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Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage establishes state-of-the-art facilities for the protection of art and heritage
posted on 02/02/2012
 As part of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)'s mission to safeguard, manage, and enhance national heritage, ADACH has constructed a multipurpose art storage facilities on the ground floor of the National Archive Building in Abu Dhabi. The space, which covers 770 square meters, was established according to international standards, especially those approved by UNESCO.
The state-of-the-art storage facilities accommodate a wide array of collections, such as paintings, drawings on paper and on canvas, manuscripts, photographic materials, sculptures, traditional objects. It provides a digitisation station for manuscripts, archives, and photographic materials.
The refurbished storage will not only accommodate existing ADACH collections, but it will also provide storage solutions for future acquisitions to safely host various formats, sizes, and mediums. In addition, a digitization workshop for the manuscripts, archives, and photographic materials was built conveniently adjacent to the collection areas to allow better access to the art objects as well as better environmental conditions during the digitization process.
"The purpose of these initiatives which the ADACH launches continuously is to strengthen efforts to maintain art collections and cultural heritage by determining the size of those resources, assessing their significance and importance to the national and humanitarian heritage in general, and developing strategies to secure and preserve them and to ensure sound management to keep them a stock preserved for future generations," said Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Advisor of Culture and Heritage to His Highness the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Director General of ADACH.
ADACH is in charge of maintaining and promoting the culture and heritage of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Its strategic plan is determined by a group of priority sectors, including the preservation of the various forms of material and intangible cultural heritage, drawing up necessary legislation, developing local professional skills, and promoting the heritage of Abu Dhabi regionally and internationally.
"In a region where ambient temperature can reach 50 C and the rate of humidity can reach 75% and the dust level is high, climate control is an essential requirement," said Dr. Sami El-Masri, Deputy Director-General of ADACH and Director of the Strategic Planning Department.
"The new and improved air handling units and filtration system could therefore provide steady temperature and humidity controls and minimise dust level inside storage," he added.
ADACH's collection comprises an extensive collection of photographs and slides as well as hundreds of audio/video magnetic tapes from the Intangible Heritage Department capturing priceless historical events and Emirati traditions in the UAE to better preserve these materials. New cool and cold storage solutions with set anchored temperatures and controlled humidity will significantly slow down the degradation of these materials and allow time to plan and implement digitisation projects. Specialised packing will be employed to create a safe micro-environment to act as effective buffering system in order to maintain humidity level during storage and the warming up process. This system will also serve as additional protection to the collection should the system stop performing.
Abiding by the UN Environment Programme, the gas-based FM-200 fire suppression system was installed in this storage. This environmentally-friendly suppressant is a sustainable replacement for the existing Halon system which has been found to deplete the ozone layer. Non off-gassing epoxy polyester powder-coated compact storage racks in various style and sizes will also provide a customised solution for various types of artworks and artifacts.
At the completion of this initiative, the future plans call for inventory and re-housing of entire ADACH collection. In addition, a new collection management database will be created to manage ADACH's collection.
Paper and Book Conservation for historical papers and books ADACH has also established a laboratory to preserve the historical papers and books. A number of Paper Conservators work in the laboratory and carry out conservation and restoration treatment, mainly for the Islamic manuscripts and other valuable paper based collections. Conservators also develop methods of storage and display for the manuscripts, photographs and archival materials at the Authority.
A Paper Conservator at ADACH once said that a good conservation treatment should aim to preserve all of the information hidden in the materials and binding structures, rather than replacing them with new binding.
The laboratory does not only to conserve and restore valuable historical papers and books, but also to conduct further scientific and technological research on the writing and printing media, and binding structures of Islamic manuscripts, employing various light sources, such as incident light, raking light, transmitted light, ultraviolet radiation, as well as using a stereomicroscope and a polarised light microscope.
In the future plan, a database recording the materials and binding structures of Islamic manuscripts will be established and shared with a number of corresponding databases in the Middle East, Europe and other regions. This will contribute to the world body of knowledge on Islamic manuscripts. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Abu Dhabi approves building of futuristic airport complex
posted on 02/02/2012
 The Abu Dhabi Government has approved the construction of the Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC), part of a US$6.8-billion (Dh24.95 billion) expansion plan for the capital's international airport.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) announced in a statement yesterday that it has received approval from the Executive Council for the construction of the MTC, which is planned to become the primary gateway for airlines operating to Abu Dhabi and the future home of Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE.
"The Midfield Terminal Building is expected to go live in the first half of 2017," the statement said.
The terminal building will be the largest in Abu Dhabi and one of the region's most architecturally impressive structures. It will be between 630,000 and 702,369 square metres in size, and visible more than 1.5km away.
"The central space of the terminal building could hold three full-sized football pitches and features a ceiling 52 metres tall at its highest point," according to Adac's website.
According to Saj Ahmad, Chief Analyst at Strategic-Aero Research, this project will certainly pressure its local rivals to think long and hard about their own airport expansion. "Etihad and eventually its partners like air berlin will reap the benefits of having all operations under one roof in Abu Dhabi with the ability to further expand as passenger traffic rises," Ahmad told Gulf News.
"With Doha opening a new airport just 11 months from now, and with Dubai investing [more] in the current airport, this sort of expansion in the UAE capital may well spawn a low-cost airline from Abu Dhabi to cater to the growing traffic that is expected to come to and through the airport. That said, Etihad's commitment and expansion through this new terminal project will ensure that it can stay as competitive as its other GCC rivals," he said.
The complex will include 20,000-25,000 square metres of retail and food and beverage outlets, which is roughly equivalent to the current size of Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. These are set around an 8,400 square metre indoor park. Associated support buildings take up an additional 800,000 square metres, and will include access to 16-20 aircraft parking stands.
"This development represents one of the largest investments by the Government to deliver the needed infrastructure, in line with Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, that will cater to the growth of the aviation sector in the region and confirms Abu Dhabi's strong position in the global air transportation network. Adac looks forward to appointing the Midfield Terminal Building contractors and creating this key infrastructure asset for the emirate of Abu Dhabi," said Khalifa Al Mazroui, Chairman of Adac.
Last November, six construction companies bid to build the airport's MTB: Al Habtoor-Murray & Roberts, Bechtel-Al Jaber, Hyundai Engineering & Construction-Kumho, Larsen & Toubro-NPC, Samsung-ACC and TAV-CCC.
Adac has not yet announced the winning contractor or the project's value. However, construction of the MTB is planned to commence during the second quarter of this year.
The 700,000-square-metre terminal building is one of the most crucial projects to be undertaken in the UAE and will initially handle 27-30 million passengers per year.
According to aviation analysts at Frost & Sullivan, the MTC will enhance growth in the region's aviation sector. "The improved facilities will help Abu Dhabi achieve a strong position in the global air transportation network," Frost & Sullivan said.
"However, the air navigation service providers have a very important role to play in service considering the increased levels of air traffic growth."
According to Adac's figures, Abu Dhabi International Airport currently handles more than 12 million passengers a year and growth over the next 20 years is forecast to be robust, requiring more facilities.
Its recorded growth rates of 19.7 per cent over the last five years, have been driven by the rapid growth of its hub airline, Etihad Airways, and the increasing attraction of Abu Dhabi as a destination for business and leisure. – Gulf News
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Abu Dhabi's Yahsat mulls third satellite for region
posted on 02/02/2012
 The Abu Dhabi-owned satellite company Yahsat is evaluating the launch of a third spacecraft.
Y1A, the company's first satellite, blasted into orbit last April from Kourou, French Guiana, in what was Abu Dhabi's first venture in the satellite industry.
A second communications spacecraft is slated to be launched later this year, as part of Yahsat's total investment of Dh7 billion (US$1.9bn).
Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, the chief executive of Yahsat, said a third satellite was under consideration.
"We think there is always the option of launching a third satellite.
"We want to grow organically. And this might be achieved by launching a third satellite. We are really evaluating this opportunity right now."
Abu Dhabi's satellite programme began out of a need to provide the UAE military with communications. However, the scope of the project was later broadened to include commercial opportunities.
Yahsat's first satellite provides communications to the UAE Army, as well as commercial links to corporate customers and TV broadcasters.
The second satellite will also provide broadband internet. Dubbed Y1B, it is due to lift off on a rocket operated by Yahsat's launch partner, the International Launch Services (ILS), based in the US.
Mr Al Hosani said, due to technical issues faced in one of ILS's previous launches, the second satellite had been delayed.
"Initially, we were supposed to launch in the first quarter. Now they are pushing us to early second quarter.
"And we want to maintain it either to the end of the first [quarter], or very early in the second," he said.
"Y1B is ready to be shipped for launch. Due to a mechanical failure [faced by ILS] during their last launch, our slots have been rescheduled. We are still trying to push to get an earlier launch."
The launch of Y1B is currently Yahsat's top priority, according to Mr Al Hosani.
"Until we launch our second satellite, we will not engage in the third one," he said.
"The contract we signed with the manufacturers to build two satellites, with the ground-control system and some terminals, was US$1.66bn," Mr Al Hosani said.
"That doesn't take into account the buildings, the staffing, the project management and everything. So we are around Dh7bn."
Despite the hefty investment, Mr Al Hosani said Yahsat was meeting its financial targets.
"We want to have sustainable growth, with good revenues. We are a very profit-driven organisation: we worry about every penny," he said.
"We are in line with our initial business plan. Financially we are very stable, and we are meeting all of our initial financial targets."
Another of Yahsat's priorities is Emiratisation at its Abu Dhabi control centre.
Mr Al Hosani said 45 per cent of Yahsat's employees were UAE nationals and that the company aimed to boost this to between 60 and 65 per cent in five years.
"I think Yahsat will always have this international mix within it. Eventually we want to reach 60 to 65 per cent of nationals," he said.
"But we will always have international expats that will help give us the latest technologies and help develop the company." – The National
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NASA chronicles Dubai’s progress
posted on 02/02/2012
 A dramatic video of Dubai's exponential growth viewed from space over the past 11 years has once again put the emirate in the spotlight.
The video, which is a compilation of images collected by NASA's space satellite from 2000-2011, shows Dubai's rapid urbanisation and the rapid sprouting of the islands of Palm Jumeirah and The World. Massive on-ground projects showing new Dubai areas can also been seen taking shape.
Images of Dubai's Urbanisation are on NASA's list titled World of Change. Other projects on this list NASA chronicles Dubai's progress include Antarctic Ozone Hole, Drought in Australia, Shrinking Aral Sea among several others.
Also posted on technology weblog Gizmodo on January 24, the video has already been viewed and commented upon by over 110,000 people.
NASA's website, that first posted the images obtained using the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Terra satellite said: "To expand possibilities for beachfront tourist development, Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, undertook a massive engineering project to create hundreds of artificial islands.”
It adds: "Built from sand dredged from the sea floor and protected from erosion by rock breakwaters, the islands were shaped into recognisable forms, including two large palm trees.”
Describing the development the website adds: "The first Palm Island constructed was Palm Jumeirah, and in these false-colour images, bare ground appears brown, vegetation appears red, water appears dark blue, and buildings and paved surfaces appear light blue or gray.”
The first image, acquired in November of 2000, shows the area prior to the island's construction. The image from February 2002 shows the barest beginnings of the artificial archipelago. By October 2002, substantial progress had been made on Palm Jumeirah with many sandy "palm fronds” inside a circular breakwater.
By November 2003, the palm tree had been constructed, and buildings and vegetation populate Palm Jumeirah in the images from November 2004, October 2005, September 2006, March 2007 and November 2008. The final image, acquired in February 2011, shows vegetation on most of the palm fronds, and numerous buildings on the tree trunk.
Inland, changes are just as dramatic between November 2000 and February 2011. In the earliest image, empty desert fills the lower right quadrant of the image, as cityscape primarily hugs the coast. As the years pass, urbanisation spreads, and the final image shows the area almost entirely filled by roads, buildings and irrigated land, it adds. – Khaleej Times
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DubaiSat-2 design finalised
posted on 02/02/2012
 Engineers from the Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) announced that the DubaiSat-2 project has completed a crucial stage in the design phase, with the qualification model (QM) passing a series of rigorous tests.
The qualification model is the third and final design model, and represents the last test of all components on DubaiSat-2, the UAE's second remote sensing satellite which is due to be launched into the orbit by the end of 2012. The model is very close to the final satellite, but has been made with less space-worthy components.
Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director-General of EIAST, said: "I am delighted that the EIAST engineers have passed this significant milestone, which reflects the dedication, expertise and commitment of our team of highly skilled UAE engineers. They strive to bring to reality the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which is to propel our youth towards the cutting edge of advanced scientific research and development.”
The DubaiSat-2 Qualification Model has been put through a series of tests to ensure that the final satellite can withstand the harsh environment of the launch and its long mission in space. It underwent vibration, acoustic, thermal, thermal vacuum, shock and mass measurement tests.
"These tests are designed to put the satellite through the same or similar conditions that it will face on its journey to space. From liftoff to separation of the satellite from the launcher, it takes 15 minutes, but the amount of pressure, shock and vibration is very high and we need to put the model through those same conditions to make sure our satellite will eventually survive this event,” said Salem Al Marri, Head of projects and space missions at the EIAST.
"We also need to make sure our satellite will survive in space. Because it orbits the earth every 90 minutes, it will be in front of the sun for about 60 minutes and behind the earth for the rest of the time, and will therefore be subjected to huge changes in temperature. This testing phase ensures that the final satellite will cope with these.”
All of these tests were completed in early October. The next step for the engineers is one last verification of the data from the electronic components before a meeting is held at the end of February to review the data and confirm that the project is ready to enter the manufacturing stage.
The satellite will orbit 600km above the earth's surface compared to the 690km orbit of DubaiSat-1. The orbit has also been changed from an ascending orbit (South to North) to a descending orbit (North to South), which will allow both satellites to work well in constellation as well as give better coverage of the UAE area. Among other significant improvements, the UAE team along with their South Korean partners (Satrec Initiative) has designed the satellite to produce higher quality images at 1-metre resolution which can serve various applications including environmental projects, urban planning, infrastructure, telecommunications and electricity projects. – Khaleej Times
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20 turtles wash up on Saadiyat this winter
posted on 02/02/2012
 Viktor Bondarchuk is an expert at saving lives. But this distress call was different. When he saw an endangered hawksbill turtle being tossed around in the waves at Saadiyat Beach, the 27-year-old from Ukraine knew its life depended on him and managed to save it.
A few days later, another turtle was found upturned on the same stretch of the beach, this time by a security guard. The Monte-Carlo Beach Club lifeguard and the club's recreation manager and resident environmentalist, Clare Patterson, put the young turtle saved by Bondarchuk in a bucket of water and called in experts from the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) of Abu Dhabi, owners of the Monte Carlo Beach club and master developer of Saadiyat island.
Patterson, from Scotland, said: "Both the turtles were juvenile hawksbills and were washed up when the sea was quite rough and the wind was a little higher than usual. The club's lifeguards watch the waves and security guards are always patrolling the coast so we are in a great position to help if any of the turtles get into trouble.
At the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat, we are all being extra vigilant and hope we can help these creatures to thrive here.”
The turtle — named Vik Bond in recognition of the man who rescued him — is now undergoing rehabilitation at the turtle rehabilitation centre in Burj Al Arab in Dubai and will be released back into the sea later this year.
The TDIC said a total of 20 turtles have been found at various points on Saadiyat Beach so far this winter. TDIC environment manager Millie Plowman said: "This is many more than we would usually expect, perhaps because this winter has been slightly cooler than usual. Last year in the same period we had just three.
"Those we have found have been swept in by the strong winds we have experienced recently. I imagine the turtles are in a state similar to hibernation and will not have had much food so they are weaker than usual. Barnacles have taken hold of their shells and they need to be cleaned up and given some nourishment.
"We take the turtles to the turtle rehabilitation centre at Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. They are put in fresh water for a few days to kill the barnacles and other marine growth. There, they are fed and monitored over several weeks. Eventually, after they undergo tests to ensure they are in a fit state, they are released back into the sea.”
Vik the turtle is believed to be one of 300 hawksbills that hatched last summer in a protected nesting ground on the 9km stretch of beach outside the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat.
The hawksbill, whose worldwide population has declined by more than 80 per cent over the last 100 years, is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. TDIC has a stringent conservation plan in place to ensure the turtles continue to thrive on Saadiyat — one of the creature's dwindling number of habitats.
In winter months when the sea is cold, turtles tend to rest under rocks in a dormant state. They eat less and, therefore, have less energy and when they surface to breathe, they can be caught up in strong waves and swept ashore, where they can only survive for a couple of days because of the dry conditions and lack of food.
Bondarchuk said: "We have learned all about the turtles and how special they are and I was happy to be able to be involved in saving this one. We hope he has a fast recovery and can join his friends back in the open sea soon.”
The club has started a ‘Turtle Track' which will log the dates and times the turtles are found over the coming months and years. Members of the kids' club — called the Turtle Club — will be asked to name future finds. The TDIC's hawksbill turtle conservation plan consists of guidelines for the Saadiyat coastal dune system, guidelines for construction contractors during nesting season and rules for individual properties to ensure the turtles are not disturbed.
It also has a dedicated resource to monitor all activities to ensure the environment is protected. Resort development is restricted to more than 60 metres back from the seaward edge of the coastal dunes, ensuring there is a buffer zone between construction and the turtles' habitat. – Khaleej Times
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UAE, ILO explore ways to fight human trafficking
posted on 02/02/2012
 Brigadier Ahmed Mohamed Nakhira, Director of Human Rights, Ministry of Interior, received yesterday a delegation from the International Labour Organisation's department of migration and anti-trafficking. The meeting explored ways of boosting mechanisms of joint cooperation and coordination in combating crimes of trafficking in persons. Brigadier Nakhira briefed the ILO experts on the ministry's policies and legislations as well as security arrangements to fight the crime. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Turkish President says Rixos The Palm" resort to open within weeks
posted on 02/02/2012
 Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday announced that the "Rixos The Palm" resort in Dubai will open doors to guests within weeks.
Gul made the announcement during a visit to the luxurious resort which is situated in the most prestigious part of Palm Jumeirah. The resort is part of Rixos Hotels' portfolio. The Rixos luxury hotel concept, first launched in the year 2000, in Antalya, Turkey, is the brainchild of Turkish businessman Fettah Tamince. The hotel section of Rixos The Palm, Dubai consists of 234 rooms and suites, 33 well appointed residential apartments, and multi-dining Food and Beverage venues featuring innovative concepts for the Dubai market. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Shippers must 'eye growth in new frontiers', says senior DP World official
posted on 02/02/2012
 The shipping and port industry must watch out for new frontiers of growth and emerging new patterns in global trade amid mounting global uncertainties, said Mohammed Al Muallem, senior VP and managing director, DP World, UAE Region.
Al Muallem was delivering a keynote speech at the second Middle East Liner Shipping Conference (MELSC) 2012 held in Dubai.
The two-day annual conference, sponsored by DP World and supported by the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), is being held this week under the theme "Resilience Amid Global Economic Uncertainty - What Does the Future Hold for Middle East Liner Shipping?" Scores of industry leaders including ship owners and maritime analysts from around the region and outside are attending the event.
Addressing the gathering, Al Muallem said, "The Middle East is among those regions that have reported decent trade volumes over the past two years." "DP World's experience shows that the emerging and developing markets offer new frontiers for growth for the industry as a whole. It is up to us, the shipping industry leaders, to explore these business opportunities," he added.
"While the annual growth rate of global port throughput has almost halved from 14.1 per cent in 2010 to a projected 7.6 per cent in 2011, the change in the Middle East was from 7.5 to 7 per cent for the same period," said the DP World official, citing data from industry analysts Alphaliner DP World, he said, witnessed a return of volumes to the record levels of 2008 as early as in 2010 and posted a 10 per cent growth in gross volumes globally in 2011, with the UAE Region growing 12 per cent to 13 million TEU for the year.
Al Muallem said, "This indicates the resilience of the region's liner shipping trade in the face of global economic uncertainties. The continued concern over the Eurozone and slow growth in other developed markets has meant there is a need for caution." "We must step up our efforts, individually and collectively, as industry leaders to look for new cost-effective solutions to encourage supply chain growth," he added.
Referring to the persisting supply-demand imbalance in global container liner capacity Al Muallem stated that there were still challenges ahead at the global level that could potentially impact the region's supply chain sector.
"The answer lies in pursuing value creation through innovative technology as DP World has done at our flagship Jebel Ali Port. Sustainability can only be achieved through superior performance that benefits customers," he noted.
In December, DP World announced plans to expand capacity at Jebel Ali by a further 4 million TEU to reach capacity of 19 million TEU by 2014.
Senior company executives are participating in panel discussions at the MELSC seminar including Nichola Siveira, operations support director, DP World, UAE Region, and Raveen Guliani, senior marketing '&' communication - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Tabreed stays cool to reap hot profit
posted on 02/02/2012
 Tabreed more than doubled fourth-quarter profits in a significant turnaround, as the Abu Dhabi utility added more cooling capacity to developments that included the Dubai Metro.
Tabreed has moved its business on to a sustainable footing after last year restructuring debt accumulated during the property downturn.
"Tabreed has a solid fundamental business model driven by its core chilled-water business, underpinned by its strict cost discipline and continuously improving organisational efficiencies," said Sujit Parhar, the chief executive.
Quarterly profits rose to Dh52.9 million (US$14.4m) from Dh21.1m in the same period a year earlier, it said yesterday. The firm's full-year net profit rose 34 per cent to Dh182.7m from Dh136.8m the previous year.
The company's revenue from chilled water rose by a quarter to Dh943.8m during the year.
Capacity rose 8 per cent compared with the previous year, with 16 per cent more connections added. It built 11 plants during the year, eight for the Dubai Metro Green Line.
Tabreed relies on demand for cooling buildings and other infrastructure projects for the water it chills at its plants. Its main clients are the military, plus property and industrial developers.
But new construction will slow this year, says the firm. Instead, Tabreed will focus on earning revenues from existing capacity. As much as 95 per cent of the firm's plants are locked into long-term contracts.
"We won't be finishing as many plants but we have been in the midst of an extraordinary building plan and as these are complete we will be reaping rewards," Mr Parhar said. The firm has funding in place up until the end of this year and plans to be self-funded from then on, he said.
In April, Tabreed refinanced Dh2.63 billion in debt as part of a restructuring. Mubadala Development, a strategic investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi Government, invested Dh3.1bn and increased its stake in the company.
Mubadala now controls 27.3 per cent of Tabreed. The share includes a 14.8 per cent stake held directly by Mubadala and a further 11.29 per cent held through General Investments, a subsidiary.
Tabreed's shares ended 0.55 per cent lower at 54 fils yesterday on the Dubai Financial Market. – The National
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Abu Dhabi Media launches Hindi-language radio
posted on 02/02/2012
 Radio Mirchi, a Hindi-language station, has hit the airwaves in the UAE as part of a global expansion drive by India's largest FM brand.
The Bollywood star Rani Mukherjee was in Abu Dhabi yesterday to launch the station, which features a mixture of music and chat.
It is part of a collaboration between the Entertainment Network, a subsidiary of The Times of India Group, and Abu Dhabi Media (ADM), which also owns and publishes The National. ADM will broadcast the station over three frequencies in the UAE, to target both audience share and advertising dollars.
Malcolm Wall, the chief executive of ADM, said Radio Mirchi marked the company's first foray into Hindi-language broadcasting.
He added that he saw a "gap in the market" for the station, for both commercial and public service reasons.
"We're absolutely certain we'll make this self-funding, and a commercial success," said Mr Wall. "We're putting considerable investment in this; obviously we hope to see a return."
Mr Wall said the station also had a public service function in helping the Government to reach out to the UAE's sizeable South Asian population.
"On a public service basis, it is the only medium that we have that is in the Hindi language," he said. "To be able to offer that to the Government was also an important part of this launch."
Prashant Panday, the chief executive of Entertainment Network (India), said the company had been planning to expand globally for some time.
"This is the first time the brand is stepping outside India," he said.
Mr Panday added that the company had received enquiries about launching the Radio Mirchi brand in "at least a dozen" other markets.
These include the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, other GCC countries, South Africa and Singapore, he said. Mr Panday said the company was also interested in opportunities in less-developed radio markets.
"At some point in time we'd be very keen on entering China, eastern Europe - places where the radio market is not developed very much."
The first Radio Mirchi station launched in 2001 and the brand now has a network of 32 stations across India and claims total audiences of 40 million.
Mr Panday said Radio Mirchi was also looking to "bid very aggressively" for further licences in India. "We are 32 stations right now and we plan to expand that network very strongly [to] more than double, maybe triple," he said.
In the UAE, Radio Mirchi will compete with a number of other radio stations catering to South Asian expatriates.
These include City 101.6, which focuses on Bollywood entertainment, and Hit 96.7 FM, which is geared towards Indian expatriates from Kerala.
Radio attracts a tiny proportion of the US$4 billion (Dh14.69bn) advertising spending in the Arab world, which is dominated by television and newspaper media. Mr Wall said he did not expect big gains in the UAE advertising market this year - but said he hoped to grow ADM's share of the radio market through the launch of the new station. – The National
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Penguins set to make a big splash at indoor ski facility
posted on 02/02/2012
 Newly arrived penguins appear to be quickly adapting to their sub-zero Celsius home at SkiDubai replete with an ice-cold swimming pool and private living quarters designed to replicate Antarctic conditions.
Born and bred in captivity, ten King penguins as well as ten Gentoo penguins were flown 5,799km from SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas to Dubai as part of the new Snow Penguins exhibit at the indoor ski facility.
SkiDubai will open its penguin enclosure to the public on February 5.
Fahad Al Lawati, manager commercial and communications for Majid Al Futtaim, said the new attraction will offer "a unique experience" to paid visitors in the coming years.
Omar Al Banna, marketing and sales director for Majid Al Futtaim, said the arrival of the penguins will "add value to the community … and take SkiDubai to the next level."
Noting that the birds were "hatched and raised in the care of humans," Al Banna said SkiDubai will "do what we can to protect the penguins and create awareness about the environment".
By offering residents through the Peng-Friend programme a chance to get up close and personal with the birds, the attraction will indirectly help conservation efforts aimed at preserving the natural environment.
Newly established pairs are already courting in their new Dubai digs and it may only be a matter of time before SkiDubai could witness the hatching of native-born penguins in the emirate.
As many as 20 public penguin encounters will be scheduled each day in which visitors over the age of three will be granted face time and underwater viewing of the birds swimming. Visitors at all times will be accompanied by staff. Personal cameras will not be allowed into the enclosure.
Tom Scheffer, SkiDubai operations manager, said "We're the first in the Middle East to have King penguins in our colony."
Captivity: right conditions seen
Penguins right at home given right conditions. Dubai Marine ecologist Keith Wilson will be the first to tell you he's no expert on Antarctic penguins.
But the marine programme director at UAE-based Emirates Marine Environmental Group said he has no objections to housing penguins in a specially-designed enclosure at SkiDubai given the birds were hatched and raised in captivity.
By contrast, zoos and animal facilities can run into trouble when attempting to move wild animals caught in nature and penning them into man-made structures which is not the case with these penguins, he said. – Gulf News
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Festival to light up Sharjah’s landmarks
posted on 02/02/2012
 The second edition of the Sharjah Light Festival will introduce more spectacular shows and locations to attract more visitors. The festival will be held from February 9 to 17.
First edition of the festival drew more than 90,000 visitors in 2011. The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), organiser of the festival, expects to entertain more visitors this year with the addition of new shows and installation of laser and sculpture lighting techniques, projection technology and 3-D mapping.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, Chairman of the SCTDA, said in a Press conference on Wednesday that the festival would present Sharjah's popular landmarks using lights and colours, coupled with the ancient art of storytelling. "The festival achieved spectacular success last year, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the emirate from across the country and beyond. This year, the festival promises to be even more magical and wonderful with new shows and fun and games at 12 locations across the emirate.”
Michel Touitou, Managing Director of Nomada, the event partner of the SCTDA, told Khaleej Times that a combination of existing technology and some innovative techniques will be used this year. "This year, we are installing laser and will have some projection technology in Al Majaz Mazjid. Last year, there was no laser used and only two parts of the mosque were presented. Technically, this has never been done, and it will be fantastic challenge for our production team,” Touitou said.
He also said that many places like the newly-completed Al Majaz Waterfront will have special lighting. "Nearby the Al Majaz fountain and the Cultural Square, we will install special sculpture lighting techniques imported from south of France,” Touitou said.
Mohammed Ali Al Noman, Director-General of SCTDA, told Khaleej Times that he is positive of an increase in the number of visitors. – Khaleej Times
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