Tuesday, January 20, 2009
SaReGaMaPa Challenge 2009-Grand Finale on Zee TV
Grand Finale of SaReGaMaPa Challenge 2009 on January 24th, 2009 at 8:30pm (UAE) on Zee TV
CNN Enlists iReporters to Capture ‘The Moment’ of Obama’s Oath
Network to Use Microsoft Photosynth and User-Generated Photos to Create 3-D Image of Inauguration
CNN plans to create the most unique view of the exact moment US President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office on Tuesday 20th January at 8pm (UAE). Using Microsoft Photosynth technology, CNN and Microsoft Corp. will produce the first “synth” of a major historical moment.
CNN is inviting people witnessing “The Moment” to take part in a special iReport assignment by e-mailing their pictures to themoment@CNN.com. The photos will post immediately to iReport.com, CNN’s user-generated news community, and shortly after the oath of office, viewers and users can see the resulting synths on-air and online. In staying with CNN’s long tradition of using technology to reinvent political coverage, the network will feature the synths on the Magic Wall. The use of Photosynth within the multi-touch environment will be made possible by the strong relationship among CNN, Perceptive Pixel and Microsoft.
“We’re pleased to partner with CNN to bring this historic event to life through the eyes of those attending the inauguration,” says Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president, Microsoft. “Microsoft Photosynth technology enables an immersive experience for CNN to share with all of its viewers.”
On 20th January, CNN’s The Inauguration of Barack Obama begins at 2pm (UAE), with continuous live coverage of the day’s events, including the swearing-in ceremony, parade and official inaugural balls. Throughout the special programming, viewers can expect to see the synths their pictures helped create.
SCCI hosts business meeting with key representatives of Sharjah’s banking and financial sectors
The meeting is a part of Chamber initiatives to enhance support to local business community.
The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) hosted a business breakfast on January 19, 2009 for representatives from Sharjah’s banking and financial sectors, at its new building. The event was attended by SCCI Director General Hussein Mohammed Al Mahmoudi; other senior representatives from SCCI; in addition to representatives from several banks and financial institutions in Sharjah.
This meeting is in line with the SCCI’s new agenda for 2009, which aims to improve communications and the exchange of views on vital issues with Sharjah’s economic sectors. The Chamber also wants to encourage dialogue on present and future challenges faced by Sharjah, ideas and visions on creating cooperative business opportunities, and strategies to enhance work performance in accordance with the highest standards of quality and excellence.
The event mainly focused on how the SCCI could assist the banking and financial sectors in overcoming obstacles to their optimal performance, especially in light of the global financial crisis. Discussions also highlighted the actions taken by the Federal Government to protect the national economy and the local banking system, including the development of convenient mechanisms to ensure more liquidity for banks in the short term; this would maintain the national economy’s high growth rates and protect it from global uncertainties.
The meeting commenced with Hussein Al Mahmoudi expressing his appreciation for the role played by the banking and financial sector in developing the local economy. He also noted the importance of organising this meeting and highlighted the Chamber’s continuous commitment to enhance its strategic relations with its partners in various sectors. He emphasized on SCCI’s role of facilitating the launch of new projects and initiatives that contribute to strengthening the process of sustained economic development in the business community of Sharjah and supporting economic concepts and practices that provide promising opportunities.
“This event is the first of several meetings that will be held by the Chamber during the current year with the various economic sectors of Sharjah. They will be part of overall initiatives to encourage joint cooperation with our partners and to create a superior economic working environment within the emirate. Actually, the business breakfast is an opportunity to attract new investments, forge new strategic partnerships and open communication lines with the private sector, as it provides a venue for interaction between businessmen and decision makers from government bodies. I would also like to thank all the parties in the banking and financial sectors for their efforts to develop their respective industries and to make the UAE a financial hub that gains the confidence of investors and attracts capital through a transparent regulatory environment,” Al Mahmoudi said.
The meeting also featured a general review of the economic conditions in the UAE at present, particularly of the banking and financial sectors. The participants also discussed the contributions made by the UAE’s private sector in promoting sustainable development.
“The following months will allow us to evaluate and review plans and strategies to enhance prevailing business realities. The implementation of principles of transparency at the regulatory level is a fundamental goal that must be achieved in Sharjah and throughout the UAE. The establishment of efficient governance practices for corporations is the ideal approach to attaining sustained development, especially in the banking sector. This shall be done by outlining qualifications and responsibilities expected from board members and providing them with insights on the latest developments in the financial sector, training them whenever necessary. As for the banking sector, there are plans to expand the scope of the regulatory and supervisory powers of the central banks to include investment banks and related financial brokerage firms,” added Al Mahmoudi,
According to data issued by the SCCI’s Information Centre, there are 36 banks operating in Sharjah; 22 are national banks while 14 are foreign banks. These institutions have branches all over the emirate, with eight branches of different banks in Khorfakan, four branches in Kalba, and three branches in Dibba Al Hosn.
The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) hosted a business breakfast on January 19, 2009 for representatives from Sharjah’s banking and financial sectors, at its new building. The event was attended by SCCI Director General Hussein Mohammed Al Mahmoudi; other senior representatives from SCCI; in addition to representatives from several banks and financial institutions in Sharjah.
This meeting is in line with the SCCI’s new agenda for 2009, which aims to improve communications and the exchange of views on vital issues with Sharjah’s economic sectors. The Chamber also wants to encourage dialogue on present and future challenges faced by Sharjah, ideas and visions on creating cooperative business opportunities, and strategies to enhance work performance in accordance with the highest standards of quality and excellence.The event mainly focused on how the SCCI could assist the banking and financial sectors in overcoming obstacles to their optimal performance, especially in light of the global financial crisis. Discussions also highlighted the actions taken by the Federal Government to protect the national economy and the local banking system, including the development of convenient mechanisms to ensure more liquidity for banks in the short term; this would maintain the national economy’s high growth rates and protect it from global uncertainties.
The meeting commenced with Hussein Al Mahmoudi expressing his appreciation for the role played by the banking and financial sector in developing the local economy. He also noted the importance of organising this meeting and highlighted the Chamber’s continuous commitment to enhance its strategic relations with its partners in various sectors. He emphasized on SCCI’s role of facilitating the launch of new projects and initiatives that contribute to strengthening the process of sustained economic development in the business community of Sharjah and supporting economic concepts and practices that provide promising opportunities.
“This event is the first of several meetings that will be held by the Chamber during the current year with the various economic sectors of Sharjah. They will be part of overall initiatives to encourage joint cooperation with our partners and to create a superior economic working environment within the emirate. Actually, the business breakfast is an opportunity to attract new investments, forge new strategic partnerships and open communication lines with the private sector, as it provides a venue for interaction between businessmen and decision makers from government bodies. I would also like to thank all the parties in the banking and financial sectors for their efforts to develop their respective industries and to make the UAE a financial hub that gains the confidence of investors and attracts capital through a transparent regulatory environment,” Al Mahmoudi said.
The meeting also featured a general review of the economic conditions in the UAE at present, particularly of the banking and financial sectors. The participants also discussed the contributions made by the UAE’s private sector in promoting sustainable development.
“The following months will allow us to evaluate and review plans and strategies to enhance prevailing business realities. The implementation of principles of transparency at the regulatory level is a fundamental goal that must be achieved in Sharjah and throughout the UAE. The establishment of efficient governance practices for corporations is the ideal approach to attaining sustained development, especially in the banking sector. This shall be done by outlining qualifications and responsibilities expected from board members and providing them with insights on the latest developments in the financial sector, training them whenever necessary. As for the banking sector, there are plans to expand the scope of the regulatory and supervisory powers of the central banks to include investment banks and related financial brokerage firms,” added Al Mahmoudi,
According to data issued by the SCCI’s Information Centre, there are 36 banks operating in Sharjah; 22 are national banks while 14 are foreign banks. These institutions have branches all over the emirate, with eight branches of different banks in Khorfakan, four branches in Kalba, and three branches in Dibba Al Hosn.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Chilling out in desert: Safari tours pick up gear
by KK Moidu
Talks of recession or job cuts do not seem affect Desert Safari tour operators. In fact, such tours are gaining popularity with winter providing inspiration for the common people to chill out.
Tour operators are offering special packages at convenient times covering morning, evening and overnight for adventure enthusiasts.
People who do not find the evening hours convenient, but interested in dune bashing and adventure, can enjoy a morning desert safari.
These two-hour morning package includes awesome dune bashing, quad biking, camel ride and sand skiing with free water and soft drinks.
Evening desert safari, a six-hour tour package, begins in the afternoon with exciting dune drive before reaching the first destination.
People can enjoy the gorgeous Dubai desert sunset, camel ride and sand boarding before reaching the camp. A delicious barbecue dinner, Shisha and belly dance around the campfire are also part of the package.
Overnight desert safari, a 17-hour tour of the desert gives an opportunity to experience a night in the desert under the stars and also enjoy the inspiring sunrise in the desert.
Dune bashing, camel rides, shisha, traditional costumes, buffet dinner and BBQ, overnight stay at the camp site and breakfast are the highlights of the tour.
One of the main attractions of the desert safari tour is the adventure sport, dune bashing.
A smart driving over sand dunes is a highly popular pastime in the UAE.
Tourists consider adventure journey to the desert of golden sand dunes as a great experience to share with their family and friends back home.
Although dune bashing is possible anywhere in the Arabian deserts, certain places like Liwa Oasis in Abu Dhabi are known as the real playground and are chosen by adventures for unending fun.
The climate here is suitable for dune bashing except at the time of sandstorms and heavy rains.
"But the travellers should plan their route much in advance with a map and a tricky driving on soft sands by looking for camel footprints, which are the signs of hard and compacted sand or depend on the service of an experienced guide," according to a tour operator.
"Dune bashing is definitely a good way to enjoy the beauty and peace of the desert in the comfort of an air-conditioned four-wheeler."
All experienced 4WD licence holders can enjoy adventure tour by exploring sand dunes. First timers are recommended to book a trip with professional tour operators, who specialise in dune bashing to learn a few lessons on driving in the sand. This will save the inexperienced drivers from getting stuck on the deserts which will harm the expensive vehicle and a long wait for the rescuers.
A professional driver with experience and skill should accompany the group for preventing accidents.
Larger sand sailing vehicles like Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol, Mitsubishi Pajero, Hummer etc. are comfortable, because smaller vehicles are not recommended by experts as they easily tend to get stuck in the sands.
"Those who want to enjoy the maximum, better seek a fully efficient driver, who can be arranged by a professional desert safari tour operator," he pointed out.
A vehicle can carry as many people but a working seat belt is a must.
Before entering the desert the tyre pressure must be reduced by half for increasing the footprint of the tire. A group leader can lead the vehicles through the desert in single file to prevent them from losing the direction.
An Indian expatriate, Ratheesh, explains his first desert safari tour with family as "real fun."
He said, "We were supposed to be picked up at 3pm, but as a Tunisian family arrived late, the Land Cruiser left Sharjah City Centre only at 4pm. The charge was Dhs150 per passenger. The vehicle was wonderful and the Indian driver from Mumbai was smart. Hence the bumpy, bouncy desert travel experience turned out to be highly enjoyable."
He added: "Up and down went the cruiser while sand splashed all around the vehicle for nearly 20 minutes. Taking photographs with traditional costumes, camel rides, watching the beautiful desert sunset and a henna session for my daughters made the safari really enjoyable. In less than six hours we were back in Sharjah at the pickup point after a wonderful dinner, which was part of the package."
Talks of recession or job cuts do not seem affect Desert Safari tour operators. In fact, such tours are gaining popularity with winter providing inspiration for the common people to chill out.
Tour operators are offering special packages at convenient times covering morning, evening and overnight for adventure enthusiasts.
People who do not find the evening hours convenient, but interested in dune bashing and adventure, can enjoy a morning desert safari.
These two-hour morning package includes awesome dune bashing, quad biking, camel ride and sand skiing with free water and soft drinks.
Evening desert safari, a six-hour tour package, begins in the afternoon with exciting dune drive before reaching the first destination.
People can enjoy the gorgeous Dubai desert sunset, camel ride and sand boarding before reaching the camp. A delicious barbecue dinner, Shisha and belly dance around the campfire are also part of the package.
Overnight desert safari, a 17-hour tour of the desert gives an opportunity to experience a night in the desert under the stars and also enjoy the inspiring sunrise in the desert.
Dune bashing, camel rides, shisha, traditional costumes, buffet dinner and BBQ, overnight stay at the camp site and breakfast are the highlights of the tour.
One of the main attractions of the desert safari tour is the adventure sport, dune bashing.
A smart driving over sand dunes is a highly popular pastime in the UAE.
Tourists consider adventure journey to the desert of golden sand dunes as a great experience to share with their family and friends back home.
Although dune bashing is possible anywhere in the Arabian deserts, certain places like Liwa Oasis in Abu Dhabi are known as the real playground and are chosen by adventures for unending fun.
The climate here is suitable for dune bashing except at the time of sandstorms and heavy rains.
"But the travellers should plan their route much in advance with a map and a tricky driving on soft sands by looking for camel footprints, which are the signs of hard and compacted sand or depend on the service of an experienced guide," according to a tour operator.
"Dune bashing is definitely a good way to enjoy the beauty and peace of the desert in the comfort of an air-conditioned four-wheeler."
All experienced 4WD licence holders can enjoy adventure tour by exploring sand dunes. First timers are recommended to book a trip with professional tour operators, who specialise in dune bashing to learn a few lessons on driving in the sand. This will save the inexperienced drivers from getting stuck on the deserts which will harm the expensive vehicle and a long wait for the rescuers.
A professional driver with experience and skill should accompany the group for preventing accidents.
Larger sand sailing vehicles like Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol, Mitsubishi Pajero, Hummer etc. are comfortable, because smaller vehicles are not recommended by experts as they easily tend to get stuck in the sands.
"Those who want to enjoy the maximum, better seek a fully efficient driver, who can be arranged by a professional desert safari tour operator," he pointed out.
A vehicle can carry as many people but a working seat belt is a must.
Before entering the desert the tyre pressure must be reduced by half for increasing the footprint of the tire. A group leader can lead the vehicles through the desert in single file to prevent them from losing the direction.
An Indian expatriate, Ratheesh, explains his first desert safari tour with family as "real fun."
He said, "We were supposed to be picked up at 3pm, but as a Tunisian family arrived late, the Land Cruiser left Sharjah City Centre only at 4pm. The charge was Dhs150 per passenger. The vehicle was wonderful and the Indian driver from Mumbai was smart. Hence the bumpy, bouncy desert travel experience turned out to be highly enjoyable."
He added: "Up and down went the cruiser while sand splashed all around the vehicle for nearly 20 minutes. Taking photographs with traditional costumes, camel rides, watching the beautiful desert sunset and a henna session for my daughters made the safari really enjoyable. In less than six hours we were back in Sharjah at the pickup point after a wonderful dinner, which was part of the package."
Saturday, January 3, 2009
People resolve to quit smoking on the New Year day
KK Moidu
Quitting smoking is one of the most common New Year resolutions this year too like the previous years. Grocery vendors have confirmed that the sale of cigarettes fell on the New Year day.
Rafeeq, a salesman at Al Jaf Grocery, Sharjah said, only a few people bought cigarettes on the New Year day and some regular customers who buy cigarettes on a daily basis talked about their desire to quit smoking on the New Year day. Rafeeq added, "This happens every New Year and unfortunately most of them couldn't succeed in their resolutions. They return to the bad habit of smoking after a couple of days or within a week or month. But a few of them who succeeded in quitting smoking. Of 25 smokers who regularly bought cigarettes from the shop, only two quit smoking last year and fulfilled their year commitment."
Nishad, a 28 year old Indian, who decided to quit smoking on the New Year day proudly says, "I haven't smoke any cigarette on the New Year day and will try to fulfill my New Year resolution. I married recently and stopped smoking inside the house but still I was smoking half a packet of cigarettes everyday. I started smoking for a fun during my college days and it became habit and now I want to save my health by quitting the bad habit."
Fifty-year-old Abdul Muthalib, who smokes more than a packet of cigarettes daily quit smoking on the New Year's eve. He said, "I decided to quit smoking on the New Year day. My room-mate was admitted to a hospital due to health problems. He was a chain smoker and doctors warned him about the harms of smoking. Since he can't smoke, and If I smoke in front of him he may start smoking again, and I will become partially responsible for his ill health."
Although many people are taking New Year resolutions, but all of them are not confident about the success of their goals. Mohammed the owner of Abu Moosa Grocery said most of the smokers return to their bad habits later, but women smokers succeed more when they decide to quit smoking or lose weight.
Quitting smoking is one of the most common New Year resolutions this year too like the previous years. Grocery vendors have confirmed that the sale of cigarettes fell on the New Year day.
Rafeeq, a salesman at Al Jaf Grocery, Sharjah said, only a few people bought cigarettes on the New Year day and some regular customers who buy cigarettes on a daily basis talked about their desire to quit smoking on the New Year day. Rafeeq added, "This happens every New Year and unfortunately most of them couldn't succeed in their resolutions. They return to the bad habit of smoking after a couple of days or within a week or month. But a few of them who succeeded in quitting smoking. Of 25 smokers who regularly bought cigarettes from the shop, only two quit smoking last year and fulfilled their year commitment."
Nishad, a 28 year old Indian, who decided to quit smoking on the New Year day proudly says, "I haven't smoke any cigarette on the New Year day and will try to fulfill my New Year resolution. I married recently and stopped smoking inside the house but still I was smoking half a packet of cigarettes everyday. I started smoking for a fun during my college days and it became habit and now I want to save my health by quitting the bad habit."
Fifty-year-old Abdul Muthalib, who smokes more than a packet of cigarettes daily quit smoking on the New Year's eve. He said, "I decided to quit smoking on the New Year day. My room-mate was admitted to a hospital due to health problems. He was a chain smoker and doctors warned him about the harms of smoking. Since he can't smoke, and If I smoke in front of him he may start smoking again, and I will become partially responsible for his ill health."
Although many people are taking New Year resolutions, but all of them are not confident about the success of their goals. Mohammed the owner of Abu Moosa Grocery said most of the smokers return to their bad habits later, but women smokers succeed more when they decide to quit smoking or lose weight.
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