The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has announced that its Opening Night gala film will be W., the controversial biopic of George W. Bush by maverick Hollywood director Oliver Stone. Stone who will attend the Opening Night gala, has described W. as an attempt to trace seminal events in the American president’s life, offering a ‘behind-the-scenes’ view of Bush’s development as a person and as a politician.




Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director, stated: “W. is one of the great films of 2008, and we are happy to open DIFF with a film of topical relevance to so many of us. We are honoured that Mr. Stone will be in attendance to introduce the film, and are confident that DIFF audiences will respond favourably.”




The film is a veritable who’s who of Hollywood, starring Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) in the title role, Elizabeth Banks (Definitely Maybe; Spiderman 3) who plays Laura Bush, Richard Dreyfuss (Poseidon) as Dick Cheney, Thandie Newton (RocknRolla) as Condoleeza Rice, and Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) as former First Lady Barbara Bush. 2007 DIFF guest, American-Arab actor Sayed Badreya (AmericanEast), also appears in the film—as former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.




Stone has ventured into presidential territory before, with 1995’s Nixon. However, he has never attempted the task while the subject was still in office, a fact that has caused mixed reactions in the United States.




DIFF 2008 runs for eight days from December 11 to 18, 2008.

The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced the stunning lineup of its Cinema of the World segment, which pairs heavy-hitting international stars like Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Vigo Mortenson, with independent gems from Iceland to Sri Lanka and everywhere in between. Sheila Whitaker, Director of International Programming, expanded on the selections - “Cinema of the World provides us the opportunity to gather together both the high-budget studio films like Australia, or Che, Steven Soderbergh’s massive bio of Che Guevara, and the extremely interesting, smaller films that turn heads on the festival circuit. Viewers who enjoy engaging with a diverse range of films should certainly review Cinema of the World.




The Gala of this section is Danny Boyle’s (Trainspotting, The Beach) Slumdog Millionaire, the audience pleasing tale of Jamal, an 18-year old tea boy at a call centre in Mumbai who is one question away from the top prize in the Indian version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ So unbelievable is the prospect of Jamal’s win that the authorities interrogate him, and we embark on a colourful journey through his life, learning just how he managed to answer all the quiz show’s questions correctly.




Cinema of the World comprises the most anticipated cinematic events of the year: Baz Luhrmann’s eagerly-awaited epic Australia is a sweeping historical romance set in Australia during World War Two, starring Nicole Kidman as aristocratic Lady Sarah, who inherits a cattle station in Northern Australia. When she and a drover (Hugh Jackman) are faced with a grueling cattle drive, they become entwined in a romance that changes their lives.




Steven Soderbergh's hefty biopic Che relates how revolutionary Che Guevara became one of the key political figures of the 20th century. Soderbergh's magisterial narrative features a blue-chip performance from Benicio del Toro, which makes the four-hour film a compelling experience.




A gala presentation at this year’s Cannes Festival, Blindness is an arresting tale of a world paralyzed by a blindness epidemic.




Julianne Moore, the wife of a doctor (Mark Ruffalo), is immune to the illness. As the government tries to stop the spread of contagion, sufferers are sent to prisons, where as the only sighted prisoner, the doctor’s wife witnesses the horrific effects of social breakdown.




Acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream) brings The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke in the title role. Washed-up wrestler Randy’s glory days are behind him, yet he continues to fight to connect with his alienated daughter (Rachel Evan Wood) and an (apparently) cold-hearted stripper (Marisa Tomei). Ultimately, Randy’s biggest fight is the one he has with himself.




Michael Winterbottom’s Genova, stars Colin Firth as head of a bereaved family try to begin a new life in Genova, Italy. A young girl begins to see a strange figure around the city, which she believes is her mother’s ghost. Visionary filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow brings The Hurt Locker, an intense portrayal of elite bomb disposal soldiers in Iraq whose group is newly led by a reckless sergeant.




Three inspiring documentaries delve into the lives of very different, but equally remarkable, people. Valentino: The Last Emperor is an intimate and revealing portrait of one of the greatest couturiers of the 20th century. Yes, Madam Sir is the fascinating story of India’s first policewoman, the trail-blazing Kiran Bedi. Chevolution charts how Albert Korda’s portrait of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara became one of the most recognizable images on the planet.




Two other documentaries offer fascinating glances into different social milieux. Intimidades De Shakespear Y Victor Hugo (Shakespeare and Victor Hugo’s Intimacies) uncovers the story of Jorge Riosse, who exerted a profound influence in the life of the filmmaker’s grandmother, and whose stay at her house coincided with many grisly murders in the district. Black Nation takes an uncompromising look at what Mats Hjelm calls America’s "black male genocide". Two trailblazing documentary-style films push the boundaries of cinema - set in a poor Parisian neighbourhood, Entre Les Murs (The Class) is a brave film that delivers an unflinching account of life for foreign-born children at a school in a Parisian suburb, while Hunger recounts IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands’ 66-day starvation in prison in 1981.




Actor/director Ed Harris gets behind the camera for Appaloosa, a tale of the old West. Virgil (Harris), along with Everett, (Viggo Mortensen), ride into a remote town terrorized by a wealthy local rancher. The French graphic-novel hero Largo Winch gets a big-screen makeover in a dark story of suspense. A highly unusual crime thriller blending love and dreams of escape in Belgrade, Ljubav I Drugi Zlocini (Love and Other Crimes) introduces Anica, who is so bored with life that she steals from her gangster boyfriend Milutin’s ill-gotten gains.




The limits of human experience epitomize three of the films - the debut feature Snijeg (Snow) tackles the bitter aftermath of the Bosnian ethnic cleansing of the mid 1990’s through the story of the town of Slavno, Summer depicts best friends in their mid 30’s uncovering the emotional foundations of their friendship and Ballast is an intense story from the Mississippi Delta. Six-year old Inti’s efforts to try to comprehend the adult world is complicated by his crazy mother who takes him on the road in the Argentinean film Salamandra.





Three humorous tales of family life take the hard edge off the segment’s offerings: Ping-Pongkingen (King of Ping Pong) takes us into the miserable, uncertain world of Rille, an overweight teenager for whom daily life is a dreary routine of bullying. However, Rille has a sanctuary where he reigns supreme – the local table-tennis centre. In Momma’s Man, new father Mikey stops off at his parents’ house in New York. His parents assume he is making a regular visit, but Mikey finds himself avoiding going back to the adult world. In Sveitabruokaup (Country Wedding), a family wedding in Iceland features the most dysfunctional wedding guests since Muriel’s Wedding.

Emaar Properties Chairman Mohamed Alabbar urged children to devote more time to read meaningful stories that inspire creativity and independent thinking. He was reading stories to students at the Al Khulood Kindergarten, where he was a ‘Dubai Cares’ Mystery Reader in support of the recently launched Million Book Challenge to encourage students across the UAE to read one million books in two weeks. The campaign ended on November 16, 2008 and Dubai Cares asked all parents to submit the final tally of books read by their children to the school by November 17.




Alabbar was accompanied by the children’s television character ‘Bob the Builder’, who was provided to Dubai Cares by Global Village. The students at Al Khulood have, to date, read over 1,000 books, averaging 11 books per child. Alabbar joins a group of prominent members of the community supporting the Dubai Cares initiative by visiting schools throughout the country to read a book.




Alabbar said: “Reading opens up one’s mind and enables us to think creatively. The Million Book Challenge by Dubai Cares is a powerful initiative that will bring long-lasting benefits as it instills in children - during their formative years - the importance of reading. In our knowledge-driven era, it is crucial to focus the attention of children on traditional avenues of knowledge like reading, which assures the active engagement of the mind.”




Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: “The success of the Million Book Challenge has been possible because of the hard work and effort of students and children throughout the community and because of the involvement of role models such as Mr. Alabbar, who helped Dubai Cares drive this initiative forward.”




The Million Book Challenge invites all students aged 3-14 years to collectively read one million books in two weeks. For each book read, Dubai Cares will purchase and donate a book in the local language to needy children around the world. The distribution of books will be managed by organizations, including Arab NGO’s throughout the region.




Stacked atop one another, one million books is, conservatively, four kilometres high, which is five times the height of Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world. Each evening, Dubai Cares beams the total number of books read on Burj Dubai, which is being used as a visual thermometer, to mark the campaign’s progress towards its goal.




Residents and visitors in the UAE can also contribute to strengthening literacy around the world by sponsoring a book for AED10 each by calling 800 DXB CARES or at participating bookstores.




Considered the largest charitable establishment solely devoted to improving primary education globally, Dubai Cares is actively addressing the educational needs of more than four million children worldwide through partnerships with international aid agencies.




For more information on this year’s volunteer campaign, please visit www.dubaicares.ae.

Global Village, a member of Tatweer Dubai, and the premier culture and entertainment destination for families, opened its doors on Wednesday, 12 November, for another season of spectacular multicultural entertainment that will last for 102 days. The 13th edition of Global Village will run until 21 February, 2009 and witness the participation of 31 country pavilions, including two new entrants, Iraq and Oman. The longer duration of the season comes in response to the popular demand from enthusiastic residents and visitors to extend the colourful offerings of the festival for more number of families and children from across the region and beyond.




Abdul Redha Ali Bin Redha, Global Village Project Director, said: “The new season at Global Village will offer an unforgettable and lavish experience for visitors, including top notch facilities and spectacular entertainment shows spotlighting the customs and cultures from all over the world.




“As with every year, we aim to introduce innovative elements and attractions with an objective to exceed audience expectations. This year, we have endeavoured to incorporate new activities to enhance our loyal patron’s experience of the much awaited calendar event.”




For the first time this season, Global Village will host the Guinness World Records Pavilion, which will provide visitors with exciting opportunities to participate and set new records in a variety of categories.




Hosting an exciting schedule of activities and entertainment including 40 fun fair rides, the fun quotient of Global Village will also be raised through the presence and delightful participation of international children’s characters of Barney TM, Thomas the Tank Engine TM, Bob the Builder TM and Pingu TM the Penguin at the “Friends from The Little Big Club” attraction. Themed outlets featuring a series of popular cartoon characters, including those from the UAE’s very own animation production Freej, will also be part of this season’s Global Village.




Another new attraction this season will be the Italian gondolas, traditional Venetian rowing boats, which have been specially designed for Global Village. Ten of these boats steered by operators in traditional Egyptian uniform will traverse the lake every day, each with a four-passenger capacity, offering a scenic ride and an overall view of Global Village’s attractions. A return trip will cost AED10 per person, while children under three can ride for free. All passengers will be provided with life-jackets.




Ali Bin Redha added: “The Global Village brings together diverse customs, cultures and entertainment shows, covering a broad spectrum of activities including music, goods, dances, arts and handicrafts, theatre, costumes, cuisine and food from different parts of the world.”




The entertainment events will include the World Culture Stage, showcasing premiere entertainment from around the world. Featured on the lake will be the “Beach Adrenaline” Jet-Ski Show, which will provide nightly thrills with exciting stunts from a team of internationally awarded jet-ski champions. Additionally, a Lantern Festival (Festival of Lights) - an array of specially created Chinese lanterns - will beautify the entire park including the entrances and canal to create a wonderful festive ambience throughout the entire destination.




Located in Dubailand on the Emirates Road, the Global Village is anticipated to welcome at least five million visitors during the 102 days of fun and entertainment




this season, exceeding the 4.5 million footfall registered during the 2007-08 edition.




Since inception in 1996, Global Village has evolved into a premier regional venue, celebrating diverse cultures, cuisine and commerce from around the world and a family destination for unlimited entertainment.




For more info about the events and shows, please call 04-3624114 or visit the website www.globalvillage.ae

Arabian Radio Network (ARN), the region's fastest growing radio network and communications service, launched a breast cancer awareness campaign titled ‘The Pink Drive’ across its nine radio stations. Focusing on preventive measures and early detection techniques to reduce fatalities, the awareness campaign ran for 23 days, from 29 October - 20 November.




ARN has partnered with Medcentre to provide free screening by a female general physician to 1,000 listeners at its various locations in the UAE. Each radio station is giving away 120 check-ups during the campaign period. Listeners are being invited to register for check up throughout the day whereby they can text in a short code announced on each channel, or log on to www.arnonline.com and choose one of the nine micro-sites available for each radio station.




Steve Smith, Chief Operating Officer of ARN, said: “As one of the most prevalent types of cancers disgnosed among women, breast cancer can prove fatal if left undetected in the early stages. Through our partnership with Medcenter, ‘The Pink Drive’ campaign aims to fight a disease that affects women and can devastate their families more than any other ailment.




“We believe by combining the reach of one of the largest radio networks with the expertise of Medcentre’s highly qualified medical practitioners, this partnership will emphasise the significance of preventive measures including ways to encourage women to opt for regular screenings.”

The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destinations, hosts the first Middle East store of Waitrose, ‘Britain’s best high street retailer.’ The Dubai Mall location is also the first Waitrose outside the United Kingdom. The 55,300 sq ft store will be the largest supermarket in Downtown Burj Dubai, and will showcase Waitrose’s extensive range of quality food products. Located on the Lower Ground level, the same level as car parking, the store is accessible and convenient for all mall visitors.




Waitrose has entered into a licensing agreement with Fine Fare Food Market LLC to open the store in The Dubai Mall. A second Waitrose store will open at the Dubai Marina Mall, which is currently being constructed for opening towards the end of this year.




Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall, said: “The Dubai Mall is bringing in several new retail experiences to the Middle East region. Waitrose joins a league of international retailers like Galeries Lafayette, Bloomingdale’s and Hamleys, who make their Middle East debut at the mall.”




He added: “Waitrose has tremendous brand equity, and will appeal to a wide spectrum of shoppers. The opening of Waitrose is a reflection of The Dubai Mall’s objective of bringing in as many unique shopping experiences as possible to the city.”




Waitrose at The Dubai Mall has been designed by London-based design consultancy Kinnersley Kent Design to reflect the ambience of a Waitrose supermarket in Britain and to cater for the specific needs of the target market in the UAE. The store will offer an assortment of Waitrose branded products as well as locally sourced products to meet the needs of the Dubai customer demographic.




The product range includes fresh and frozen foods, delicatessen, cheese, fresh fish, meat, patisserie and hot food counters. Considering local tastes and traditions, Waitrose at The Dubai Mall will only sell-certified Halal food in the main store arena. A fully-functional scratch bakery; interactive butchery and fishmongers and a market-style fresh fruit and vegetable area will underscore the Waitrose commitment to freshness. The store will also carry a selected range of John Lewis non-food products.




Located in Downtown Burj Dubai, billed as the new heart of the city, The Dubai Mall is a 12 million sq ft complex featuring 1,200 retail stores and over 160 F&B outlets. The world-class Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre and the world’s largest indoor Gold Souk are among the opening day attractions.

Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, announced today a new travel insurance service “Travel Secure,” aimed at providing its passengers with greater peace of mind when they travel. This optional service will start with an initial cost of US$5 one way or US$10 for a return trip (excluding taxes). The inexpensive and easily accessible service follows other recent Air Arabia initiatives, including new early check-in procedures and a pre-assigned seat selection service.




“Travel Secure” is offered by Air Arabia in association with AIG companies under their internationally renowned “AIG TravelGuard” suite of products. Air Arabia passengers can currently take advantage of this new insurance service via the Air Arabia website. In future, the service will be available through all booking channels, including call centres, travel agents and sales shops.




“Air Arabia is committed to providing a range of convenient services for all our customers,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department. “’Travel Secure’ insurance provides passengers thorough coverage throughout all Air Arabia destinations.”




Osama Abdeen, Executive Vice President – Middle East Region of AIG MEMSA, said: “Delivering peace of mind is at the heart of the promise by AIG Companies to their customers. This unique partnership with Air Arabia is part of our strategy to provide enhanced value to passengers from which they can benefit during the tenure of their travel. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Air Arabia.”




AIG Travel Guard's “Travel Secure” offers coverage against trip cancellation, loss of baggage, flight delay, personal accident and 24-hour emergency medical assistance service anytime during the trip.

The coloured stones market is set to expand, faster than other jewellery categories in the next five years, according to a new survey released by the Dubai Gems Club (DGC), a subsidiary of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). The findings of the survey were released at the ICA International Gem Fair 2008, the region’s first dedicated coloured stones trade show, being held in Dubai.




The research, a first for the region’s coloured stones industry, was commissioned by the DGC and carried out by the US-based Jewelry Industry Research Institute and UAE-based BUZ Consulting.




Key research findings reveal that of the projected jewellery sales mix over the next three years, coloured stones will account for 26 per cent of total jewellery sales in Dubai by 2011. Whilst historical sales data is not recorded, it is estimated that coloured stones sales currently represent a small percentage of overall jewelry sales.




“The ready availability of statistics and market data have become critical in today’s information age, as they facilitate business leaders in making timely decisions that could impact the future of an organisation,” said Gaiti Rabbani, Executive Director, Coloured Stones and Pearls Division, DMCC. “Dubai has taken a proactive step through this new research commissioned by DMCC. This report will become a significant tool for existing jewellery businesses in Dubai and new entrants to the market. ”




Rabbani added: “The driver for the growing demand for coloured stones is today’s fashion conscious consumer, who seeks unique jewellery varieties. The versatility of coloured stones provides a great opportunity for designing exclusive jewellery pieces.”




On a global basis, the market for all gemstones stands at US$80 billion, representing 55 per cent of total global jewellery industry sales. The global gemstone market includes roughly US$10billion of coloured stones and US$70 billion of diamonds and diamond jewellery.




The survey also reveals that coloured stones trade is expected to grow at around six per cent annually by 2010, in comparison to the growth rate of diamonds, gold and all other forms of jewellery.




Kenneth Gassman, Founder & President of Jewelry Research Institute of America (JRIA), said: “The projections show that the coloured stones market will post exceptionally strong above-average growth over the next decade, both in Dubai and the Gulf region, as well as globally. Coloured stones jewellery demand is expected to surpass demand for other jewellery categories. Dubai is particularly well-positioned to take advantage of the increased trading requirements of this rapidly growing jewellery segment and further capitalize on the growing tourism market.”




In further findings, coloured gemstone dealers cited that rubies, sapphires and emeralds were the fastest selling coloured gemstones, comprising 44 per cent, 28 per cent and 24 per cent respectively of their gemstone inventory. Traders and consumers also highlighted their preference for oval shaped coloured stones set in 18 karat white and yellow gold.




The survey consisted of interviews with 50 traders as well as over 100 consumers comprising jewellery shoppers in Dubai. The survey was released at the ICA International Gem Fair Dubai 2008. This event, held under the patronage of DMCC, was organised by the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) and supported by the Middle East GemBureau.

Keeping in mind the huge James Bond fan club in the UAE, du, the UAE’s integrated telecom operator is offering its customers mobile content from Sony’s upcoming new James Bond movie ‘Quantum of Solace'. du has an exclusive partnership with Sony Pictures through its agreement with Hungama Mobile. To compliment this offering, du has also introduced a limited edition ‘Bond’ SIM pack. This was announced during GITEX 2008, the premiere IT and telecom event in the region.




‘Quantum of Solace’ is scheduled to be released in the UAE on 7 November and is the 22nd movie of the famous fictional character James Bond and his high-octane adventures.




Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “We are constantly raising the bar to bring the latest mobile content to our customers. Our partnership with Hungama and Sony Pictures allows us the unique opportunity to offer exclusive James Bond content and promotions, which means they can catch the James Bond action on their mobiles as well as on the big screen. Our promise is to add life to life and we can assure our customers we will continue to do so in new and innovative ways.”




This is the third time du offers exclusive Hollywood mobile content, following the launches of ‘Spiderman 3’ and ‘Surf’s Up’ last year. The exclusive mobile content comprises wallpapers, ringtones, animations, videos and games. du's mobile content is available to both existing and new customers.




Existing du customers can download a range of wallpapers, ringtones and other exciting mobile content from the ‘Quantum of Solace’ zone on MyWorld (http://myworld.du.ae) – du’s mobile portal. du customers can also access the Quantum of Solace zone by simply sending a SMS with the text ‘bond’ to short code 1007.




Callertune subscribers can set music from the movie as their caller tune by calling 156 from their du line. Those who do not have the service activated can call 135 to activate.




Limited Edition ‘Bond’ SIM Pack
du has gone one step ahead to introduce a Limited edition ‘Bond’ themed SIM pack which is available at all du shops for a special price of AED 65 effective 2 November 2008. This SIM pack comes with its own James Bond packaging and contains a content card that gives access to exclusive James Bond mobile content worth AED 65. This SIM pack will be available only in du Shops till stocks last. Availability will be announced through press ads shortly.




Loads of movie tickets to win
Each content download from the Quantum of Solace zone offers a chance for du customers to win a movie voucher (comprising two movie tickets) for the movie ‘Quantum of Solace’ playing at any Cinestar outlet in the UAE. Customers can also win by subscribing to the Caller tune service by calling 135, or by subscribing to any of the Mobile TV packages by sending ‘dutv’ (to subscribe to the entire bouquet of 23 Mobile TV channels) or ‘du1tv’ (to




subscribe to one Mobile TV channel) to 1155. Customers will pay AED80 per month for the entire bouquet of Mobile TV channels and only AED10 per month for the 1 channel subscription. A total of 55 movie vouchers (110 tickets) are on offer daily. du would be announcing the launch of these exciting promos shortly through press ads




Recharge and win loads of attractive James Bond merchandise :
du Pay as you Go , Pay as you Go plus, Visitor Mobile customers can also win exciting James Bond merchandise by recharging at least once with a recharge denomination of AED 50 and above. Each recharge instance gives customers the chance to win an exciting array of merchandise in a specially designed James Bond kit. du will be announcing the launch of this promotion through press ads.

Over 100 exhibitors from the coloured stones industry representing more than 20 countries converged today in Dubai for the ICA International Gem Show Dubai 2008. Held for the first time in the Middle East, this three-day exhibition held under the patronage of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), is being organised by the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) and supported by the Middle East GemBureau.




The show features major gemstones buyers and manufacturers from Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey Russia and the USA. Exhibitors have to be members of ICA or Dubai Gems Club and sign an ethics agreement, a step which is being taken to foster buyer confidence. While the first two days are dedicated to trade, a consumer day will be conducted on the last day of the exhibition where the general public can view and purchase exquisite jewellery pieces between 10am and 9pm.




Addressing the conference, Gaiti Rabbani, Executive Director, Coloured Stones and Pearls Division, DMCC said: “We are very pleased with the response received for this gem show which underlines Dubai’s position as a new global hub for the trade of cut and rough coloured gemstones.”




ICA is a non-profit trade association, representing the international coloured gemstone industry in 46 countries worldwide. With over 500 members, ICA partners with industry bodies and organisations to foster growth and networking opportunities in the coloured stones industry.




Andrew Cody, President of the ICA, said: “Being strategically located amidst international trade flows, Dubai has emerged as an important centre for precious commodities trade. In addition, the Government of Dubai and DMCC’s role in particular in further developing the coloured stones trade has clearly positioned Dubai as the ideal location for a dedicated trade fair.




“Devised on a format that is completely different from other trade fairs, the ICA Gem Show Dubai 2008 provides a professional networking environment for creating long-term business partnerships from across the value chain of the global coloured stones industry. This will be a compact and luxurious show where buyers will have confidence that they are dealing with ethical traders,” Cody added.




The ICA International Gem Show is currently being held at the Al Bustan Hotel and features leading names from the coloured stones industry such as K Brunini Jewels, JOEB Enterprises, Canelhas, Pink Stone and Tavares Gems.

Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai, Khushii (Kinship for Humanitarian, Social and Holistic Intervention in India), a leading NGO from India, has partnered with Al Noor Centre for Special Needs Children to stage ‘Art with a smile, India on Canvas,’ an art charity auction with a difference. The event, making its debut in Dubai, will be held on November 28th, 2008 at the Madinat Jumeirah.




‘Art with a Smile’ will pair renowned achievers from different walks of life with successful and talented artists from the sub-continent and the UAE to jointly create a customised piece of art that will then be auctioned. Proceeds from the auction will be jointly shared between Khushii and the Al Noor Centre, and will be utilized in the areas of health, education and empowerment.




The auction, to be conducted by Christies, will include a special presentation by globally renowned pianist Richard Clayderman for a select audience. Al Naboodah Automobiles, Audi and Dubai First have confirmed their support towards the novel event.




“Khushii and Al Noor have taken this step together as the first initiative towards Khushii’s global vision to create the world‘s first NGO forum that will provide aid to areas affected by global calamities. Khushii has always had the drive to fulfil our vision of a just and equitable social order through the provision of sustainable livelihood,” commented Kapil Dev, Chairman of Khushii.




Up to 60 pieces of art along with a specially commissioned Audi A4 and a Murano from Ajmal will be auctioned during the event. Some of the biggest names in the global art fraternity along with leading eminent personalities, including Bollywood celebrities, senior government officials and leading industrialists have joined hands for this noble cause. Some of the pairings include Abdullah Shaibani and Masab Al Rais, Tamjid Abdullah and Hasna Abubaker, H.E. Sheikha Lubna and Mohammed Qassab, Dr. Ram Buxani and Suvaprasana, and K. Rajaram and Sanjay Bhattacharya.




Mr. Khalid Al Halyan, Chairman of Al Noor, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Khushii, an organization that works towards improving the lives of the underprivileged and less fortunate. ‘Art with a Smile’ will be an effective catalyst in bridging the gap between various segments of the society, bringing them towards a common cause of global concern and reaffirming the power of the individual and the perseverance of the human spirit.”




“In times like these, where practically anything is possible, it is our responsibility as human beings to strive for the greater good of human kind. We must do what we can for the wellbeing of people of all ages, genders and races. Adopting initiatives that fulfil our creative desires and give us an opportunity to give back to society is just a small step toward creating awareness and support for global causes,” said Vandana Luthra, President of Khushii.




The event has generated a lot of interest and excitement in the previous editions, attracting various luminaries from Bollywood and the corporate world including Amitabh Bahchan, Jaya Bachan, Ratan Tata, Sunil Mittal, Vijay Mallya, Abhishek Bachan, Tina Ambani and Ritu Kumar, among others.




Khushii has already set the road map to begin a new chapter in Dubai in support of its charitable ventures in India & world over. Since its establishment in 2003, Khushii has contributed to health care, sustainability, rural development, remedial education, care for the aged, and investment in government infrastructure.




The Al Noor Centre for Children with Special Needs opened its doors on the 21st of November 1981, helping eight children. Today the centre takes care of 220 children with special needs. Its goal is to integrate its students into society and equip them with important life skills.