Tag Archives: city
Refugee food task much taller than the Burj Khalifa
Refugee food task much taller than the Burj Khalifa Nivriti Butalia / 1 June 2013 Building the Burj Khalifa was a feat that took five years, but Jordanian bakers catering to Syrian refugees that have flooded the region are reaching three times that height — every day. The approximately 500,000 pieces of khobz bread that are dished out each day to the more than 100,000 Syrian refugees who live in what is said to be the second largest refugee camp in the world, the Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp, would sit somewhere in the order of 2,500 metres if piled on top of each other, according to the World Food Programme which orchestrates this mass feeding event every morning. It can also prove quite a weight to lug for little arms, with many of the camp’s children being sent to collect the bread rations that are distributed every morning between 5.30 and 9. A 10-year-old boy called Mazin collects bread for his family of five, but, like many others, he has devised a way to manage the weight. He interlinks the knotted bows of two white plastic bags, so the weight evens out. The knotted bows of two plastic packets will rest beside his neck, on his shoulder, while one packet will fall on his back, and one in front. Same with the other shoulder, and one packet he’ll twine between his fingers. And all this bread, 27 metric tonnes of it, according to the WFP, comes from just two contracted bakeries in the Jordanian capital Amman, keeping hunger at bay for these refugees who have fled their homes and are, in many cases, left with nothing. – nivriti@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Learn always and take Dubai with you, students told
Learn always and take Dubai with you, students told Sarah Young / 1 June 2013 The need for lifelong learning and to connect with others in order to secure a better future was the message to students graduating from the Dubai International Academy. The academy’s fifth cohort of 105 students from 29 different countries graduated on Thursday evening at the American University of Dubai auditorium. Mohamed Ali Alabbar presenting the certificate to a student, as Abdul Rahman Nasser, executive Director for customer relations at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, and other graduates look on during the ceremony at Dubai International Academy. — KT photo by Mukesh Kamal Chief guest Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar and the Dubai Events Council, told students they were entering the world at a “very interesting moment of time on earth — a moment filled with optimism and positivity”. The fact students had received more than 300 admissions across 16 countries, and 11 scholarships, showed the quality of their education and their potential — but he encouraged them not to forget their “base” and that they had come from Dubai. “Take the way of life, the way of being in this incredible city everywhere you go. It’s very rare anywhere on earth any student or individual will be able to live, play, learn and create friendships in an environment with over 200 nationalities interacting so positively.” He encouraged them to be “proof” to the rest of the world that they came from such a place where different religions, languages, and cultures could coexist in harmony. The future of the world depended on what they did, and they should never stop challenging things, or learning, he said. “The environment changes every second of the day so your knowledge (becomes) null and void… (but) if you challenge and learn all the time you will be unstoppable.” American University of Dubai president Dr Lance de Masi also told students continuous learning was more important than ever now. The 21 st century had gone “topsy-turvy”, but one thing was certain: “human destiny depends on education”. Half of what students learnt today would no longer be true in 20 years, and at least half of what they would know in 20 years had not yet been discovered. However, just as a car was nothing without petrol, knowledge was nothing without character — and without a conciousness of something bigger than each individual, he reminded them. “Each time you share with your fellow man a specific strength you possess, you build a sense of community necessary to keep the planet turning…without connectedness, globalisation is a sham.” He encouraged the students not to be afraid of their potential, but to “live from the inside out, keep learning, look every fellow man in the face, and use your education to serve this world well”. This was the first year students had been admitted to Princeton in the US, and Cambridge in the UK, and also the first year in which two females — Xanita Saayman, 17, and Sana Rizvi, 18 — had been made valedictorian. Both passionate about the sciences, Saayman will be studying biochemistry in Canada next year, with the aim of moving into pharmaceutical or genetic research, while Rizvi will be studying medicine in the United Kingdom. Saayman said most of their cohort would study overseas, mainly in the US and Canada. The academy had prepared them well for independent study, and while they would miss the city they had lived in for four years, they were looking forward to what changes the future held, she said. sarah@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
About Sharjah: Around the city in 1.15h
About Sharjah: Around the city in 1.15h Lily B. Libo-on / 1 June 2013 Sharjah’s premier tourist destinations and heritage sites can be served up in an hour and 15 minutes. Three double-decker city sightseeing buses have been bringing tourists to more than 20 museums, traditional souqs, beaches, parks, as well as Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Qasba. One of the City Sightseeing Sharjah buses. — KT photo by M. Sajjad To Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the ‘City Sightseeing Sharjah’ tour buses will provide an international standard of service to further develop the emirate’s already flourishing tourism industry. The daily “hop on, hop off” tours on the‘City Sightseeing Sharjah’ buses, where tourists can get on and off at different stops they choose, are an affordable service that can loop to destinations including the Central Souq, Marbella Resort Sharjah, Al Noor Mosque, Al Majaz Waterfront, Buhairah Corniche, Al Qasba, Sharjah Aquarium, Al Khan Corniche/Beaches, Al Muntazah, the Fish Market, Heart of Sharjah, Sharjah’s Museum of Islamic Civilisation, Radisson BLU Resort, Clock Roundabout, and Mega Mall in just one hour and 15 minutes. Rosita, Filipina wife of German tourist Karsten Schmidt, said she had enjoyed the tour around Sharjah for just Dh85. “With Dh45 a child, our kids have (been able to) look around in places with fun. It is worth it,” Schmidt said. Italian tourist Aadishree is all praise for the tour sites and the quick but compact tour that goes around the important traditional, heritage and historical places of Sharjah. “I cannot believe it. Coming in and out of every museum, I can see historical Islamic maps, books of (His Highness) Shaikh Sultan (bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah), the traditional souqs, and the heart of Sharjah in just an hour and 15 minutes. It is so amazing.” Shurooq CEO Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal said the authority was constantly looking to expand Sharjah’s tourism infrastructure. “The addition of a tour bus service was the logical next step to further adding value to Sharjah’s tourism experience.” “The tour is part of the collective efforts to encourage significant projects that promote the emirate and boost its position on the world tourism map,” Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) Mohamed Ali Al Noman said. The SCTDA is keen to support all events and initiatives that help attract more international tourists and visitors to the emirate, the number of whom stands at more than 1.5 million annually. “All of us are constantly working to increase this number by various projects and events organised all year round.” The city sightseeing tour buses have a convertible rooftop that can be removed during the temperate winter months to create an open-top tour experience or kept in place to ensure a fully air-conditioned interior for comfortable summer tours. Launched in December 2012 and operational from mid-January, the sightseeing buses have captured a large number of tourists and residents. Shurooq is expecting more than 30,000 tourists by the end of this year. “Our strategy to collaborate closely with hotels, tour operators, travel agents, online booking engines, along with the support from the City Sightseeing worldwide, is positively boosting the expected number of passengers. At this point, we are happy that the service is becoming increasingly known amongst tourists and residents, and our focus is to further increase guest satisfaction, and deliver an exceptional tour in Sharjah linking all of its many touristic destinations,” Al Sarkal said. The service is also promoting attractions like the Heart of Sharjah, Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Qasba by increasing footfall and exposure. “We are working on linking all destinations to provide tourists with an exceptional overview and insight of the history, culture and heritage of Sharjah. This will also create interest amongst tourists visiting neighbouring emirates to come to Sharjah and explore its rich and diverse culture and heritage experience.” lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
