NICE GESTURE

Fun day for

off-roaders

O ffRoad-Zone, a leading 4x4 specialist in

Dubai, is organising a free 4x4 driving
event at its testing facility in Jebel Ali.
“We are one of the many suppliers owed
money by Blue Banana and sympathise
with customers stuck with vouchers,” said
Jonathan of OffRoad-Zone.com.
OffRoad-Zone wants to turn this
unfortunate situation into a more positive
one by organising a fun day out where
people can experience driving 4x4s through
water, sand, hills, ramps, logs and rocks.
All you need to do is show proof you have
been affected directly or indirectly by the
company.
The event is scheduled for Saturday 25
July, 2009, at 3pm.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 1

 July-August 2009 DH 5

IN FOCUS

Plenty to do during the summer Daily doings for the

temporary jobless

REAL ESTATE
Leasing and purchase guides
KIDS
A choice of summer camps
ART
ipod tours of Islamic arts
DEBATE
Maid to last

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2 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Contents

1
On the Cover
There are many things to do during the summer, when the heat of the hot summer is waning or waxing. UAE companies are coming up
with ideas from 4 x 4 driving courses and beachside air conditioners to children’s summer camps and reduced prices in hotels, restaurants
and at the travel agent.

8 11 20
Maid to last Quality properties see Lots for lay-offs to do
While getting a trusted maid in Dubai can be increasing stability The buzzword these days is ‘recession’. The
a task, keeping one is more challenging. credit crunch has affected our personal lives
All characters and situations in this piece are But the rest of UAE’s property prices are more than the global market. However, there
painfully real, and any resemblance to anyone sliding. Read charts of price maps for your can be no time better than this, to invest in
living, not dead, is obvious guidance. yourself.

50
23 ipod audio tours of Islamic art
and artefacts
A smashing summer
The first Wednesday of every month during an exhibition is
Various fun filled activities are on for kids throughout the UAE when a gallery conducts its free tour from 1:00 – 1:30pm, but
to make the lengthy summer months engaging. please make a reservation first, of the two-floor, airy premises.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 3

 IN THE NEWS

The Dubai Fountain

Dancing waters
T
he Dubai Mall’s Waterfront ‘Shik Shak Shok’ by Hassan Abou El World’s largest container
Promenade attracts thou- Seoud; and the signature piece of world-
sands of visitors daily for the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli,
vessel at Jebel Ali Port
dazzling performances of The ‘Con te partiro’ (Time to Say Goodbye). Emma Maersk, the world’s largest
Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest-per- The Dubai Fountain is 900 feet (275 container vessel, made her maiden call at
forming fountain. Located on Burj Dubai metres) long and has five circles of vary- Jebel Ali last month. It is the first time
Lake, the fountain shoots water jets as ing sizes and two central arcs. It has been that a container vessel of this size transits
high as 500 feet (150 metres), equivalent designed by California-based WET, the the Arabian Gulf. The container vessel
to that of a 50-storey building. Starting creators of the Fountains of Bellagio in and her seven sister vessels can each carry
from 6pm, there are 14 daily perform- Las Vegas. Over 6,600 WET Superlights more than 11,000 TEU (twenty foot
ances every half-hour until 8pm. Then, – the most advanced incandescent large equivalent). They are designed to offer the
between 8pm and 11pm, music-water fountain lights available today – and 25 most environmentally friendly transpor-
displays occur every 20 minutes. colour projectors create a visual spectrum tation solution available.
It currently performs six songs at of over 1,000 abstract attractions. “We believe the call of Emma Maersk
varying intervals including ‘Sama Dubai,’
the tribute of Emaar Properties to His
The world’s largest container vessel made her maiden call at Jebel Ali Port
Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President &
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The
other songs to which the fountain sways
in perfect sync are ‘Dhoom Thana,’ a
super-hit Hindi film song from the Shah
Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Om Shanti Om;’
‘Baba Yetu,’ an award-winning song in
Swahili composed by Christopher Tin for
the computer game ‘Civilization IV;’ the
Arab world’s top-selling dance number

4 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

is a great opportunity to celebrate the
success story of Dubai’s merchant com-
munity. UAE is an important market
for Maersk Line on par with other large
markets such as India, which has a far
greater population. We have been in this
country since 1959 working closely with
shippers, the government and the port to
develop Dubai into a re-export hub”, says
Mr. Robert Uggla, Managing Director for
Maersk UAE.
“These days we all face considerable
challenges due to the economic crisis.
However, Maersk Line remains com-
mitted to our customers and partners in
Dubai and UAE. We see the long-term
potential of UAE and the region, with
many industrial and petrochemical
projects on stream, and we have no doubt
that Jebel Ali will continue to play an
important role in our global network for
many years to come.”
Shanghai monument
unveiled at Zabeel Park
Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director
General of Dubai Municipality and Mr.
Feng Guoqin, Chairman, Shanghai Com-
mittee of Chinese People’s Political Con-
sultative Conference together unveiled
the Shanghai Monument in Zabeel Park
last month.
The monument, set up as part of the
sister city agreement signed between
Dubai and Shanghai, represent replicas of
different landmarks and high rises of the
city of Shanghai such as the Oriental Pearl
Tower, Jin Mao Tower, World Financial
Centre, Shanghai Centre (this 638 metre
tower is still under construction), Chinese
Construction Bank, Chinese Pavilion
of Expo 2010, Park Hotel, Shanghai
Museum, Shanghai Pudong Develop-
ment Bank, Chinese Customs Building in
Shanghai and the Yang Pu Bridge.
Private jet airport to get
full certification
Abu Dhabi Airports Company has said
Al Bateen private jet airport, the region’s
first airport exclusively for business jets, is
expected to receive full certification this
summer from federal aviation authorities.
The airport, which was a military airfield
on Abu Dhabi Island, will be converted
Shanghai Monument in Zabeel Park
for private air operators to become one
of the largest airports for business jets in
the world, said Mohammed Al Bulooki,
VP of airline marketing and aeronautical
revenue at ADAC.
Construction begins on
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
His Highness General Sheikh Moham-
med bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince
of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme
Commander of the UAE Armed Forces,
recently welcomed French President
Nicolas Sarkozy to a commemorative
ceremony to mark the start of construc-
tion on the Louvre Abu Dhabi. In a
presentation before dignitaries at Emir-
ates Palace, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed
and President Sarkozy accepted a time
capsule for the museum from children of
United Arab Emirates and France which
will be placed in the Louvre Abu Dhabi,
at a future date.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed
and President Sarkozy also inaugurated
a new preview experience of the Louvre
Abu Dhabi, being presented until 2nd
July in Gallery One of Emirates Palace.
Titled Talking Art: Louvre Abu Dhabi,
the preview features a brief film about
the design for the Louvre Abu Dhabi by
Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean
Nouvel; an illustrated talk; and a guided
tour of selected artworks specially chosen
to demonstrate the curatorial vision of
the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Scheduled for completion in 2012/13,
the Louvre Abu Dhabi will showcase the
HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan and French President Nicolas Sarkozy
inter-relationships among artistic achieve-
ments from different cultures around the
world, from the most immemorial to the
very latest, across borders of technique and
geography. With works loaned by the Lou-
vre and other French museums, such as
Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Musée
Guimet and Musée du Quai Branly, and
works of art from its own developing
collection, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will
establish a distinctive dialogue among
fine arts, decorative arts, and archaeologi-
cal artefacts that have been created and
collected all over the world, in a presenta-
tion that is unique to this museum and its
setting.
Montblanc pledges
Dh5.5million to Unicef
Luxury goods manufacturer Montblanc,
recognised worldwide for its classic time-
pieces, jewellery, leather goods and writing
instruments has joined hands with Unicef
in a drive to eradicate illiteracy. Mont-
blanc has pledged a sum of at least Dh5.5
million towards education to ensure
that children, regardless of their gender,
ethnicity, socio-economic background
or circumstances have access to quality
education.
Montbanc’s new social awareness
campaign titled “Signature for Good” is
designed to support Unicef in its efforts to
ensure a quality education, as only educa-
tion can enhance the quality of life of the
many boys and girls around the world
who suffer under the burden of illiteracy.
Globally, only 60 per cent of children of
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 5
 HOME & GARDEN
The Meisterstruck ‘Signature
for Good’ edition with a
sapphire stone and the UN’s
famous olive wreath symbol
adorning the cap of each
Montblanc pen
secondary school age attend secondary
school. The others are either still enrolled
in primary schools or are out of school. In
sub-Saharan Africa, children of secondary
school age are more likely to be in primary
schools than in secondary schools.
Montblanc unveiled a new range of
products, including a writing instru-
ment - The Meisterstruck ‘Signature for
Good’ edition with a sapphire stone and
the UN’s famous olive wreath symbol,
a universally recognised sign for peace,
adorning the cap of each pen. From Sep-
tember 2009, “Signature for Good” edi-
tion will include a collection of jewellery
and small leather goods finished to the
highest degree of detailed perfection and
featuring the colour blue as a reference
to the charity initiative. All “Signature
for Good” limited edition items have
one thing in common: every purchase
makes a valuable and lasting contribution
towards helping illiterate children all over
the world to read and write. Part of the
proceeds from the entire collection will
be donated to support Unicef ’s education
programmes globally.
One2One
Offering enhanced level of convenience to
customers, du has launched its One2One
service that enables all du Pay as You Go
and Visitor Mobile Line customers to
transfer credit to their loved ones using du
Paris Gallery
6 l UAE Digest,July-August 2009
Pay as you Go or Visitor Mobile Lines.
The service allows customers to transfer
a minimum of Dh2 and a maximum
of Dh200 per transaction. To transfer
credit customers simply need to dial
*121 *055xxxxxxx*amount #, which will
then instantly transfer the credit to the
payee. There are no charges for activa-
tion or subscribing to this service.
Al Fahim Holdings
remain bullish on UAE
Al Fahim Holdings has a list of revisions
to its portfolio of stores in UAE and
Bahrain. The list announces the open-
ing of 16 new stores totalling 305,273
square feet, one major renovation and
the closure of seven under-performing
stores totalling 39,167 square feet.
In a statement to shareholders,
Group CEO Mohammed A.R. Al Fa-
him said: “Despite the global downturn,
we remain committed and well-placed
to further our long-term strategy of
selectively opening new stores, refur-
bishing strategic ones and pruning
under performing stores. To this end,
we are constantly monitoring changes in
consumer sentiments, shopping habits,
the opening of new retail spaces and
changing market conditions to maintain
a profitable portfolio of stores.”
Commenting on the current global
economic scenario and its impact on
the UAE, he said: “We continue to be
very confident in the economy of the
UAE and the leadership behind it. As
retailers, we understand that there
is a business cycle that all countries
experience. We also believe the UAE has
strong and appealing fundamentals that
will continue to make it a world-class
José María Figueres (centre)
destination for retail development. We
would not be making the largest invest-
ment in our four-decade existence in new
stores if we felt otherwise.”
The CEO also announced that all
staff from the stores to be closed would
be moved into new and existing stores.
He added that the internal transfers
would not be sufficient for the new store
openings and that additional hiring of
employees, including Emiratis, would be
necessary to fulfil the needs of these new
stores.
Sustainable development
on the agenda
With more than a decade of experience in
implementing and advising on environ-
mental policies, former Costa Rican
President and CEO of Concordia 21 in
Spain, José María Figueres, believes the
biggest challenges lie ahead.
Sponsored by HSBC Bank Middle
East, May saw Figueres give an exclusive
presentation to members of the Capital
Club, Dubai’s premier private business
club. The title of his business evening
forum presentation was Inconvenient
Truths and Present Economic Challenges.
Based on his business experience, and his
years in public service where he worked
closely together with US Vice President
Gore, President Figueres spoke about the
opportunity within the present financial
crisis to reactivate the global economy
in such a way as to also mitigate climate
change.
“The private sector has a tremendous
opportunity to create new business mod-
els that support pro-active environmental
policies. Governments must show leader-
ship by enacting the regulatory frame-
works that facilitate this transformation,”
said Figueres.
A dynamic speaker, Figueres rose to
prominence when he became the youngest
president of a Central American country
in modern times. During his tenure as
president, from 1994 to 1998, he created
a comprehensive national Sustainable
Development strategy, factoring in macro-
economic indicators, technology and
human development.
After his presidency, Figueres shifted
his focus to the international arena with
achievements such as helping create and
lead the United Nations Information and
Communication Technologies Task Force
(ICT) and becoming the first CEO of the
World Economic Forum in 2003.
Figueres is currently the CEO of
Concordia 21 (C21), a social investment
vehicle chaired by Kofi Annan, former
UN Secretary-General, which is dedicated
to the support of organisations which
promote development and democratic
values around the world. He holds an
Industrial Engineering degree from the
United States Military Academy at West
Point, and a Masters in Public Adminis-
tration from the John F. Kennedy School
of Government at Harvard University.
UAE offshore centres
tempting foreign
investors
The internationally agreed tax standard, as
endorsed by G20 finance ministers at the
recent summit and by the UN Committee
of Experts on International Cooperation
in tax matters, requires exchange of infor-
mation, on request, in all tax matters and
enforces domestic tax law without regard
to a domestic tax interest requirement
or bank secrecy for tax purposes. This is
a positive step to establishing legitimate
practices on a global scale.
In response to these practices, the
OECD placed Costa Rica, Malaysia and
the Philippines on its black list of non-
cooperative tax centres, after they failed
to meet the new standards set out in the
G20 summit’s crack down on tax evasion.
Other offshore centres, are beginning to
loose their image; many companies are
using these offshore jurisdictions to avoid
tax and hide money.
While that is true for some countries,
others, particularly the UAE, are set to
benefit from the new standards. UAE
offshore authorities have high standards
of policies and procedures and are very
selective in granting an offshore company
licence to investors. The country is well
regarded in the international market,
on top of it being a 100 per cent tax free
economy.
UAE offshore policies and procedures
demand that along with the normal
requirements of documenting residen-
tial proof and bank reference, the Jebel
Ali Offshore Authorities also seek for a
personal visit of the investor or, in the
event of the inability of the investor to
be physically present, the authorities are
flexible enough to allow the submission
of a legalized Power of Attorney from the
investor, which should be duly attested by
the UAE Consulate from the investor’s
country.
The RAK Offshore authority goes one
step ahead in cooperating with inves-
tors by suggesting the document to be
notarised by any legal authority from
anywhere in the world.
OECD’s top rating of the UAE, cou-
pled with its financial policies, leads UAE
offshore centres to hold a significantly
stronger and more dignified image than
other offshore centres worldwide.
It is expected that the recent crack-
down on tax heaven practices will free up
otherwise frozen money which is being
unutilised, to boost the economy and
solve the problem of liquidity and cash
flow, which has dried up since October
2008.
Family businesses are
more perceptive of
business opportunities
A comprehensive survey of Family
Businesses in the UAE has revealed that
CEOs and family members have a higher
perception of business opportunities
in their sector of operations than their
counterparts in the United States (US).
Entitled ‘Differing Perceptions and Chal-
lenges Facing UAE Family Businesses:
Implications for Practice’, The study
released by the Dubai International
Financial Centre (DIFC) Research Unit,
was done with the support of the Walker
Centre for Global Entrepreneurship at
Thunderbird School of Global Manage-
ment. It is the first study of its kind to
compare the views and perceptions of
parent-CEOs and family members within
UAE-based family businesses. The study
also derives its importance from being the
first to compare UAE-based family busi-
nesses with US-based family businesses us-
ing a standardised and tested research tool
and through direct face-to-face interviews.
H.E. Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Gover-
nor of the Dubai International Financial
Centre, stated: “The Arabian Gulf is
dominated by family businesses. Most
of the family business in the UAE and
the Gulf are still young and in transition
phases. The family-run business faces
many challenges such as globalisation, the
growing number of family members in
each generation, growth of the company,
succession plans and business continuity.
It is well known that nearly 95 per cent of
family businesses do not survive the third
generation of ownership primarily due to
lack of planning in the succession.” 
“This comprehensive scientific study
comes as part of the DIFC’s efforts to
provide sound and fact-based business
intelligence that would help regional
family-owned businesses to cope with
the pressures of change and succession-
planning as well as assist the international
business community to understand the
needs and aspirations of UAE-based family
businesses,” added the DIFC Governor.
Dr. Zeinab Karake Shalhoub, Director
of Research, DIFC Investments com-
mented: “The study identifies a number of
areas for improvements and provides six
major recommendations to UAE CEOs
and family members including writing
a family constitution; developing clear
standards and processes for both manage-
rial and ownership succession and adopting
a holistic strategic planning approach,” she
said. “It also recommends the appointment
of at least two independent outsiders to the
board of directors, as well as the employ-
ment of key non-family managers to ensure
the professionalisation of the business and
the neutralisation of the decision-making
process. In addition, assuring frequent
family meetings and a more formal family
council to educate and communicate with
family members and family shareholders
was also stressed to be a critical require-
ment for business continuity.”
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 7
 DEBATE
Maid to last
While getting a trusted maid in Dubai
can be a task, keeping one is more
challenging
By Ambily Vijaykumar
All characters and situations in this piece are painfully real, and any resemblance to anyone living, not dead, is obvious
R
ashim is in heaven. Before you
jump to conclusions, she has a
job, a child, is happily married,
and will soon see a new addi-
tion to her family. Stop before you infer
again, because the newest member is a
50-year-old ‘one-stop-let’s talk’ who has
reached her destination.
A woman whom Rashim, in Dubai,
and her parents back in India, have known
for the past three years as a trustworthy
maid in India; a woman who not only
cooks well, but also doubles up as an
above-average nanny, was sent for. These
are precisely the qualifications needed to
tend to Rashim’s three-year-old adorable
terror-machine. What’s more, the child
and the maid are familiar with each other
and so Rashim does not have to bother
about the orientation and familiarisation
routines that can become pretty unset-
tling for all.
For Rashim to keep her job in Dubai
the lady, Leela, had to come. After much
is spent on phone bills discussing the sal-
ary package and other facilities that will
be extended to Leela during her stay in
Dubai, the maid’s family finally agreed on
an astronomical salary plus her stay, food,
medical facilities and transportation.
Surely, Rashim cannot afford the pay
8 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
package for her maid? But without her,
Rashim would also find it difficult to
keep her job, which in times of recession
has become something of a cushion for
her husband Swayam who was employed
in the construction sector. You win
some, lose some. After much running
around different government depart-
ments seeking approvals and attestations
and shelling out a hefty amount as depos-
its, arrangements were made for Leela to
fly on her maiden flight, which, as luck
would have it, was to another country.
Rashim’s brother accompanied Leela
from India, because the maid, being
‘illiterate,’ would have been lost in the
maze of formalities and “would have been
so intimidated, she would have fled,” rea-
soned Rashim. So Leela landed in Dubai
with an escort, and Rashim, Swayam and
their little one waited with bated breath
at the airport to receive her, their saviour,
during the recession.
Leela’s orientation happened back in
India at Rashim’s parent’s house. “You
will mostly be confined to the house,
because there is very little open space
around the house to roam around in.
You won’t find many people to talk to,
because most of them work, and because
of the heat, not many at home venture
out. There are roads and cars to keep you
occupied in your spare time. Even if you
don’t like it, it would be very helpful if
you could stay there at least for a year. The
visa will be valid for 12 months and then
you can decide whether to continue or to
leave,” explained Rashim’s father.
Leela’s logic behind leaving her coun-
try to work was ‘monetary’. Her family
wanted to build a house in India and the
measly sum that is given to maids back
there would not have helped them get
there soon. So she was game to give work-
ing in a distant land a shot.
The Dubai International Airport can
be quite an eye-popping sight for those
coming from India. The grandeur that
greets visitors is associated with luxury
hotels back in India. Leela was smitten,
as she later told Rashim over a cup of tea
at home.
Rashim’s three-year-old son Angad
was being showered with attention and
he was enjoying every bit of it. The end of
worries seemed in sight. No more brain-
ragging about a menu for the morning,
noon or night; no more worries about
grocery and provisions, and no more
worries about dropping the child to play-
school or picking him up. Leela was there
to handle things.
 But the happiness and relief was short-
lived. Within two weeks of her stay in
Dubai, Leela was feeling home-sick. Every
morning, Rashim and her husband began
getting up to a wailing Leela. “You have
imprisoned me. Look at my condition;
my blouse does not fit me anymore. Just
send me back,” Leela would say, making
Rashim feel terrible. Despite giving her so
much, Leela was trying to make her feel
guilty.
“There is food in the house, fruits
in the basket and you are free to use the
kitchen whenever you want. There are
snacks too and we haven’t stopped you
from having them. Then how can you
blame me for not feeding you. You also
have the key to the house, if you feel
lonely, you can lock the house and walk
around, and it will surely make you feel
better. Angad will be back by noon and
there is enough work at home to keep you
occupied,” Rashim reasoned.
But reason could not win over emo-
tions. Finally Rashim had to request her
friend Meera to allow her maid to spend
the mornings at her place so that she does
not feel lonely. The arrangement seemed
to be working out well. But there was
however this lurking fear in Rashim and
Swayam’s heart that Leela would not stick
around. Everyone was putting up a brave
front. Leela’s evenings spent with a few
other maid friends seemed like a ray of
hope for Rashim. “Friends will keep her
engaged. At least she won’t be occupied
with disturbing thoughts,” Rashim rea-
soned with Swayam, who was beginning
to notice Leela’s constant absence from
home.
“You know I cooked Dal Makhni
for Meeraji,” said Leela one day. Rashim
wanted to question her for going and
working at someone’s place without her
permission, but she held back. “If that
keeps her occupied, and if Meera gets
some help in the bargain, it is a good ar-
rangement,” she explained to Swayam.
Days ambled by and Rashim accepted
Leela’s presence as a permanent fixture
in her life, unaware that there were a lot
of parallel tracks running in their lives.
Leela became more demanding, almost
assuming the role of the master of the
house. Rashim and Swayam gave way,
hoping that this would keep her happy
and she would stop sulking.
Instinct, however, is a powerful
tool. And Rashim thought she was not
getting the right vibes from Leela lately.
Leela would give vague answers to her
questions, or so it seemed to Rashim. To
her shock, Rashim later learnt that Leela
used to eat at Meera’s place and even
bring food for her lunch from there.
But Rashim took heart from the
fact that Angad was becoming more
active, talkative and more responsive.
Household work was suffering as a result
of Leela’s new found
disinterest. She would
constantly complain
about things not being
available at Rashim’s
place. “None of the
television channels of
my choice are available
at your place. I go to
Meeraji’s place and
watch the things I
want to,” Leela would
say sarcastically.
Somehow, Rashim
could never muster
the courage to tell
Leela that she is just
a maid and cannot be
so demanding, and
neither can she talk to
her employer in such
a sarcastic tone. After all, Leela owed her
presence in Dubai to Rashim and her hus-
band, and would also have to thank them
if she finally ended up building her house.
Withdrawing involvement in
Leela’s life seemed like the best option for
Rashim, because every time she showed
concern, Leela would point fingers at
Rashim for ‘forcing me to come here’.
Rashim never understood how anyone
who came for employment and a hefty
salary could be ‘forced’ into leaving their
family and country. She, however, took
it as an interim arrangement because
Rashim’s parents were willing to come
and help within a year’s time. It was this
one year that was critical. On several occa-
sions, Rashim swallowed insults because
she could not have trusted anyone else to
take care of her son. She always reasoned
to Swayam, “as long as she does not harm
Angad, I don’t have a problem.”
But there are always surprises in store,
and they just spring up like unexpected
diversions when you are speeding along
towards your destination.
“Get me this medicine,” Leela told
Rashim.
Rashim looked at the tablet cover and
asked Leela where she got it from. “I had a
bad toothache and so asked Meeraji to give
me some painkiller. I have only had one
tablet,” she replied.
“But you had already asked me for an
entire strip of painkillers the other day. Is
that over?” Rashim asked. “I had eleven
of them in three days and still it did not
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 9

Photo for illustrative purpose only
relieve me of the pain. I don’t think I did
anything wrong by asking Meeraji for it,”
Leela became defensive.
This comment was too much for
Rashim to take. “You are here in another
country on our sponsorship. You are not
supposed to take medicines from anyone
else; only from us or a doctor. Even a
small allergic reaction is enough to land
you in hospital. You could also have put
Meera in trouble. We are not talking
about food here; it is medicine,” Rashim
said firmly.
She could read the changing colours
on Leela’s face. The shades were that of
accusation; then came the final assault. “If
I were at my home, by now my kids would
have taken me to 10 different doctors. I
have not come here to die. You have not
been feeding me and I am here in this
jail with nobody to talk to. You made
promises to my family which you have
not fulfilled. Look at what you have done
to me. You will not be forgiven for your
10 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
sins,” Leela yelled, standing in one corner
of the room.
Rashim was taken aback not only
by surprise but by the allegations and
the insult heaped upon her by a woman
whom she had known and trusted for
three years. She now decided to return
the favour.
“You did not come here because I
forced you to. You are here because you
see some benefit in working in a foreign
country. I am not supposed to feed you,
you are supposed to cook and eat on your
own. I am supposed to feed my child and
husband. You have been crossing your
limits very often, but I have been taking
it in my stride, because I need you to take
care of my child. But if you think you can
take advantage of my silence, then let me
assure you, your leaving will not put an
end to our world,” Rashim said firmly.
What followed was a war of words
and the climax was horrifying. Leela
threatened to go to the police and file a
complaint against Rashim for
harassing her. She even threat-
ened to hang herself. Rashim
could not believe what was hap-
pening. All the months spent
in making arrangements to get
Leela to Dubai now looked like
a wasted effort.
The world came crashing
down in front of Rashim. She
rushed to the phone, called up
Swayam and told him with all
the composure she could muster
that there was an emergency
and they will have to drop Leela
back in India.
The day after the incident,
Swayam and Rashim lost no
time in completing all the
formalities needed to cancel
Leela’s visa and get the neces-
sary approvals. The three and
a half month old arrangement
fell apart.
But Leela was at her spite-
ful best, accusing Rashim of
harassing her mentally. Swayam
gulped down all the allegations
because he did not want any
trouble with the authorities
before the maid left. He wanted
to get it over with soon.
Rashim, who had later learnt
that Leela could read and write Hindi,
was unwilling to take any more allega-
tions and fought back. Swayam held her
back because if they ended up with a
dispute, it could prolong and create more
worry.
Back at their house in Dubai, Angad
was running around unaware of the
developments that transpired during
the day. Leela’s bag was packed and she
was more than thrilled to leave. She
received several calls on her mobile from
‘friends’ in Dubai and she received them
with the enthusiasm of a child who had
been ‘rewarded for a good deed’. Rashim
looked on with disbelief because Leela
had accused her of not teaching her how
to use the mobile.
‘What a bunch of lies she told,”
Rashim told Swayam. Both gave a reas-
suring look to each other. They wanted
to believe things might have changed for
the better and this episode was not made
to last long.
 REAL ESTATE

Quality properties see increasing stability

L
andmark Advisory, one
of the leading real estate Sales Guide - June 2009 (Sales Rates in Dubai)
consultancy companies Apartments (AED / FT)
in the Middle East, has
released its June 2009 sales and leas- Project Studio 1Bed 2Bed 3Bed 4Bed
ing price maps for the Dubai market. CENTRAL DUBAI
A transaction-based reference for Palm Jumeirah - 700-1,400 750-1,500 750 - 1,500 750 - 1,200
prospective buyers and leasers alike, Dubai International 850 - 1,000 850 - 1,000 800 - 1,000 800 - 1,000 800 - 1,300
Financial centre
the Dubai Price Maps continues to
Dubai Marina 750 - 1,400 750 - 1,450 700 - 1,400 700 - 1,400 700 - 1,300
evidence a 180-degree turnaround The Greens 900 - 1,100 900 - 1,100 900 - 1,000 900 - 1,000 -
from the previously supply-driven The Views 1,000 - 1,600 900 - 1,500 900 - 1,450 900 - 1,450 -
property market to the more demand- Jumeirah Lake Towers 700 - 900 650 - 900 650 - 900 650 - 850 -
driven market. They are available Jumeirah Beach Residence 1,000 - 1,300 850 - 1,250 850 - 1,300 850 - 1,100 800 - 1,100
Jumeirah Village 700 - 900 550 - 800 550 - 750 550 - 750 -
now for online download, and the
Business Bay 850 - 900 850 - 900 850 1,100 750 - 1,050 -
company’s recent price map for Abu Old Town 900 - 1,100 900 - 1,100 900 - 1,000 900 - 1,000 -
Dhabi is also available at http://www. Rest of Downtown Burj Dubai 1,100 - 3,000 1,100 - 3,000 1,050 - 3,000 900 - 3,000 -
landmark-advisory.com. TECOM 800 - 1,000 800 - 1,000 900 - 1,100 900 - 1,100 -
For potential home buyers, the EAST DUBAI
latest price surveys indicate that ‘dis- International City 590 - 800 550 - 800 550 - 750 650 - 750 -
tressed sale’ opportunities are largely Dubai Silicon Oasis 550 - 750 650 - 750 650 - 750 650 - 750 -
finished, as sellers refuse to lower WEST DUBAI
existing prices, and buyers in some Discovery Gardens 450 - 660 600 - 700 - - -
cases are paying increased rates for Green Community 700 - 750 700 - 750 750 - 900 750 - 800 -
sought-after residential developments SOUTH DUBAI
with limited homes available. Motor City 680 - 800 680 - 700 590 - 700 590 - 700 590 - 700
On an average, the company Dubai Sports City 600 - 700 600 - 800 600 - 800 500 - 750 -
anticipates further decreases in Dubai
rents for the third quarter of 2009, al-
though signs of rent stabilisation exist Villas (AED / FT)
and some landlords are still experienc- Project 2Bed 3Bed 4Bed 5Bed 6Bed
ing robust demand for higher-quality CENTRAL DUBAI
rented homes in premium locations Palm Jumeirah - 900 - 1,500 900 - 1,600 950 - 1,800 950 - 1,800
such as Jumeirah Islands and Green Jumeirah Islands - - 950 - 1,050 950 - 1,050 -
Community. The sharpest decline is The Springs 750 - 800 750 - 1,200 750 - 1,200 - -
with apartments. The combination of The Meadows - - 770 - 1,270 1,050 - 1,440 -
Emirates Hills - - - - 1,600 - 3,600
the economic downturn and a large The Lakes - 900 - 1,030 850 - 1,030 850 - 1,030 -
quantity of high-rise apartments that Jumeirah Village - 550 - 650 550 - 650 600 - 650 600 - 650
were completed in 2008 has resulted
WEST DUBAI
in an oversupply in this segment.
Green Community - 550 - 750 450 - 700 475 - 600 450 - 600
One notable element of the latest
survey is the continual refinement SOUTH DUBAI
Motor City - 750 - 900 650 - 800 - -
of price differentiation which was Victoria Heights - 650 - 750 650 - 750 600 - 750 550 - 700
previously based on factors such as Dubai Sports City - 700 - 900 700 - 900 680 - 900 680 - 900
location, views and the quality of fin- Arabian Ranches - 800 - 900 800 - 1,000 800 - 1,000 900 - 1,200
ishing. Now, environmental factors
are influencing consumer decision- Commercial (AED / FT)
making; for example, units in close
CENTRAL DUBAI EAST DUBAI SOUTH DUBAI
proximity to high voltage power
DIFC 1,800 - 2,400 International City 500 - 750 Motor City 690 - 850
lines are renting for lower rates than Dubai Silicon Oasis 650 - 900 Dubai Sports City 700 - 800
Jumeirah Lake Towers 700 - 850
similar units located farther from TECOM 1,100 - 1,800
power sources.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 11

 Leasing Guide - June 2009 (Lease Rates in Dubai)
Apartments (In AED / Annum) RAKIA RERA to
Project Studio 1Bed 2Bed 3Bed 4Bed oversee strict
CENTRAL DUBAI implementation of
Palm Jumeirah - 95,000-130,000 120,000-150,000 150,000-220,000 190,000-250,000
Dubai Marina 50,000-70,000 60,000-130,000 75,000-150,000 110,000-200,000 120,000-270,000 escrow account law
The Greens 40,000-55,000 60,000-80,000 80,000-110,000 125,000-140,000 - Ras Al Khaimah Investment
The Views 55,000-65,000 70,000-85,000 90,000-120,000 150,000-160,000 - Authority (RAKIA), the govern-
Jum Lake Towers 40,000-60,000 50,000-85,000 65,000-130,000 110,000-150,000 - ment body responsible for the
Jum Beach Resi 50,000-65,000 70,000-100,000 100,000-130,000 120,000-155,000 180,000-210,000 socio-economic growth of the
Old Town - 80,000-110,000 120,000-160,000 165,000-200,000 - emirate, has revealed that the
Rest of Downtown 60,000-90,000 90,000-130,000 110,000-140,000 140,000-190,000 180,000-230,000
recent establishment of RAKIA
Burj Dubai
Trade Centre 1&2 60,000-100,000 80,000-150,000 100,000-225,000 160,000-225,000 - Real Estate Regulatory Agency
Al Barsha 45,000-55,000 50,000-90,000 75,000-115,000 - - (RERA) by an Emiri Decree has
created a new layer of protection
EAST DUBAI
for real estate investors in Ras
Uptown Mirdiff 60,000-70,000 80,000-90,000 100,000-110,000 - -
Al Khaimah, as the Agency will
Mirdiff - 65,000-75,000 85,000-100,000 - -
oversee the implementation of
International City 32,000-45,000 40,000-55,000 60,000-80,000 - -
Warqa’a 35,000-40,000 45,000-55,000 65,000-80,000 - - the escrow account law for free-
Deira-Port Saeed 40,000-55,000 60,000-75,000 70,000-110,000 90,000-120,000 - hold projects under RAKIA.
Bur Dubai- 45,000-60,000 60,000-85,000 85,000-120,000 110,000-150,000 140,000-170,000 Several property developers
Al Mankhool have already registered their
Dubai Silicon Oasis 35,000-45,000 45,000-70,000 70,000-100,000 projects with RAKIA RERA.
Al Qusais 30,000-50,000 45,000-70,000 60,000-85,000 70,000-120,000 - Developers may only register
Al Nahda 30,000-45,000 50,000-65,000 60,000-95,000 75,000-120,000 - when the project’s concept
WEST DUBAI design has been approved, which
Green Community 55,000-60,000 75,000-80,000 90,000-110,000 140,000-180,000 170,000-200,000 will allow them to open an
The Gardens - 60,000-65,000 100,000-105,000 130,000 - escrow account and start selling
Dubai Invests Park 27,000-30,000 50,000-65,000 65,000-90,000 - -
properties. RAKIA RERA will
Discovery Gardens 35,000-45,000 50,000-65,000 70,000-85,000 - -
International Media 30,000-35,000 50,000-55,000 60,000-75,000 - - oversee the proper conduct of
Production Free Zone construction by sending out
a team of engineers to inspect
projects and make sure that the
Villas (In AED / Annum) emirate’s construction policy and
Project 2Bed 3Bed 4Bed 5Bed 6Bed the key points in the contract are
strictly followed.
CENTRAL DUBAI
Palm Jumeirah - 230,000-290,000 280,000-360,000 350,000-475,000 450,000-575,000
Eng. Yahia Kambris, General
Jumeirah Islands - - 250,000-300,000 280,000-330,000 - Manager, RAKIA RERA, said:
The Springs 100,000-125,000 140,000-210,000 140,000-210,000 - - “The escrow account has been
The Meadows - 210,000-230,000 210,000-250,000 260,000-300,000 280,000-320,000 implemented to prevent mishan-
Emirates Hills - - - 600,000-900,000 600,000-1,000,000 dling of construction funds and
The Lakes - 180,000-220,000 230,000-250,000 250,000-300,000 -
Jumeirah Village 95,000-135,000 120,000-140,000 140,000-170,000 - -
ensure that investors’ money is
Al Barsha - 170,000-180,000 200,000-280,000 250,000-390,000 390,000-450,000 spent according to the master
Jumeirah (<=5yrs) - 160,000-240,000 200,000-310,000 250,000-350,000 350,000-470,000 plan of the project. The establish-
Jumeirah (>5yrs) - 150,000-170,000 170,000-190,000 170,000-350,000 180,000-450,000 ment of the new real estate
Umm Suqeim(<5yrs) 160,000-240,000 180,000-320,000 270,000-360,000 260,000-380,000 watchdog is an important step in
Umm Suqeim(>5yrs) 150,000-220,000 170,000-320,000 170,000-360,000 190,000-380,000
Al Safa (<5yrs) - 160,000-200,00 180,000-240,000 240,000-280,000 350,000-400,000
our efforts to safeguard and pro-
Al Safa (>5yrs) - 140,000-200,000 160,000-240,000 - - tect the interest of investors and
reinforce the reputation of Ras
EAST DUBAI
Mirdiff 95,000-110,000 100,000-160,000 120,000-200,000 160,000-300,000 - Al Khaimah as an attractive and
Warqa’a - 120,000-140,000 130,000-170,000 170,000-200,000 - practical investment destination
in the region.”
WEST DUBAI
Green Community - 160,000-200,000 190,000-230,000 250,000-290,000 - Among the developers that
have registered with RAKIA
SOUTH DUBAI
RERA are Select Group, the de-
Victory Heights 110,000-120,000 130,000-160,000 140,000-200,000 - -
Arabian Ranches 130,000-140,000 130,000-180,000 160,000-240,000 200,000-300,000 - veloper of Pacific; Manazil Real

12 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Artistic impression of Ajman Uptown
Estate, which is developing Marbella
Bay; Pure Real Estate, developer of Blue
Mirage; Stallion Properties, which is
developing Santorini; and e-myproperty,
developer of Bab Al Badr. Yes Proper-
ties, developer of The Quay, is now
completing the registration process and
will soon open an escrow account.
Several banks, including Badr Al
Islami-Mashreq, Bank of Baroda,
Commercial Bank of Dubai, Abu Dhabi
Commercial Bank and Dubai Islamic
Bank, have also signed an agreement
with RERA to offer escrow accounts.
Ajman to add 150,000
housing units within
next 3 years
Approximately 150,000 housing units
will be completed in Ajman within the
next three years, according to estimates
by leading industry sources. This in-
cludes high profile residential proper-
ties such as the luxurious villas within
‘Ajman Uptown’ and state-of-the-art
apartments within ‘Rainbow Towers’.
As the company behind both projects,
Sweet Homes Holdings (SHH), a leading
UAE-based developer and multi-service
provider to the real estate sector, has
announced that it will be one among the
few real estate players who will be able to
deliver projects from its portfolio by 2010.
In line with the regulations set by the
Ajman Real Estate Regulatory Author-
ity (ARRA), Sweet Homes Holdings has
recently announced that it has signed
an agreement with Dubai Islamic Bank
for the escrow accounts of its ‘Ajman
Uptown’ and ‘Rainbow Towers’ projects.
This follows the developer’s registration
with the ARRA, which made it one of the
first master developers to adhere to the
rules set by the newly-formed agency. Fur-
thermore, SHH has taken on all aspects
of development within ‘Ajman Uptown’,
with its construction arm - Sweet Homes
General Contracting (SHGC) undertak-
ing the Dh2.2 billion main contract, as
well as the project’s initial groundworks.
“Although we are undoubtedly af-
fected by the slump, we remain steadfast
in our commitment to hit our delivery
targets for our projects, and we are taking
all necessary measures to cultivate investor
trust and confidence,” said Fahad Sattar
Dero, CEO, Sweet Homes Holdings. “As
a leading master developer of one of the
biggest community development projects
in Ajman, we have promptly completed
most of the necessary steps to comply with
ARRA’s regulations.”
Sweet Homes Holdings further
revealed that ‘Rainbow Towers’ is witness-
ing exceptional progress, and that they
are on track to deliver the project by
2010. The most recent developments in
the project’s construction is the awarding
of the main contract to Sharjah-based
Master Civil Construction Company
(MCC) for three of the nine 31-storey
residential buildings (B10, B14 and B15),
which comprise the entire project. The
developer also pointed towards its success-
ful partnerships with construction firms,
suppliers and subcontractors, including
world-class architectural firm Eng. Adnan
Saffarini Office as the primary consultant
for the projects as vital contributors to the
steady progress of the projects.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 13
 DILEMMA

Who’s buying?
By Kevin Abdulrahman

I
t is said that the cheapest commodity in this world
is people’s opinion because everyone has a truckload
to give away. The sad part that fuels this phenom-
enon is that it’s free, and, unfortunately, most of
it is worth its weight in rubbish. Every Tom, Dick and
Harriet has something to say. You can’t stop people
from giving opinions, but you sure can choose how to
deal with them.

14 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

 Here’s the bottomline. You are in
control. You choose whether to ac-
cept those opinions or not. You choose
whether you let what Tom says affect you
and you choose whether Dick’s criticisms
makes you feel down and out. You choose
whether what Harriet thinks of you af-
fects how you do your business.
Always consider this—if those people
giving you their opinions don’t have what
you want or aren’t where you want to be,
then why should you accept their opin-
ions? Just think about it. Why take their
opinion if that’s all they are giving away?
Someone might think that it’s a good idea
for you to jump off a cliff, but would you
do it? Someone else might think that it’s
a good idea for your child to hang around
street gangs, but would you agree to it?
One person might think your spouse isn’t
the right person for you, but would you
swap? (Some of you might !) Another
might not like the shirt you’re wearing,
but would you let others choose your
clothes for you? Isn’t it interesting that
most poor people like to give their advice
on how to make money and become rich?
Isn’t it interesting that most people will
tell you how to have a successful relation-
ship when they’re going through their
eleventh spouse? Isn’t it interesting how
many will commentate on an athlete’s per-
formance as they are watching the game
on television from their couch?
I have always asked myself—and,
at times, challenged some friends who
wanted to give me their opinions, to an-
swer this question: I would say something
like “I like to have a lavish time free life so
I will need a fair amount of money to keep
me happy. Being the spontaneous person
that I am, I could be in New York one day
and feel like sitting on the beautiful sands
in the Gold Coast of Australia the next.
I could be walking on the Great Wall of
China midweek and then want to head to
Pisa to admire the leaning tower for the
weekend. I want to be able to give my fam-
ily whatever they need, without a blink.
That would cost a lot purely in monetary
terms. You are suggesting very strongly
that I do not do this project, so, would you
be able to wire the funds that I require
into my account every year?”
To this, every friend would stutter and
then always say, “No.” (Can’t seem to find
one that will take the bait)
I would turn around and say, “So if
you can’t give me what I want, would
you be kind enough not to give me your
opinions either? I am an all or nothing
guy; how about you give me all or noth-
ing.” I never hear their opinion from that
point on. It’s a bit harsh, but it helped me
stay focused.
I want you to imagine shopping for
groceries at your local supermarket.
You want some fruit, vegetables, milk,
orange juice, and some pasta for dinner.
You enter armed with your list, knowing
exactly what you need to buy. But is what
you want all that there is on offer in the
supermarket? Oh no.
Supermarkets are great at strategically
displaying thousands of products, all to
tempt you to pick them up off the shelves.
Let me ask you, how many times have
you fallen for this marketing ploy? How
many times have you ended up buying
things that were not on your shopping
list, things that you had no intention
of buying? Those products did not just
jump off the shelf and into your basket
(although at times it feels like it). Those
who are on a strict budget and those who
are serious about going in and getting out
are usually the best at avoiding this trap.
They simply go in, buy what they come
for, and leave—mission accomplished.
Your life is like going through a super-
market. It’s filled with people’s opinions.
It’s completely up to you what ends up in
your basket, which will determine what
you take through the checkout with you.
Successful people have mastered the art
of being able to keep opinions shelved
with the owner. They only listen to
the right people in the right field. Just
because someone has an opinion doesn’t
mean you have to buy it. Successful peo-
ple are good at becoming unaffected by
opinions, good or bad. They go with what
they have set out to do. They go with
their shopping list.
Again, we don’t let others choose
the clothes we wear. We don’t let others
choose our spouse, the sport we play, or
our friends. Therefore, never let someone
else choose how you should live or what
you should do with your life. You are not
disrespecting anyone; you’re just choos-
ing not to take in the opinions others are
offering—it’s that simple.
George Burns, an actor and comedian
once said, “Too bad that all the people
who know how to run the country are
busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair.”
We can’t help how many opinions are
made available to us, especially in this day
and age. When each person seems to want
to offload a dozen opinions at a time, we
have the choice to buy into their opinions
or let them slip away at the same speed
that they come toward us.
Fear and personal limitations rule most
people’s realities. People give you their
opinions based on their own fears. They
will talk you out of an idea or a venture
you might be planning. They are unable to
see what you see. They will not have your
skill set, talent and knowledge. They will
have their own set of limitations.
Unfortunately, these people are often
those who are the closest to you. They
don’t really want to do you harm, but in
most instances, they have absolutely no
clue about what they are talking about. If
they did, they would be doing something
more active with their lives rather than
giving their opinion.
Kevin Abdulrahman is an interna-
tional author of the book on Winning The
Game Of Life. He is also a world class in-
spirational keynote speaker, a sought after
mind nutrition expert and a mind coach
to the elite in every field. Kevin provides
customised trainings to his clients includ-
ing individuals, teams, companies and
athletes who want to catapult from where
they are, to where they should and want to
be. If you want to go from Good to Great,
you can log on to www.MeetWithKevin.
com
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 15
 CAREER

What’s in a brand?
Linda Benbow met twenty-something Charmaine D’Souza, the Founder
and Design Director of her own branding and communication company

Have you always been ‘arty’?
I have always loved doodling, clay model-
ling and painting. My mum helped me
cultivate my talent by taking me for differ-
ent classes over the weekend when I was
a child. At exam time, even if a student
finished the exam paper earlier than the
alloted time, you had to sit in the exami-
nation hall till the bell rang. I was a fairly
good student so once I’d finished answer-
ing my paper quickly, I’d sketch trendy
outfits on the four margins of my question
paper. I guess I always had a creative
outlook of objects and my growing years
have shaped it further. Having said that,
branding isn’t just about the creative ... it
is a balance of art and science, rationale
and aesthetics, and it is this combination
that attracted me to the discipline.
At what age did you realise that you
could earn money from your design
work?
During Grade 10, I heard about the
option of doing design straight after
Grade 10. That route sounded quite
exciting because till then, I hadn’t
made up my mind... there were just too
many options but none that interested
me. I eventually decided that design
school is what it is, hence enrolled and
got through the Foundation Studies
at Srishti, School of Art, Design and
Technology in Bangalore. After a year
at design school, I started freelancing,
at the age of 16. Initially, these projects

16 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

were exciting because I liked meeting
new people and earning extra money. In
hindsight, I realise that those were the
crucial years that prepared me for life after
academia. It’s strange - people know the
value of experiential real life learning and
yet you hardly see it being focused upon in
school. It’s all theory for students till they
graduate and thrown into the career world
mostly without any tools to equip them
for the future.
What did you do about it?
Over time, the word spread through
friends, family, clients and faculty - so
more projects came my way; and I did
projects over weekends and vacations. I
did have my personal time and travel time,
but I also enjoyed these projects and it was
never ‘work’ for me. I had my network
in place by the time I graduated, but I
still wanted to work for a firm so I joined
the best branding firm in India. While
I enjoyed the experience, there was this
energy to innovate and create initia-
tives by experimenting and thinking-out-
of-the-box constantly, the result of which
was absolutely fructifying. I would deeply
contemplate that if there is so much I can
do for a firm on the firm’s payroll, I could
certainly do a lot more on my own; and
“voila” - the journey began.
What type of designer are you (interior,
exterior, buildings, products, etc)?
I’m a branding and communication
designer. Which basically means that I
help clients create/revamp a brand, deploy
it into the market effectively and continue
to assist them manage their brand once it
is in the public domain. Each client is dif-
ferent and therefore their needs are differ-
ent. I collaborate with clients constantly
to strategise and design the best and
most effective way for them, given their
constraints, to build a relationship with
their clients/customers as well as their
employees.
Name some of your clients and the type of
work you did for them in India.
One of my first clients was the Alli-
ance Française de Bangalore and French
Embassy in India. From there, the word
spread. A few of my other clients in Ban-
galore were Unilever, Decathlon, Pernod
Ricard, Nrityagram (the only dance vil-
lage in the world), Trilegal (one of India’s
best law firms), Ally Matthan (perfum-
ery), Young Entrepreneur’s Organisation
and World President’s Organisation.
Why did you decide to come to Dubai?
In a nutshell... the lifestyle. The dream.
The promise. My consultancy in Banga-
lore was starting to grow but I could see
a number of roadblocks on the way for
a balanced life: lack of infrastructure,
increasing noise, air and visual pollution
levels, lifestyle deterioration. Dubai, on
the other hand, was creating a platform
for success and a wonderful cultural
avenue as well as a better lifestyle, so I
decided to make the move. Today, I know
for sure it’s the right move.
Name some of your clients and the type
of work you did for them in Dubai.
Once I moved to Dubai, I worked for a
while with one of the leading branding
firms here in the region. With them, I
had the opportunity to work on some
of the best brands in the region. I was
part of a small team that worked on the
rebranding of Burj Al Arab and other
branding projects for University Hospi-
tal, Mizin, Southern Sun Hotels, to name
a few. I set up my own practice here in
Dubai Media City in November last year.
I worked in collaboration with Sareem
to design the visual language for Enshaa
and assist the Swedish Trade Council
with their communication. Presently,
I’m doing very interesting branding work
for a cultural organisation and a financial
advisory.
What other kinds of design work do you
do?
While my focus is branding, my under-
standing and expertise are also in the area
of online experiences, usability, persuasive
architecture and social marketing. This
helps me provide holistic advice to my
clients. 
Bearing in mind the current economic
climate, what would you advise potential
clients?
I recently read this “You can’t stop the
waves, but you can learn to surf.” Stay
conscientious of your brand promise. This
focus will not only make you stand out
and get noticed, it will also help build
valuable meaningful relationships, and in
today’s markets, branding and visibility
isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity. Find relevant
and appropriate ways of getting to your au-
dience - customers and employees alike...
and once they are with you, service/take
care of them as best as you can.
Do you have a website?
My firm’s website is “http://aecadesign.
com/” \t “_blank” aecadesign.com
My personal one is “http://char-
mainedsouza.com/” \t “_blank” char-
mainedsouza.com
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 17
 PEARLS IN RAK
The pearling crew at work, photo courtesy of Ali Omar
Retrieving precious pearls
Postal stamps of the UAE that commemorate pearl diving
Pearls being weighed. They were originally thought
to be drops of moonlight or tear drops of the Gods
18 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Return of the
‘moon drops’
Ras Al Khaimah-based company is on a mission
to revive UAE’s historic tradition of pearling
By Manju Ramanan
I
t was a special ingredient in the legendary Cleopatra’s beauty therapy. She is famed
to have had a pearl a day, dissolved in vinegar, to preserve her beauty. Pearl dust has
also been used as an antidote to prevent ageing and is an aphrodisiac. Niche garments
targeting the privileged use pearl dust as an ingredient to signify luxury and panache.
Quite like gold dust, pearl dust is an edible condiment that could be sprinkled off a
vial into a bubbly or dessert to give it a shimmering lustre. So varied is its use that, over the
years, the pearl has traversed from its vanity precincts to enter the lexicon as a metaphor for
wisdom, purity, value etc. Here, in the UAE, however, pearls are inextricably linked to the
region’s history of pearling – one of the major traditional vocations of the past.
It is a common sight in nearly all museums of the UAE – a pearl diver’s costume, old
photographs of the pearling crew on the job, various implements and equipment used by
the diver including his diving outfit, his nose clips, his leather gloves, the rope used by the
crew to lower him into the depths of the ocean, various pearl sieves that would separate the
big pearls and the tiny ones, etc. In the 1930s, after Japan introduced cultured pearls into
the market, the UAE pearl industry suffered a backlash and the vocation sank into oblivion
– resurfacing occasionally at heritage villages, in narration about the region’s glorious herit-
age, in jewellery collections of the rich and famous, in reference books or in google searches
about the country’s rich past.
But now, thanks to the efforts of a few pearl enthusiasts, who want to revive the cen-
turies old tradition, pearling, that once used to be the region’s main economy, is seeing a
revamp from a country responsible for its downfall. Ras Al Khaimah based Abdulla Rashid
Al Suwaidi and Imura Daiji, from Mie Prefecture, Japan, are busy reviving a tradition that
binds both the countries together. For Rashid Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Emirates and Japan
Pearl Cultivation and Trading Company (EJPCTC), the project is not merely to generate
money but to revive an important industry that contributed greatly in shaping the cultural,
social and economic heritage of this part of the world. Daiji, the COO and Partner of the
company is based in Ras Al Khaimah looking after the pearl farm.
In 2002, they started investigating the possibility of establishing a pearl oyster farming
industry in Al Rams area, located to the north of RAK and conducted an on-the-spot
inspection of the site when they discovered the existence of natural pearl shells. Further
studies revealed the suitability of sea conditions, temperature and humidity levels in the
area - an encouraging factor that gave a good start for the project which started in Septem-
ber 2005. The area’s untouched and clean environment helped to yield strong and healthy
shell fish, unlike the case in Japan which is now witnessing a slump in the cultured pearls
industry.
The farm currently has several thousands of shellfish and plans are underway to reach
a total capacity of one million oysters. There are plans to establish an academy to teach
local people about the pearl industry besides the establishment of the second largest pearl
museum in the world, the first being in Japan.

Staying hitched
Divorce among Emiratis is seeing a downslide
By Manju Ramanan
T
he reasons cited for divorce
are similar throughout
the world. The three main
reasons couples tend to have
increased marital conflict stems from
basic issues like money, sex and commu-
nication. Additionally, there could be a
history of distress and abuse in the family,
relationships, transitional crisis, chang-
ing financial situations and ineffective
communication. Not long ago, the UAE
had the largest number of divorces in the
region, but now, there has been a decrease
in the trend.
Devika Singh, psychologist and mar-
riage therapist from the Divorce Support
Group, Dubai (housed at the Dubai
Herbal and Treatment Centre at Zabeel)
feels that marriage guidance plays a part in
the decrease; so does the current financial
situation. “Marriage counselling works
wonders if both the partners are ready to
come for sessions with the counsellor and
are open to advice,” she states.
An Emirati couple in their late 50s was
referred to her by their family physician
after they reported a largely satisfying
relationship except over the last year. The
couple was mostly unaware of the source
of their marital distress, but an evaluation
revealed their difficulties became more
pronounced after their third child left for
university and left behind an empty nest.
Since life with the children was so busy,
they didn’t focus on each other as much
as they had in the past years. Getting to
a better understanding of the common
feelings associated with this new life cycle
phase for their family, they re-focussed on
their individual interests and psychologi-
cal processes of dealing with this situation
and they managed to redefine their mar-
riage in a positive way.
Devika Singh answers a few questions
on the decreasing trend of divorces among
Emiratis.
What do you think are the reasons
in the slump in divorce rates among
Emiratis?
There are many reasons for the decreasing
trend. There is an increased awareness of
relationship issues that typically arise and
the problems associated with them if not
addressed.
The global financial situation plays its
part since these times make it difficult to
divorce if you look at it from a financial
perspective. The current situation is
bringing some families closer together
where they can identify a common goal
and support each other through these
undeniably difficult times.
Have you seen an increase in Emiratis
taking to marriage counselling? Why?
From my experience, I have seen a 36 per
cent increase in Emiratis who come in
‘I do’ want to stay married
IN FOCUS
for marriage counselling at my practice,
out of which 29 per cent agree they need
to be there for mutual contribution to the
issue. This is in contrast with some cases
where one partner thinks the relation-
ship needs help and the other doesn’t. It
goes without saying that this affects the
level of commitment to the therapeutic
process. Most of the Emirati couples I
meet, want to enrol in the Relationship
Enhancement Programme which is an
interactive research-based relationship
skills programme. Some couples come to
the programme before they are married,
after an engagement, to take part in our
pre-marital counselling which has shown
to lower the risk of marital distress and
divorce.
Do you see more awareness in terms of
cases of domestic violence and women’s
rights among the Emirati population?
Yes, this is a real issue that is being talked
about more openly now, especially in the
media. I think this has helped a great deal.
Is there more tolerance today among
married couples?
I wouldn’t say
tolerance but there
is more awareness
today that guides
behaviours and per-
ceptions differently.
The issues couples
face is the same,
mostly unchanged
from a decade ago. It
is how they are dealt
with, that makes the
difference.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 19
 IN FOCUS
The buzzword these days is ‘recession’. The credit crunch has affected
our personal lives more than the global market. However, there can be no
time better than this to invest in yourself, realises Heena Aswani
W
ake up -10am, Breakfast-
12noon, on the couch
with the TV- 1pm to
5pm, dog walk- 6pm,
laptop- 9pm. Many of us right now, have
this routine, not because we love it, but
the day seems much longer if, we are out
of bed early. What we are talking about is
Redundancy.
Perhaps many readers are familiar with
‘The Donkey’s Story’, but still read on.
Once, a farmer’s donkey fell into a well.
Since the farmer was unable to bring him
out, plus he realised that the animal was old
and not much use, he decided to give him
a decent burial. He got a shovel and began
to dump dirt in the well. Some neighbours
helped him too. Initially, when the donkey
realised what was happening to him, he
wailed, then after a while he became silent.
After a few more shovel loads, to everyone’s
astonishment, the donkey stepped up over
the edge of the well and trotted off. With
every shovel of dirt thrown at him, he
would shake it off and take a step up on it.
The more dirt that was thrown on him, the
higher he raised himself. The moral of the
story is simple and is for you to decide and
act upon.
It is natural for people to lose their self-
confidence along with their jobs. Neverthe-
less, let us not be upset for too long; and
make efforts to move on. While most of us
have been victims of recession, one thing
20 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Ditching the
lay-off blues
we can still hang on to is hope. The market
might take a 360-degree turn and soon
you will be in a new workplace, wondering
about the free time you had and all you did
was laze around.
For a while, close your eyes and go
back to your childhood days when we
were content playing, dreaming and being
happy with no clue as to where the world
was heading. Of course, at this stage of
life, we cannot detach ourselves from the
world, but what we have forgotten are our
dreams- to be a horse-jockey, air host-
ess, model, singer and lots more. Due to
either financial strain or parental advice,
our dreams never came to actualisation.
However, there can be no better time than
this to just pause and reflect on your life.
Do what you always wanted to do and
be where you always wanted to be. Shake
yourself out of your cosy bed because
there is a lot to do besides bemoaning your
retrenchment.
A combination of any three activities
mentioned below should keep you away
from gloom; make your days more worth-
while and your CV more appealing.
Back to School
If you want to do a favour to your cur-
riculum vitae, and are financially stable,
then get yourself a Master’s degree. After
all, post-graduation goes a long way and
your work experience should be backed
by academic qualification. Maybe, even
if only to prove your self-worth, turning
towards studies is a decision you will be
proud about. Rekindle your interest in
studies and get used to assignments, which
you will not regret with the vast availabil-
ity of academic courses in Dubai. Are you
worrying that you will be among students
much younger in age than you? Relax,
many people find their niche only in their
thirties and beyond. Most universities here
have students from various nationalities
and varying ages. Besides there is no age-
bar on learning.
Whichever field or industry you
belong to; there is a probably a Masters
programme available. British University
in Dubai, located in Dubai Knowledge
Village, offers Master of Science in Infor-
mation Technology, Master of Science in
Information Technology Management and
Master of Education. American Univer-
sity in Dubai, provides MBA in spe-
cialisations like International Finance and
Marketing, Health Care Management,
and Management of Construction Enter-
prises. If you belong to the media industry,
then Murdoch University should be your
choice. It is located in Dubai Academic
City and offers post-graduate courses in
Media Production, Public Relations and
Journalism. Heriott-Watt University,
from United Kingdom, has a range of
PG courses like E-commerce, Petroleum
Engineering plus Real Estate Management
 project reaching out to labourers. You can people. Everyone attending these events,
help by volunteering for their Friday col- has the same idea of building new contacts,
lections or labour camp visits. If you love thus all are approachable. Communities
pets, then visit the centre for K9 Friends like Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Marina,
and Feline Friends, which are Dubai- Springs and JBR have social groups that get
based non-profit organisations that care together on weekends for a game of cards
for abandoned canine and feline popula- or a round of drinks. You can enter these
tions in the UAE. circles by joining their online forum and
and Development.
visiting their fun events.
Follow your passion Networking & Socialising
Going with the flow is often easy to do
Get up, dress up and dash out to one of Touring
those community parties you have been My final tip towards time utilisation is
and keeps us happy. On the other side, it is
putting off for months. If business is low travelling. The recession has come with its
flowing against the current that is difficult
and work is slow, one thing you can catch pros and cons, and one advantage is reduced
and not fun. Each of us has a passion that
up on is meeting people. A social circle airfares to various destinations. With the
might not be very well developed, yet is
can be much more than weekend dinners. previous stretch of hours at work you would
close to our heart. Be it singing, painting or
So, associate with new people and build not have been able to give enough time to
photography, you can make it big in life by
contacts. Do not worry, there are many spouse and home. So, be glad for this break,
having zest and faith in yourself. Prob-
more frogs in the same well as you. This pack your bags, escape the heat and get
ably, you will not have a Maserati in your
is an easy time to either catch up with old away! Be it Bahamas or Maldives, de-stress
driveway but what really matters is that you
friends or rub elbows with new ones. yourself by going for a holiday. Perhaps
will be doing something you like. Life will
Contact Networking is a networking things will not be perfect once you are back,
be more pleasurable if our work and passion
community open to all with no bar, and is but you will be rejuvenated enough to take
coincide.
a good stage to mingle with like-minded on whatever comes next.
For music lovers, The Music Institute,
situated in Dubai Knowledge Village,
provides classes for singing and all music
instruments. If you are looking forward to Quick Looks-
polishing your skills in painting, photog- • British University in Dubai- • SAE Institute-
raphy, interior designing, auto CAD and www.buid.ac.ae www.sae-dubai.com
photoshop, then The Lotus Institute,
• American University in Dubai- • Make a Wish Foundation-
Knowledge Village, offers all of this as
well as some other courses. If your ‘thing’ www.aud.edu www.makeawish.ae
is production, then I suggest contacting • Murdoch University Dubai- • Helping Hands Dubai-
SAE Institute, which has courses like film www.murdochdubai.com www.helpinghandsuae.com
production, audio production, interactive • Heriot Watt University Dubai- • K9 Friends-
animation and applied multimedia. www.hw.ac.uk www.k9friends.com
• The Music Institute- • Feline Friends-
Volunteering
www.themusic-uae.com www.felinefriendsdubai.com
Is life all about ‘I, Me, Myself’? Not always.
• The Lotus Institute- • Contact Networking-
As the saying goes “Happiness is like a
perfume; It cannot be sprinkled on others www.lotus.ae www.cnetdubai.com
without dropping a little on oneself.” I do
not know the person who quoted this, but
I definitely know he is right. In the most
troubled times, try reaching out to someone
else as a helping hand. Take my word, the
smile on the other person’s face will make
your day. Good work is not only about do-
nation and charity; you can also volunteer.
Make-A-Wish Foundation aims at
fulfilling wishes of children with life
threatening diseases. You can volunteer at
fundraising events and community activi-
ties, as well as spend some time with the
children. A smile from the dying child will
bring more than just joy and peace in your
life. Helping Hands UAE, is a charitable

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 21

 MARKETING
Selling in today’s
hyper-competitive climate
By Hamed Al Tamami
Y
our sales team is telling you
that it’s extremely competitive
out there today - and they’re
right.  Between the challenging
economy and the layoffs you hear about
daily, the world your reps are selling in has
changed dramatically.  Even with all these
factors, there is still a good deal of business
out there in every sector.  The question is
how to compete in this hyper-competitive
climate.  The following list can help your
team get their fair share and more.
Back to the Well.  The old saying “take
care of your customers or someone else
will” is worth paying attention to.  Make
sure that your reps are in touch with your
customers regularly, preferably face-to-face.  will be a solid account list.
Your reps are in essence reselling their value
to each and every client. If issues are uncov-
ered during these visits, all the better.  You
have time to fix them. Your goal is to make
sure that each and every client you have is
‘safe’ from the competition.  One company that I worked with realised
Date with your Database.  Next step
is to have each of your reps schedule a date
with their database.  Ask them to segment
their prospect list into good old-fashioned
A-B-C accounts.  A- accounts are the high
potential accounts that are a good fit with
your firm, they meet your highest criteria.  to the market with a clear answer to my fa-
B- accounts have good potential but are not
quite meeting all your criteria; they may
be a bit geographically inconvenient, or
not quite as big as you want, but still well
worth the effort.  C- accounts just make
the scale; you’ll take them if they come to
you, but they are not worth much proactive
outbound effort from your sales team.  a parallel user they had not previously in-
Once the list is segmented, sit down with
each rep and ask them to go through every
A account and discuss the potential in the
account.  Be real, you can’t take hope to the
bank.  When done correctly, the three lists
typically shift a bit and your final outcome
22 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Sharpen Your Message.  As your reps
make the rounds with existing clients
and embark on additional new business
development, it’s critical that your message
in the marketplace is consistent and clear.  your people how to be the best there is.
after studying their complete database
that they indeed had two new opportuni-
ties.  One included a new product line that
they’d had excellent results with over the
past year, but had not put any effort into
new business deals.  They now need to go
vourite question: “Based on all my options,
why should I do business with you?”  The
preparation for this company is to sharpen
their value message and differentiate
their approach to effectively gain market
share.  The second opportunity came from
looking at their core business and finding
vested time selling to.  These are the gems
you want to uncover.   Index include: Emirates-NBD, Dubai
The Secret Weapon.  Finally, after all
the analysis and prep work, it’s time to
take out your secret weapon - your sales
reps.  The more hyper competitive the
business climate,
the more you and
your competitors
begin to look
alike.  To beat
the competition,
your sales team
has to be better. 
It’s that simple. 
How your reps
act, how smart
they are, how
strategic their
questions are,
how customer
focused they
are, these are the key elements that tip the
scales ever so slightly in your favour. It’s
time to give your reps every advantage you
can.  Cross train, share ideas, brainstorm,
share resources and challenge them.  Teach
 
Take this very seriously because many of
your reps have been selling in a differ-
ent world for the past few years and they
must understand how to adapt to the new
requirements. 
This is the beginning.  It’s back to basics
and adding the polish to be the best.  The
winners in today’s hyper competitive busi-
ness world are those that embrace the need
to upgrade, enhance, and recommit to the
excellence that got them where they are. 
(Hamed Al Tamami is the Manag-
ing Director of Future Match HRC, a
member firm of PI WorldWide, a global
consultancy which helps organisations
align people with their business strate-
gies. The clients, who used Predictive
Multi Commodities Centre, AGMC-
BMW Dubai, Kanoo Maersk, Spinneys,
Landmark Group, Rotana Hotels and
many more.)
 CHILDS PLAY

A smashing summer

Various fun-filled activities are

on for kids throughout the UAE to
make the lengthy summer months
engaging
By Ambily Vijaykumar

S
ummers can be a trial of patience not only because of
the heat, but also because of kids. With a long holiday
break staring them in the face and zero outdoor activi-
ties possible in the scorching heat, parents who stay
in the country because of work commitments are generally
ragging their brains to keep their children gainfully occupied
during the summer months. To address this growing concern
of parents, various holiday activities have been organised
across many schools, nurseries and institutions. Here’s an
overview of what a few of them are doing this summer.

The Big House of Fun, Sharjah

The Al Qasba Development Authority has begun its summer
treat in Sharjah with various activities and competitions last-
ing till July 25. The tent activities start at five in the evening
and go on till eleven at night. The air-conditioned tent is
divided into various sections namely the stage, the fun zone
and shop sections that include a variety of shops selling toys,
stationery and entertaining games. Part of the activities include edu-
cational workshops, teaching children as well as adults the impor-
tance of adopting an environmentally friendly approach to life with
scientific facts about our earth. Various art and craft workshops are
also being held.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 23

 Summer in Abu
Dhabi
Just a year old and this
family festival held in
the national capital, is
already a massive hit. It
is held at ADNEC and
runs through the month
of July until August 13.
The activities begin at
12 noon every day and
last till 12 midnight. The
event comprises a total
of 38 activities, ten more
than last year, and each
activity has been divided
into individual themed
islands each with a unique
flavour and focus. The five
themed islands comprise:
Science & Technology;
Adventure; Art, Cul-
ture & Heritage; Sports;
and Entertainment, each with a host of
engaging activities for family edutainment
and fun. Three world-class entertain-
ment productions – a magic show by a
renowned magician, a branded ice show,
and a top-name circus – are also the other
star attractions.
Sharjah Ladies Club
The Sport Summer Camp is on at the
Sharjah Ladies Club till August 12. The
camp runs from Sunday to Wednesday
between 9am and 12.30pm. Kids are
split into different age groups and the
programme includes a wide choice of
activities and weekly trips. Fees are Dh100
for one day, Dh600 for 2 weeks, Dh900
for 4 weeks, Dh1,200 for 6 weeks, and
Dh1,600 for 8 weeks (plus one week free).
For more information, call 06-5067838 or
06-5067773
Rashid Summer Camp
The camp is on at the Hobbies Club’s
Rashid Scouts Camp on Al Aweer Road
in Dubai till July 20. Established in 1996,
the Hobbies Club is the region’s oldest
educational and sporting club that aims
to support national youth and encourage
young men and women to explore their
hobbies by getting involved in sporting,
recreational and educational activities
through a range of educational courses,
24 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
youth camps, awareness campaigns and
joint programmes organised in collabora-
tion with various government depart-
ments. Other subsidiary camps of this
year’s Rashid Summer Camp are being
organised in Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah
and Umm Al Quwain.
One of the attractions of the camp is
the sports activities that include horse
riding, shooting and swimming skills.
Other programmes include cultural,
educational and recreational activities
aimed at keeping students busy during
their summer vacation. Apart from the
fun, students are also being exposed to
new skills and behavioural and physi-
cal development programmes in a fun
environment.
Libra Summer Camps
The Libra Group has come up with sum-
mer solutions for children who find it
difficult to contain their restlessness with
the rising heat and humidity and lack of
open spaces. The camps are open for kids
aged between five and 14. With a highly
qualified team of teaching and coach-
ing professionals, Libra claim they are
taking summer camps to the next level.
They provide all participants with age ap-
propriate fun learning activities in a safe
environment. The two-week programme
comprises three to four activities per day
ranging from team sports, gymnastics
and swimming, to arts and
crafts, drama, ICT and lan-
guages, in some centres.
Children get the op-
portunity to choose the
activities they wish to
participate in and there are
also a number of fun games,
competitions and quizzes.
Children will meet new
friends, enjoy a professional
camp, experience a different
way of learning, and above
all, come away with great
memories.
All lead teachers are
highly experienced and
qualified coaches or teachers.
The camp is priced at Dh750
per child. Libra is running
its camps at the following
Taaleem schools in the
UAE:
• Dubai British
School – Emirates Hills
• Greenfield Community School –
Dubai Investments Park
• Al Mizhar Academy for Girls – Al
Mizhar/Mirdiff
• Uptown High School – Muhaisnah/
Mirdiff
• Raha International School – Abu
Dhabi
E-Sports
If you fear that your child might become
a couch-potato this summer, then the
E-Sports Summer camp should be your
choice. E-Sports holiday camps across
Dubai provide activities in a fun, quali-
fied and safe environment. Children can
participate in more than 30 different
activities including climbing, music and
information technology while having a
lot of fun. Qualified teachers and instruc-
tors assure you that your kids are in safe
hands. For more information, call 04-
2824540 or visit www.esportsdubai.com
Dubai Holiday Camps
The Dubai Holiday Camps being
sponsored by Kellogg’s runs from Sunday
to Thursday till August 20 for chil-
dren between three to 13 years of age.
Activities include football, basketball,
swimming, gymnastics, talent shows, arts
and crafts, computers, and much more.
The programme being held at the Dubai
International Academy, Emirates Hills
runs from 8.15am to 1.45pm at a cost of
Dh590 per week or from 8.15am to 5pm
at a cost of Dh790 per week.
Alternatively, Children’s City at Creek
Park is offering a programme from 8.15
am to 1.45 pm at a cost of Dh450 per
week. Ten per cent discount is available
when booking siblings and daily booking
options are also available. In addition,
door-to-door transportation is available
from all over Dubai; and breakfast and a
healthy snack is provided. For more in-
formation call 04-3318704 or visit www.
dubaiholidaycamps.com
Eton Institute
Eton institute is offering summer courses
for kids from four to 15 years at Knowl-
edge Village. Parents can enrol their chil-
dren in a variety of summer activities from
languages to computer courses. Classes are
conducted between 3pm to 4pm every day
from Sunday to Thursday, five days a week
for three weeks. Language courses are of-
fered in English, Arabic, Spanish, French
and German, and children are placed in
groups aged from 4 to 7 years and 8 to 11
years. Teenagers aged between 12 and 15
can take advantage of the combination of
languages and computer courses in web
design or flash animation. For further
details, call toll free on 8003866 or visit
www.eton.ac
Jumeirah International
Nursery
Jumeirah International Nursery, Al Safa
Branch, has created a summer camp
programme for children from five years of
age and below. This popular camp will run
until August 27 and timings are from 8am
to 12.30pm, including late stay classes.
For further information, call 04-3945567
Al Safa branch, or 04-3499065 Al Wasl
branch, or visit wwwjinschools.com.
My Gym summer camps
My Gym’s summer camps running till
September 5 are geared for children aged
3 to 8 years, with children divided into
age appropriate groups for all activities.
These include a half day of gymnastics,
arts, crafts, science, story time, cooking,
music and much more. Every week, there
is a new theme and new activities. Camp to Thursday during July. Classes have a
hours are from 9am to 1pm and days are maximum of 16 students.
flexible so that you can enrol your child Handpicked and fully trained tutors
for 3, 4 or 5 days per week. work with the young students to encour-
Fees are Dh200 and Dh195 (mem- age creativity and experimentation.
bers) for a single day, Dh370 and Dh350
(members) two days per week,
Dh700 and Dh680 (mem-
bers) four days per week, and
Dh1,020 and Dh995 (mem-
bers) six days per week. My
Gym is located on Jumeirah
Beach Road. Call 04-3943962
or visit www.mygym for further
details.
Fun City
Summer camps at Fun City
promises to be one to remem-
ber. Located at various places
across the region, the camps
are offering various activi-
ties including arts and crafts,
martial arts, interactive cook-
ing, competitions, music and
dance, children’s theatre, group
games, science experiments and
outdoor field trips.
Programmes run for
children aged 3 to 8 years till
August 19 from Sunday to
Wednesday from. Fees range
from Dh125 for one day, to
Dh350 for one week (four
sessions) and Dh1,000 for one
month (16 sessions). Siblings
get a 50 per cent discount.
Lunch and snacks are included
and transportation is available,
though charges do apply. For
more information, visit
www.funcity-fec.com. Highlights of the July programme include:
Mix it Up with Maria Peat – acrylic paint-
ing; Potty about Clay with Sahar Nabinik
Ductac’s Summer Camp – clay making; Art Escape with Cari
summercamp@DUCTAC allows young Murdoch and Art Escape with Reema
budding artists to escape the summer Asnani with special emphasis on fabric,
heat, get messy and enjoy a medley of bead making, collage and glass or mirror
activities from acrylic painting and pot- painting.
tery to drawing and card-making and lots To sign up for the summercamp@
of other fun projects. The emphasis is on Ductac or to find out more about over
edutainment – learning with lots of fun 100 different workshops on offer, either
thrown in. There is also an emphasis on call Ductac on 9714 3414777 or go to the
developing new skills and building confi- website: www.DUCTAC.org. Course fees
dence meeting new friends and learning include a Summer Camp T-Shirt. The
new things. Children aged 6 – 14 years cost of clay and glazing of pottery (where
are split into three different age groups, applicable) and all necessary tools and
and the courses run weekly from Sunday materials are provided.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 25
 HEALTH

Just beat it!

Vanit Sethi suggests cool ways to
beat the heat this summer

D
rink more water: Most
people think their body
gets enough water. The fact
is people just don’t drink
enough water to keep the balance their
body needs to regulate its temperature
and provide the means for nutrients
to travel to all their organs. In the hot
summer, the simple rule is you need more
water than you think you need. You lose
water through urination, respiration and
perspiration. Symptoms of mild dehydra-
tion include chronic pains in joints and
muscles, headaches and constipation. A
strong odour to your urine, along with a
yellow colour indicates lack of sufficient
water.
Take your body weight in pounds and
divide that number in half – that is the
number of ounces of water per day you
need to drink. If you exercise, take in an-
other eight ounce glass of water for every
20 minutes of activity. It’s a good practice
to keep a water bottle on your desk and
sip from it at regular intervals - it keeps
hunger pangs at bay and body weight
under control.
Have fresh fruit juices: Do you
need more liquids in summer? Sure you
do, but not all liquids! Some beverages
like aerated drinks and alcohol actually
induce dehydration. That’s why you end
up feeling more thirsty a short while after
drinking them. The best option is to have
fresh fruit juices or a mix of vegetable-
fruit juices.
It’s unfortunate that sodas are more
readily available than fruit juice, as their
nutritional content is negligible. And
they contribute to the rise in obesity
all over the world, as they have huge
amounts of sugar, preservatives, colour-
ants and flavourings to make the drink
taste good –addictive and unhealthy at
the same time. Drinking juice, on the
other hand, allows you to get sufficient
amounts of certain nutrients, which the
body needs in large quantities. Also, they
taste much better than colas and sodas.
Admit it!
Go for veggies and salads: It’s a good
idea to cut down on your meat intake
in summer. Doctors suggest only one
meal a day with meat, and even better to
go meat-less on every alternate day. For
protein intake pulses and lentils, grams,
chickpeas, milk and eggs are suggested.
Have plenty of greens and salads (prop-
erly washed and cleaned).
Green leafy vegetables deserve to
be made an indispensable part of your
daily menu. They are the most affordable
means of nutrition and ideal for those
trying to keep their weight in check.
They are extremely high in mineral and
vitamin content and typically low in
calories. Studies indicate fresh leafy veg-
etables have the potential to bring down
the risk of certain diseases such as breast
and lung cancer. They also supply iron
and calcium and protect the eyes from
disorders such as cataract and age-related
degeneration.
Try cold-water baths: In a place like
Dubai, it seems virtually impossible to
even dream of a cold-water bath at any
time of the day or night. But it is possible.
Fill a bucket full of water at least half
an hour before you plan a bath. Let the
water cool due to evaporation. After a
while, dip an ice pack and let it settle in
the water. A little over 10-15 minutes and

26 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

you can have a refreshing cool bath with a
mug. Observe how energised you feel after
this. The added advantage is you can save
water, as you will consume only a limited
quantity, but enough for your hygienic
and rejuvenation needs.
Wear light cottons: Get rid of your
suit and tie at least in these months. An
office of executives attired in formal wear
needs double the amount of air condition-
ing to keep the employees cool. Even in
highly formal Japan, office-goers have
been advised by the government to discard
their suits for light cotton shirts for the
sake of the environment. In much hotter
Dubai, it is even more imperative to do so.
Light cottons reflect heat whereas
darker shades absorb heat. Lighter and
colourful shades brighten up the atmos-
phere and are more soothing to the eyes.
Avoid very tight clothing as that leads
to prickly heat in humid places like the
UAE. Also, don’t forget those must-have
accessories: a properly adjusted hat or cap,
and sunglasses.
A good night’s sleep: Summer is
the time you feel extremely sleepy in the
afternoons while at work, but can’t get
enough sleep at nights. The reason is our
body clocks, especially in tropical and possible, it helps if there are small islands
sub-tropical countries, are adjusted to the of greenery around houses, communities
daylight patterns. Earlier daybreaks mean and commercial areas. Having potted
you get up earlier than usual while you plants in apartments and small gardens in
don’t get to bed early enough, resulting villas helps circulate cool air through the
in reduced sleep. So, get to bed earlier greenery.
than usual, especially on working days. Dubai has started the green build-
On weekends, it’s good to have an hour ing initiative, which will see better and
or two of siesta to feel refreshed in the more efficient use of energy and other
evenings. On weekdays too, it is advisable available resources in buildings. On your
to have a catnap or a powernap. office desk, create a green space – some
Sleeping cools down the body as your flowers or a plant. Select cool wallpapers
muscles and nerves relax during periods and screensavers that highlight greenery.
of rest. That’s the reason our bodies Cooler shades of wall colours like light
demand a slowing down of activity in blue and green are believed to save air-
summer. Thus, avoid hectic physical conditioning costs as it takes lesser time to
activities and late night parties. Spread cool such rooms.
white bedsheets, which give a cool feel-
ing. Drink enough water before going to
bed – helps you sleep better. Don’t eat
hot meals at night as they heat your body
and bring out perspiration. Have a nice
wash before bedtime.
Listen to soothing music: Many
research studies have detailed the effects
of music on the mind and body. They sug-
gest soft classical music calms the mind
while rock or techno gets you hyperactive
and tense. You need soft music in sum-
Allow some fresh breeze: Agreed we
can’t do without our ACs in this part of
the world for more than six months. In
summer, it’s difficult to think of a minute
without them. Hot winds blow through-
out the day, but late in the evenings, on
some days at least, there’s a cool breeze
blowing. Allow it to enter for a few min-
utes – it does seem better than the stale
mer to help you stay cool and composed.
AC air. Also, it kills certain viruses that
The soft and delicate strains of the violin,
travel through AC ducts.
piano and sitar have an incredibly sooth-
Have a stroll in the neighbourhood
ing effect. After a hard day at work, it
park early in the mornings or late in the
helps if you unwind with fruit cocktails
evenings for that essential touch with
plus symphonies from Beethoven or
nature. It will help you stay connected
Mozart or Ravi Shankar under subdued
with your community. Family walks too
lighting. Just try it out and notice the
can help in bonding with your loved ones.
effect.
Parks with water bodies and fountains
Stay around greenery: Most cities in
have a refreshing effect on tired eyes and
the world are plagued by the heat-island
nerves.
effect – the abundance of concrete struc-
tures raising summer temperatures in
the urban areas. Plantation of more trees
helps reduce this effect. In desert cities,
where wholesale greening may not be
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 27

Escape to the hills: Summer time is
vacation time. Many go home as schools
are closed. For those undecided, it’s a good
idea to escape to the hills rather than head
for the beaches. UAE’s strategic location
makes it a good point to head either east
or west. The nearest hill resorts in the east
could be in northern India in the majestic
Himalayas. Towards the west, Lebanon
may be the closest to head for the hills.
If you want to get further away from
work-related stress in cooler climes, try
Switzerland or South Africa.
There is simply no better rejuvenating
experience than a holiday in the hills – the
invigorating mountain air, the unpolluted
environment, misty meadows and the pro-
fusion of greenery do something incred-
ibly good for your soul. If you haven’t yet
been to the hills, try it out this summer.
Mango Magic
By Ambily Vijaykumar
‘Aam ka panna’ is a time
tested Indian juice that
keeps you on the move in
summertime
The heat is on. Temperatures are climb-
ing and so is exhaustion. Gulping water
by the gallons is the swiftest way to
quench thirst, but what do you do about
the energy loss? Here’s a home-made
solution to not just beat the heat but
also keep you energised through all the
running around these summer months.
Aam ka Panna, roughly translated as
raw mango juice, is a classic Indian
summer drink that is at once tasty and
soothing. Here’s how you make it:
The process begins by carefully
choosing raw mangoes. The trick is in
selecting the ones that will
have the right amount of
pulp required for the prep-
aration. The number of
mangoes depends upon
the amount of juice
you wish to make. Let
us, for beginner’s sake,
take five raw mangoes.
• Now let’s get down
to making it. Peal the
mangoes, cut them into pieces
and boil them till they become a pulp.
Turn off the gas and mix sugar depend-
ing upon how sweet you want the drink
to be.
• Once that is done, grind approximately
10 grams of mint leaves and mix it into
the pulp.
• Now add about one teaspoon of cumin
seeds that have been roasted and
ground.
• Follow it up by adding black salt, ac-
cording to taste.
• Finally filter this pulp after adding suf-
ficient water to it. Pour less water if you
want the juice to be thick in consistency,
and more if you want it otherwise.
• Store it in the refrigerator and enjoy
every time you feel the need to beat the
heat.
Back in India, this is considered one of the
best drinks to begin a bright summer day. It
keeps the stomach cool and also aids digestion
with the fluctuating summer temperature.

Beat the heat events at

The Walk @ JBR
The Walk, a pioneering beachfront shopping avenue managed
and developed by Dubai Retail, has lined up a calendar of family-
oriented activities and events at the Jumeirah Beach Residence
(JBR) to mark Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS).
The beachfront retail avenue, stretching over 1.7 kilometres,
will host a multitude of entertaining events including water
sports, football, volleyball fields, a floating island, inflatable
slides, inflatable games and spa area. The area between the Hilton
and Sheraton Hotels, opposite the main JBR parking lot at the
heart of the beachside development will serve as the venue for the
activities.
In addition to the entertainment, The Walk will also offer
onsite refreshments, restaurants, and a relaxation zone with beach
recliners, sun beds, beach tents, umbrellas, and other amenities
for beach lovers.

28 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009


Heatwave couture
I
vana Mazic is a personal shopper
and fashion stylist living in Dubai.
She will go shopping with you, ad-
vising on the best styles and colours
to suit you alone. Here are a few of her
suggestions for readers to look stylish and
combat the heat:
• Swap your little black dress for a little
white one! It’s very trendy this season;
slip it on over a t-shirt and leggings or
wear it alone for a stroll along the shore
or opt for an elegant version for the
evening.
• Invest in a reversible bikini - two suits
in one! Start off with a darker tone
then change it  after a couple of days to
show off.
• Wear a headscarf - humidity is not
FASHION
only bad for your hair, but it can ruin
your hairstyle too. Put on a Hermes
scarf, or any other scarf so long as it
is silk, and tie your hair up. It’s a chic
look that protects you from the heat
as well as keeping your locks under
control.
• Wear colourful flats - if you want to
be stylish but comfortable when walk-
ing in hot weather, invest in a pair of
fabulous colourful flats and add them
to cropped jeans or pants with a stripy
tee. They can be also stylish alterna- Angelina Jolie in white sunglasses
tive to beach sandals.
• Safari style is back! For a twist on
desert cool, mix muted hues with
hippie accessories like cotton scarves,
fringed bags with beige short jump-
suits or safari linen dresses. It’s ideal
for the hot weather.
• Long dresses are always chic for sum-
mer. Everyone is wearing them now;
Angelina Jolie being the queen of it.
They are romantic and flattering to
most body types and very comfort-
able in the hot weather. Match them
with gorgeously embellished sandals
and silk scarves when you go indoors
where it is cooler.
• Asymmetric dresses are a must-have
for this season. Wear a one shoulder
Grecian style silk dress for a stylish
summer evening out!
• Have one piece of tribal jewellery in
your collection - tribal influences are
impacting fashion this year. Accesso-
rise yourself with jewellery made with
beads, wood, bones, but don’t overdo
it. Infuse them in your wardrobe for a
dramatic, trendy look.
• Keep yourself cool with funky hair
accessories instead of putting your
hair into a boring ponytail. You can
use dainty clips or bright coloured
chunky crocodile clips depending
on how expressive you feel. Flower
accessories are also big this summer,
and also assist with keeping your hair
under control in the heat.
Ivana Mazic can be reached by email at
ivana_mazic@yahoo.co.uk.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 29
 FASHION
Dubai Fashion Fiesta
R
einforcing Dubai’s reputation
as a global fashion capital and
a destination for global talent,
Dubai Fashion Fiesta 2009
(DFF2009) - the official event of Dubai
Summer Surprises 2009 (DSS 2009)
opened on a glamorous note in June at
the Dubai International Convention
and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). The
four day event unveiled collections of
34 fashion designers - established and
emerging - representatives of the global
fashion industry. DFF saw 40 interna-
tional celebrities and models infusing
their international charm to 3,000 high
profile audiences.
Offering contemporary and classi-
cal designs, the designers enthralled the
30 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
style aficionados with elegant, exclusive
ensembles. DFF 2009 trade show is
targeted at the discerning regional
customer keen to get a first-hand touch
and feel experience of exclusive Spring-
Summer collections from a gifted group
of designers. Additionally, a dedicated
pre-function lounge area exhibited
designer collections, luxury products,
accessories and a diverse range of fashion
related products.
The brand ambassadors and
spokesperson for DFF 2009 were US
based Sabrina Barnett, celebrity, model,
singer and designer. Larisa Katz the
well known designer from Holland
represented the event in Europe. Adding
Bollywood glamour, DFF was graced by
internationally acclaimed actress, Miss
Universe and Top Model of the World,
Sushmita Sen; and award-winning actress,
Manisha Koirala. Supported by a full cast
of top international models and celebrities
from Paris, Milan, London, New York
and India the event resonated with luxury
and avant-garde fashion. 
DFF introduced a new segment, with
the aim of gestating talent. The Emerg-
ing Designer Awards aimed to foster
young talented designers, providing them
a unique opportunity to showcase their
creations to international fashion enthu-
siasts. Twenty four young designers from
across the world participated in a talent
contest and carved a niche for themselves
as they put their best feet forward.
 Impeccable structure, unmatched flexibility and attention
to detail are the hallmarks of Kiton’s luxurious elegance.
Kiton’s sartorial accomplishments are reflected in the limited
production of iconic products such as the six-button double-
breasted suit with a peaked lapel. Made of vicuña, one of
the world’s rarest natural fibres, the suit is meticulously
hand-sewn by a team of artisans who have undergone rigor-
ous in-house training in the Neapolitan tailoring tradition.
Neapolitan tailoring is characterised by a unique method
of shoulder construction, which does not rely much on the use
of padding for structure but rather involves precise cutting
and sewing so that the sleeve fits more naturally into the jacket
body. This ensures that the wearer can enjoy greater freedom of
movement and comfort around the shoulders, neck and back.
The brand’s most sought-after suit model is called the ‘K-50’
in reference to the 50 hours of work that goes into its creation.
Kiton’s ready-to-wear collections are available at selected Rodeo
Drive boutiques across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

LG Electronics reveals the Autism Centre. you to easily enjoy the pictures taken from
In keeping with LG’s philosophy of your mobile phone, in turn enabling greater
new face of Scarlet LCD TV combining advanced technology with stylish compatibility with mobile phones, headsets,
Following a heated two month competition, and sophisticated designs, the New Scarlet notebooks & PCs. This, combined with a
LG, a technology innovator in the global flat LCD TV’s unique scarlet red colour and ultra 1080p full HD picture, 39.7mm slim design
panel display market, announced the winner slim shape makes it an innovative fashion and up to 75 per cent energy saving, defines
of their ‘New Scarlet Face Hunt’ campaign brand in its own right. It is the first LCD TV the New Scarlet as the crowning combination
at a glamorous red carpet finale held at to feature Bluetooth connectivity, allowing of style and technology.”
the Atlantis Palm Jumeriah . Andreea Rizan
received the honour of fronting LG’s year long
New Scarlet LCD TV campaign, having been
narrowed down from an original pool of over
250 women.
As a gesture of gratitude to society LG
promised to donate one dirham for every
public vote received to the Dubai Autism Cen-
tre. In total over 18,400 votes were received,
however instead of paying the amount gener-
ated through votes, LG extended its support
to the centre, upping the total amount
donated to Dh50,000. Renowned Indian
artist Seema Kohli was also commissioned to
complete an ‘Evolution of Modern Woman’
painting to commemorate the occasion, which Andreea Rizan
is LG’s new New
was auctioned on the night for Dh40,000, Scarlet Face
generating additional proceeds for Dubai

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 31

 BEAUTY
Colourful cheveaux
A step-by-step guide to home colouring
F
act – most
women do
not colour
their hair
at home because
they are worried
they will get it
wrong. The truth
is that colouring
your hair at home
is one of the easiest
beauty rituals to
do – all it takes is
a little know-how,
the right tools and
enthusiasm. To celebrate the launch of the
revitalised Koleston Kit with a premium
gloss treatment, Wella has put together
some easy steps that any woman can follow
to get her hair perfectly coloured at home
Step 1 – Where to Start?
If you know you want to colour your hair,
it’s important to know which colour you
want to choose. Depending on if you want
to go for a radical change or just touch
up your roots, your choice can be made
easier by the shade palettes provided at the
supermarkets.
Step 2 – Opening the Box
The box you purchase will contain a few dif-
ferent items and a first-time home colourer
may be confused by the bottles, tubes and
little plastic packet inside. With Koleston
Kit, an applicator bottle is included with
every pack, making it easier to apply the
colour without spilling it on your clothes or
on the floor. The instruction leaflet is also a
useful tool to figure out what to do first.
Step 3 – Mixing and Developing
Make sure you are wearing an old t-shirt
that you don’t mind getting dirty. Cover
the floor with newspapers and dark towels –
this will prevent any stains from getting on
the floor. A well-kept secret for preventing
any colour stain on your forehead – apply a
thick layer of Vaseline around your hairline.
This will prevent any spillover colour from
staining your skin.
32 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Step 4 – The Application
Put on the protective gloves
provided in the box. With a
brush, section your hair and use
hair grips to hold them in place.
Hold the bottle firmly in place at
your starting point – the crown
– and apply the colour in a line
across your scalp. A colouring
brush is the most effective way
of spreading the colour evenly
across the roots. Continue until
you’ve covered all your roots.
Once you are done, take the
rest of the hair, section by section
and apply the colour across the strands,
using your hands if necessary. Wrap
your hair around your scalp and when
finished, apply any remaining mixture
on top to ensure the colour is locked in.
Keep a dark towel on your shoulders to
prevent any colour from staining your
t-shirt.
Step 4 – The Wait
The colour will take approximately 30
minutes to set – just enough time to get
in an episode of your favourite TV show.
Step 5 – The Grand Finale
Rinse off your hair in the shower and
don’t forget to apply the gloss treatment
conditioner – newly developed, using
state-of-the-art technology. The condi-
tioner creates a water protection layer on
every strand of your newly coloured locks
and pumps up the shine factor.
You are now ready to reveal your beau-
tifully coloured hair to the world!
Beauty industry steady,
despite economic gloom
The Middle East Cosmetic and Toiletries
(C&T) market is one of the largest and
most profitable in the world. Growing at
a rate of 12 per cent annually, beauty sales
are expected to increase by more than
Dh11 billion by 2010.
“We feel confident that the C & T
industry will continue to experience
growth in 2009. It is widely believed
that people tend not to compromise with
their image or grooming, and also require
‘feel good items’ during these unstable
times“, said Andrea Werner, Senior Show
Manager of Beautyworld Middle East
which took place in June. “From a trade
perspective, during a time of economic
uncertainty, export companies try to seek
new lucrative markets like the Middle
East in order to reduce their dependence
on one or two larger developed markets,
such as Europe and the USA.”

A total treatment
VLCC combines beauty packages with scientific dieting and
preventive healthcare, making it a complete ‘feel-good’ place
By Vanit Sethi
I
t’s Saturday morning and I’m
heading off towards the Buhaira
Corniche in Sharjah. I stop at the
Crescent Towers and take the lift
to the third floor. It’s the VLCC – India’s
famous slimming and grooming centre,
spearheaded by Vandana Luthra, with
branches around the world.
At the centre, my height, weight and
BMI (Body Mass Index) is taken, during
which time preparations are being made
for a full-body massage. I’m ushered in
the men’s grooming section. The treat-
ment begins soon thereafter with deft
hands applying aromatic oil and putting
the right pressure on joints and muscles
for complete relaxation. With the gentle
hum of the AC and soft 80s music (Lionel
Richie, Stevie Wonder etc) playing from
concealed speakers, it was easy to slip into
a reverie. And why not? For one hour, I
could simply choose to forget the whole
world, and just let my nerves loosen up.
The treatment on toes and fingers was
therapeutic. My back and shoulders too
respond to the easing of tension. After
shifting positions from front to back, I’m
also through with some face rubbing. And
then, a gentle wet towel wipe follows. I
begin to feel the opening up of all pores.
Up and about now, thanking my
masseur, I go to the consultation room
for a discussion of my BMI (now, that’s a
secret!). I’m told how the centre works and
what are the packages available with them.
I’m also shown around their gym facili-
ties, salon and treatment rooms.
The afternoon sun is blazing outside,
but I’m at ease, and looking forward to a
luxurious siesta, thanks to VLCC.
WELLNESS
‘We’ll see you slim’
The AHT treatment targets excess fat in arms, hips and thighs
As part of its efforts to create awareness on healthy living, VLCC
has launched the new Arms, Hips & Thighs (AHT) treatment. The
AHT treatment, targeting both men and women, comes close on
the heels of the successful Waist & Tummy Trim treatment, and
focuses on cutting down on excess fat in problem areas such as
arms, hips and thighs.
The treatment, a scientific wellness package based on anthro-
pometric measures, is done through ultrasonic induction of VLCC
Shape Up – shaping gel for arms, hips and thighs. This is used in
a combination of body toning and firming appliances and spe-
cialised activity patterns to give the desired results. Prior to the
treatment, a complete analysis of the clients is done by doctors
at the clinic. The analysis is undertaken based on gender, age
and fat percentage in problem areas, after taking into account
their individual needs, lifestyle and eating habits.
Whenever one intends to lose weight, people are more
concerned about losing it in problem areas rather than losing
kilograms on the weighing scale. Excess fat in arms can lead to
decreased flexibility and movement, while fat in hips lead to bad
posture and pressure on the lower limbs. Extra fat in thighs can
lead to osteoarthritis. The AHT specialised programme can be
part of a weight-loss programme, or taken exclusively for figure
correction.
The slimming programme is customised for each individual
needs. The minimum number of sessions depends on the body
composition analysis (BCA), body mass index (BMI) and anthropometry findings. Each sitting
lasts about 75-80 minutes. Each of the problem areas can be treated independently.
Centres in UAE
For details, call 800-VLCC (800-8522) or any of the centres below:
• Mezanine Floor, Al Dana Centre, Al Maktoum Street, Diera, Dubai: 04-2347870
• Spinneys next to BurJuman Centre, Dubai: +04-3599552, 04-3599577
• Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai: 04-3218008
• VLCC Jumeirah Centre, Villa No. 10, Al Wasl Road, Dubai: 04-3429986
• Mirdiff, Uptown Mirdiff Mall, Dubai: 04-2884880
• 12 and 13, Al Qusais Building, Near Spinneys Qusais, Dubai: 04-2678611
• Khalidiya Junction, Abu Dhabi: 02-6814771
• Crescent Tower, Buhaira Corniche, Sharjah: 06-5566228
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 33
 ENVIRONMENT
Grid locked
A
bu Dhabi based solar integrator Enviromena Power
Systems (Enviromena) has completed the Masdar
10MW Solar Power Plant, the largest grid connected
solar system in the Middle East and North Africa. The
solar photovoltaic plant was inaugurated in May at Masdar City
by His Highness Sheikh Diab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of
Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA).
The 212,000 square metre (55 acre) solar system is comprised
of 87,777 photovoltaic modules and will produce 17,500 MWh of
clean energy each year, offsetting approximately 15,000 tonnes of
carbon emissions annually – the equivalent of 11,000 passengers
flying from Abu Dhabi to London.  The plant will produce energy
to power the initial construction activities of Masdar City. The
Dh185 million project is one of the most quickly constructed and
cost-efficient photovoltaic installations in the world in terms of
projected power output.
Enviromena Vice President Sander Trestain, who managed the
construction and start-up of the solar power system, commented
“We were very pleased to implement highly innovative clean
Masdar Solar Plant
Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality
visits the biodiversity exhibition at DM headquarters
34 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
construction techniques, such as the use of concrete with recycled
content, using a carbon management company to offset emissions
from all site construction activities, reusing and recycling materi-
als extensively across the site, and rigorously engineering the
system to reduce the total amount of steel installed”.
Masdar City, is the world’s first carbon neutral, zero waste city
fully powered by renewable energy.  
DM holds bio-diversity exhibition
Eng. Salem Mesmar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Mu-
nicipality for Health, Safety and Environment Monitoring Sector
recently organised an exhibition to mark the World Biodiversity
Day. The event was held in collaboration with the Department of
Parks and Recreational Facilities in the municipality of the West-
ern Region - Liwa and the Natural History Museum, Sharjah, on
the occasion of the 22nd National Environment Day 2009.
Eng. Mesmar explained that the exhibition aimed to familiar-
ise staff and visitors to the marine environment, traditional ways
of fishing, role of old generation in the preservation of the marine
environment, and increase public awareness on issues involved in
the protection of coastal environment undertaken by the munici-
pality, introducing and encouraging the public to participate in
environmental events.
“From this standpoint, the municipality, on the National
Environment Day, calls to respect the national environmental
issues and to think with a sense of responsibility in all actions
undertaken by each of us, for the shared values of preserving the
land, and that too with a firm resolve and strong confidence,” said
Mesmar.
Al Qasba marks World Environment Day
Al Qasba Development Authority announced the successful
conclusion of its World Environment Day celebrations in which
over 100 participants, including students and representatives
from government and private sector organisations were engaged
in the various activities that were organised for the two-day event.
Al Qasba clean up
Through marking the World Environ-
ment Day, AQDA aimed at raising public
awareness about the importance of adopt-
ing an environmentally friendly approach
to many aspects of life. The celebrations
included several educational, entertaining
and fundraising activities such as, an ‘Art
Out Of Waste’ competition, in which par-
ticipants transformed waste into artwork.
The winners of this competition were
Sara Amiri, who designed a dolls house,
followed by Thereza Raquel and Jessy
Husain, who designed a balloon dress and
a photo album consecutively.
The celebrations also included a fund-
raising auction, in which paintings for lo-
cal artists such as Ms. Nuha Asad and Ms.
Karima Al Shomi and dresses by famous
designers such as Mr. Walid Atallah were
bid for; the proceeds of this auction went
to the UAE Red Crescent.
Additionally, a cleanup campaign was
organised to clean Al Khan Beach and
Abu Shagarah Park in which Al Qasba
personnel participated side by side with
volunteers, members of the Sharjah Mu-
seums Department and the Althonians
Fraternity and Sorority.
‘Bee’ah’ who donated 1,000 fabric
bags and around 200 T-shirts to be
used during the campaign, and Sharjah
Museum department who gave out free
entry tickets to all volunteers to go see the
Sharjah Aquarium supported Al Qasba’s
World Environment day. Also, Sharjah
Municipality and Sharjah Police played
vital roles in securing the organisation and
safety of the whole event.
Water sustainability
through technology
TechnoPark, the Science and Technol-
ogy Park under Economic Zones World,
has announced it will host the biannual
International Desalination Association
(IDA) World Congress this November.
The event will be held from 7 - 12 No-
vember at the Atlantis Resort - The Palm.
Themed ‘Desalination for a Better World’,
the conference is expected to gather over
1,800 industry professionals and leaders
from the global desalination and water
reuse industry.
70 companies from over 20 countries
have confirmed their participation at
the IDA Exhibition covering over 2,000
square metres. The congress, which has
grown exponentially year on year, involves
the world’s most prominent industry
players, including end-users (utilities),
manufacturers and suppliers, government
officials, researchers, financiers and mem-
bers of academia from over 80 countries.
Salma Hareb, Chief Executive Officer
- Economic Zones World, said: “As an
organisation that leads the region in rais-
ing awareness and building infrastructure
Salma Hareb
for sustainable initiatives, TechnoPark
takes pride in bringing the IDA World
Congress to Dubai for the first time. The
conference will facilitate the exchange
of global innovations and best practices
in this highly important sector, and lay a
foundation for Dubai to lead the region
in research and awareness of sustainable
water supplies.”
“In the coming years, water sustain-
ability will become as critical an issue as
climate change. Only desalination and
advanced water reuse offer hope of future
supplies for a growing population on our
planet. Since the UAE is the second-larg-
est user of desalinated water in the world,
provision of adequate water supply is one
of the key challenges facing us, and the
vision of His Highness in hosting the IDA
World Congress highlights the urgency
of the issues that need to be tackled in the
region.”
Patricia Burke, Secretary General of
the International Desalination Associa-
tion, said: “Water sustainability is a global
issue, and can only be addressed through
exchange of information on an interna-
tional level. The spirit of collaboration
that Dubai has shown will significantly
drive progress in achieving adequate water
availability for future generations. We
look forward to the exchange of ideas
and collaboration on the critical issue of
desalination and advanced water reuse.
The industry is constantly evolving and
innovating, and our mission is to ensure
that desalination is implemented in the
most responsible way, from the perspec-
tive of cost, energy and environmental
considerations.”
Salma Hareb concurred, saying: “The
gains from a gathering of top minds in
the field will be tremendous, particu-
larly for regional specialists. One of our
main interests in hosting the IDA World
Congress is the amount of research that is
shared, making the congress valuable from
a knowledge standpoint. The foundation
of our activity at TechnoPark is scientific
innovation, which evolves continuously.
An event like the IDA World Congress al-
lows that evolution to be equalised across
all markets. We believe that this sharing
of information and findings is key to a
sustainable future as the UAE moves into
the 21st century with a strong knowledge
economy based on international best
practice.”
Patricia Burke stated in conclusion:
“It will be interesting for global special-
ists to attend the conference in a location
that will rely on their future findings to
address their most pressing concerns about
sustainability.”
Over 350 papers were received for
consideration in the technical programme
of the IDA World Congress 2009.  There
will be 23 sessions on topics such as: Al-
ternative Ideas, Innovative Solutions and
Nuclear Technologies for Desalination;
Chemicals, Scaling and Cleaning and
Mineral Recovery; Energy Recovery: A
Dramatic Reduction in Energy Consump-
tion for Desalination; and Environmental
Sustainability.
TechnoPark was established to lead
innovation with a special focus in water
and energy efficiency; and is managed by
Economic Zones World, the global devel-
oper and operator of economic, technol-
ogy, logistics and industrial parks and part
of Dubai World.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 35
 EDUCATION
Scholarships, summer
schools and scouts
S
heikh Saqr Programme for
Government Excellence (SSPGE),
has announced a 100 per cent
scholarship for eligible UAE
nationals pursuing medical and dental de-
gree programmes at the Ras Al Khaimah
Medical & Health Sciences University
(RAKMHSU). It is also offering 50-100
per cent scholarships to deserving students
of all nationalities pursuing pharmacy and
nursing degrees.
RAKMHSU has a three-tier fee-
waiver programme for the upcoming
academic year which starts in September
2009. This fee-waiver is open to students
of all nationalities undertaking medical
and health science degree courses at the
university. Students who have attained
95 per cent marks or above in aggregate
of Biology, Physics and Chemistry in high
school are eligible for 20 per cent fee-
waiver on their first semester tuition fee.
Students who have attained 90 per cent
or above marks in aggregate of Biology,
Physics and Chemistry in high school are
36 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
eligible for 15 per cent fee-waiver on their
first semester tuition fee. Students who
have attained GPA of 3.75 and above in
RAKMHSU end-semester examinations
are eligible for 20 per cent fee-waiver.
Business education is becoming
increasingly vital to building commer-
cial relationships across the Arab world,
according to a new study. Melbourne
Business School, in partnership with the
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Foundation, conducted a research, and
suggests that international qualifications
such as Master of Business Administra-
tion are now accepted as a ‘badge of
quality’ across the region.
“The speed with which Middle East
markets have opened up in the recent
years has meant that poten-
tial business partners need
specific ways of establishing
your credibility and reliabil-
ity,” says Aminur Rahman,
a Melbourne MBA graduate
who worked in Dubai, Egypt
and Libya. “A recognisable qualification
from an international business school has
become a highly effective way of achiev-
ing this. It certainly opened doors for
me which I would otherwise have found
closed.”
Melbourne’s global development
director, Anna Parkin says, “The MBA
is no longer just the province of expats.”
This year, we’ve had applications from
nationals of countries right across the
region, including nations as diverse as
Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iran.”
ALHOSN University, based in
Abu Dhabi, has established the Society
of Women in Engineering (SOWIE),
which has been founded by active and
highly skilled women engineers from the
university and other institutions. It has
been established in line with the univer-
sity’s commitment to enhance the role of
women in all engineering and allied fields.
Dr. Reem Sabouni, Assistant Professor,
ALHOSN University, said, “There has
been an excellent response to this ground-
breaking initiative and we believe that
with the dynamism and dedication of its
founding members, the Society of Women
in Engineering will play an important role
in fully harnessing the potential of women
to be leaders, innovators and role models
of society.”
ALHOSN recently launched four
new graduate engineering programmes,
namely, Master in Buildings Engineer-
ing, Master in Engineering Manage-
ment, Graduate Certificate in Buildings
Engineering, and Graduate Certificate in
Engineering Management. The university
currently offers 11 undergraduate and
seven graduate accredited programmes in
three faculties, with a significant emphasis
on engineering. All of ALHOSN’s pro-
grammes are accredited by the Ministry of
Higher Education and Scientific Research
in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi Media Company
(ADMC) and The Higher Colleges of
Technology (HCT) announced an offer
to local students of a unique, hands-on
work experience at one of the fastest grow-
ing, multi-platform, media organisations
in the region. Abu Dhabi Media Com-
pany Chairman, Mohammed Khalaf Al
Mazrouei, said, “Abu Dhabi is a booming
centre of arts, culture and diversified me-
dia and the company is delighted to open
its doors to what we hope will be some of
the future leaders in media. This is one of
our most exciting opportunities because
it paves the way for a new generation of
film-makers, broadcasters, journalists and
media professionals in the region.”
ADMC has been implementing
Emiratisation strategy through a range
of initiatives including traineeship pro-
grammes, internships and collaborations
with local educational institutions.
Eton Institute has announced their
super intensive summer courses in
Arabic and English for students from
beginners to advanced level. The super
intensive summer courses have attracted
over 2000 people across the region since
they were introduced for the first time in
Dubai over three years; following on its
success there is now a special accom-
modation package to overseas learners
who are visiting Dubai and picking up
a language course and maybe computer
skills too. All courses are conducted
by highly qualified instructors who are
native speakers and passionate about not
just teaching the language but also the
culture and tradition attached to it.
Portfolio Night 7 was hosted by
Memac Ogilvy in association with
ihaveanidea in three of its strategic mar-
kets in Beirut, Dubai and Tunis for the
first time in the Middle East region.
In the UAE, dozens of students and
young designers flocked to the Ritz
Carlton to take part in the largest simul-
taneous advertising portfolio review ever
held in the region. The event featured
a uniquely designed portfolio review
process in a ‘speed-dating’ setting, during
which each student spent 45 minutes of
quality time with at least three of the ad-
vertising industry’s top creative directors.
“We had the chance to see some great
work today and we hope that the young
talents who were brave and open enough
to show their work to the most senior
references in the advertising industry will
feel empowered to continue and pursue a
career in advertising,” noted Ossama El
Kaoukji, Chief Creative Officer, Memac
Ogilvy.
Horizon International Flight
Academy, Al Ain offers Higher Diploma
in Aviation Business Administration to
UAE residents who hold a Commercial
Pilot Licence (CPL).
The Higher Diploma is accredited
by the UAE Ministry of Higher Educa-
tion and Horizon is the only academy to
receive licensure from the ministry to offer
the diploma course alongside the pilot
training programme.
“This diploma programme is a much
needed breakthrough for pilots in
particular, as it is especially valuable to
those individuals who later want to move
from the cockpit to the ground” General
Manager, Mohammed Humaidan Al
Zaabi explained.
“We have organised school trips to the
academy, where students visit the different
departments and get the feel of working in
the aviation industry. This gives students a
better perspective into this exciting indus-
try, while educating them about the vari-
ous career opportunities in the aviation
industry that they might be encouraged to
pursue,” Al Zaabi concluded.
DP World, UAE Region has entered
into an agreement with Dubai-based
Institute for Applied Technology (IAT) to
provide on-the-job training in port opera-
tions to IAT students.
DP World will offer internships to IAT
students at Jebel Ali who will undergo
technical and engineering  training in port
operations this summer.
IAT, which has five campuses across
the UAE, was established in 2005 by a
royal decree.  The institute offers English-
language, career-based
technical education at
the secondary and terti-
ary levels. 
Department of
Naturalisation and
Residency Department
(DNRD) launched an
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 37

initiative to assist hearing-impaired indi-
viduals for their transactions at DNRD
offices. DNRD will employ qualified sign
language experts and train its customer
service staff to acquire basic sign language
skills, enabling them to communicate and
help the deaf customers. General Moham-
med Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General,
DNRD, stated that the service will be
provided initially at DNRD headquarters
and Dubai International Airport.
Intensive training will be provided
to DNRD employees who are in direct
contact with the public in order to provide
service to the hearing-impaired commu-
nity. In an effort to reiterate the positive
attitude and to confirm the importance
of the role of people with special needs
in society, General Al Marri will attend
the first training course. He said: “This
initiative is our way to empower hearing-
impaired individuals by offering them
the same services and facilities at all our
centres.”
The American University in Dubai
(AUD) in collaboration with AGMC,
the exclusive importer of BMW Group
cars in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern
Emirates, hosted Ms. Martina Starke,
Head of BMW Individual Design from
Munich, Germany. BMW Individual is
the division that provides custom-made
BMW vehicles with bespoke colour and
trim combinations, created exclusively
for each customer. AUD students from
the Visual Communication and Interior
Design departments, along with students
in Engineering and Business, had the op-
portunity to meet Ms. Starke who spoke
of her personal experience.
The students were very curious about
how designers and engineers at BMW
interact and what different kinds of
careers are available in the design divi-
sion at BMW. Ms. Starke explained the
company’s unique design philosophy of
38 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
integrating design ideas from BMW
Group Designworks studios based in Los
Angeles, Munich and Singapore. The
ongoing exchange of ideas between all
studios provides a unique set of perspec-
tives on complex topics and help shape
the process of the projects from scribble
to production. From that background,
it became clear to the students at AUD,
that each person, their individual
backgrounds and creative contribu-
tions are the key for designing a car, and
team work is the most vital element for
BMW’s success.
Ajman University of Science
and Technology (AUST) signed an
agreement with the Dubai Roads and
Transportation Authority (RTA) to or-
ganise joint workshops, conferences and
symposia, as well as specialised training
sessions.
Commenting on this event, Dr.
Ahmed Ankit, Vice-President for Exter-
nal and Cultural Affairs, said, “Such ties
have allowed us to open doors - to our
students for training, to our graduates
for careers, and to our faculty members
for offering their expertise and serving
society.”
Mr. Abdullah Al Madani, RTA Ex-
ecutive Director of Institutional Support
Services, said, “The Dubai Roads and
Transportation Authority has, since its
inception, recruited a number of AUST
alumni who have worked actively and
contributed effectively to our success.
This has assured us that we have made the
right choice in recruiting Ajman Univer-
sity IT graduates. I hope this agreement
strengthens the bonds between our two
institutions.”
The college will continue to com-
municate with companies and corpora-
tions to guarantee training and career
opportunities for AUST students and
graduates. The college will also liaise
with the business community regard-
ing the development of new majors and
specialisations.
Boys from 3rd Dubai Scouts of UAE
Scouts group attended a fun camp hosted
by the Fujairah International Marine
Club (FIMC). The 31 boys of Dubai
Scouts had the opportunity to tour the
visiting British submarine ‘HMS Talent’.
During the camp, the youngsters
were taught the local tradition of bottom
fishing by East Coast Fishing. Their visit
to Fujairah culminated in a great fishing
trip on board ‘M/S Flying Angel’ and
included a tour of the area.
David Sims, leader of the 3rd Dubai
Scouts, said he was extremely impressed
by the level of hospitality and the kind-
ness received from all parties during the
visit.
 HOME & GARDEN

Comfort
The new Zero 7 range from Ares Line has recently arrived
in the UAE from Italian designer, Giovanni Baccolini zone
C
omfort is a word we all strive Upholstered in
to achieve in different ways. Bengal floral silk,
Italian designer, Giovanni the new Upholstered
Baccolini, has brought his Silver Versailles
is available in a
latest range of contemporary office seating variety of fabrics
to this country to help those who want to from simple linens
write and type in comfort without getting to sumptuous silks.
twinges of backache. The designer has Clients can also
combined the ergonomic needs of today’s supply their own
fabric.
working environment with modern
comfort and style in the Zero 7 range
from Ares Line – available in the UAE
exclusively through OFIS.
The Zero 7 range offers ideal lum-
bar support and a nylon mesh backrest
to significantly reduce back pain and
discomfort. They come in black, grey or
white with supporting frames in chrome- A good method to keep home entertainment
plated steel, and soft polyurethane for the neat and organised is to store everything in one
backrest. unit that holds equipment, music and movies.
When choosing a media storage unit:  
And So To Bed has introduced the • Measure what you want to store to ensure you
new upholstered version of its classic have enough room for all of it
Silver Versailles bed, adding upholstery to • Always allow room for your collection to grow
the splendid hand-carved rococo folly of • Make sure the furniture you choose can carry
the weight of the equipment and contents
• Whenever you instal electronic or electrical
the original. With its soaring headboard,
bow feet and swan-necked end posts, this equipment inside a cabinet, allow for
magnificent bed is made from mahogany ventilation and access to wiring
and hand finished in silver leaf. The cen-
tral panel of the headboard is then padded • Soft flooring materials such as carpet- • Light floors make a room seem deeper
and upholstered for perfect luxury and ing and natural fibre absorb sound and wider, while DARK FLOORS
glamour. and shock, and create a cosier atmos- make it seem smaller. However an
The And So To Bed brand brought phere than hard flooring. However, advantage of a dark floor is that it
to UAE by Al Shaya Group and has two soft flooring needs more cleaning and tends to give a room more solid, stable
showrooms located on Jumeirah Beach maintenance. feeling.
Road and in Bur Dubai, opposite BurJu-
man.
IKEA has come up with some home
hints and tips on flooring which are
among the largest surfaces in a home, so
the finishes you choose will have a big
impact on how the rooms look and feel.  
• Hard flooring materials such as wood,
tile, vinyl and laminate are durable
and easy to clean. However they tend
to be more slippery and sensitive to
moisture.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 39

 HOSPITALITY

Beat-the-heat offers

Gym at Al Murooj Rotana

T
he heat of summer is well of the wedding package according to the ship and get two months free (Single-
and truly here, and everyone theme, manages the entire event, plans the Dh1,200, Couple-Dh1,850) The club
is trying to help others by schedule of events, coordinates all food features the next generation Bodylines
offering advice - and reduced and beverage details from menu design, fitness centre, temperature controlled
prices. ‘Work hard and play hard’ is the food tasting, linens, flower arrangements, free shape outdoor pool, gymnasium and
motto in this region, but the body also ap- décor and assists you with all aspects of massage room, and offers an extensive
preciates ‘rest and recreation’ – the Gulf ’s your wedding experience. menu of facial and body treatments.
other loved phrase. Some offers relate to The five-star Al Murooj Rotana Dubai Atlantis summer food offers: Friday
weddings, dinner parties and socialising, is fully prepared for the summer season roast lunch at Seafire is Dh125, Seafood
which occur whether it is hot, or not. with its special value-for-money offers. Friday at Rostang starts at Dh265, Friday
Many folks may have flown away to cooler The Bodylines Leisure & Fitness Club has brunch at Saffron starts at Dh250, and
climes, but those that remain still want to lined up cost effective membership deals to you can now grab a bento lunch box from
party … beat the heat and get into excellent shape. Nobu for Dh185. www.atlantisthepalm.
Al Bustan Centre & Residence - is Enrol for one month membership and get com
helping you to indulge in a romantic geta- one month free (Single-Dh750, Couple- Take a trip on board one of Dubai
way at its property with its special wed- Dh950). Enrol for two months member- Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s charter
ding packages. The property’s Al Nahda
Banquet Hall features first class amenities
for weddings and other events and can
accommodate up to 250 persons. The wed-
ding package encompasses all the client’s
needs from transportation, hospitality and
entertainment and also offers rich menus
and wedding buffets to compliment any
celebration providing the most satisfacto-
ry experience. The hotel designs every part

40 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Amara suite at Park Hyatt
boats, whether it be fishing on Sneak
Away or cruising down the Creek on its
sports boat Creek Breeze. Sneak Away is
a fully equipped 32ft Hatteras deep-sea
fishing yacht, which comfortably carries
up to six passengers and the rates include
tackle, bait, fuel and a friendly crew who
knows how to give you a fishing trip (and
tips) to remember. So why not travel into
the Arabian Gulf waters and experience
the adrenalin rush of big game sports fish-
ing for yourself? Fishing Rates, valid until
30th September, 4 hours - Dh2,975, 6
hours - Dh3,400, 8 hours - Dh3,825. For
further information Tel: 04 2054646.
On Tuesday, 14th July, join Emirates
Golf Club at the award-winning Le Clas-
sique restaurant as it celebrates the French
National Day and enjoy a special 5-course
set menu and a glass of French bubbly for
Dh290 per person.
When the sun sets, Cooz, Grand
Hyatt Dubai, is a stylish and intimate
venue for enjoying premium beverages
and cigars. The mellow sounds of live
piano music are available most evenings.
Aficionados of the Cuban lifestyle should
now head to Cooz Bar on Mondays to
take pleasure in cigars and sugar cane bev-
erages while listening to live music. Treat
yourself to a very special offer and enjoy
Montecristo Especiales No. 2 cigars and
a glass of the great El Dorado 15-year-old
drink – available every Monday evening
for Dh80 per package, including espresso
and water.
During the month of July, Park
Hyatt Dubai will again be an official
spa partner of Dubai Summer Surprises
Spa Packages Promotion. A magnificent
tribute to the ancient Moorish palaces,
the white exterior and royal blue domes
offer a welcoming entrance into Amara,
a private and secluded spa where exotic
rituals have been created to stimulate the
senses, soothe and rejuvenate. The Amara
concierge will customise your experience,
using the ancient healing philosophies of
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire.
These precious jewels, each with its own
physical and spiritual benefits, combined
with the finest products, Arabian teas
and authentic delicacies, ensure a quality
and personalised experience. Try the
outdoor rain shower in your private
terraced garden plus a foot and hand rose
petal bath before your chosen massage
begins. Special prices are available until
31st August.
The ibis, Etap Hotel, Hotel Formule
1 and hotelF1 chains announced a world-
wide partnership with the International
Student Identity Card (ISIC) to offer its
cardholders a breakfast at 1€ or for free!
This new and very attractive promotion
will give millions of student’s unprec-
edented access to more than 900 hotels
in more than 30 countries around the
world. ibis, the economy brand of Accor,
will offer a free breakfast to ISIC card-
holders in 416 participating hotels in over
30 countries, while the three low-cost
brands will charge only 1€ for an all-you-
can-eat buffet. 257 Etap Hotels in nine
countries will participate in this scheme,
as well as 63 Formule 1’s in six countries
and 207 hotelF1’s in France. Visit www.
isic.org
Business guests who stay at InterCon-
tinental Hotels Dubai Festival City will
appreciate its new service of an executive
DIFC shuttle service between its hotels
and Dubai International Financial Cen-
tre. In the comfort of the brand new and
exclusive Toyota Sequoia, guests will be
chauffeur-driven from InterContinental
and Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City to
DIFC and back to the hotels. They will
leave their hotel at 8.30am and return at
5.30pm or 6.30pm
You will be head over heels this sum-
mer at the JW Marriott Dubai and we
haven’t forgotten the kids. Stay for three
nights and pay for the price of two nights
on all Executive Rooms and Suites from
until 19th September. Children will have
exclusive access to the JW Kids Club. They
Fun with the children
at JW Marriott
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 41
 HOME & GARDEN
The pool at The Palace, Old Town at night
will be presented with a Very Important
Kids Club Pack and Kidzania Fun Zone
access card where they will be thrilled
with loads of fun and games. They can
even get their faces or hands painted. The
hotel is offering free meals to children
below the age of 12 at The Market Place
and Bamboo Lagoon.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai
Deira Creek is celebrating its China Club
restaurant’s sixth anniversary. The China
Club features the largest selection of sea-
42 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
food of any Chinese restaurant in town,
with over 20 different types of fish and
a wide range of Dim Sum, vegetarian
dishes and many more. For the an-
niversary occasion, and back by popular
demand, the restaurant welcomes the
famous Chinese Guest Chef & Artist
Wei from Beijing for the second year in
a row. Wei is known for the incredible
talent of transforming Chinese rice and
noodle dough into beautiful tradi-
tional Chinese figurines. He combines
art with his cooking performances by
preparing beautifully designed dishes with
special garnishes. Chef Wei will be per-
forming live at The China Club every day
throughout July during lunch and dinner.
Specific figurines can also be ordered at
The China Club upon request.
Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the
movie channel that brings classic films to
life, brings classic romance to the region
with TCM Movie Nights. This unique
dine-in experience at the lush La Baie
Restaurant, situated at the Ritz Carlton
Dubai Hotel, takes place on the first
Wednesday of each month throughout
2009. The premiere night showed Casa-
blanca, a timeless classic from the 1940s,
starring Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Berg-
man. July will feature Somebody up there
likes me, featuring Paul Newman.
The Ritz-Carlton’s signature restau-
rant, La Baie, creates the perfect atmos-
phere for this classic evening, with its
enchanting ambience complemented by
exquisite meals that have been chosen and
prepared by Chef Umit Kaygusuz and his
culinary team to tickle the palate, tailored
to suit the film being shown.
The Palace - The Old Town, the
elegant 5-star premium hotel located in
The Old Town Island in Downtown Burj
Dubai, is offering all its customers a 20 per
cent discount until August 15. Among
the participating venues are Asado, the
Argentinean style grill restaurant; Ewaan,
the hotel’s Oriental all-day dining restau-
rant; and the signature Thai restaurant,
Thiptara, offering Royal Thai cuisine. The
Lobby where afternoon tea is served 3pm
to 6pm, FAI, and Ewaan Lounges and all
of the hotel’s luxurious recreation facilities
are also participating in the exceptional
summer offer.
After an initial visit to The Palace,
visitors will be rewarded with a voucher
offering them a 20 per cent discount in
each of the hotel’s outlets and its recrea-
tion facilities valid for all return visits
until August 15.
Friday night is Cocktail Night at
Vista, rooftop at Holiday Inn Media
City. Its Friday Cocktail Menu has been
designed to help you keep cool on hot
summer nights with ‘3 for 2’ offers from
6pm till midnight. Vista is also offering
EarlyBird Meal Deals all night to keep
your taste buds tantalised. You can have
two courses from the a la carte menu for
Dh95 and three courses for Dh120.

Delicious taste of India
Qureshis Kebab & Kurry in the Country Club Hotel, Bur Dubai,
is a pleasant and tempting place to spend an evening
By Vanit Sethi
O
n a hot summer evening,
when your tastebuds are
jaded, it is nice to rekindle
your appetite with spicy
non-vegetarian dishes cooked in Lucknowi
style inside a gracious setting with North
Indian décor. On a weekend with family
in tow, I was scouring the streets of Bur
Dubai for the Country Club Hotel. After
a good deal of walking around, we found it
tucked behind the New Gold Souk. Since
it was nearly 10pm, we rushed straight into
the restaurant we had planned to spend
the evening at – Qureshis Kebab & Kurry.
Even before we had entered, we could
hear the sound of ghazals wafting across
the hotel’s corridors. The tempting aroma
of succulent kebabs further pulled us in
the right direction. Before we knew it, we
were seated right in front of the singing
duo - Farah Warsi and Ruckam Thapa
(Rocky) – by the restaurant’s courteous
staff.
Along with the thick menu cards, we
were handed over a number of coloured pa-
per slips for song requests. While my wife
took over the task of scanning the menu
and ordering the dishes, I quickly jotted
down my favourite numbers after jogging
FOOD
Diners at Qureshis Kebab & Kurry restaurant
my memory for some oldie-goldies.
After quenching our thirst with
refreshing fruit juices, we went for the
starters – some chicken and mutton
kebabs with generous helpings of salads
and pappadums. The tantalisers set us off
on a delicious gastronomic journey. We
ordered Hyderabadi biryani and butter
naans, along with some standard meat
preparations. While wanting to do justice
to the sumptuous offerings, there was
only so much we could take in, because
there had to be space for the desserts.
Sharing a bowl of a ‘rasmalai’ kind of
dish, we smacked our lips while listening Slumdog Millionaire.
to soft Jagjit Singh numbers, before top- A truly memorable, finger-licking, soul-
ping it off with Sukhwinder’s Jai Ho from ful evening!
The Mughal legacy
The Qureshi family from India is believed to have researched and recreated the delicious
‘Dum’ dishes from the Mughal culinary table. The cuisine may be considered the legacy of the
Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi, who has added a touch of perfection to the recipes served
at Qureshis Kebab & Kurry, as well as creating recipes that are now on the menus of Indian
restaurants all over the world.
The restaurant takes its name from the legendary Grand Master Chef. The Qureshis culi-
nary magic is now also available at Chelsea Hotel. The restaurant plays with a blend of spices,
creating unique flavours and combinations. The outlet in Bur Dubai’s Country Club Hotel – the
only one in the region – opened on 22nd August, 2007. It serves its customers from 7pm to 12
midnight daily, and even longer on weekends.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 43
 FOOD
Culinary choices aplenty
By Linda Benbow
Duck King is on the first floor at Beach Park Plaza
W
ith a host of eateries
opening in Dubai now is
the time to taste and sa-
vour the many offerings,
in varying price ranges, of foreign cooking
adapted to suit the multi national town
that this is. Sushi for brunch, oriental
duck for lunch and Argentinian barbeque
for dinner are among the new delights to
be found.
Despite the current slow movement
of business in the world, BinHendi
Enterprises continues to bring to UAE the
most authentic and distinguished tastes
from all over the globe. The company has
Fun pastry nibbles for children
44 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Lots of features and things to see at MORE, Dubai Mall
opened an Oriental cuisine restaurant
called Duck King in its new mall - Beach
Park Plaza.
Walk past the open kitchen where
chefs chop and cook, past the tanks of
live lobsters and crabs, and step into a
light and airy restaurant that is a pleasure
to sit in.
This one-of-a-kind Asian fusion res-
taurant serves a speciality of far-eastern
delicacies along with live seafood where
customers can personally select from six
different aquariums as an option on the
menu. It is the first restaurant to promote
daily hand-made Dim Sums and have
them authentically served
as starters, main course
and even desserts. The
menu consists of a mix
of far-eastern delicacies
from Malaysia, Singapore,
China, Hong Kong,
Thailand and Indonesia,
offering different styled
themes of food.
Chef Peter Tan – ex-
ecutive chef for BinHendi,
who has contributed in
setting up the company’s
concept restaurants such
as Japengo, China Times,
and now Duck King, said: “The restau-
rant attracts not only Asian expatriates
and tourists; it also caters to the local
market and diverse nationalities”.
Al Tayer Trends, the lifestyle retail
company of the Al Tayer Group, has
opened a new MORE Café at Dubai
Mall on the lower ground level, overlook-
ing the Lake Fountain. The store is open
from 8am until 11pm daily. The 7,500
square feet café, which includes indoor
and outdoor dining areas, is the first fran-
chise store of the popular home-grown
concept, and Al Tayer Trends is now
the exclusive franchisee of all upcoming
MORE Cafés in the GCC.
The menu offers a variety of modern
international dishes that are often pre-
sented in a way that makes them unique.
Partnership agreements bring extra tasty
ice creams, soft drinking water from New
Zealand and other unique items to the
table. The menu is extensive and caters to
the taste of Dubai’s multi-cultural envi-
ronment. All these cafés offer an e-menu
option which enables customers to place
their order online at www.MOREcafe.
biz so that their meal is ready to be served
when they arrive at the café.
Hot tagine with couscous, flavoured
rice dishes, home-made vegetable soups

Momotaro’s chicken and asparagus
and big bowls of salads with tasty addi-
tions and flavourings are regular hits with
customers, judging by the full tables of
working professionals and ‘ladies who do
lunch’.
MORE is also a brand and its retail
range and reach is continually expanding.
Products include premium quality breads,
chocolates, cakes, pastries, ice creams,
fresh pasta and coffees. These products
can be found on different airlines, within
five-star hotels and retail outlets within
the UAE and internationally.
Chic and trendy Japanese restaurant
Momotaro, at Souk Al Bahar, Downtown
Dubai, now serves an all-you-can-eat
a la carte style Friday brunch with free
flowing sparkling beverages as well as red
and white vinos, Asahi and soft drinks.
Known as Momotaro Frunch, the Friday
weekly brunch is available from 12 noon
to 4pm for Dh225 per person and show-
cases a variety of Japanese specialties.
On arrival, start with Edamame which
are the warm soya beans served with a
choice of either salt or chilli and garlic
sauce. These will keep you going while
you make your selection from the menu.
Traditionally, Miso soup would be next,
followed by Seafood Gyozas (pan-fried
dumplings), and then try some of the
crispy tempura. Next would be the Robata
or grilled items. There is a selection of
dishes which the uninitiated wouldn’t
necessarily recognise as Japanese so just
ask the knowledgeable and friendly
staff to explain. Recommended are the
char-grilled beef skewers which just melt
in your mouth and the chicken wrapped
asparagus spears served with a delicious
Teriyaki mayonnaise.
Now it’s time for the sushi and
sashimi, so ask for a selection if you are
not sure. Try the Arctic Roll which is rice
paper wrapped salmon, crab and avocado
with crunchy tempura bits. After this, if
you are still hungry opt for the noodle
dishes, but remember to leave room for
dessert.
The dessert menu is
a pleasant surprise with
items such as Green tea
crème brulee, Ginger Ice
Cream Tempura, and
Fruit Sushi made with
sweet sushi rice and fresh
fruits.
It’s Argentinian night
every Saturday evening
at Palermo Restaurant, Dubai Polo
& Equestrian Centre, at the second
roundabout after the Dubai Autodrome
– on the road leading to Al Maha. A
sizzling South American experience
awaits those who enjoy Asado meats slow
cooked over an open grill served with
A proud promoter of
home-grown
musical talent,
Caffè Nero hosted
live performances
by top local bands
including Beat
Antenna at the
Dubai Mall
launch recently
classic chimichurri dressing. A tradition-
al floor level barbeque with hot coals is
freshly constructed on the outside terrace
each weekend, as instructed by Argentin-
ian chef Francisco, to ensure that the
authentic flavour of his country’s cooking
is served to diners.
There are so many dishes that are
transported around the world that we
sometimes forget where they actually
come from. Picada may sound romantic
and foreign but is actually the cold meat
course, served between the hor’doeuvres
and main course. A selection of cold
cuts such as chorizo and
chicken is accompanied
by pickles and lettuce
hearts.
Grilled vegetables,
Ceviche and yummy
classic dessert pancakes
with dulce de leche are
also on the menu.
Later you can tango
under the stars, or in
the air conditioned restaurant, with your
partner, or just watch other dancers/diners
glide by. Dh150 per person.
The premium Italian-style coffee house
brand, Caffè Nero, has opened its doors
in Dubai with the official launch of the
first store in the Middle East, at a prime
location next to the Ice Rink at The Dubai
Mall. The brand has enjoyed a category
leading position in its home market for
many years, and looks forward to emulat-
ing that success here in the Middle East,
by offering coffee connoisseurs the finest
espresso-based, Italian quality coffee avail-
able in the market.
The discerning coffee lover’s choice,
Caffè Nero’s coffee is strong, rich and dis-
tinctive – the only coffee house to include
two shots of espresso in every coffee-
based drink - has earned the brand such
accolades as “the best espresso this side of
Milan” by UK’s Tatler magazine. The
range of freshly blended, handcrafted iced
drinks offers a refreshingly cool alternative
to hot drinks. 
The menu includes a range of delicious
Italian influenced food, using natural,
fresh ingredients, ranging from freshly
toasted paninis, speciality breads such as
focaccia, to hot fresh soup, pasta dishes
and salads. Mouth-watering sweet options
include Tiramisu and other indulgent
cakes, as well as a wonderful selection of
muffins and pastries. 
The store is crafted with superior
quality classic Italian finishings. The com-
bination of warm mahogany wood, rich
paint palettes, large ornate mirrors and
soft leather armchairs and sofas creates the
trademark welcoming and relaxing atmos-
phere. While catering to busy executives
and families who require the convenience
of a quick, refreshing drink or snack,
Caffè Nero customers are encouraged to
stay longer, engaging in conversation and
taking advantage of the free WiFi service
that’s available.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 45
 INSIGHT
Communicating with the horses is a special skill indeed
Ways of the horse
Human beings have a lot to learn from the noble equine creatures. Two
individuals – Anwer Sher and Eileen Verdieck – highlight this special bond
By Vanit Sethi
H
orses have always fascinated
mankind since time imme-
morial. History books are
full of warriors conquering
alien lands, explorers discovering exotic
places and adventurers performing incred-
ible feats – all on horseback. What kind
of special relationship do human beings
share with these noble equine creatures?
It is a bond forged through various vicis-
situdes, strengthened with the passage
of time. And just like horses have been
trained by humans for a variety of activi-
46 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Anwer Sher and Eileen Verdieck (standing) teaching riding skills to students
ties, we too have not been left untouched
by their special skills.
If you listen to a Dubai-based horse-
loving couple, Anwer Sher and Eileen
Verdieck, not only do we have much to
learn from horses, but, we can learn so
much about human beings themselves
through horses.
“The reason is horses are very much
like human beings, and their behaviour
too is not very different either. So, to
understand horses in order to get them
to do something, we need to understand
human beings better.”
That seems a tall order indeed, consid-
ering how complex human behaviour is!
“Not really,” Eileen contends. “At a very
basic, mundane level, human psychology
goes in sync with that of the equines.”
Just look up ‘horse’ in a dictionary
and you will find many traits similar to
humans. Three English phrases associat-
ed with horses illuminate the human link
– ‘horse sense’ for ‘plain common sense’,
‘horsepower’ for the unit of measurement
of electric motors and other machinery,

and ‘horseplay’ for boisterous behaviour.
If we refer to someone we know as very
horselike, we often associate good and
noble qualities like being generous, a royal
demeanour, commanding position, loyal
and faithful, not cunning, etc.
But how many of us, especially in our
isolated, self-centred urban existence,
really bother to understand each other,
let alone horses? Anwer and Eileen offer
to correct this distortion through their
The horses get ready for training
corporate train- ices (EMS) conducts regular HoofbeatZ
ing programmes Horsemanship classes, as well as a six-week
which focus a ‘Introduction to Horses’ course for children
great deal on and adults at the dedicated HoofbeatZ
horse psychol- Pavilion located at the Dubai Polo & Eques-
ogy and how trian Club (DPEC) in Arabian Ranches.
understanding Held for groups or as individual tui-
them makes it tions, HoofbeatZ Horsemanship teaches
easier for you the basics of equine communication and
to understand principles of equine training and handling,
humans. Admit- already made famous the world over by
tedly, humans masters such as Pat Parelli and Monty
operate at Roberts. The courses teach participants how
various levels, to communicate with and be understood
and human by their equine partners; in other words, to
behaviour gets ‘speak horse’ through the understanding of
increasingly equine instincts.
complex as it is Adults and children aged 11-16 who
conditioned and have limited or no experience with horses
coloured by so- can enrol for the six-week course, which
cial and cultural covers Stable Management, Handling
mores. Perhaps, Skills, Equitation Introduction, and Life
that may be Skills through horses.
the reason why “The HoofbeatZ concept and our
primitive man programmes are the backbone of our
found himself company and philosophy,” says Eileen. “It is
better able to a comprehensive programme of generating
relate to horses. interest in equine culture through educa-
So, it is tional, innovative, and affordable ways, thus
perhaps in order fostering the age-old bond between man
that we learn and horse.”
about basic hu- All the classes are conducted in a
man behaviour purpose-built tent with air conditioning,
– shorn of the veneer of sophistication audio, special effects lighting and dedi-
- from horses, however convoluted that cated spectator seating areas. HoofbeatZ is
may seem. For example, did you know developing exciting and ambitious plans for
there are four distinct type of horses – this year, which includes conducting train-
right-brained extroverts, right-brained ing programmes to impart communication
introverts, left-brained extroverts, and skills to corporate employees through the
left-brained introverts. So much like medium of horses.
humans! As Anwer Sher aptly puts it: “Horses are
the noblest creatures and the best friends
HoofbeatZ Horsemanship of man. It’s easier to understand them than
Dubai-based Equine Management Serv- human beings.”
Having a ball on horseback
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 47
 HOME & GARDEN
A colourful horse show during the launch of Escape Ajman
An equal partnership
Horse Sense: The brainchild of Eileen Verdieck
and Anwer Sher - Co-Founders of Equine
Management Services (EMS) - HoofbeatZ is
the first-of-its-kind system designed to simul-
taneously improve the quality and length of a
horse’s life, increase the skills and knowledge
base of equine care-givers, and expand the
horse’s reach beyond that of usual horse
enthusiasts to include the general public and
children.
EMS is an equine business solutions
company that develops equine real estate
communities, equine facilities and business
models for the equestrian industry, designed
to promote sustainability and profitability to
the field. Born out of a deep love and under-
standing of horses, EMS conceptualises and
introduces new business models and visions
for the industry and its ancillary needs.
Horsepower: Anwer Sher, the General
Manager of Escape LLC, is responsible for
overseeing the development and eventual
operations of the 200-acre Escape Equestrian
Community in Ajman. Sher, the former CEO of
Union National Bank, was until recently also
heading a multi-faceted, iconic development
in Dubai.
A man of all trades, Anwer is an inter-
nationally renowned management lecturer,
48 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
Emirati horse riders at a horseshow in DPEC
equestrian photographer, and author. He
has previously been a panelist at Harvard
University’s Middle East Centre sympo-
sium on the Middle East. He has been a
keynote speaker at a host of regional and
international business and motivational
conferences and seminars, and is currently
the President of Sher Consulting, a company
that provides enterprise management
to some leading business families in the
region.
Eileen is a partner in the prestigious Es-
cape Community. Throughout an extensive
38-year career, Eileen has become a pioneer
in the Arabian horse industry. As an inter-
national trainer, judge and consultant, she
has won numerous prestigious international
awards.
Having sold millions of dollars worth
of horses all around the world, Eileen is
currently recognised as one of the leading
authorities on the breeding and marketing
of Arabian horses. Currently living in the
UAE, Eileen has been instrumental in the
re-introduction of the Arabian horse into the
region and has placed more than 400 horses
in the Gulf States since the mid-1980s.
Anwer (a Pakistani) and Eileen (an
American) met each other at a party in
Dubai and their common love of horses
brought them together in business as well as
matrimony.
Horseplay: HoofbeatZ also holds entertain-
ment programmes for families built around
horseshows. On weekends, during autumn
and winter and spring, (Thursday, Friday and
Saturday) they hold a two-hour spectacle of
fun, music and dance with riders on horses
and entertainers dancing in glitzy costumes,
along with the horses, to a selection of music
and interplay of lights. A history of horses and
horsemanship is narrated, while horses and
dancers perform in the arena, with a special
focus on Arabian horses. The shows are held
at the DPEC and are priced moderately. It’s a
learning experience plus a fun way to enter-
tain your whole family at the weekend.
Since the HoofbeatZ Pavilion opened in
late 2008, a number of school groups have
enjoyed experiential ‘Meet the Horse’ days,
which feature a variety of educational and fun
activities designed to introduce school chil-
dren to horses and the joys of being involved
with them.

Majlis
Gallery
D
uring July and August The
Majlis Gallery will be show-
ing a collection of landscape
watercolours in the Windtow-
er Gallery, with works from Trevor Waugh,
John Harris and Spencer Tart. All the
artists have travelled extensively within the
Middle East and the collection documents
their travels in the region. The exhibition
will run until 31st August.
Trevor Waugh
Trevor Waugh was born in London in 1952. He studied at the Slade
School of Fine Art from 1970 to 1974, under Sir William Coldstream,
Patrick George, Phillip Sutton, Frank Auerbach and David Hockney
and graduated with BA in Fine Arts. He went on to study Illustra-
tion under Ernest Jones at Croydon College of Art and achieved a
Postgraduate Distinction. He then worked as a freelance illustrator
for nine years producing published works for Penguin, Heinemann,
Cassell, Collins and the BBC. He returned to Fine Art in 1988 and
moved to the Cotswolds.
In 1995 he visited and exhibited in both the USA and Middle
East, where he became a founding member of The New Orientalists,
having one-man shows as well as group exhibitions in Dubai and
Abu Dhabi.
In 1997 he visited Oman and exhibited paintings in The Majlis
Gallery. In 1998 a visit to Morocco produced a wealth of works and
ART
The water tower
Mosque
a show ‘Morocco, Land of the Kasbahs’, supported by the Moroc-
can Embassy in London.
In 1999, a tour of Egypt culminated in a show at his studio
“Egypt and Beyond.” As well as travelling extensively through
Europe on painting trips and exhibition adventures, such as “Flor-
ence, Venice and Rome,” ‘A Tale of Three Cities’, he also finds time
to teach others and has written a number of books: Winning
with Watercolour, You can Paint Animals in Watercol-
our, You can Paint Flowers in Watercolour and his latest
title; The Emirates through the Eyes of an Artist. He has
recently added two new titles for Harper Collins; ‘30 Minute
Flowers in Watercolour’ and ‘30 Minute People in Wa-
tercolour’.
He is a frequent contributor to The Artist magazine and his
work can be found on International fine art cards and limited edi-
tion prints.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 49
 ART

Al-Risala Al-Sharif, copied by Abd Al-Rahim Al Ya’Cubi. Probably Tabriz,

Iran, 10 Rabi II, 878 AH/4 September 1473 AD The scribe ‘Abd al-Rahim
Private
collection
Khwarazmi was a royal scribe at the court of the Aqquyunlu Sultan Ya’qub,
883-896 (1478-90). His pen name was Anisi (after anis or companion of
the Sultan), but he often signed Sultani or Ya’qubi. He also served under
Sultan Rustam and signed ‘Abd al-Rahim Rustami. Sultan Ya’qub was the
son of the most famous of the Aqquyunlu rulers, Uzun Hasan. In Tabriz,

of
their capital, a distinguished tradition of literary and cultural patronage
was established.

A Kufic Koran leaf , probably Quarawan, North Africa, 3rd century
AH/9-10th century AD
T
he Farjam Collection, the first art venue of its kind in
Dubai, recently opened in Gate Village, Building 4,
DIFC to present a series of rotating exhibitions drawn
from Farhad Farjam’s extensive art collection. Take
Zabeel Street, i.e. the road which leads from Dubai Mall to Dubai
World Trade Centre, to easily park beneath Building 8 (first hour
is free) or Valet Park for Dh20 per hour.
The opening exhibition: ‘Highlights of Islamic Art from the
Farjam Collection’, spans almost the entire history of Islam,
bringing together items produced throughout the vast region
between Andalusia and Mughal India. It includes Qurans; manu-
scripts; illustrated books on science, mathematics and poetry;
paintings and miniatures; finely-decorated metalwork; lacquer;
glasswork; tiles; glazed and trellis pottery; woodwork; textiles;
Islamic
art and
artefacts
coins; jewellery; carpets as well as art from the 13th century AH
(19th century AD).
• The collection’s upcoming exhibition, opening in September,
will focus on contemporary Middle Eastern art. The Hafiz
Foundation generously supports the Farjam Collection.
• The Farjam Collection also offers a series of educational pro-
grammes aligned with each exhibition. These offer audiences of
all ages the opportunity to learn about the works on display and
the context in which these were produced.
• Complimentary educational materials in English and Arabic
are offered to all visitors.
• All exhibitions and programmes are free and open to the public.
• The gallery is open: Sunday to Thursday, 10am to 8pm; Satur-
day 12pm to 8pm.

50 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Reverse glass painting. Painted in gouache heightened with gold. Three-quarter length
portrait of a young girl wearing elaborately jewelled costume and holding a posy of flowers.
Qajar Iran, first half 13th century AH/19th century AD

First Wednesdays:
ipod audio tours
The first Wednesday of every month
during an exhibition is when the gallery
conducts its free tour from 1:00 – 1:30pm,
but please make a reservation first, of
the two floor, two room, airy premises.
Visitors are escorted round the interesting
and rare items displayed in glass cases, on
the walls, podiums, etc armed with their
ipods available in four languages (Arabic,
Farsi, English, and French). The current
audio tour offers visitors the opportunity
to learn more about key works from the
exhibition on view until July 25. A lunch-
An impressive gem set crown made for a Nepalese royal family. India, 13th century eon is served following the guided tour,
AH/19th century AD. This superb turban crown, with pearls and precious stones, courtesy of Florian.
is a fine example of its type. Although this piece was made for the Nepalese royal
First Wednesdays are endorsed by
family, it was probably made in India, where skilled jewellers were more easily
available. Indian Muslim rulers traditionally wore turban crowns as a symbol of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and
their combined secular and religious leadership; a saying attributed to the Prophet supported by DIFC Lifestyle Group and
Muhammad (PBUH) states that the turban represents ‘the border between faith Florian.
and unbelief.’

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 51

 CINEMA

At the flicks
T
he heat of summer can be of the accident which are at odds with the promotion of a lifetime is suddenly
made more bearable and the airline’s official explanation. After within his reach, Evan finds himself
enjoyable by going to the local their memories of a possible mid-air torn between his parental responsibili-
cinema where Gulf Films explosion surface, the passengers begin ties and staving off his company rival,
presents a month, July, of quality actors mysteriously disappearing, and Claire the annoyingly pseudo-mystical Johnny
and actresses in a number of quality films. suspects the airline is be-
Go on, make your day! hind it. Determined to Public Enemies-Johnny Depp
In the action-thriller Public Enemies, uncover the truth, Claire
filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny is drawn deeper into a
Depp, Christian Bale and Academy conspiracy—and deeper
Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the into a relationship with
story of legendary Depression-era outlaw Eric—that will soon col-
John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic lide in an explosive twist
bank robber whose lightning raids made of fate.
him the number one target of J. Edgar What if your daugh-
Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, ter’s imagination was the
Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to secret to your success is
much of the downtrodden public. the theme in Imagine
No one could stop Dillinger and his That. In Nickelodeon
gang. No jail could hold him. His charm Movies’ family comedy,
and audacious jailbreaks endeared him Evan and his seven-year-
to almost everyone—from his girlfriend old daughter Olivia (Yara
Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an Ameri- Shahidi) find it impossi-
can public who had no sympathy for the ble to connect. He is too
banks that had plunged the country into distracted by his career
the Depression. But while the adventures demands to understand
of Dillinger’s gang—later including the the value of quality
sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen father-daughter time and
Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni she has all but given up
Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy on her Daddy. When
Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the
outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his
Passengers
Bureau of Investigation into the national
police force that became the FBI. He
made Dillinger America’s first Public
Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis,
the dashing ‘Clark Gable of the FBI’.
Maybe this isn’t the right time to talk
about plane crashes but this thriller, Pas-
sengers, is a bit different from the normal
ones. After a horrific plane crash, a young
therapist, Claire Summers (Anne Hatha-
way), is assigned by her mentor (Andre
Braugher) to counsel the flight’s five re-
maining passengers. Claire’s difficulties in
taking on such an assignment are made all
the more complex when she’s confronted
by Eric (Patrick Wilson), a passenger who
refuses her help and instead uses the crash
as an excuse to break the rules and openly
court her. As Claire struggles to maintain
a professional distance from Eric, her
other patients struggle with recollections

52 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church). creatures – most of whom prove to be makes him lose track of what is most valu-
Evan has always been a man in complete much less dangerous than some of his able in his life. In the end, he learns that
control, but when he really starts to lose it, co-workers. He finds himself singing and true success cannot be found in a stock
Olivia steps in with her own bit of advice dancing in public, eating ketchup-and- portfolio.
– winning stock tips courtesy of the prin- mustard-covered pancakes, and laughing The film has been rated PG for some
cesses and queen who she visits through with Olivia well into the night – and mild language and brief questionable
her security blanket – her “Goo-Gaa.” prospering in his career at the same time. behaviour.
With Olivia and her imaginary friends Evan’s growing need to climb even higher In Land of the Lost Will Ferrell (Step
leading the way, Evan is suddenly plunged on the corporate ladder leads him to do Brothers, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of
into a world of dragons and other magical some insanely childish things. It also Ricky Bobby) stars as has-been scientist
Dr. Rick Marshall, a
Imagine that man with no weap-
ons, few skills and
questionable smarts
who must survive an
alternate universe
full of maraud-
ing dinosaurs and
fantastic creatures
from beyond our
world. Marshall has
been sucked through
a space-time vortex to
a place of spectacular
sights and super-
scaled comedy.
Coming along
with him for the
adventure are
crack-smart research
assistant Holly (Anna
Friel, television’s
Pushing Daisies,
Timeline) and a
redneck souvenirist
(Danny McBride,
Tropic Thunder, Pine-
Land of the lost
apple Express) named
Will. Chased by T.
rex and stalked by
painfully slow reptiles
known as Sleestak,
Marshall, Will and
Holly must rely on
their only ally—a
primate called Chaka
(Jorma Taccone,
television’s Saturday
Night Live)—to navi-
gate out of the hybrid
dimension. Escape
from this routine
expedition gone awry
and they’re heroes.
Get stuck, and they’ll
be permanent refu-
gees in the Land of
the Lost.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 53

 AUTOS

How to drive
a luxury car for less
W
hen money is tight but with its sleek silhouette would chalk up drive next! ”
taste is not, is it still pos- millions in purchasing costs, insurance, In addition to access to a stable of
sible to play posh if the maintenance and storage.  And chances horsepower at a fraction of the cost, the
purse strings are pulled?  are you’ll be stuck with the same car for club offers not only supercar delivery
Many would say absolutely not, but with years. and collection, but also premier access to
the recent launch of the region’s first “That’s where Scuderia 250 steps in,” luxury events within the region. 
supercar club - Scuderia 250 - the answer said Iain Watson, the club’s General So doing the maths, it’s clear that
is a definite “Yes”. Given the current cash Manager.  “An exclusive membership living life in luxury has never been this
crisis, you would be forgiven for thinking allows members the opportunity to easy.  Tight budget plus craving for
that the enjoyment of a luxury supercar experience a number of different, top-of- luxury equals access to many exotic cars
and the status, style and first-class lifestyle the-range cars.  And the club will absorb at less cost.  Not half bad if you’re on half
that accompany these flash autos is out of all of the endless details and headaches of a budget.  
reach.  Splashing out on an exotic, super- owning an exotic car.  Things such as in- Following its global debut at the
revved and stylish, top-of-the-range car surance, maintenance and depreciation. Detroit Motor Show earlier this year, the
presents a general taboo to those trying That leaves members free to concentrate new BMW Z4 – a modern interpretation
to tighten their belts. But the Middle on sheer driving pleasure and the star- of the classic roadster design – has arrived
East’s first supercar club has taken access studded style that comes standard with in the Middle East.
to luxury to a whole new, and much more these super luxury vehicles.  Their only The second generation BMW Z4
affordable, level. real dilemma is deciding which car they offers all the driving pleasure of a BMW
Through its exclusive membership,
which is tailored in structure to suit car
lovers and style seekers alike, the club has
accessed of some of the world’s latest lux-
ury vehicles from Ferrari, Lamborghini,
Bentley and Aston Martin to Rolls Royce,
Porsche, Maserati, Mercedes … with two
added bonuses.  The cost is minimal in
comparison and the selection is as wide as
your imagination allows. 
The power and pleasure of driving a
luxury vehicle is unrivalled.  But the usual
cost of owning just one purring engine

54 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Roadster with a seating position moved
close to the rear axle, rear-wheel drive
and an automatically retractable hardtop.
With a mere 20 seconds separating the
thrill of open-air driving with the roof
down and the comfort of a sporting coupé
with the hard top closed, this car offers
the ultimate in diversity and sheer driv-
ing pleasure in this premium motoring
segment.
Commenting on the latest BMW
model to arrive in the region, Phil
Horton, Managing Director, BMW
Group Middle East said: “The new BMW
Z4 Roadster has already made a strong
impression having won a prestigious Red
Dot award, the largest and most renowned
design competition in the world, and we
expect it to deliver great things here.”
Head and elbow room as well as the
degree of comfort in entering the car have
been significantly enhanced, while the
low seating position near the rear axle
guarantees a driving experience typical of
a roadster. High-quality materials, first-
class finish and driver-oriented design of
both the instrument panel and the centre
console guarantee an emotional driving
experience in a particularly refined ambi-
ence.
The BMW Z4 sDrive35i, the most
sporting and dynamic variant comes
with the world’s first straight-six power
unit to feature Twin Turbo technology,
High Precision Injection with direct
injection of fuel. The top model is also
available with sports automatic featuring
seven gears and double-clutch transmis-
sion providing fast and smooth gear
change that reduces fuel consumption and
emissions and ensures faster accelerations.
The sport roadster’s top speed is 250 km/h
(155 mph).
Comprehensive use of BMW Effi-
cientDynamics technologies ensure an un-
paralleled balance of driving pleasure and
fuel economy. EfficientDynamics is BMW
Group’s robust strategy encompassing
technology innovations to offer outstand-
ing performance and a reduction in fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions.
Head and thorax airbags are integrated
at the front and sides, and in the seat
backrests, while seat belts come equipped
with new belt tightening technology, and
reinforced A-pillars and roll bars behind
the headrests ensure uncompromising
standards of safety.
Thrifty Rent a Car has announced
enticing summer promotions adapted to
the current economic climate. The special
promotions are valid in Dubai, Sharjah
and the Northern Emirates until the
15th of September, and targets individual
hirers from holiday makers to business
travellers.
“Thrifty has enjoyed 20 years of the
UAE’s growth and profitability, and now,
in challenging times, it is our chance to
give something back to our customers
who are especially value-conscious at
this time. Our aim is to provide the best
possible deals, offering convenient extras
to enable them to economically manage
their travel,” said Sam Eltibi, Executive
Director, Dollar Thrifty Automotive
Group, MENA and Asia Pacific.
The special promotions with Thrifty
include both pick-up and drop-off any-
where within Dubai, Sharjah & North-
ern Emirates, with no additional charge.
The promotion also includes a month free
for every three-month rental. Weekend
visitors to the UAE can enjoy a flexible
return-on-Sunday policy by 10am, thus
enjoying a half a day extra on their rental
car. A convenient mid-week promotion,
where if the vehicle is hired between
10am and 12noon on a Sunday and
returned on Wednesday before 9.30pm,
will give extra benefits to the hirer.
“During the last quarter, Thrifty had
taken measures to lower the cost struc-
ture to enable us to accommodate these
promotions,” said Rahul Singh, General
Manager for Thrifty Rent a Car UAE.
“We see a trend of customers choos-
ing small to mid-size cars during these
economically challenging times and have
lined up the latest models available.”
As a recognised leader in the small
electric vehicle space, Segway Inc. has
announced the availability of the new
Segway Patroller models. Designed with
the direct input of existing customers,
the enhancements will help patrolling
officers and public safety personnel keep
communities safe around the world. The
Patroller models are identifiable by their
highly reflective surfaces and an integrated
lighting system. Additional product
enhancements include a newly designed
LeanSteer™ frame, a front bag specifically
designed to carry officers’ cargo, and an
upper shield for affixing the organisation’s
insignia.
The Segway Patroller comes in either
an i2 or x2 version. The i2 is optimised
for demanding patrol applications that
require the rider to transition from
indoor to outdoor settings while getting
the most out of battery range on a single
charge, which is up to 40 kilometre. The
x2 features rugged tyres suited for off-road
patrol environments such as beaches,
parks, trails or any rough surface. Built-in
lift handles on the x2 and included cargo
frames on the i2 make for a sturdy lift
position and attach point for optional ad-
ditional side cargo.
“We are pleased with the new offering
from Segway Inc,” said Steven Brown-
Cestero, CEO of Segway of the Middle
East. “The demand for Segways continues
to grow amongst the regional Police and
Security Forces and this new offering will
allow us to address the needs of our cli-
ents. While we already have deployments
at various police and security departments
in the region, the interest in the Patroller
has been high and we anticipate having
a few police officers aboard the Patroller
units in the near future,” he said.
With an increasing requirement for
organisations to do more with less, Segway
Personal Transporters (PTs) offer munici-
palities, airports, military bases, private
security firms, and emergency response
teams ability to reconnect officers with the
UAE Digest,July-August 2009 l 55
 communities they serve, improve response
time, and save on fuel and fleet maint-
nance costs. Existing customers include
police departments such as Washington,
D.C.; Chicago and Shandong Province
(China). Notable airport customers
include LAX, ORD, DFW, Casablanca,
Abu Dhabi, and Dubai Airports.
Private security requirements are
equally demanding with the added
responsibility of maximising security
resources under tight budget constraints.
Customers such as Simon Malls, Securi-
tasa and The Emaar Malls Group utilise
Segway PTs shift-after-shift as a preventa-
tive measure against crime and to provide
expedited emergency response to the
customers they serve.
Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre
manufacturer and the golden standard in
Japanese tyre technology, continues to live
its promise to “serve society with superior
quality” through its new B250 tyre series.
This, the company’s most technically
advanced basic performance tyre, is a
combination of quality materials, cutting-
edge engineering and over-performance
specification. The birth of a new B250
begins with the careful procurement and
selection of highest quality materials from
Bridgestone-owned and approved sources
only. Most materials used in the tyre con-
struction are produced adhering to strict
standards, at specialised plants. Further,
the engineers monitor every step of the
tyre manufacturing process.
Bridgestone-B250 PR
56 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
The B250 tyres are engineered for
safe and smooth driving, which makes
it the tyre of choice of top international
car makers including Toyota, Nissan,
Mercedes, Fiat, Opel, Peugeot and other
brands. This new series is also ideally
designed for family safety and comfort
with optimal handling, wet grip, low
noise and durability. However, what’s
even more fascinating about these tyres
is that they are eco-friendly. The B250
tyres provide optimised rolling resist-
ance, which results in fuel economy
and lower CO2 emissions. These green
tyres are a result of the manufacturer’s
commitment to ecological concerns that
cover the entire lifecycle of a tyre, from
materials and manufacturing to opti-
mised usage, disposal and recycling.
Bosch Automotive has confirmed
that it is significantly increasing its
R&D investments into electro-mobil-
ity technologies to cater to the future
market of the electric vehicle, which is
envisioned to eventually replace today’s
regular combustion engine car. Of the
91 million new passenger cars and light
trucks worldwide in 2015, Bosch ex-
pects that more than three per cent will
be hybrid and electric vehicles. Bosch
Automotive and Samsung are set to
invest between $300 and 400 million in
this domain over the next four years.
The company will be forming new
partnerships to focus on technologies
that can help it secure a leading position
Bosch computer-generated electric car
in the hybrid vehicles market. In combina-
tion with electric motors, gasoline hybrids
emit 25 per cent less CO2 than conven-
tional gasoline engines and diesel hybrids
20 per cent less than their conventional
counterparts. The market maturity of
these electric vehicles will increase as engi-
neers succeed in improving the energy and
power density of battery technology; and
as drivers become more willing to accept
ranges of between 100 and 200 kilometres
between recharging stops.
The car maker has already entered into
a joint venture with Samsung which will
lead to the production of lithium-ion bat-
teries starting 2011. These batteries will
become essential components for forward-
looking automotive technologies, such as
hybrid and electric cars.
Bosch Group currently maintains
282,000 employees in around 150
countries, up from its 2008 workforce of
271,000. The Bosch Group currently pro-
vides occupational training to more than
6,000 youths and has no plans of cutting
back on these activities.
Vital life saving automotive accessories
were exhibited at Automechanika Mid-
dle East last month, which is particularly
relevant in a country like the UAE where
there are 28 car crashes a day, one fatality
every eight hours (1,071 deaths in 2008)
and 10 injuries every seven hours (12,150
injuries in 2008). The appalling number
of people killed on the UAE roads and
the daily misfortunes, as accident victims

pick up the pieces of their crushed lives,
has been a pressing concern for the official
authorities as well as ordinary families.
One such tragic incident involved a parent
accidentally killing his child, after failing
to see the victim in the car’s blind spot
when reversing the car.
Intertruck Benelux, a leading importer
and distributor of truck and trailer parts,
introduced almost all of its OE brands
including its own developed products such
as Lexguard - an active warning system for
the driver, a patented ultrasonic detec-
tion system which warns the driver about
persons and objects coming too close to
the vehicle. Lexguard is a perfect solution
for blind spot situations, which saves lives
and reduces damage costs. Due to its inno-
vative character, Lexguard has won several
European awards.
Dubai Police have identified that truck
drivers are in the top 10 categories who
receive the maximum amount of Black
Points on their driving licence. The viola-
tions were mainly speeding, lane viola-
tion, driving trucks during prohibited
timings and jumping red lights.
Another product exhibited was Dobli
- the blind spot mirror for trucks which
improves the field of view of the driver
and makes the blind spot visible. Dobli
is a simple and proven solution. In the
European Union, over 200,000 units are
in use to improve road safety.
Road safety, and in particular, the
use of seatbelts is to be the main theme
presented by the Emirates Driving In-
stitute, when it attends Barbican Turbo
- the Middle East’s custom, tuning and
motorsports festival organised by United
Business Media from the 8th - 10th of
October at the Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi.
Road safety is a particular concern
in the United Arab Emirates where
figures released by the Abu Dhabi Health
Authority and the Ministry of Interior
indicate 424 people were killed on the
roads in Abu Dhabi in 2008. To combat
this issue the Emirates Driving Institute
aims to achieve excellence in the field of
driver training and road safety and be-
lieves a reduction in road traffic accidents
can only be achieved by improving the
current skills level and knowledge of the
driving population; something which
they plan to do while at Barbican Turbo.
“Our focus is on the use of seatbelts;
as they are the single most effective piece
of safety equipment in a vehicle. All too
often though, they are neglected resulting
in needless loss of life or injury,” high-
lights Peter Richardson, General Manager
Technical and Operations, Emirates Driv-
ing Institute.
During Barbican Turbo, the Emirates
Driving Institute will have on display
their seatbelt convincer, specialist roll-car,
headrest restraints, child restraints and
tyre display as well as staff to demonstrate
these and answer questions from the
public.
Barbican Turbo will also run alongside
Adrenaline Sports Live, presented by
Rani for the second year in a row. This
is the country’s annual meeting for the
adventure/adrenaline sports communities,
related companies and tourism bodies who
want to promote adventure travel in their
home country.
Pajero’s value recognised
The top banks continue to recognise the
value of Mitsubishi Pajero as the leading
SUV in the UAE. Recently, the key
players in the finance sector tied up with
Al Habtoor Motors to support a special
Mitsubishi Pajero promotion. Both Emir-
ates NBD and Abu Dhabi Commercial
Bank (ADCB) have agreed, in this tighter
economic time, to fund customers who
want to buy a new Mitsubishi Pajero and
have salaries starting from Dh5,000. The
banks will offer them the facilities of no
down payment and very low interest rates
up to 4.99 per cent for a five-year period.
Mr Vikram Krishna, Head of Retail
Loans Emirates NBD – who recently
visited Al Habtoor Motors’ Mitsubishi
Showroom in Deira said, “Our focus is to
continuously offer products and services
that deliver outstanding value to our
customers. The Mitsubishi Pajero makes
an excellent choice for our customers and
is amongst the most popular vehicles in its
category. The added advantage is the easy
resale and excellent residual values that
customers can enjoy across the Emirates.”
This amazing never before financial
deal coupled with two years free insurance
and free servicing offers excellent value.
Al Habtoor Motors has seen the local
market sales go from strength to strength
over the recent months due to the great
value, customer care and desirability of
the Mitsubishi range. The special Pajero
promotion will be running during DSS to
14th of August.
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 57
 TRAVEL

With pupils on a school trip to Switzerland Gtting aboard the train to Jung frau

On a school trip to paradise

For a tired and weary Dubai resident, Switzerland is truly ‘out of this world’
By Sangeeta Sethi

I
f I had a chance to relive my life and make all the changes to better it from The train from Jungfrau, which
my present one, there is one thing I certainly would not change - my trip to
Switzerland. Landing in Zurich with 26 girls in tow as part of a school trip,
reaches the top through tunnels,
I expected that the trip would be fairly traumatic. However, the serenity and cuts into the mountain and stops
the charm of rolling green meadows and the refreshingly pure chilled air wrapped at viewing stations where tourists
all of us in its magic. Speeding towards Interlaken on a two-lane road that hardly
had any traffic was therapeutic after being used to Dubai’s six-lane traffic-filled
gape at hills drowned in thick
sheets of snow

58 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009

Switzerland’s scenery is truly breathtaking

nightmare. The three-hour journey was Alpine wonderland

pleasantly broken by a picnic interlude on However, the train reaches Europe’s Lucerne is a historic
the way. highest-altitude railway station at an
Interlaken, as the name suggests, is a amazing 3,454 metres a tad too quickly,
old town which enjoys
small tranquil town nestling amidst two and I, who have lived all my life on the invigorating mountain
huge lakes. The town is smallish and one sea coast, found that adjusting to the views, lake cruises
can stroll through its streets gawking at high altitude was not so easy. A brief spell
the lovely displays of mouth-watering of dizziness soon passed; and I was able to
and a picturesque old
chocolates in special chocolate shops; stand on the plateau in the eternal snow, quarter
watch shops displaying all the famous
Swiss brands; touristy curio shops display- Rivulets, streams and lakes dot the landscape
ing Swiss cowbells etc. An absolute ‘must’
while in Switzerland is eating cakes and
ice-creams that taste out of this world -
better than anything I have ever tasted.
It must be the milk of all those indolent
cows grazing in the verdant greens. Inter-
laken has several eating places dotting the
town. They serve cuisines from all over
the world. We relished the Indian food
available there.
A two-hour drive from Interlaken
took us to Grund station, from where
we took the famous cogwheel train to
Jungfrau - literally the top of Europe.
The train, which reaches the top through
tunnels, cuts into the mountain and stops
at viewing stations where tourists gape at
hills drowned in thick sheets of snow. To
someone like me who had come from hot,
dusty Dubai, this sight was a tonic for my
eyes – nay, my soul!

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 59


The exterior of a famous Swiss bank
An array of tempting sweets
The lovely lake in Lucerne
60 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
but only for a short while in –18oC temperature, before
rushing back to the warm comfort inside. An imagina-
tively built ice-museum captivated us. The unforgettable
trip to the high-Alpine wonderland of eternal ice and
snow is the true ‘highlight’ of a visit to Switzerland.
The various restaurants offer a selection of European
and Asian cuisine. Whether an individual guest or in
a group, all visitors are equally well catered for on the
Jungfraujoch. After a good lunch at the ‘Top of Europe’
Glacier Restaurant, serving Indian food, we took the
train back.
Lucerne and Zurich are beautiful towns nestling
along lovely lakes. Zurich, a charming, well-preserved
old town, lies on both banks of the River Limmat.
Strolling down the Bahnhof Strasse, (claimed to be the
most expensive street in Europe) and watching people
window-shopping in the stores was something I really
enjoyed doing. The Bahnhof Strasse cuts through the
centre of old Zurich, and runs from the Zurichsee,
(Lake Zurich), to the main train station at Bahnhof
Plaza. Sights, sounds, stores galore, but people watching
is the thing I found most fascinating. Sitting on a bench
on Bahnhof Strasse, you get an eyeful of everything
from the nouveau riche, to the interestingly dressed
(matching hair and tennis shoes). It can fill an entire
afternoon very easily. To me, it seemed almost as if I
was sitting on the set of a Hollywood flick as I watched
a most eye-catching array of incredibly well-dressed
people walk past; or get into and out of trams.
Zest for life
Sitting and enjoying coffee or a drink on the numer-
ous road/lakeside cafes is something most residents of
Zurich really enjoy. Moving around the city, I noticed
that at lunch time - or after work - the lakeside cafes
quickly filled up with people relaxing for a drink before
they headed home.
Lucerne is a lovely, historic old town which enjoys
invigorating mountain views, lake cruises and a pictur-
esque old quarter. River banks on both sides are clus-
tered with medieval squares, frescoed houses, ancient
guildhalls, churches and chapels; and filled with a liveli-
ness that belies the city’s age. Aside from using Lucerne
as a base from which to explore the region, it would be
easy to spend at least a couple of days taking in some of
its quality museums – a Picasso gallery, the impressive
Verkehrshaus (Transport Museum) – in between walk-
ing on the medieval battlements and exploring cobbled
alleys and hidden garden courtyards.
One of the most amazing things was being able to
drink water off any tap in Switzerland. The rule for
tourists to drink only bottled water to remain safe and
healthy does not apply here as it does in the rest of the
world. My rough and frazzled hair also fell soft and easy
after a couple of washes.
Really and truly, Switzerland is ‘heaven on earth’.
One visit just does not suffice. I will definitely want to
go back again and again.
Luxury in the skies The new Swiss Business Seat offers optimum travel comfort
with a state-of-the-art air cushion for adjustable comfort in all
Swiss International Airlines, the national carrier of Switzerland positions. Passengers will have more personal space and enjoy
named the ‘Best Airline of Europe’ for its short and long-haul sleeping with the 2-metre (79”) fully horizontal lie-flat seat, which
flights by the prestigious Skytrax 2009, is in full gear with its is also equipped with a massage function. Inflight entertainment
ongoing investments in products and services and chose the Mid- has been improved to carry larger screens in 16:9 format and
dle East to be the second market to receive the all-new A330-300 plugs for USB and iPod.
aircraft fitted with the latest innovations in seats and inflight Swiss Economy Class is not far behind as it also features
entertainment this June. totally new and top-quality seats with easy-to-use inflight enter-
Marcel Biedermann, Managing Director, Head of Interconti- tainment system. Swiss operates non-stop daily flights from Dubai
nental Markets of Swiss International Airlines said at the ATM: to Zurich, and offers a comprehensive network of 90 destinations
“Swiss has total investments of well over $878 million for the in 42 countries.
nine new Airbus A330-300s and we expect to raise the airline’s - Vanit Sethi
earning capacity by replacing nine smaller aircraft of the present
Airbus A330-200 fleet.” The first of the new A330-300 took off
from Zurich to New York in April and the second aircraft took off
from Dubai to Zurich on June 19. The new aircraft will reduce
Swiss’s CO2 emissions by around 13 per cent.
Swiss is the first airline to offer the revolutionary air comfort
system to passengers enabling individual settings of whether
to have a firmness of a futon or softness of a waterbed. The air
cushion enables seat weight reduction, leading to lower fuel
consumption for the A330-300.
Swiss’s suite above the clouds is the new First Class seat
which can be reclined into a two-metre-long totally lie-flat bed at
the touch of a button. It is equipped with a down-filled duvet and
incorporates the innovative pneumatic air cushion.

UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 61

 TRAVEL
Kingfisher’s
maiden flight to Dubai
By Sankar Narayan
The first King fisher Airline flight arriving in Dubai
K
ingfisher Airlines announced
their first flight operation
in the Middle East with
the inauguration of a flight
from Dubai to Bangalore on 25th June
2009. Their earlier plans to launch the
Dubai flight got delayed by a few months
at a time when the airline industry was
affected by the global economic meltdown
with many airlines still tumbling on flight
operation.
Formed under the famous Indian
brand of UB Group, Kingfisher is one of
the flagship brands and the airline has
established its name in the industry, both
within India and in the international
market.
“What is unique to Kingfisher Airlines
is that it has one of the largest networks
in India connecting over 50 destinations
from Bangalore. Therefore going on to
other destinations becomes easy within
the one airport,” said Siva Ramachandran,
Vice President – Global Sales, Kingfisher
Airlines.
The airline officials said daily flights to
Bangalore from Dubai and back are con-
veniently scheduled. Flights takes off from
Dubai Airport Terminal 1at 10:10pm and
reach Bangalore at 3.45am the following
day. Return flights from Bangalore leave
6.15pm to reach Dubai at 8.55pm.
Travelling on a four-hours flight
between Dubai and Bangalore, passengers
can enjoy the award winning Kingfisher
Club which is an all economy premium
service. The airline operates A320 aircraft
with 174 seats providing ample comfort
to passengers so that they can relax while
enjoying a variety of cuisines and bever-
ages. There is also a world-class onboard
entertainment system provided for every
62 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
passenger, with a choice of latest block-
busters movies in English and Hindi as
well as a radio service. Another unique
advantage for the passengers is the free
baggage allowance of 40 kilos per person.
Area Sales Manager Vinay Nambiar
said that excellent connectivity is pro-
vided to passengers arriving at Bangalore
airport to many Indian cities and even to
north-eastern Indian cities like Guwa-
hati.
Welcoming the airlines entry to
Dubai Airport, Richard Talian, Vice
President, Strategy, Dubai Airports said,
“While Dubai is the business and leisure
capital of the region, Bangalore is the
heart of India’s IT sector. And whereas
Dubai Airport is considered one of the
world’s leading aviation hubs, Kingfisher
Airlines is one of India’s fastest growing
international carriers”.
Marking their first international
flight operation in 2008 by operating
daily flights from Bangalore to Lon-
don, the airline has added another two
international destinations by starting
flights to Colombo and Dhaka in 2009.
It has plans to add other international
destinations in the
Far East, more Asian
countries, and other
Gulf Countries.
flydubai
announces
Indian routes
flydubai, Dubai’s first
low cost airline, is all
set for take off to the
Indian sub-continent
with the announcement of a trio of routes
to the region. It will begin its Indian ad-
venture with flights to the north eastern
city of Lucknow on July 13. This will be
closely followed by Coimbatore in the
south of the country on July 14. The trio
of destinations will be completed on July
23 when flights to the north-western city
of Chandigarh begin.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai
said: “There is a huge Indian expatriate
population living in the UAE and an
even larger number of people keen to
travel to the region for both business and
pleasure. flydubai is committed to mak-
ing travel between Lucknow, Coimbat-
ore, Chandigarh and the UAE a little
less complex, a little less stressful and a
little less expensive and we are confident
this will help to stimulate more people to
travel more often to these destinations.”
FZ449 will depart Dubai for Luc-
know on July 13 and will operate four
times per week. Prices will start from
Dh425, including all taxes and one piece
of hand baggage weighing up to 10kg.
The thrice-weekly Coimbatore serv-
ice, FZ413, will take off from Dubai on
July 14. Prices to Coimbatore also start
from Dh425.
FZ431 will become the first in-
ternational flight to touch down at
Chandigarh airport on July 23. Prices to
Chandigarh start from Dh350.
Ticket prices include all taxes and one
piece of hand baggage, weighing up to
10kg, per passenger. Passengers have the
option to purchase checked-in baggage
in advance at Dh40 for the first piece and
Dh100 for the second, weighing up to
32kgs, subject to availability. A nominal
payment of Dh5 allows customers to
select their seat and Dh50 secures the
extra legroom positions. Food and drink
can be purchased on board.

Deals from the UAE
S
ummer is a season for getaway
vacations as residents of the
UAE seek to travel more for
short breaks as a welcome relief
from work and weather. Airlines and the
hospitality industry understand this and
are coming up with offers to entice. Now
is the time to enjoy their offerings.
Air Arabia Holidays has unveiled a
range of low-cost holiday packages from
Sharjah to various exotic destinations in
Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North
Africa. These attractive packages start as
low as Dh1,910 and are valid for travel
until August 31st, 2009.
Customers can search www.holidays.
airarabia.com by holiday theme or by
chosen country and will be provided with
a range of convenient ready-made holiday
solutions. Alternatively, customers are able
to create their own individual holiday by
picking flights, hotels, booking rental cars
and transfers and choosing among a range
of exciting excursions.
Some of the special offers available
from Air Arabia Holidays include:
• Magical Kenya – Nairobi, Masai Mara,
Nakuru and Naivasha, five days -
Dh3,740
• Tranquil Nepal – Kathmandu, three
- Dh1,910
• Mythological Greece– Athens, three
days - Dh2,250
• Delightful Turkey - Istanbul, four
days- Dh2,200
• Enchanting Egypt – Alexandria and
Cairo, five days- Dh2,540
• Mystical India – Goa, four days -
Dh2,100
• Historic Jordan - Amman, three days-
Dh2,250
• Lebanon - Beirut, four days- Dh2,220
The family vacations remembered
most fondly are filled with fun, discovery
and togetherness. In that spirit, Hyatt
Hotels & Resorts announces the revival
of the Classic Family Vacation, a new
global package for families seeking to get
more - more savings, more fun and more
memories - from their getaway this year.
The Classic Family Vacation will be avail-
able to reserve with offer code FAMVAC
for travel through September 7, 2009.
More than 175 Hyatt destinations
around the world are participating, of-
fering authentic experiences paired with
value in accommodation, dining, spa and
kids activities. In addition to guestroom
accommodation, the Classic Family
Vacation includes:
• Full daily breakfast for all registered
guests, including adults and children
• 15 per cent savings on restaurant
dining
• 15 per cent savings on Hyatt Pure spa
services (where available)
• Complimentary half day
of Camp Hyatt for one
child (where available)
• A welcome snack amenity
for the kids
• Exclusive access to a
20 per cent shopping
discount on NationalGeo-
graphic.com
A second room for the
kids at 50 per cent off the
Hyatt Daily Rate is an add-
TRAVEL
on option for the Classic Family Vacation
and any other value package offered by
Hyatt.
The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism
Development Authority (SCTDA) has
launched its promotional campaign for
the annual Sharjah Summer Promotions
2009, themed Sharjah Summer Breaks.
The campaign includes a diverse selection
of holiday package options for tourists to
choose from, with Sharjah’s hotels and
hotel apartments offering very attrac-
tive rates until 31 August 2009. Enjoy
the annual Sharjah summer promotion,
where a host of shopping and promotional
activities and events will be taking place
throughout the emirate until 25 July
2009.
Over the summer months, Seawings
passengers can benefit from a buy-one-get-
one-free flight experience to the East and
North Coast Emirates of Fujairah and Ras
Al Khaimah when booking directly with
the company. The summer promotion will
run until the end of September 2009. The
flight starts with an exhilarating take off
from the private marina of Jebel Ali Golf
Resort & Spa for a 45 minute journey to
Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah. En route
passengers get to see the picturesque
beauty of the coastal skyline of three of the
most significant coastal cities of the UAE,
Dubai, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah
These special packages are priced
between Dh995 - Dh1195 per flight and
include views of Dubai’s most iconic
landmarks including Palm Jumeirah, The
World Islands, Burj Al Arab, and the his-
toric Dubai Creek before continuing over
the Hajar Mountains, Dibba Coast and
historic Fujairah followed by a smooth
seaplane landing on the East or North
coast of the UAE.
Information on flight bookings to Ras
Al Khaimah and Fujairah are available on
the website www.seawings.ae
UAE Digest, July-August 2009 l 63
 END PAGE
How will the Metro fare?
By Con Clude
I
t’s only two months away from
09.09.09 – the day Dubai Metro
begins operations. After a great
deal of speculation about the fares,
it came as a relief that the minimum fare
will be less than Dh2, and the maximum
not more than Dh6. Also, parking will
be free at all stations.
With feeder services, convenient
pedestrian walkways across arterial
roads, and short waiting times, the Metro
should soon ride on a popularity wave. If
it’s so easy for people to use it, will they
still be driving cars?
For people in Dubai, it makes sense
to use the cheaper, more comfortable and
eco-friendly option. But at this stage, a
few hurdles remain. One, it will not cover
the entire city in September. By March
next, when the Green Line begins, we
could see some changes in road use pat-
terns. There’s also a Blue Line not being
talked about now, while one hears the
Purple Line has been abandoned.
Two, if the feeder services cost more
than double that of the Metro in some
areas, like Palm Jumeirah, does it make
sense to splurge on one to save on the
other? The Palm Jumeirah monorail costs
Dh15 one way; and we haven’t heard
about Al Sufouh Tram after it was an-
nounced with much fanfare last year.
Three, where do commuters from
Sharjah go? Since a majority of those us-
ing public transport live in Sharjah, how
will the Metro benefit them? Will they
come to Dubai to use the service when
they can get direct buses from Sharjah?
Last, a large number of office-goers
use private bus services. These services are
very convenient as they pick up and drop
passengers right at their doorsteps. No
64 l UAE Digest, July-August 2009
public service can better that.
So, the Metro may have to travel
some distance before it can become
really popular. All said and done, it’s
important to encourage the use of public
transport in a place where people love
flaunting their automobiles.
Education business
With the Ministry of Education an-
nouncing that all schools will reopen
only after the Ramadan month, pupils
get an extra 20 days off. No doubt the
summer is a difficult season for fasting,
but such a long break would make
children get out of step with academics,
while schools will be hard-pressed to
finish their syllabi on time.
Already, many schools fall in
KHDA’s ‘unsatisfactory’ rating, with no
improvements noticed during the second
round of inspections. On the other
hand, some influential private schools -
led by a major global education provider
– have banded together to challenge
KHDA’s authority, making an appeal to
‘higher authorities’ in Dubai, citing the
nobility of their vision. Blah, blah!
Unfortunately, they were only
fooling themselves with illusions of
grandeur. While teachers – mostly from
the subcontinent – are poorly paid and
overworked in their schools, the group
gave lofty statements to the press about
their vision for a knowledge-savvy Dubai
and how KHDA was coming in the
way. It was left to parents to unveil their
mask of nobility. This parents associa-
tion called them ‘education mercenaries’,
which triggered the closing of ranks
among the big cats.
It’s sickening to see money-making
rackets proliferating in the name of
‘education’ and ‘future vision’.
Good, bad and ugly!
The last fortnight in June has been quite
crazy for the UAE in terms of newswor-
thiness. First, we had the shocking story
of two children dying of food poisoning.
While the death of the cute children is
still a mystery and an irreparable loss for
their devastated parents, a lot remains
to be answered for by the eatery and
hospital authorities. May the children’s
souls rest in peace.
Another tragedy happened on the
world stage – the death of pop icon
Michael Jackson. While his old albums
like Thriller sold like hot cakes, his own
life was a complete thriller, with hitherto
unrevealed facts coming to light.
For balance, a comical farce was
being played out in Dubai by glamorous
socialite Paris Hilton. One wonders how
some teenagers can get carried away by
the superficial gloss of a bimbette who
has the audacity to remark that she’s a
role model for young girls. How vain can
one get!
Jackson and Hilton were covered
extensively by Dubai’s English media.
For a few days, it seemed like this was
LA. Was it the lack of news in summer
that kept the press glued to Western
celebrities?
However, the greatest news has been
the decision to set up the IRENA head-
quarters in Abu Dhabi – the first major
UN body in the non-Western world.
But Arabic newspapers underplayed the
event for reasons unknown. Is it because
the abundance of bad news in the region
makes good news seem like no news?
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