from
the good name of Honda which has proved
itself over many years.
Showroom prices are between
Dh46,000 to 52,000, and may vary at the
time of purchase. Check with the dealer
for current prices and offers. Currently,
Honda are offering finance if you have a
salary of Dh4,000 or more. Also on offer
are zero per cent deposit, low interest rate,
servicing for up to 20,000 kms and free
add-ons, including rust-proofing.
Built to typical Honda finesse with
sound engineering and innovative
features, this car is available with
a 1.3-litre i-DSI and a 1.5-litre
VTEC unit. Three transmission
48 l UAE Digest, June 2009
units are available: a 5-speed manual, a ment and ensures easy loading and
standard CVT and a 7-speed CVT with unloading. The golf bags and other
Steermatic, exclusive to the bigger 1.5-li- paranaphelia fit in the boot easily.
tre engine. This transmission uses F1-style The new City is equipped with
buttons on the steering wheel to give the 5-Speed Automatic Transmission which
impression of a sportier drive. not only provides an improved drive
This new version is longer than its performance but also improves fuel effi-
ciency. The ‘Paddle Shift’
option (for EX grade)
brings more sporty
driving performance
analogous to the Honda
pedigree.
You would expect
safety features such as
ABS (Anti-Lock Brak-
ing System) and BA
(Brake Assist), which
is what you get, but
Honda goes one further
by ensuring pedestrian
safety by incorporating
predecessor by only 5 mm; however, the G-CON (G-Force Control Technology)
wheelbase is 100 mm longer. New design body which mitigates impact energy
seats provide a lower driving position, efficiently and thus alleviates pedestrian
thus maintaining a good head clearance. injury. Nice to know.
The spacious 506 litres of trunk capacity
is equivalent or bigger
than vehicles
above its
seg-

D
ubai Sports City’s The Els
Club golf course has an-
nounced its summer rates,
effective until September 30.
Now, local and visiting golfers can play
on one of the best golf courses around
at a competitive daily rate of Dh450 per
person. This 18-hole championship golf
course was designed by three-time major
winner Ernie Els. Opened in January
2008, it has received global recognition
from international golfers and profession-
als alike. The course offers an unforget-
table golfing experience combined with
five-star service and is the centrepiece of
the luxury golf residential community,
Victory Heights, at Dubai Sports City.
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s
summer promotions until September 30
costs Dh300 for 18 holes on Sunday to
Wednesday and Dh400 on Thursday to
Saturday. Pay for 9 holes and the price
includes shared golf cart and unlimited
range balls, and are available from 6:50am,
7 days a week. Pay Dh180/Dh240 for the
9-hole twilight rate teeing off after 4pm
and play as many holes as possible before
sunset. Lower rates apply to members. For
those who like to play the Par 3 course, the
price of Dh75 covers day and night golf
and complimentary club hire during the
summer period.
During the hot summer months, make
the most of your leisure time and join
Summer rates
Dubai Creek for an exclusive programme
of golf that includes unlimited use of
the 18-hole championship Dubai Creek
Golf Course, unlimited use of the 9-hole
Floodlit Par 3 Course and practice facili-
ties, for Dhs.3,500 per person. The price
of learning to play the game is reduced
during the summer too. Try booking
lessons during the cooler evenings after a
hard day at work. It’s therapeutic.
Dubai Autodrome is encouraging
folks to use its indoor Kartdrome this
summer, by charging Dh200 per person
until the end of Ramadan. Teams wish-
ing to zap each other with lasers can do so
for Dh140 each at their Lasertag promo,
also carried out in an air-conditioned
environment.
As declining economic growth pushes
thousands of people further into poverty,
the United Nations World Food Pro-
gramme (WFP) is preparing for a global
walk against child hunger this June, “End
Hunger: Walk the World”. Thousands
of people will come together to walk over
a 24-hour period, one hour in each of the
planet’s time zones, to raise awareness and
funds to feed children. On June 5, 2009
the UN is yet again giving the people of
Dubai a chance to make a difference. The
one-hour sponsored/donation walk is set
to take place in Dubai Mall. The event
will raise funds and public awareness to
feed hungry and malnourished school-
SPORTS
children. For as little as one dirham, WFP
can give a cup of porridge, rice or beans to
a child in school – a small but highly effec-
tive investment in a healthy and productive
future.
The new World Hockey Academy,
based at Dubai Sports City, will become
the official home of hockey in the UAE
following the signing of a historic develop-
ment agreement between Dubai Sports
City, the UAE Committee, and local
teams. It will also be the first facility of its
kind anywhere in the world. The parties
agreed to support local league competi-
tions at the World Hockey Academy and
to establish a development pathway for
school and junior teams.
The academy houses two FIH certified
(international standard) water-based
pitches which are unique to the UAE, and
have now been installed, complete with
broadcast standard floodlighting. It will
soon be a hive of activity with coaching
programmes, local summer and winter
leagues and school tournaments. Educa-
tion courses for coaching and umpiring
will also be on offer, with some of the most
respected coaches in the world, provided
by the FIH, delivering the programmes. It
will also offer international teams a ‘best
in class’ facility for training camps and
competitions with a number of interna-
tional teams looking to use the facility in
preparation for the 2009-2010 season.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 49
 SPORTS

Arabyana:
Emirati women
and horse riding
Nobody could have imagined UAE having their own women’s horse riding team,
this dream has turned into a reality and it is due to Arabyana. Rabis.M talks to
Hanan Al Muhairi about the achievements, the trials and tribulations and why the
society needs to give moral support to female horse riding.

W
hen Arabyana came
into existence back in
November 2006, little
did the team know that
they would come this far as, to many, this
is a rather unconventional concept: setting
up an all women’s horse riding team.  The
Arabyana team has been described as the
‘pioneer’ team in the UAE. It consists of
six members who graduated from Dubai
Women’s College in various majors,
ranging from media to software engineer-
ing. Hanan Al Muhairi is the President
and is proud to have set up a group which
includes passionate and sincere members
who are willing to go to any extent to
make this team a success.
There has been a great amount of
commitment displayed in the team’s
intentions to match the standards of
professional horse riding, they are pro-
gressive in their riding and maintaining
stable management. Hanan explains that
the main motive of Arabyana is to give a
platform to the Emirati woman in being
able to change the stereotype beliefs that
people have against women riding horses.
Despite the fact that they do not
have an official place for meeting - their
gatherings are usually conducted at horse
riding centres or rooms-they discuss their
progress and how they can reach out to
notable organisations in the country.
Even though it may look the journey
is very smooth, Hanan explains this is
not the case and they have had to con-
stantly face a lot of hardships as well as
challenges to set up the team.
“The problem is that some people
here are unable to accept women as horse
riders and they see this as a sport only for
men. Arabyana is facing massive difficul-
ties in gaining official recognition from
the UAE government, and because we do
not have a lot of team members who do
own a horse, training becomes hard,” she
explains.
Getting funding to maintain this
project has been a very hard nut to crack,
as Hanan points out they did not have
any special kind of support, as no one
sponsors them or assists them in their
training. The girls are paying from their
own pocket to get qualified training at

50 l UAE Digest, June 2009

the Emirates Equestrian Centre.
“We believed no one would support us
until they saw our achievement and that’s
what we were looking for. I must admit
we have received a lot of support for our
documentary film that was launched in
April 2008. We are thankful to Hydra
Properties, IMMSAM and United Na-
tions for their constant funding support,
and the volunteers who have helped us
during the making of our documentary.”
Interestingly, it was the formation of
the two words ‘Araby’ (meaning Arab)
and ‘Ana’ (meaning I) that brought Ara-
byana together( forming: I am an Arab),
this is a representation for not only the
UAE, but for the entire Arab world glo-
bally; this is what the girls aspire to. The
team itself consists of varied characters
who are unique, they form the world of
Arabyana which they base on ‘their right
to ride’.
Arabyana documentary
I am keen on speaking to Hanan about
the Arabyana documentary. She says it is
the first of it’s kind. It was directed by her
and was inspired by the experiences of the
team members. The story is very simple,
it is about the first Emirati female horse
riding competitive group in the UAE;
they face a lot of challenges, conflicts and
struggles along their path.
“The documentary highlights the
various aspects of female horse riders from
an Islamic point of view and a medical
perspective too. They tackle headlong
the several negative images of women
riding horses. Traditionally, men are
the ones who are either rifle-shooting,
doing falconry or horse riding. The fear
of not being accepted by their
families and going against
the culture are
Hanan Al Muhairi
among some of
the issues that
are raised in the
documentary.”
Modesty is
another issue
that raises an eye-
brow, Hanan says
the first thing
that comes to
the minds of the
masses in Arab
society in rela-
tion to women
riding a horse is
the way of her dressing when she is riding it then breaks down the misconception
a horse. There is too much quarrel over about a Muslim woman. If we look back
that. Also the fact that this brings up at the history of horse riding, women in
issues about mixing around with women Islam have been known to participate in
in the equestrian field and the miscon- wars. This is an evidence of how women
ception of a girl losing her virginity if she were able to survive in extreme situations
rides horses. and that they have participated in strenu-
“These are sensitive issues, I do under- ous activities. Khawla bint Al Azwar is
stand, but then we should question men one noble personality Hanan mentions
if they are prepared to accept the idea here. Khawla accomplished a great deal
of allowing their wives, daughters and to protect Prophet Mohammed (peace be
sisters to practice such a sport?” upon him).
It should be noted that Arabyana are Other leading female achievers
proud to be Arab, but at the same time, include; Princess Haya bint Al Hussein,
they would like to erase the stereotype Sheikha Latifah Al Maktoum and others.
against women in the Middle East that “There is a saying by the Holy Prophet
they cannot take on masculine activities. that the good of the horses is held in their
Women should be confident when forelock until the day of resurrection.”
dealing with men and try With the overall aim of competing on
to prove it wrong that an international level, Arabyana’s journey
they would has taken five years to come into existence,
be misusing this and they are constantly evolving. Their
interaction with men in intention is to place a strong footprint in
a negative manner. the field of horse riding and make women
Women should proud. Hanan says women who want to
be empowered in a achieve something in life need to start
Muslim society because making an effort, never stop dreaming,
and never give up on their dreams.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 51
 REAL ESTATE
Rising, demanding and
maintaining prices
A
bu Dhabi tenants, for the first
time, have the chance to pub-
licly voice their opinion on the
state of the city’s controversial
rental market, through the inaugural 2009
Lease|Rent Abu Dhabi Rental Market
Survey, found online at www.leaserentuae.
com/survey2009.
Mark Saunokonoko, Communications
Manager of Lease|Rent, said: “We felt
that it was important to conduct research
not just on prices in the city, but also the
opinion of tenants who are trying to find
accommodation in a very competitive
environment because of the supply and
demand imbalance. Our lettings team
are out there day-in and day-out, working
with prospective tenants who have more
than reasonable budgets but are finding it
increasingly challenging to find a property
that fits their budget and their needs. The
anecdotal evidence is out there. We have
people moving to Dubai and Al Ain and
commuting to Abu Dhabi because they
literally can’t
afford to live in
the UAE capital.
Now it’s time to
start gathering
some actual
data. The results
of the survey
will be a basis
for discussion,
and highlight
potential prob-
lems that could
directly affect
population
growth in Abu
Dhabi in the
short-term, which would then impact the
long-term growth of the city.”
Meanwhile, on the subject of freehold,
investors in the Hydra Village project,
who are already locked in a dispute with
the developers over delays, have now been
hit by a new demand that is expected to
52 l UAE Digest, June 2009
escalate the disagreements between the
two parties. Hydra Investors’ Group
has revealed that Hydra has sent out an
email demand for immediate payment
of Dh500,000, and threatening fines of
Dh500 a day if payments are not made by
the specified date.
Graeme Perry, a spokesman for the
group, says that members have been
advised that any communication with
Hydra in future should be conducted
via a signed letter with company seal
and couriered, so that all parties, Hydra
included, are protected. “We are not
happy with mass email demands whose
provenance can neither be proved nor
their admissibility certain in a court of
law,” he said.
Karl Howard, co-chair of the group,
says that this letter has gone out to all in-
terested stakeholders, irrespective of their
relationship to Hydra. “Those who have
signed a contract, but have asked their
mortgage lenders to cease payment until
proof of construction has been ascer-
tained, have received them,” he says. “In
addition, people who have never signed,
nor even seen the latest contract, have also
received them”.
“The attitude that they can force me
to sign something I do not want to sign
under threat of severe financial penalty
is just not on. No business in the world
operates in this way,” commented one
outraged investor. “I will not sign this
contract and I never will until Hydra
deals with the issues of escrow, a building
schedule, and independent verification of
construction.”
Hydra maintains that a purchase res-
ervation agreement, signed by many upon
receipt of their initial reservation deposit,
allows them to demand full payment. To
complicate matters further, there is a size-
able number of investors who had never
seen nor heard of this purchase reserva-
tion agreement, which Hydra alleges is
legally obliging.
Sweet Homes has announced that it
is maintaining the prices of its property
units despite the current slowdown of
the global economy. The developer also
reiterated its focus on construction to
meet high quality expectations for its
Ajman-based projects, and underlined
its undivided focus on
unhindered progress to
hit the delivery targets
for the Dh3 billion
‘Ajman Uptown’ and
the Dh1.7 billion
‘Rainbow Towers’
projects.
Currently selling
at Dh900,000 to Dh4
million for villas and
from Dh500 to Dh600
per square feet for
apartments in Ajman
Uptown, the company
is taking all necessary
measures to ensure that
it will be one among the few developers in
Ajman to deliver its projects on time. It
also further underlined its commitment
to its investors by becoming one of the
first private master developers to register
with the newly-formed Ajman Real Estate
Regulatory Authority (ARRA).
 Al Hamra Village

Handovers and mortgages

A
l Hamra Village, Ras Al petrol and diesel distribution pontoon and and three-bedroom penthouses spread
Khaimah’s luxury residential dispensers and boating facilities within the over seven floors in five residential build-
and leisure development, has Marina Yacht Club, among others. ings; and a hotel. All the apartments have
announced that up to 385 Crown Dilmun Development floor-to-ceiling windows, giving access to
townhouses and villas and some 310 flats previewed its first project in the UAE at large balconies. The breathtaking views
in the Marina building have been handed Cityscape Abu Dhabi recently: a seven will be complemented by roof gardens with
over, and 283 units in the marina are now floor luxurious apartment complex on Al pools, spas and gym, recreational facilities
getting ready for handover following the Marjan Island, Ras al Khaimah, called including children’s play areas, mini-golf,
completion of Phase 2 of the development. Dilmunia RAK. Creatively designed in unique marine habitats, coffee shops,
Al Hamra Village further revealed that a wave shape to allow all apartments to waterfront promenades, world-class cuisine
up to 85 per cent of units within Phase 2 have sea views, Dilmunia RAK will be at and boutiques. The exclusive sales agent
had been sold out and delivery of units is the heart of Al Marjan Island, the 2.7 mil- for Dilmunia RAK is Asteco Property
expected to be completed by August 2009. lion square metre man-made island that Management.
Construction on Phase 3 of Al Hamra extends two kilometres off the coast of Ras Buyers looking to acquire a property
Village, is well ahead of schedule with Al Khaimah. in the capital this year will be able to take
a phased handover of units scheduled Dilmunia RAK is the first foray into advantage of a special promotion currently
between September 2009 and March 2011. the UAE real estate market for its devel- being run by RAKBANK, offering some
Located south of Ras Al Khaimah City, the oper who has a track record of successful of the lowest interest rates in the market.
2.5 million square-metre residential com- projects in its home country including Customers who sign up for a mortgage
munity is a picturesque sight set against a Marina Reef on Reef Island and the Land- finance deal with the bank before the end
backdrop of salt water lagoons, a champi- mark Cityview apartments in the heart of of June will have home loans with interest
onship golf course and its own marina. Al Bahrain. Its parent company, the Ebrahim rates as low as 7.49 per cent, down from the
Hamra Village offers freehold property Abdulaal Group of Companies, has been previous rate of 8.3 per cent, and among
options and features an excellent range of operating in the region for over 60 years in the most competitive in the market. The
amenities within a secure, safe and luxuri- a variety of commercial sectors, including interest rate varies, depending on type of
ous community. contracting and real estate development. employment and loan amount. The promo-
It has also been disclosed that the Dilmunia RAK has luxury studio, tion applies to UAE Nationals, residents
planning for Phase 4 of the residential one and two-bedroom apartments, villas, and non-residents purchasing existing and
project is now upcoming residential
being finalised The Crown Dilmun Development team showcasing their first UAE project, Dilmunia RAK: Mohammad freehold projects, in-
and will begin Al Fahad, International Business Development Manager of Ebrahim Abdul Aal Group of Cos. (EAAG); cluding those on Al
Tony Safarian-Chief Executive Officer, Waleed Abdulaal Alfahad-Managing Director and Ebrahim Ali
construction Abdulaal Alfahad-Chairman of Crown Dilmun Development; Yogendra Madan, President of EEAG; Raha Beach and Yas
soon. Aside from Khaldoun Kamal, Sales and Liaison Manager of Asteco Northern Emirates; Roger Clay, Project Director Island by Aldar, and
a range of leisure of Crown Dilmun Development the Shams project
and recreational on Reem Island by
facilities, the vil- Sorouh.
lage is also fully The bank offers
equipped with up to 90 per cent
essential utilities mortgage finance and
and services up to a 25-year loan
such as efficient tenure, and requires
electricity and a minimum salary
water billing of Dh10,000 from
through a card applicants, among
billing system, other criteria.

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 53

 TRAVEL
A small miracle
By Ambily Vijaykumar
S
ri Lanka is aggressively marketing
itself as a destination that has ‘de-
feated terror’ and ‘restored peace’.
‘A land like no other’ is now a
‘small miracle’. Sri Lanka has donned a new
tagline in its travel brochures, and tourism
officials believe it is going to do the trick for
the island nation that has been plagued by
three decades of conflict.
“Ever since the conflict began in 1983,
not a single tourist has been targeted, unlike
other countries where tourists have been
either caught in the conflict or held to ran-
som,” announced Deputy Tourism Minister
of Sri Lanka Faiszer Musthapha during the
Arabian Travel Market last month.
This is the stance that the Sri Lankan
government has taken to market the
country that has “seen peace dawning”
with the “LTTE being restricted to a small
landmass” after the “government defeated
one of the most ruthless organisations that
also possessed air power.”
Sri Lanka is hard-selling itself as a ‘short-
haul, budget destination’ in the Middle
East. It is using its proximity and connectiv-
ity to the region as a factor to market itself
as an “exotic destination” most travellers are
looking for these days. But it is the budget
factors in recessionary times that will
catapult it into the top league, believe Sri
Lankan tourism officials.
“A family who, under normal circum-
stances, would have spent $5,000 on a
54 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Adam’s Peak
package holiday may well go for a holiday
today as well. But they would want more
value for money. And if the package
becomes affordable at half the rate, then
it will be preferred. Packages to Sri Lanka
are probably one-fourth to one-fifth of the
rates of our neighbouring countries,” says
Amith Sumanapala, General Manager, Sri
Lankan Holidays and MICE Division at
Sri Lankan Airlines.
Sri Lanka is within five hours of travel
time from the region, which is an added
attraction for residents from here who have
traditionally had a preference for European
destinations that are in excess of 12 hours
of travel time away.
“Since 9/11, short hauls have become
the trend and people have realised the
potential in neighbouring countries as
against traditional markets that are at a
greater distance. Because of our initiatives
a few years back, we have realised the po-
tential in neighbouring India, Middle East
and South East Asia,” Sumanapala adds.
The sure shot way of attracting more
tourists in times like these have been at-
tractive packages. A Sri Lankan holiday for
a person from the UAE will cost Dh1,750;
which includes return airfare, two nights
accommodation in a five-star hotel, includ-
ing breakfast and return airport transport.
A seven-night package would costs around
Dh2,700 per person. That is not all. Sri
Lanka is optimising its network connectiv-
Upper Lake Drive - Kandy
ity to the Maldives in offering an extended
holiday in the Maldives for an additional
Dh250.
Middle Eastern travellers have a fetish
for cooler climates and that is what Sri
Lanka is capitalising on. “Colombo plays a
vital role, being the capital of the country.
But the hill areas, that are within three
hours drive time from Colombo, offer a
cool climate as well as vegetation change
within one hour of driving outside the
capital. Ceylon tea is also famous world-
wide and we would like tourists to get a
first-hand feel of the tea gardens in Kandy
that produce this tea. Wildlife is also
something that the Middle East market is
not exposed to, and we intend to capitalise
on that. The Middle East has some great
beaches, but our beaches and the sea are
very different from the ones in this region.
It is a combination of these factors that
will appeal to the holiday maker,” says
Sumanapala.
A good exchange rate is another added
attraction. One US dollar fetches in excess
of 117 Sri Lankan rupees. Add to that the
fact that the country is an easy-to-move-
around-in destination with a high literacy
rate, which gives it the basic requirement to
pull tourists.
Connectivity plays a major role in tour-
ism, and Sri Lankan airlines say they have
the capacity to optimise on an already ac-
tive market. The country’s national carrier

flies in excess of 30 flights in a week to the
Middle East through seven destinations.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of their key
destinations.
“The UAE, in particular, has played a vi-
tal role in our expansion to this region over
the years. Apart from Sri Lankan airlines,
some of the other major airlines also have
regular flights out of the area. There has also
been a long ongoing political relationship
between Sri Lanka and the Middle Eastern
countries. There is a lot of connectivity in
terms of people-to-people contact with a
substantial labour force from the island na-
tion working in various countries across the
region,” adds Sumanapala.
But India too is hard selling itself as
‘Incredible India,’ and that campaign has
been paying rich dividends. How does Sri
Lanka plan to offset any dent in its tourist
numbers that may result from India’s ag-
gressive campaigning?
“Price is one factor, and also the diver-
sity that can be found within 25,000 square
miles of the country. There are around
100,000 Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka
every year, and we have proved that the
Indian market has huge potential. With
more aggressive campaigning, we can sus-
tain those numbers and grow,” says Faiszer
Musthapha, Deputy Tourism Minister of
Sleeping Buddha
Sigiriya Rock
Sri Lanka.
Moreover, he says there is no need for
India and Sri Lanka to compete with each
other when they can benefit by working
together to attract more tourists, if they fo-
cus on the region as a whole. “We can work
collectively. Each country in the region has
something to offer, and within the Saarc
(South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation) countries, India and Sri
Lanka need not be competitors. We have a
lot to offer each other and by working to-
gether, we could offer the traveller a more
diverse package that might not be possible
otherwise,” Faiszer Musthapha adds. With
peace slowly returning, the nation is also
looking at opening up its east coast as well
as the northern parts for tourists.
That is part of the larger strategy,
especially in the backdrop of the current
global economic climate. Tourism officials
feel it will be foolish to talk about achiev-
ing fancy figures in terms of either tourist
count or revenue. Tourism officials believe
that the focus should be on sustaining
what is already there. The Middle Eastern
market was something that Sri Lanka was
not even looking at three years ago, but
now the equations have changed.
Sri Lanka, though have tough competi-
tion from Malaysia and Thailand that have
Yapahuva
Elephant Polo
become hot favourites among travellers
from this region.
“We have learnt from the Malaysia and
Thai experience. In fact, we are following
Malaysia very closely. We have the same
diversity that they have to offer, but we
have an advantage of proximity. One of the
reasons the Arab traveller goes to Malaysia
is that it has a sizeable Muslim population.
Sri Lanka, with an eight per cent Muslim
populace, that has been culturally tolerant
of diverse religious beliefs. Apart from
this factor, the climate and privacy that
the Middle Eastern traveller seeks is in
abundance in our country. There are a few
requirements that have to be met and we
are gearing up to fill in the blanks,” Faiszer
Musthapha elaborates.
Their efforts will be hugely helped by the
fact that several airlines across the world are
showing ‘great interest’ in the Middle East
region with its ‘open air’ policy. Within the
region itself, several airlines have shown
interest in starting operations to Sri Lanka.
Officials say Oman Air will begin flights
soon. With about a billion of its population
directly and indirectly benefitting from the
tourism industry, Sri Lanka is pulling out
all stops to ensure that the sector stays fully
equipped for a tough competition from its
neighbours in the subcontinent.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 55
 TRAVEL
Casting a spell
Visa costs to Kenya have been cut down by half to promote
tourism to the African nation from the Middle East
By Ambily Vijaykumar
“O
nce upon a time, the
baobab was just like
any other tree; then it
became proud because it
was the largest tree in the world. It walked
around showing itself off, making the
Creator angry. He grabbed the baobab and
pushed it back into the earth upside down.
Its twisted bare roots stuck up into the
sky and its beautiful branches were buried
forever. Too ashamed to move around, it
remained that way.” Thus goes a Kenyan
legend. And legend it is, the land being pro-
moted now as ‘Magical Kenya’. The land of
the Masais is now weaving its mystic charm
on the Middle East.
The recession has helped promote the
idea of short-distance budget holidays,
and Kenya, with its proximity to Middle
Eastern countries, is going the whole hog
while eyeing this market. The 2010 Football
World Cup to be held in South Africa is
being seen as a wonderful opportunity by
its neighbouring African countries to pitch
their tourism industry on, and Kenya is no
different. Though it has individually carved
a niche for itself in the world tourism indus-
try, next year’s event is being seen as a golden
opportunity to profit from.
“We are working towards making Kenya
56 l UAE Digest, June 2009
the transit route to South Africa for the
competing teams as well as tourists. We
want Kenya to be used as a venue for prac-
tice games, and for this, two of our stadiums
with a total seating capacity of 60,000
i.e. 30,000 each, are being refurbished,”
informs Najib Balala, the Kenyan Tourism
Minister who was in Dubai recently.
With an increase in tourist arrivals
from UAE to Kenya last year, the country is
looking to further tap the growing market
in the region. An interim representative
office of the Kenya Tourism Board is already
functional in Dubai; a permanent office will
be operational soon. That apart, an Arabic
website will be launched soon to increase
penetration into the Middle Eastern mar-
kets further. Last year alone saw an increase
of 36 per cent in the number of tourists
from the UAE to Kenya alone.
Wildlife is Kenya’s strength, and coupled
with a lack of exposure that the Middle
East traveller has to the kind of diversity
that Kenya offers, the stage seems set for
an opening of the floodgates in terms of
tourists from the region. With 59 na-
tional parks and reserves, the richness of the
country’s natural gifts can only be ‘seen to
be believed’” says Khalid Saleem, PR and
Corporate Communications Manager of
Kenya Tourism.
Climate in Kenya too is being pitched as
another attraction. With a round-the-year
maximum temperature averaging about 31
degrees Celsius, tourism officials feel travel-
lers from the region will find it to their lik-
ing. The distance factor too is another added
attraction. Kenya is within five hours of
travel time from the Middle East. Addition-
ally, direct flights from the region have also
increased to 32 a week with Kenyan Airlines
flying eight flights a week. Emirates flies
twice daily from Dubai, Qatar Airways too
has a daily flight to Kenya, and Air Arabia
flies thrice a week.
Connectivity, hence, has become an
advantage as far as the African nation is
concerned. However, travellers to Kenya
have also had their set of complaints. The
airport at Nairobi is one of their concerns.
But tourism officials have clarified that the
issue is being tackled.
“The airport at Nairobi is being refur-
bished. The second phase of expansion is
underway with the building of the fourth
terminal there. This will enable more traffic
to and from the country,” informs Najib
Balala.
Officials, however, admit to a practical
problem that they have to deal with; the
delay in delivery of aircraft is affecting the
increase in flight frequencies to various
destinations. But the country is aggressively
promoting itself to the Middle East and
Russia, as well as other African countries, as
the best ‘weekend destination’. A growing
need in the Middle East for short haul des-
tinations has opened up vast opportunities
in the region, and with a growing middle
class population within Africa, intra-Africa
tourism is also being targeted.
“Considering the current global eco-
nomic crisis, work commitments are not
allowing people to take long breaks. So,
weekend holidays are fast becoming the pre-
ferred choice. Kenya is positioning itself as
the ideal place for a short break. The Indian
market is also being explored with a direct
daily flight between Mumbai and Nairobi
opening. A representative office in Mumbai
is also planned by 2010.
Getting to Kenya too is being made very
simple with the slashing of visa fees. Firstly
the visa can be obtained on arrival at the
airport and, what is more, there is a 50 per
cent reduction in visa fees for adults - and
for children below 16, the visa fees have
been waived. The purpose behind doing that
is to the double the tourist count from the
UAE in the year 2010. Kenya also believes
that with a huge fan following for soccer in
the region, they will stand to benefit from
traffic for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
All these are incentives to explore the
land that has become synonymous with
safaris. Kenya boasts of 10 per cent of all
bird species in the world and 30 per cent of
all pink flamingoes. Tourists can spot over
100 species of animals in one single day in
the country. “Kenya has been a pioneer
in wildlife conservation. Travel agents
are given specific training sessions so that
people coming here are better equipped
and aware of what to look forward to,”
informs Khalid Saleem. With 42 different
tribes and 80 different dialects, it also has
of a variety of ethnic population.
Apart from wildlife, the country is also
pushing sports as one of its attractions.
“Kenya has had a history of producing ath-
letes who have become a permanent fixture
at the winning podium at the Olympics. As
part of our package, we also offer training
camps with our Olympics team, apart from
scuba diving and ballooning to name a few
other activities,” informs Khalid Saleem.
Business tourism is also being promoted
aggressively. As part of this, various golf
courses-reputed for being the best in the
world in terms of landscaping and facilities
have been developed. There are 39 golf
courses in all, of which 12 are used for
championship events.
Then, there is also the ‘Obama factor’
that is adding to the appeal of the destina-
tion. Kogelo is the town in Kenya where
Obama’s paternal family resides. “The
US ranked seventh on the list of tourist
arrivals in Kenya five years ago. This year, it
is number two,” informs Najib Balala. To
optimise this, direct flights between At-
lanta and Nairobi have begun this month,
reducing travel time from 30 hours to 18.
Tourism officials are quick to ward off
any talk about security concerns in Kenya,
underlining the country’s accessibility now,
in terms of entry as well as distance, espe-
cially from the Middle Eastern market.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 57
 TRAVEL

Bedroom inside a cave house, with heated tile floors

The Laleh Kandovan International Rocky Hotel, Iran, is located

on the edge of the mountain village of Kandovan, 27 miles south of
the city of Tabriz. It has 10 rooms, with another 30 planned, and a
large restaurant

Caving in Iran
T
he Laleh Kandovan Interna-
tional Rocky Hotel, in the
province of East Azerbaijan in
north-western Iran, is unusual
in nature and fascinating in terms of its
location. The hotel, which opened in 2007,
is on the edge of the mountain village of
Kandovan, 27 miles south of the city of
Tabriz. The village is known for its cave
houses; a population of about 700 live in
hollowed-out rocks the shape of witches’
hats, like the ‘fairy chimney’ formations
of Cappadocia in Turkey. Until the hotel
opened, it was possible only to pay a day visit
to Kandovan, where the inhabitants speak a
Turkish dialect.
Incorporated into caves that climb across
the hillside, the hotel has 10 rooms so far,
with another 30 planned, and a large restau-
rant. All the rooms have under-floor heating
and some have whirlpool baths. A heater
is hardly required because once the house
heats up, it stays warm until spring because
this rock, made of compressed volcanic ash,
is superbly impervious to the cold. There
are Persian rugs on the floor, and the walls
have recessed lighting. The decor is stylishly
minimalist, using plenty of tiles and letting
the rough rock sides do the talking.
Kandovan means Land of the Un-
known Carvers. No one knows how long
people have lived here, nor who first had
the idea of carving the soft rock, known
as tuff, into houses. Some say the houses
date from the 12th century, others that
they pre-date Islam (7th century). There is
even a theory that the surrounding region
is the biblical land of Nod, where Cain was
condemned to wander after murdering his
brother Abel.
More cave hotels
• Serinn House, Cappadocia, Turkey
(0090 384 341 60 76; www.serin-
nhouse.com)
There is plenty of cave accommoda-
tion in Cappadocia, but the pick of
the bunch is this luxurious and stylish
boutique hotel, with five individually
designed rooms plus their ‘famous’
breakfast.
• Hotel Sant’ Angelo, Matera, Italy
(0039 083 5314 010; www.hotelsantan-
gelosassi.it)
Sixteen historic dwellings set amid a
Unesco World Heritage site.
• Les Hautes Roches, Loire Valley, France
(0033 247 528 888; www.leshautesro-
ches.com)
Part of this 18th-century manor house,
a Relais & Châteaux hotel, is cut into
the rock face of low cliffs, overlooking
the banks of the Loire near Tours.
• Alexander’s Hotel, Santorini, Greece
(0030 22860 71818; www.alexander-
shotel.com)
Located on the top of a caldera, with
views of the Aegean. There are seven
‘cave villas’ and nine cave houses.
• Desert Cave Hotel, Coober Pedy, South
Australia (0061 8 8672 5688; www.
desertcave.com.au)
In the desert between Adelaide and
Alice Springs, 19 suites have been gouged
from the sandstone using opal-mining
machinery. The hotel can arrange desert
cave tours.

58 l UAE Digest, June 2009

In a constant process
of evolution
F.D. Warden, Air India’s Executive Director for Middle East & Africa, talks
about the airline’s plans for expansion in the region and beyond
By Vanit Sethi
How has the global recession impacted Air
India, and how do you plan to combat it?
The global recession has affected most in-
dustries worldwide, and the airline segment
is no exception. But Air India (AI), with
over 60 years of experience, is confident that
the downturn will be short-lived and traffic
to/from India will once again witness an
uptrend, considering the improved business
environment and the enormous potential
that India has to offer as a tourist destina-
tion.
With a fleet of 152 aircraft, including
45 inducted in the past 18 months, AI has
been gradually expanding its network to
cover new destinations in India and abroad.
The company operates 197 flights per week
from the UAE to different Indian cities. Air
India Express, our low-cost airline launched
in 2005, operates 181 flights per week on
its entire network from 17 Indian cities to
14 international ones including Dhaka,
Colombo, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and
Bangkok, as well as places in the Gulf like
Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Bahrain and
Doha.
As far as low-cost carriers are concerned,
how does your airline plan to compete with
similar ones operating in the region like
Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, and now,
flydubai?
AIE flights are operated with the next
generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Our
fares are very competitive. Unlike other
low-cost airlines, Air India Express serves its
passengers complementary snacks and soft
drinks in pre-packed boxes. An important
feature is the internet-based reservation
system. This is customer-friendly and pas-
sengers can make reservations from their
home or through travel agents. Passengers
F.D. Warden
have access to fares and availability of seats,
which makes it an extremely transparent
system. So, for Indians working here and
going back home on vacation, we offer a
good choice.
What are the new routes AI is planning to
add in the near future?
Frankfurt has become the operational hub
for West-bound flights from March this
year. This is aimed at strengthening the
global network of the national carrier and
restructuring its operations to Europe and
the US. We are planning to start a non-
stop Delhi-San Francisco and Amritsar-
Frankfurt-Toronto flights by the end of this
year. It will be with the new B777-200 LR
aircraft.
We have already started a weekly flight
to Srinagar from Dubai in February, the
first international flight out of there. The
response is fairly good, and we expect it to
pick up in the coming months. It will boost
tourism from the Gulf to the beautiful
valley of Kashmir. With the overall situa-
tion improving there, we will increase the
frequency of the flights on the route. We
have also increased frequency on the Dubai-
Trichy/Chennai route to a daily service, and
recently launched a twice-a-week flight from
Abu Dhabi to Trichy and Chennai.
Tell me a little more about the in-flight
facilities and entertainment AI offers its
passengers?
On the B777 LR in First Class, we have
a 23-inch screen with 250 hours of video
programming, mood lighting, gourmet food
served at the time convenient for passengers,
and fully flat beds. In our Executive Class
too, we have very comfortable seats that
can be transformed into 72-inch flat beds.
The Economy Class seats are ergonomi-
cally designed for comfort during long-haul
flights. The new Airbus A319/321 aircraft
are equipped with personal TVs on every
seat, featuring 12 audio and six video chan-
nels, besides a real time air map charting the
flight’s progress.
Does the airline tie up with Indian tourism
departments and hotels to offer special
packages for tourists travelling from the
Gulf to India?
Yes. We constantly interact with tourism
officials and hotels to give our passengers the
best offers. These packages are formulated,
evaluated and updated from time to time.
We’re in a constant process of evolution.
Recently, we participated in road shows
with India Tourism at Dubai, Muscat and
Bahrain. At the recently concluded ATM,
we had a good response at our stall in the
India pavilion. We aim to attract more
international passengers from the Gulf, who
are now looking again at India with renewed
interest. With a new government in power,
and economic stability assured, tourism to
India will get a fillip and we’ll surely benefit
from that.
UAE Digest, June 2009 l 59
 TRAVEL
When wanderlust
takes over
If you want to try out four different places across the continents,
Vanit Sethi recommends Mekong, Cape Town, Patagonia and
Athens for the sheer diversity of experiences
ASIA – Mekong (Thailand)
Think of the most popular tourist destina-
tion in Asia, and Thailand immediately
comes to mind. Think of Thailand, and
three popular names spring up – Bangkok,
Pattaya, and Phuket. But these three places
have been over-exploited. Thailand has
many other beautiful spots off the beaten
track. One of these is along the river Me-
kong in the country’s Northeast. Venture
along the river between the provinces of
Ubon Ratchathani and Mukdahan in
I-san, the country’s Northeast, and step into
a world unlike anything in Thailand, or
Southeast Asia. Great sandstone plates rear
up, stone ‘mushrooms’ thrust into the sky,
massive black rocks define swirling rapids,
and tall cliffs soar. Only waterfalls and
wildflowers soften this wild landscape.
Whereas Central and Northern Thai-
land are dotted with sculptures shaped by
human hands, here the sculptors are the
wind, water and the sun. Four key sites lie
along a road that leads through a wealth of
geological formations reminiscent of Mars,
the moon, or a meteorite.
North of Ubon, one enters the 80
square kilometres of Kaeng Tana National
Park. Bisected by the fabled Mun river,
black rocks and broken sandstone slabs are
60 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Pha Taem National Park
jumbled together along the riverbanks. The
surrounding landscape is harsh. The vegeta-
tion is spare, reflecting an ancient, epic stand
-off between tough trees and unyielding
stone. Just downstream from Kaeng Tana,
the Mun flows into the mighty Mekong, its
clear green waters declining to merge with
the Mekong’s silt-laden stream. Instead, the
two flow side by side for dozens of metres
to create a two-colour river. It is a point of
pride for the neighbouring villages.
From the towering cliffs dominated
by Wat Thamkhuasawan, a massive seated
Buddha gazes down on fishermen casting
nets along water-worn sandstone terraces.
The region’s prime attraction is Pha Taem
National Park, Thailand’s easternmost
point. At dawn, few natural wonders could
be more evocative.
Some 400 million years ago, the North-
east was covered by an ancient ocean; a layer
of seashells at Sao Chaliang attests to its
marine origins. The centrepiece of the 340
square kilometre park is Phu Pha Kham, a
tall cliff overlooking the Mekong river and
Laos on its opposite bank. The sea receded
and subsequent erosion carved downwards
through the soft surrounding soil to leave a
60-metre-high cliff composed primarily of
limestone and sandstone. It is capped by a
massive, 200-metre-long flat, slightly sloping
plate. Here, one is uncertain whether one is
still on planet earth. Embossed interstices,
rocks that resemble bone, deep crevices - all
are testament to cataclysmic prehistoric
forces.
Elephant Life Experience is the only
tailormade boutique elephant camp in
Thailand. It is situated among the marvel-
lous scenery, natural and beautiful setting
with the river flowing gracefully and close
by at Maetaman Valley. Tourists can also
enjoy personalised rafting - a wonderful
experience.
Here, one is uncertain
whether one is still on planet
earth. Embossed interstices,
rocks that resemble bone,
deep crevices - all are
testament to cataclysmic
prehistoric forces
AFRICA - Cape Town A view of Cape Town from Table Mountain
(South Africa)
The dark continent happens to be the
richest in flora and fauna. The southern-
most part of the continent is blessed with
stunning landscapes, salubrious weather and
a rich, multicultural environment. The rain-
bow nation of South Africa has everything a
tourist seeks – pristine beaches, rolling hills,
amazing wildlife and a vibrant social scene.
All that is miniaturised in one great city –
Cape Town.
Truly, Cape Town is a place like no
other. Named by Newsweek as one of the
world’s top cultural centres, it’s easy to see
why it is one of South Africa’s most visited
tourist destinations. From the cobbled
streets and colourful houses of the Cape
Malay quarter, to the energy and creativity
of township life, together with a rich mix-
ture of African and European influences,
the city offers a cultural experience second
to none.
The city thrives on outdoor and sport-
ing activities like bungee jumping, rock
climbing, sailing and golf. It has more than
long years. Located at the tip of the Cape
16,000 rooms – from five-star hotels to Named by Newsweek as one Peninsula, the Cape of Good Hope and
private guest houses - within a 45-minute ra- of the world’s top cultural Cape Point jut majestically into the South
dius of the city centre. Metered taxis, luxury
AC coaches and shuttle buses regularly run
centres, it’s easy to see why Atlantic surrounded by 7,750 hectares of
indigenous flora and fauna. You can travel
between the airport, hotels and major tour- Cape Town is one of South here by cable railway to a breathtaking view-
ist attractions. The city’s newest transport Africa’s most visited tourist point located 678 metres above the sea, or
option is water taxis.
Around the city, observe rock forma-
destinations you can take a spider’s web of walking routes
that allow you to soak in the Cape’s natural
tions that are thousands of years old, or
restaurants. The Waterfront is built around splendour.
admire the city’s historical architecture
a centuries-old harbour which is still Nestled beneath the slopes of Table
as you amble through tree-lined streets.
operational. Mountain, the spectacular Kirstenbosch
When it comes to food, Cape Town – called
One of SA’s seven World Heritage Sites Botanical Gardens showcases a rich floral
‘Mother City’ by South Africans - is a truly
is Robben Island, which houses the prison heritage. Covering only 0.04 per cent of the
cosmopolitan city. Outside the city, explore
that was home to Nelson Mandela for 18 world’s land area, the Cape Floral Kingdom
the soaring mountain peaks of the Western
revels in more flowering plant species than
Cape or take a walk on the wildside through
the whole of Europe.
the spectacular floral wonderland of moun-
tains and valleys.
Six of South Africa’s top 10 tourist at-
tractions are within one hour’s drive from
the city centre. Table Mountain is arguably
the world’s most recognisable mountain.
As a World Heritage Site, this 1,086-metre
high South African icon offers its very own
eco-system with more than 1,470 plant spe-
cies and a variety of wildlife.
Set against a backdrop of inspiring
sea and mountain views, the Victoria
and Alfred Waterfront is not only SA’s
most-visited tourist attraction, but also
home to a plethora of stores, boutiques and

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 61


SOUTH AMERICA –
Patagonia (Argentina)
For people in this part of the world, the
continent least travelled to is South America,
mainly because of distance. But the conti-
nent always evokes images of a people full
of life – salsa, samba, rhumba, sun-kissed
beaches, bikini babes and festive carnivals.
Yet not very far from Brazil and Rio’s party
atmosphere is the serene land of Argentina.
Travel south of this magnificent country
and you encounter a region with a striking
similarity to Switzerland – Patagonia.
Lying between the Andes and the Atlan-
tic, the legendary Patagonia comprises the
provinces of Santa Cruz, Chubut, Río Negro,
Neuquén, La Pampa, and Tierra del Fuego.
Thousand-year-old forests with native plant
species stretch along the lake shores. At the
top of the mountains, nature bursts in the
granite peaks, and ice fields pour their glacier
tongues in lakes of incomparable beauty.
Tierra del Fuego borders the Republic
of Chile to the west and south, and Atlantic
Ocean to the east. It is the last place to visit
before sailing towards the Argentine Antarc-
tica. Catamarans cruise through the Beagle
Channel, the lighthouse at the end of the
world. The winter resort (Cerro Castor) with
the longest snow season (June-October),
recreational fishing, eco-tourism, and rides
in the fabulous prison train (also known as
‘the train at the end of the world’), are some
of the options here. The Tierra del Fuego
National Park preserves species from the sub-
Antarctic woods. Marine bird sight-seeing
is another attraction, especially at Lapatania
Bay.
Santa Cruz is one of Patagonia’s preferred
62 l UAE Digest, June 2009
Los Glaciares National Park
tourist destinations. This inhospitable and
captivating landscape is formed by lakes,
glaciers, woods, mountains and steppes.
Between September and May, El Calafate
is the main tourist centre, and the legendary
Perito Moreno Glacier can be reached from
the Magallanes Peninsula, barely separated
from it by a narrow brook from the Argen-
tine Lake. This dazzling ice river, one of the
few in the world that is still advancing, is
the most visited spot in the Los Glaciares
National Park, and one of the two World
Heritage Sites in the province.
The national parks are ideal for ad-
venture tourism and ecotourism. The Los
Glaciares National Park is home to amazing
glaciers that descend from the continental
ice field. Thirteen glaciers reaching towards
the Atlantic pour their ice in the form of
huge towers over the waters of Lake Viedma
and Lake Argentino.
Torre and Fitz Roy Mountains, within
the Los Glaciares National Park, are a chal-
lenge for mountaineers. Across the Andes,
impenetrable forests and lakes are found.
To the north, there are vast plains where
thousands of sheep graze, and the city of
Río Grande is located. The national parks,
mountains and forests turn this region into
an ideal place for camping, hiking and trek-
king. Fast-flowing rivers are ideal for rafting
and canoeing. The area has six out of the
eight ski resorts in the region.
Tourists can visit the Cueva de las
Manos in Santa Cruz, where cave paintings
that have survived for almost 10,000 years
represent the oldest expression of the South
American people. Travelling aboard vintage
trains is another attraction. Patagonia also
offers a great variety of thermal springs and
spa centres with state-of-the-art technology,
highly qualified professionals, and afford-
able treatments. Surrounded by stunning
landscapes, each region adds special features
to the wine it produces. National Route
40 is the longest (5,200 kilometres) and
the most incredible route in the country.
Beyond doubt, it is one of the best ways to
discover the region.
The winter resort of Cerro
Castor with the longest
snow season (June-October),
recreational fishing, eco-
tourism, and rides in the
fabulous prison train - also
known as ‘the train at the
end of the world’ - are some
of the options here
 A night view of Acropolis, the most famous landmark of Athens

EUROPE – Athens (Greece) your favourite cuisine, Greek and Inter-

national, in one of the hundred gourmet Spontaneity and enthusiasm
One of the oldest countries of Europe with restaurants around town. At night, go
an ancient civilisation is often bypassed by
characterise the Greek
up the Lycabettus Hill and let the view
tourists for the more glamorous spots of take your breath away. Listen to a classical approach to night-life.
the enchanting continent. Yet, Greece com- concert in Megaron Mousikis, the Athens Friendly and extrovert,
bines with remarkable ease, tradition and Concert Hall, or dance until dawn in one
modernity, and an old-world charm with
Greeks know how to enjoy
of the trendy night-clubs.
new-world dynamism. Its capital Athens is Spontaneity and enthusiasm charac- themselves
rich in history and culture, yet not bereft of terise the Greek approach to night-life.
a pulsating night-life. What’s more, it’s just a Friendly and extrovert, Greeks know how
hop away from Dubai. to enjoy themselves - Greek in tavernas, grow everywhere in summer.
Standing above Athens, the emblematic R&B, and hip-hop in funky restaurants, Watch a film in an open-air cinema,
Acropolis offers the perfect starting point jazz, Latin, alternative rock in clubs and and escape from the pressures of everyday
for a city-break. Once you are up there, the venues around the country. The night-club life. Learn quickly the steps of Sirtaki (a
immensity of the Parthenon overwhelms scene is one of the most sophisticated in Greek traditional dance) and dance with the
you. Walk on the Grand Promenade Europe, with famous DJs regularly setting locals. Order a traditional Greek coffee and
and stroll down the most important the dance board on fire. Get out on the experience its strong taste and rich aroma.
archaeological sites, the Ancient Agora, veranda for fresh air and admire the view. Sit in the plateia (square) of a small Greek
the Roman Agora, Olympion, Stoa of Taste a cocktail or a glass of home vincture. village and talk till dawn - a favourite Greek
Attalos, Kerameikos Cemetery, Onyx, and Smell the aroma of jasmine which seems to pastime.
Areios Pagos. For the history enthusiast,
the city also boasts Byzantine, medieval
and 19th century monuments, as well as the
world-renowned National Archaeological
Museum.
Far from being a museum piece, how-
ever, Athens is a buzzing metropolis. Feel
the rhythm of the city with all your senses.
Travel Athens via the city’s ultra-modern
metro. Stop at Plaka for a light lunch. Pick
up some great bargains in the Monastiraki
flea market. Take a break in the city’s green
oasis, the National Park. Sit in a bench and
listen to the herons sing their song. Feel
the cosmopolitan air in Voukourestiou and
Stadiou streets, the exclusive designer bou-
tiques, luxury goods and world-renowned
stores.
Dinner is a way of life in Athens. Savour

UAE Digest, June 2009 l 63

 END PAGE
Power to the people
By Con Clude
A
fter being fed on gloom-doom
stories and official denials
of being hit by the financial
tsunami, the sun seems to be
finally peeping from behind dark clouds.
But what really lifted the spirits of UAE’s
largest expat population was news of the
Indian elections. With the Congress-led
UPA government sweeping the polls,
India’s two biggest stock markets had an
incredible bull run. The Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock
Exchange (NSE) had to shut down on
May 18 as both Sensex and Nifty shot
through the ceiling. Traders shouted
slogans hailing Sonia Gandhi (Congress
party leader) and her son Rahul - believed
to be largely responsible for the party’s
excellent performance among youth.
It was a thrilling moment for most
Indians. The party’s good showing means
it can provide stability. Free from the
yoke of its erstwhile Left allies, Congress
can move faster with reforms. The poor
showing of the Communists, even in
their traditional strongholds of Kerala
and West Bengal, is a clear signal that
voters rejected their anti-reform policies.
BJP, the Hindu nationalist party, too was
left licking its wounds after its disastrous
performance – its divisive, communal
agenda clearly out of tune with the elec-
torate’s mood. Lastly, the dismal showing
of regional, caste-based parties hit home
the message to backward-looking, ‘frog-
in-the-well’ mentalities.
So, the voters of India rejected the
politics of caste, class and community
all in one stroke. Three cheers to India’s
common man, who has come to symbolise
the power and pride of the world’s largest
64 l UAE Digest, June 2009
democracy. The elections were a perfect
example of how democracy has taken
roots in the vast country. The Indian
elections were, by and large, peaceful
despite the massive nature of the exercise.
Considering the security concerns raised
earlier, the polls were indeed smooth.
With the rising expectations of
Indian people, the Congress has its task
cut out - quicken reforms with a human
face, lift the masses out of grinding
poverty and propel the country forward.
Other countries in the region are looking
towards India for answers to certain
questions. India, at this stage, must not
let its own people and the rest of the
world down.
Cricket fever
While politics held centrestage across In-
dia; another colourful event was played
out on another continent. The Indian
Premier League displayed its brilliance
for over a month. Held in South Africa,
eight cricket teams from India with
international players battled it out. Night
after night, one could see teams give out
their best and provide ‘edge-of-the-seat’
thrillers. Two teams that finished at the
bottom last year came out right on top
this year – Deccan Chargers and Royal
Challengers. The teams from India’s IT
capitals, Hyderabad and Bangalore, gave
thrilling performances with Hyderabad
edging out Bangalore to lift the trophy.
Shows how gloriously unpredictable
the game of cricket is! While Test cricket
is losing viewers and sponsorship, the
one-day and 20-20 versions are gaining
both eyeballs and footfalls, besides rak-
ing in the moolah. Cricket is becoming
popular even in non-cricketing coun-
tries, competing with soccer’s thrill.
The UAE, which popularised ODIs
in Sharjah way back in the eighties, has
now built two new stadiums in Dubai
and Abu Dhabi. While the Sharjah
stadium had fallen into disuse since
the match-fixing scandal, the two new
stadiums promise to bring cricketing
glory back to the nation. With Sharjah
planning to renovate its stadium, one can
expect a lot of action on the field here.
Howzzat!
Virtual travel
With the weather turning hotter by the
day, the mind wanders to cooler climes
and greener spaces. The Arabian Travel
Market (ATM) could not have been
timed more appropriately. The ATM
is aimed to cash in on droves of travel
agents, corporate establishments and
holiday travellers who yearn to escape
from soaring temperatures. While many
time their annual vacations back home
in these months, others want a holiday at
higher latitudes and altitudes.
This year, there were plenty of good of-
fers at the ATM to countries as far apart
as Thailand and Switzerland, South Ko-
rea and South Africa, England and New
Zealand, Australia and Argentina. For
those who badly want a holiday now, the
timing is apt, as fares (both airlines and
hotels) are still quite low due to the reces-
sion. For those who can’t afford a holiday
now, ogling at colourful brochures and
surfing attractive travel websites could be
an interesting pastime. Way better than
watching moronic serials on the idiot
box, I should say!