Mwasalat shares Salalah Tourism Festival promotion

Source: Mwasalat. Timetable for bus trips to and from Salalah over the period of the Salalah Tourism Festival 2017.

The National Transport Company of Oman (Mwasalat) announces that it will be offering special offers and promotions during the Salalah Tourism Festival 2017, and will increase trips to Salalah from three to four trips throughout the festival.

The festival is timed to coincide with the khareef season, to celebrate the monsoon that lasts from June to early September - when greenery is at its most lush in the area.

Mwasalat plans to mobilise a record number of crew during the festival period.

Mwasalat offers free Wi-Fi in the buses along the routes from Muscat to Salalah. The first trip will depart at 7am and the last at 8pm.

Interested?

The festival begins on 30 June and will run through to 31 August 2017. Mwasalat will provide 180 seats per trip daily. There will be a discount for group bookings. Customers get a 5th ticket free if they buy four tickets. Children under the age of 2 may travel free.

Oman Air has separately announced an experience for the mountains of Oman and Salalah. Book by 15 July for travel to be completed by 31 August. Prices are quoted on the site for flying in from various cities in the GCC with a stay at the Al Fanar in Salalah. The Eid vacation package is also available, but must be booked for travelling before 30 June 2017. To book, call Oman Air Holidays at +968 2453 1000

Ajman Liwa Dates Festival to delight the palate from July 27 to 29

Source: ATDD website. Dates for sale.

The Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) is holding the Liwa Ajman Dates Festival from July 27 to 29 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman.

A popular heritage festival, the Liwa Ajman Dates Festival is aimed at promoting the importance of the date palm (nakheel) in the life of the people living in the region, and is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors this year.

Preparations are well underway to showcase the finest produce of local date farmers in the emirate. The festival will also include mangoes and lemons for the first time. Faisal Al Nuaimi, GM, ATDD, said, "Preparations are underway to bring the third edition of Ajman Liwa Dates Festival to the emirate. We are meeting with the sponsors and organisers to make this festival a huge success. We will be announcing more details about the event in a few days and we’d like to invite our local date farmers to prepare and exhibit their finest produce."


The event is also aimed at boosting tourism in Ajman, allowing visitors to discover unique varieties of dates and providing an opportunity for date enthusiasts and gardeners to meet and interact. A variety of competitions and cultural events held, including discussions on how to care for the date palm and improve production.



Interested?

The Liwa Ajman Dates Festival will be held at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality in Ajman

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about the benefits of dates

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has an introduction to selected date varieties, somewhat skewed towards Europe and Israel

posted from Bloggeroid

Qatar Tourism Authority announces Eid festivities and Qatar Summer Festival

Source: QSF website.

The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is preparing for a season of festivities, including the Eid al-Fitr celebrations and Qatar Summer Festival (QSF), the Qatar News Agency (QNA) has reported.

QTA has organised five days of Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Qatar. "The celebrations begin on the first day of Eid under the theme Capture Joy and will offer a variety of entertainment activities at venues across Qatar, including sports organisations, malls, cultural landmarks and Qatar National Theatre," said Rashed al-Qurese, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer, according to the QNA.

Visitors to the malls will enjoy family entertainment shows such as: Alice in Wonderland (City Center Doha), Sleeping Beauty (Dar Al Salam), The Little Mermaid (Ezdan Mall), Snow White (Lagoona Mall), Iftah Ya Simsim (Hyatt Plaza) and Dora’s Friendship Fiesta (Al Khor Mall). There will be parades in the participating shopping malls between 5pm and 10pm, featuring drummers, walkabout birds, Koka stilt walkers and live 'statues'.

Other shows, which will be on rotation at Qatar’s malls throughout Eid, include Doctor Bubble, Equilibrium on the Reels, Comedy Show, Tanoura Performance, Ardha Traditional Dance, Oriental Dabke and Kids Magician.
The children’s play The Hunter and the Pirates will be on show at Al Rayyan Theatre in Souq Waqif between 4.30 and 6.30pm, with ticket prices ranging from QR30 to QR300.

QTA’s partners will be putting on a wide variety of cultural and entertainment offerings, including live entertainment at Katara – the Cultural Village starting at 6.30pm and culminating in a firework spectacle at 9.30pm.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al-Thani Museum will be offering free tours while horse riding sessions will be available at the Al Samariyah Equestrian Centre.

A wide variety of entertainment options will take centre stage as well at Aqua Park, Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve, The Pearl-Qatar and Aspire Zone Foundation.

The Qatar Air Sports Committee will offer aerial paragliding tours at Sealine Beach.

With the theme Colour Your Summer, QSF offers a variety of colourful experiences under the entertainment, dining, culture, shopping, outdoor categories. Tincluding concerts, comedy events and sports events involving celebrities from across the region. The third edition of the QSF will also feature a range of attractions such as special hotel rates, cultural events, shopping promotions and weekly raffles with prizes worth up to QR2 million. The month-long celebration will start on August 1 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Hotels will be offering special packages such as ‘pay for two nights and stay for three’ in hotels, and ‘pay for five nights and stay for six’ in hotel apartments. Participating hotels include the City Centre Rotana Doha, Four Seasons Hotel Doha and the Intercontinental Doha - The City. Select establishments will provide additional promotions including free breakfasts, late checkouts, free meals for children when accompanied by their parents (a maximum of three children per family) and free transfers to and from Hamad International Airport. These offers are also available to residents booking during the same period.
 
QSF’s Entertainment City at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) is also set to return, and will feature a range of new gaming and entertainment options.

Interested?

Browse QSF activities

View the list of participating hotels for QSF. Use the code QSF2016 to book 

Ramadan Night Market 2016 in Dubai comes round from 23 June

Source: Ramadan Night Market website. 

The annual Ramadan Night Market, organised by Sumansa Exhibitions, will run from 23 June to 2 July 2016 at Za'abeel Hall 4 and 5, Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE. According to the organisers, no other similar event is held during Ramadhan in Dubai. Over 125,000 visitors are expected over the 10 days of the show.

The Market will offer products and brands from around the region, including for clothing, accessories, health and beauty, perfumes, electronics, children's items, crafts, and travel services. The event will also feature food, a Kids Play Area with activities such as face painting, sand art, and bouncy castles, and games such as rodeo bull, basketball and spin the wheel for evening entertainment. An Arabic themed Majlis and a henna painting section round out the facilities.

Interested?

The Ramadan Night Market is open from 8pm to 2am at a cost of AED5 per entry for those five years old and above. Entry is free to those younger than five.

Eighteenth Chand Raat Eid Festival set for July in four Australian locations

The 18th Chand Raat Eid Festival (CREF) is a multicultural celebration which will offer a fair and food with up to 300 exhibitors in three different locations in 2016. ‘Chand raat’, means ‘night of the moon', marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan and eve of the Eid-Al-Fitr holiday, and is open for everyone without religious or cultural boundaries.

The aim of the CREF is to promote culture, friendship and harmony through the traditional celebrations. The event engages multicultural communities and Australians across Australia as the events are being held in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The festival is an opportunity for families to get together. The community groups, individuals, and business community place variety of stalls containing promotions of business, services, handicrafts, art, painting, clothes, jewellery, henna, bangles, shoes, toys and large variety of ethnic food.

The festival also provides children amusements and rides and live multicultural performances. CREF encourages and provides an opportunity for individuals, families and small business owners to introduce, exhibit and sell their products and services to thousands of attendees. CREF, being a non-alcoholic family event, provides fantastic opportunity to families and youth to enjoy wonderful amusements, entertainment activities and delicious variety of foods.

The CREF was first held in 1998 in the Sydney Suburb of Lakemba. since then, it has been the fastest growing multicultural events in Australia. Last year, (2015) over 60,000 visitors and over 350 exhibitors participated in the four events held in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Interested?

Perth: 5 July, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, WA. About 10,000 visitors are expected.

Melbourne: 5 July, Broadmeadows Leisure Centre, Melbourne, VIC. About 5,000 visitors are expected.

Sydney: 6 July, Rosehill Gardens, Sydney, NSW. Some 25,000 visitors are expected.

Melbourne: 10 July, Springers Leisure Centre and Tatterson Park, Keysborough, VIC. About 20,000 visitors are expected.

Enquire about sponsorship or stall bookings

Qasr Al Hosn Festival expands programme for February 2016

Source: Qasr Al Hosn Festival. The 2015 festival attracted 120,000 visitors in 11 days.

The annual Qasr Al Hosn Festival is set to return to the UAE capital from February 3 to 13, 2016. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the 2016 festival will celebrate the Qasr Al Hosn's status as a historic monument and community hub, and honour the UAE’s founders and their leadership.

Qasr Al Hosn, which is the symbolic birthplace of the Emirate and home to Abu Dhabi’s ruling Al Nahyan family, continues to undergo a comprehensive process of preservation, restoration and rehabilitation. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), the festival narrates the ongoing conservation of the fort, and reinforces the Qasr Al Hosn site as the cultural heart of Abu Dhabi.

“Without exception, the Qasr Al Hosn Festival has grown to become a cultural highlight of the Emirate’s scene. As the symbolic birthplace of Abu Dhabi and a valuable monument of traditional Emirati heritage, Qasr Al Hosn's enduring legacy is reflected through this annual festival and is an opportunity for the community and visitors to gather and celebrate national history. We are sure the inspiring interactive programme will emphasise the nation's heritage and identity in a celebratory atmosphere,” said His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, TCA Abu Dhabi Chairman.

This year’s festival will present the outcome of the Conservation Management Plan for the urban block of Qasr Al Hosn including the fort, the National Consultative Council, and the Cultural Foundation Building. The fourth edition of the Qasr Al Hosn Festival will present ongoing conservation works and archaeological activities at the Fort, particularly the reinstatement of the 1940’s façade of the outer palace. 

The experience will conclude at the Qasr Al Hosn Centre where visitors can tour the Qasr Al Hosn Exhibition, which will provide insight on those who dwelled in the fort and explain the significance of the buildings, outlining how the historical context of Qasr Al Hosn is now shaping the area’s master plan.

The Festival’s popular Desert, Oasis, Marine and Abu Dhabi Island zones return, with interactive activations, re-enactments and workshops. An Arena Zone will house a series of performances and family-oriented activities dedicated to themes which reflect the cultural significance of the site on the development of the Emirate and its people.

The Festival will also include a lively hub of visual and performing arts programmes, workshops, cultural and interactive learning experiences. Parts of the Cultural Foundation will once again open to the public during the Festival days, and will host a series of educational and informative exhibitions and activities through a comprehensive public programme.

Abu Dhabi's Ramadan and Eid Festival opens in July

Source: Ramadan and Eid Festival website.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) will host a Ramadan and Eid Festival from 7 to 28 July. Organised by Al Multaqa Local and International Exhibitions, the festival is an opportunity for family shopping and entertainment after iftar in the evenings throughout Ramadhan. 

This year's event features larger shopping and entertainment areas in addition to the traditional performances, food and games. Special sections include arts and crafts, a heritage village, folk theatre, green products, and early learning zone. About 8,000 visitors a day are expected. 

International Coffee & Tea Festival 2015 to be held in Dubai in November

The International Coffee & Tea Festival, the only dedicated trade event for the coffee and tea industry in the Arab world, will be back again for a seventh edition. 

Source: International Conferences & Exhibitions.

Organised by International Conferences & Exhibitions, the next edition of the show will be held from November 11 to 13, 2015 at The Meydan Gallery and Convention Centre in Dubai.

The UAE has registered nearly 2,200 new café licenses in the last two years while more than 90 in-shop and large-scale coffee roasters are planning to open for business in the next 24 months. The country’s traditional coffee culture and an expanding tea market complement increasing investment in the café, coffee and tea businesses estimated to be worth between US$350 million and US$400 million, the show organisers said.
The 2015 International Coffee & Tea Festival will showcase all facets of coffee and tea and café products, equipment and services. Ryan Godinho, UAE’s National Liaison for World Coffee Events and Special Events Coordinator (Training & Championships) with the International Coffee & Tea Festival said: “The International Coffee and Tea Festival will be back again to address the challenges and strengths of the region’s growing coffee and tea industry. Only through exposure and competition will the quality of product and delivery improve. We need to more than double our efforts in bringing products that are constantly evolving as a result of ongoing research and development within this sector, into the region. Within the foreseeable future, Dubai will play a more active role in the world of coffee and tea.

“The Coffee & Tea Festival will also continue to focus on the career advancement of people working within the tea and coffee industry and at the same time provide entrepreneurs a platform to explore business opportunities within this lucrative industry.”

The International Coffee & Tea Festival is supported by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and World Coffee Events (WCE). It is the UAE’s only dedicated exhibition that showcases specialty coffee and tea products from around the world and attracts industry professionals from across the GCC, the MENA region, and the Indian sub-continent.

Halal Qatar Festival from February 28 to March 9

Katara Cultural Village.

Katara Cultural Village in Doha will be hosting the Halal Qatar Festival 2015 from February 28 to March 9. Organised by the Cultural Village Foundation Katara for the fourth consecutive year, the festival sees strong participation from around the Gulf.

Last year the festival focused on livestock and also featured crafts displays, traditional food, popular games and traditional music.
 
In 2015 the festival will run from 9am on February 28 to 10pm on March 9.

Al Ain Convention Centre to host Ramadan & Eid Fest 2015

Al Ain Convention Centre will host a Ramadan & Eid Festival 2015 on 28 July, 2015. To be open from 8pm to midnight, visitors to the Al Khabisi Hall in Al Ain, UAE, can shop for family-friendly consumer goods, gifts, Arabic food, toys and games, as well as enjoy traditional songs and dances.

Terengganu International Islamic Arts Festival showcases calligraphy this December

The Terengganu International Islamic Arts Festival will be held from 5 to 7 December in Terengganu, Malaysia at the Taman Tamadun Islam, or TTI Convention Centre.

Source: TTI Convention Center
website.

Workshops will be held on the first two days and a spontaneous calligraphy competition on the last day, with specific text from the Quran to be written out in naskh or thuluth Arabic scripts.

Prepared submissions have also been invited for specific text from the Quran, to be written in the naskh, thuluth, djeli thuluth or kufi calligraphic styles. There are open and school competition categories.

More information can be found here (Bahasa Malaysia). View the associated video on the 2013 event here.

Sharjah Ramadan Festival showcases emirate's Islamic culture

The Sharjah Ramadan Festival has highlighted Sharjah’s leading cultural role through its various pavilions, including the Islamic Book Exhibition, Ramadan Majlis, Islamic Heritage Village, Islamic Theatre, Art Bazaar, Spice Route Markets and Sakan Al Nofous.

With the participation of more than 65 international figures and 21 countries, Sharjah Ramadan includes more than 38 Islamic lectures and seminars in addition to seven Ramadhan sessions, four poetry and chanting evenings, six cultural cafes, five theatre performances, 47 art exhibitions and 59 art workshops.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Sharjah Islamic Culture Capital (SICC) 2014 celebrations, confirmed that the festival comprises numerous activities that mirror the cultural face of Sharjah. 

"I would like to express my deep pride in the beauty of Sharjah’s Islamic architecture, which lends deep spirituality to the emirate’s atmosphere,” added Dr Lana Mamkegh, Jordan's Minister of Culture. 

Praising the first-of-its-kind festival, Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Amri, Director of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), said: “Sharjah Ramadan comes as part of the emirate’s celebration of its crowning as the capital of Islamic culture, as well as of the holy month of Ramadhan. It comprises many events that reflect the richness of Arab-Islamic culture and harmonise with Sharjah’s cultural project, whose foundations have been laid by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.”

In addition to organising the Islamic Book Exhibition, with 127 publishers and 42 Mamluk Quran manuscripts, Al Amri noted that SIBF is holding three seminars as part of its contribution to Sharjah Ramadan. The seminars, namely “Undiscovered Islamic Heritage”, “Manuscripts: History and Civilisation” and “Sources of Recorded History”, are bolstered by the participation of experts and researchers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UK, US and Canada.

Sharjah Ramadan also includes the Ramadan Majlis, an annual event held by SMC for the purpose of strengthening social bonds and encouraging exchange of views through sessions that elaborate on different topics.

Osama Samra, Director of SMC, said: “This year’s Ramadan Majlis has been exceptional, given its coincidence with Sharjah Islamic Culture Capital 2014 celebrations. The sessions of the Majlis were carefully planned to reflect the emirate’s vision to promote dialogue, which is an Islamic principle and a mainstay of civilisational communication.

“The Ramadan Majlis has hosted international religious, intellectual and cultural figures as speakers.”

Among the other participants in Sharjah Ramadan is the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs, which is organising a variety of Islamic lectures.

Yusuf Hassan Al Hamadi, Head of the Preaching Section at the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs, explained: “The close connection between Ramadhan events and the selection of Sharjah, which is a symbol of Islamic culture and famous for disseminating knowledge, as the Islamic culture capital, has required the development of plans that manifest the truth and highlight reality.”

Al Hamadi indicated that the 25 lectures are delivered in multiple languages (Arabic, Urdu, English, Filipino, Chinese and Malabar) to cover the majority of residents in the UAE.

The Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) separately announced that it is staging a mobile exhibition at the Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2014 with contributions from the Sharjah Archeology Museum, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Sharjah Art Museum, the Sharjah Heritage Museum, the Sharjah Maritime Museum, the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum, the Al Mahatta Museum and the Sharjah Science Museum.

Source: Sharjah Museums Department website.

Titled ‘Travel through the land’, the exhibition presents objects from its top museums, chosen to explore mankind’s travels and journeys through time and space, from antiquity to the future, because of the need to survive, to trade, as a religious duty or as a result of mankind’s desire for new discovery and adventure. 

SMD launched a new publication at the Islamic Book Fair, Islamic Textiles from the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, on July 7. The publication is the second in a series highlighting masterpieces in the collections of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, for the first time introducing the religious textiles collected by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi in a comprehensive and academic way.

According to Arab News, the book highlights the kiswah, the covering of the Ka'abah, as one of the most important Islamic symbols, and features textiles from the 17th century to the 21st that have been created for Islam’s holiest places in the cities of Makkah and Madinah.

A video on the book featured on Geo News can be viewed here.

The exhibition remains open throughout Ramadhan from 8.30pm to 1.30am on weekdays and 8.30pm to 2am on weekends, and will continue through Eid from 5pm to 11pm. Admission to the Sharjah Expo Centre, where the Ramadan Festival is held, is free.