Sports
Four-year-old killed in desert safari accident
Four-year-old killed in desert safari accident Sajila Saseendran and Afkar Abdullah / 20 March 2014 Boy flung out as the 4WD in which the family was enjoying the desert safari turned turtle in the Madam area of Sharjah. A family picnic ended in disaster for an Indian couple when the vehicle in which they were enjoying a desert safari overturned on Tuesday evening, killing their only son instantly. The accident took place in a desert in the Madam area of Sharjah. Sources from the Dibba Hospital, where the boy was rushed to, confirmed that he was brought dead. “The paramedics in the ambulance had tried to revive the child. But, he was already dead,” said one official. The four-year-old boy, Pranav, was sitting on his mother Lakshmi’s lap when the four-wheel drive in which the family was dune-bashing met with the accident, the boy’s uncle told Khaleej Times . Pranav’s father Arun Kumar, a television cameraman who used to work for a prominent sports channel, and his brother Ajith Kumar organised the desert safari since their uncle and family had come over for a visit from India. While the brothers and their families travelled in one vehicle, the rest of the members were taken in another vehicle by the tour operator for dune bashing. “Our car had driven up a dune and it overturned when it was going down. I think the climb down the mound was steeper than what the driver assumed and he lost control,” said Ajith. He said the vehicle turned turtle a couple of times and Pranav was flung out of a side window due to the impact of the crash. He died of a head injury that caused profuse bleeding. All others, including Ajith’s two children, escaped with minor injuries. The Sharjah Police are investigating the case. The family’s friends remembered Pranav as a very smart and happy child. “They had just returned after a visit to India. That child was looking very cute after getting his head shaved in a famous temple,” said a family friend. He said that the boy was to start schooling in two weeks. “He had got admission in Delta School in Sharjah. This was not the first time they went for the desert safari. I think they have gone for it for some four to five times. It’s very tragic that his life was taken away like this,” he added. The shattered parents of the child are being taken care of by relatives and friends in Sharjah. The body of Pranav is likely to be flown to the family’s hometown in Alappuzha in the south Indian state of Kerala. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Executive council nod for Dubai medical tourism plan
Executive council nod for Dubai medical tourism plan (Wam) / 20 March 2014 The DEC members discussed the plan to transform Dubai into a global hub for health tourism as proposed by the Dubai Health Authority. The Dubai Executive Council (DEC) on Wednesday approved a plan to implement the strategy to turn Dubai into a world hub for medical tourism. Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed; and Abdulla Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Dubai Executive Council, at the council meeting on Wednesday. — Wam A meeting of the council chaired by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, also discussed a proposal to invest wisely the plots of land set aside for housing with the aim of earning sustainable profits to support the housing projects in the emirate and to give a backup to the government. The DEC members discussed the plan to transform Dubai into a global hub for health tourism as proposed by the Dubai Health Authority. According to the plan, Dubai would provide selected, distinctive and quality health services at competitive prices which would attract tourists visiting the emirate. The plan aims to build a system which would boost excellence in the field of healthcare, which would attract people willing to get curative services to the emirate of Dubai. The Dubai Health Authority has laid down a comprehensive strategy to achieve a number of investment targets in health tourism in six medical areas of specialisation, including dentistry, plastic surgery, ophthalmic surgery, general medical checkups, orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, in addition to recuperation and healing from skin diseases. The executive plan has been developed to include four main pillars: competition and prioritisation; Dubai’s global status; increasing the number of tourists and medical revenues through delivery of high-quality medical services; and achieving medical sustainability. The other proposals and projects discussed during the meeting included the investment of land allocated for housing to achieve a sustainable income to support housing projects and government’s support for these projects and providing sites for the delivery of public services near residential complexes that the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment has embarked on constructing. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Clusters of Light show in Sharjah for 4 days
Clusters of Light show in Sharjah for 4 days Afkar Abdullah / 20 March 2014 Operetta on Islamic history to be held for public on March 27, 28 and April 3, 4. Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Executive Committee Chairman for the Sharjah Islamic Culture Capital 2014 (SICC 2014) celebrations, on Tuesday shared some details and insights regarding Sharjah’s forthcoming musical spectacular “The Clusters of Light”. Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed announcing the details of The Clusters of Light show in Sharjah on Tuesday. — KT photo by M. Sajjad The show will be performed for the public on March 27 and 28, and April 3 and 4. The revelations came during a Press conference held in Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in the presence of Shaikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Head of the Projects Committee for the SICC 2014 celebrations. The conference was also attended by members of the Executive Committee for Sharjah’s celebrations for being declared the capital of Islamic culture, as well as prominent members of the crew and representatives of the media. Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed said: “The Clusters of Light is the culmination of the vision of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who ordained a work to be “recorded by history and engraved in memories of next generations”. “In presenting the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early story of Islam, it promotes humanitarian values of justice, brotherhood, love and peace. The Clusters of Light contains such dazzling elements that words fail to describe them. The efforts of the administrative, technical and artistic staff will leave an indelible imprint in the history of this epic,” he said. He added that the show will bring values of love, justice, tolerance and peace to the entire world. More than 750 people came together from various countries to produce an artwork that, as the Sharjah Ruler said, reminds us of the most important moments in the formation of the Islamic civilisation. Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed said that this first-ever performance at the new Al Majaz Open Theatre is Sharjah’s gift to the entire world: “By telling the story of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and clarifying the true nature of Islam, we hope we will enrich the world of ideas, highlight the civilising aspects of Islamic culture and irrigate the intellects of present and future generations,” he said. Khalid Al Shaikh, Bahraini artist who composed The Clusters of Light, commended the “spring of culture” currently being enjoyed by Sharjah. Christian Steinhauser, German musician and conductor of the Global German Orchestra that completed recordings of the momentous operetta, said the last six months of his life were the most important in his career. He co-operated with 50 musicians and 20 sound engineers from around the world to offer a spiritual and emotional soundtrack inspired by Islamic history. Steinhauser said that admiration for the biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) helped the team produce a monumental artwork about Islam in a short period of time. The audience watched a short film about Al Majaz Theatre, which will host the first performance of the world’s greatest oratorio of Islam, The Clusters of Light, on March 26. The theatre will be the official headquarters of the Sharjah Capital of Islamic Culture 2014 Celebrations. Tickets are available at http://www.ticketmaster.ae/ and at selected outlets across the UAE. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
