Tag Archives: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

For most children, the first day of school is an exciting time complete with new clothes and back-to-school gear. But for kids in families where money is tight, the experience can be just opposite. To make a difference to deserving children at the start of the new school year, Two Seasons Hotel & Apartments Dubai will donate 100 colourful new backpacks containing essential school supplies to Dar Al Ber Society. Dar Al Ber is considered one of the first charities in UAE. It was established in Dubai in 1979 as a charity, cultural & social firm. Dar Al Ber Board of Directors has been formed according to the directives and decisions of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. “Supporting the students and communities where our hotels operate is an important element of who we are as a brand, that’s why we have partnered with a number of charities to support our goal of changing lives. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to go to school with dignity and hope” said Freddy Farid, Managing Director of Two Seasons Hotel Management. “We hope that this small act will help them put a smile on their faces knowing that someone cares. Our aim is to continue to strengthen our commitment and solidarity to the local community through such activities. The hotel is keen to implement community initiatives on a regular basis,” he said. Mohamed Abbas, the Director of Human Resources, represented Freddy Farid in handing over the school bags to Dar Al Ber Society team.  

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, recently led the opening ceremony of Qasr Al Watan — the nation’s newest cultural landmark housed within the Presidential Palace compound in Abu Dhabi. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stressed that the United Arab Emirates’ cultural legacy is a precious asset that must be treasured by both present and future generations, and is driving the leadership’s aspirations for a nation built upon the values of tolerance and coexistence. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reaffirmed the leadership’s dedication to preserving the nation’s cultural and intellectual legacy, underscoring its ability to empower and inspire future generations by instilling a deep sense of national pride. His Highness emphasised the importance of continuing the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who sought to preserve the heritage of the UAE while encouraging cultural dialogue and openness. Their Highnesses toured Qasr Al Watan and its iconic wings, and were introduced to exhibits that reflect the country’s governing values and traditions, in addition to highlighting Arab contributions to various fields of knowledge. The tour concluded with the ‘Palace in Motion’ – a remarkable light and sound show projected onto the façade of the iconic building.  

Dubai Airports has unveiled a new brand for Dubai International (DXB) that signifies Dubai Airports’ transition from airport operator to a consumer-led company to elevate the airport customer experience. The brand launch event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports; Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Airports, as well as VVIPs of Dubai’s aviation industry, senior management of DXB, key industry stakeholders and global media. The new brand embodies the unique values of Dubai, demonstrating unmatched hospitality, a culture of imagination, openness to new ideas and a mesmerising mosaic of exciting and inspiring experiences. It will transform DXB into a destination in itself by creating exciting, immersive virtual experiences that bring iconic Dubai landmarks into the airport as well as an array of music, art, dance and even fashion exhibitions that showcase local culture and celebrate diversity. DXB will also feature zones throughout the airport’s concourses that cluster together retail, F&B and themed attractions to cater to DXB’s diverse customer base. Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Airports, said, “We are proud to launch the new DXB brand to reflect the fresh direction and truly transform DXB into the airport of the future, one that is led by a more customer-centric approach, that incorporates the hospitality, excitement, warmth and true spirit of Dubai. The new brand represents the ways in which we connect the world, not only by physically facilitating access to over 220 destinations around the world but also by transporting our customers through their experience of different cultures, food, music …

The fifth edition of The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2018 is set to be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, UAE and Ruler, Dubai, from October 24-25 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre with the theme ‘Driving innovation, Leading change’. At the press conference organised in Burj Al Arab, HE Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, UAE; HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), Managing Director and CEO, DEWA and Chairman, WGES were present, along with many other dignitaries. During the press conference, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer announced that the summit will be attended by prominent leaders including HE Francois Hollande, former President, France; HE Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE; HE Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Environment and Energy, Maldives; Nezha El Ouafi, Secretary of State to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, in charge of Sustainable Development, Morocco and Christiana Figueres, Former Secretary General, UNFCCC, along with an elite of global experts, thought leaders and executive officials in green economy and sustainable development.

Hala China has announced that the first Chinese Film Week in Dubai will commence on October 1, 2018, screening some of China’s most popular blockbusters. The event will also bring some of the biggest celebrities and directors in Chinese cinema to the city. China’s cinema audience this year became the biggest in the world, and an unprecedented growth in the past decade has been driven by rising demand for quality entertainment among China’s middle class. In seeking to build on this trend and growing tourism numbers from China, the Chinese Film Week in Dubai will commence with a spectacular red-carpet event on the opening night at Roxy Cinemas in City Walk. Following this, movies to be played during the week include Dragon Blade, Po Feng, Twenties Once Again, The Nightingale, American Dreams in China, Wolf Totem, Monkey King: Hero Is Back, and Big Fish & Begonia. Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Chairman, Board of Directors at Hala China, said, “The Chinese Film Week in Dubai is one of the first events to take place as part of the Hala China initiative, and is fully aligned with the commercial and tourism objectives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. We are confident that the event will appeal to Chinese visitors as well as to Dubai’s resident population. It is also a big opportunity to showcase the city’s world-class infrastructure and facilities as the ideal destination for Chinese movie directors and film production houses to base their future projects.” Her Excellency Li Lingbing, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, said, “China’s film industry, with decades of …

India retained the top spot on Dubai’s list of source markets in 2017, contributing 2.1 million visitors and becoming the first country to cross the two-million mark in a single year. The country’s performance represented a 15 per cent year-on-year increase and validated, among other factors, the success of Dubai Tourism’s ongoing collaboration with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the #BeMyGuest campaign. Commenting on the annual performance, His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has continued to capture share of the global outbound travel market, complemented by a significant increase in tourism-driven economic contribution to the country’s GDP.” Driven by India, the South Asia region, in the third place, contributed an 18 per cent share of over 2.8 million visitors, up a strong 10.6 per cent, followed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and North and South-East Asia regions sharing the fourth position, each contributing close to 1.7 million visitors and independently commanding 11 per cent share, the former recording a 3.2 per cent increase and the latter, an impressive 23.6 per cent over 2016 visitation figures.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has collaborated with two digital tour apps to launch two new free Dubai tours that will help visitors discover and learn more about historic sites and landmarks in the city. The tours, titled ‘Metro Moments’ and ‘Al Fahidi Architecture Tour’, are available to download for free from the Apple Store and Google Play. Supported by GPS technology, both tours use audio narrations to guide visitors through Dubai, automatically progressing from one point of interest to the next in real time, depending on the user’s location. The pre-recorded audio is available in English, Chinese and German and each tour also comes in text form and is accompanied by a map to help with navigation. Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director, Tourism Development and Investments at Dubai Tourism, said, “In accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, we are continually looking for ways to enhance the visitor experience in Dubai, ensuring it is a city that is accessible for all. The launch of these audio tours will help people from all over the world gain an enhanced understanding of Dubai.”

Emirates announced a US$ 16 billion (AED 58.7 billion) deal for 36 additional Airbus A380 aircraft, with 20 firm orders and 16 options. Emirates’ A380 fleet operates both GE and Rolls-Royce engines, and the airline is evaluating engine options for its latest A380 order. The additional Airbus A380s will be delivered to Emirates from 2020 onwards. Together with the airline’s 101-strong A380 fleet and its current order backlog for 41 aircraft, this new order brings Emirates’ commitment to the A380 programme to 178 aircraft, worth over US$ 60 billion. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, said, “This deal reflects Emirates’ confidence in shaping the future and its commitment to advancing Dubai’s vision to grow further as a world-class destination and aviation hub.” His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group signed the MOU with John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft at the airline’s headquarters in Dubai.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai has launched Marmoom Reserve Project, the first unfenced desert conservation reserve in the country. Spanning 10 per cent of Dubai’s total area, the reserve will introduce more than 20 environmental, cultural and sports-related initiatives, sponsored by nine Dubai’s government agencies. Enjoying over 40 hectares of shrubland and fertile area, the reserve is home to several species of native and migratory birds. The new project will include 10 animal and bird observation platforms, star and sunset observations decks, areas for yoga, an outdoor theatre that can host 350-person events, and will be powered by a 5,000 megawatt solar power complex. Al Maktoum said, “The Marmoom Reserve is an environmental, touristic and sporting addition to life in the UAE.” He continued, “The desert provides a peaceful shelter to plants, birds and people. Our goal is to provide a fertile and robust environment for plants, natural reserve for animals and an important destination for tourists.” His Highness concluded, “When nine government agencies work as a team, the result will be exceptional, as reflected in the Marmoom Reserve.”  

Emirates airline will operate a special A380 flight to Kuwait for UAE supporters to attend the finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup, as announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates. The UAE team will face Oman in the final match which is set to be held this Friday on January 5. Details of the special flight will be made available as soon as possible.