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Sharjah records 10 per cent surge in tourist arrivals
Sharjah records 10 per cent surge in tourist arrivals Lily B. Libo-on / 16 February 2014 Over 4,000 events will highlight the celebration of Sharjah as the ‘Captial of Islamic Culture’, jointly sponsored by SCTDA and various government agencies. Tourist arrivals in Sharjah will certainly see a significant rise this year as the emirate puts on its crown as the “Capital of Islamic Culture” in the world. The old heritage area in Sharjah. -KT file photo Even before the end of 2013, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) recorded an impressive 10 per cent increase in tourist arrivals, specifically 1,391,632 international tourists visiting the emirate from January to September 2013 as against 1,263,908 over the same period in 2012. Mohammed Ali Al Noman, SCTDA Chairman, highlighted the sustained and steady growth of Sharjah’s hospitality industry and its strong fundamentals. Over 4,000 events will highlight the celebration of Sharjah as the ‘Captial of Islamic Culture’, jointly sponsored by SCTDA and various government agencies. The tourism come-on activities are anchored by Sharjah Light Festival, Sharjah Water Festival and Sharjah Tourism Excellence Award. All these are expected to lure tens of thousands of tourists more this year to the emirate that is home to authentic Arab and Islamic cultural heritage. In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times , Al Noman said the authority expects the number of international arrivals to significantly go up as interest in Sharjah, its authentic Arab and Islamic cultural heritage and a wide range of world-class events and entertainment, grows with this year’s celebration. With the Sharjah Light Festival, the first of its kind in the region, that concluded on February 14, illuminating a number of landmarks and historical buildings across the emirate, Al Noman said that five, four and three-star hotels in Sharjah City, Khorfakkan, Kalba and Dibba are experiencing 100 per cent occupancy rate. “This is the main objective of having big events to lure in positive way tourists to come to Sharjah and to UAE. We have 9,573 hotel rooms, and a number of new hotels and luxury resorts coming up in Sharjah. With investments pouring into the hospitality sector, the number of hotel rooms is expected to reach 12,000 by 2015 to keep pace with the growth of tourist numbers.” Latest tourist profile statistics shows 37 per cent (509,481 tourists) are from GCC, 33 per cent (455,489 ) from Europe, 14 per cent (192,715 ) from Asia, 13 per cent (178,268 ) from other Arab countries, two per cent from America, and one per cent each from Africa and the Pacific Region. “We have continuously developed the tourism sector through our affiliation and commitment to the travel agencies. We have lots of participation with travel agencies internally by holding seminars, training and presentations. Our job is not just creating events but we also support others such as the Sharjah International Book Fair, fourth biggest in the world, organised by Sharjah’s Department of Culture and Information; and the Sharjah Heritage Days handled by the Heritage department in the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah. All events revolving around arts, culture, heritage and traditions do not have to be done by one department alone,” Al Noman says. He says that SCTDA is a destination development department, and Sharjah has laws on licencisng of tour guides. “We have done lots of training for the tour guides by affiliating them to Sharjah University. We train tour operators, front-line staff of hotels and others in the travel industry on the culture an heritage of Sharjah and the UAE.” Al Noman says that SCTDA will launch, in few weeks from now, training for taxi drivers, concierge and front desk teams on its various touristic sites in Sharjah to beef up their capability to direct tourists around and make their visits very memorable. “In this way, they will come again and again. Sharjah will be their first destination for a holiday,” he adds. lily@khaleejtimes.com Tourism Assets Sharjah boasts a world-class international airport, Sharjah International Airport, that has been a hub of international travel and trade traffic connecting the emirate to the world. One of the busiest airports in the region, it continues to grow at a frenetic pace along with the emirate’s flagship airline Air Arabia. > Al Majaz Waterfront Al Majaz Waterfront is a landmark project developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) that has transformed the picturesque Buheirah Corniche and an old park into a breathtaking, complete family-friendly, fun and leisure area with an area of 231,000sqm. > Beehive of Museums Sharjah is home to some of the richest and most distinct museums in the region and beyond. > Heart of Sharjah The Heart of Sharjah is easily the emirate’s most ambitious project. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the region’s largest heritage project seeks to preserve national historic landmarks in Sharjah and the UAE, including archaeological sites and museums. > Network of Free Zones Sharjah is home to nearly half of the UAE’s manufacturing and industrial sector. The emirate was one of the pioneers in the region encouraging free trade besides setting up Sharjah Expo Centre. Hamriya Free Zone is another major gateway to global business. > Old-World Charm of Souqs Open since 1979, the legendary Central Souq is the most famous souq in Sharjah and is a definite destination for all shoppers. TOURISM PROFILE > Number of international tourists who visited Sharjah in 2012: 1,739,240 > Number of tourists who visited Sharjah in the first half of 2013: 951,592 > Total of hotel room nights in first half of 2013: 1,071,829 > Share of European tourists who visited in first half of 2013: 37 per cent > Share of Arab/GCC tourists who visited in H1 of 2013: 44% > Share of Asian tourists who visited in first half of 2013: 14 per cent > Hotel Occupancy in Sharjah in the first half of 2013: 71 per cent > Number of hotel establishments in the emirate: 102 hotel properties (47 Hotels and 55 hotel apartments) For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind Staff Reporter / 16 February 2014 Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival added to the line up of events. With just a few days until the start of the inaugural Dubai Food Festival (DFF), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), announced a full and appetising line-up for the city-wide celebration of food-related events, tastings and activaties. Two of the new events added to the line-up — Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival — further demonstrate the range of flavours inherent in Dubai’s culinary offer, which is inspired by both Arabic traditions and those of the 200+ nationalities who live in the Emirate, and is one of the key themes of the festival. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DTCM, said: “The quality and range of our culinary offering is something that will increasingly be used as a tourism driver and through the Dubai Food Festival we will demonstrate the variety of offer that exists across the Emirate, including world-class international brands, homegrown restaurants, and high quality street-food.” Laila Mohammed Suhail, Chief Executive Officer, DFRE said: “We are pleased with the response that we had from various stakeholders of Dubai’s food industry and gastronomy sector.” “The programme has been designed with all tastes in mind. From family-friendly consumer events to more industry focused forums and conferences, both residents and visitors can look forward to a festival that is as exciting and inclusive as it is delicious,” she said. Joining the line-up of events already announced including the Dubai Food Carnival, Gulfood, The Big Grill, and Taste of Dubai, will be the Grand Kerala Festival, The Taste of Peru, and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2014, Gulf Photo Plus 2014 and the Dubai International Boat Show will join the celebrations through specific culinary related activities and initiatives. Adding star power to the festival’s programme will be over 26 celebrity chefs. Representing restaurants and cuisines from around the world, these culinary stars include well-known names such as French Chef, Jean Christophe Novelli; Australian power pair, Greg and Lucy Malouf; Queen of the Arabic Kitchen, Egyptian Chef, Manal Al Alem; Lebanon’s Chef of the Year 2013, Maroun Chedid; and Indian TV personality, Sanjeev Kapoor. Home to more than 200 nationalities, Dubai’s diversity is reflected in its restaurant offer, a fact represented by two of the new confirmations to the programme. The Grand Kerala Festival (February 20-22) will showcase the rich flavours and vibrant colours of India’s southern state, with Dubai’s Wonderland transformed into a bustling Kerala village, complete with a lively array of exciting events and entertainment and authentic Malayalee cuisine. From South India to South America, the Taste of Peru (February 26 to March 1) will see Madinat Jumeirah Souk Madinat transformed into a four-day celebration of Peruvian gastronomy. The event will include appearances from celebrity Peruvian chefs and live Peruvian music, and feature award-winning cuisine inspired by a nearly 500-year melting pot of cultures and cuisines. The festival is set to take place between February 21 and March 15 at locations across Dubai. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Taking art to the masses in Dubai
Taking art to the masses in Dubai Dhanusha Gokulan / 13 February 2014 Art Dubai has become the most global fair to date with 85 participating galleries from 34 countries and works by more than 500 artists. Community and creativity will intermingle from March 14 to April 15 as public spaces come alive for the ‘Dubai Art Season’. Starting with the Art Week, which features SIKKA Art Fair, Design Days Dubai, and Art Dubai, ‘Dubai Art Season’ will also encompass the Middle East Film and Comic Con and will culminate with Gulf Film Festival 2014. An art piece displayed at JBR during the art project named ‘The city is your canvas’ . — KT file photo Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said: “Dubai’s extensive portfolio of arts and culture events has set a clear growth track for its creative landscape. Boasting platforms that lend momentum to each discipline of art, from visual arts and performing arts, to film, the city has become an incubator for aspiring and emerging artistic talent.” He added: “As the umbrella arts initiative of the city, ‘Dubai Art Season’ will integrate Dubai’s community into the burgeoning creative industry, with the activation of public spaces, outdoor art projects, interactive initiatives, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions, and performances, among others.” He said ‘Dubai Art Season’ would play an integral role in underlining the cultural and artistic strengths of Dubai. “Especially in the run up to World Expo 2020, where every element of the city will mark its arrival in the global spotlight,” added Shaikh Majid. Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director-General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, told Khaleej Times: “The reason we have decided to place all the cultural events under one banner is because we wanted to highlight these individual events and let it expand geographically as well.” He added: “A lot of the local artists who initially started out with Art Dubai, are now doing exceedingly well for themselves. Though we cannot take credit for their work, we want to further help them gain international recognition. This is heaven for any artist, support from both private and the government sector.” dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com Set to woo the community In 2008-09, at the peak of the global recession, art patrons, gallery owners, and artists’ were living in constant worry about the future of art — would it survive the economic meltdown? At the third edition of the Global Art Forum (2009), held in conjunction with Art Dubai, Thomas Krens, senior adviser for international affairs, Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation, had addressed his concerns on whether museums were fast ‘dying out in a time of economic turmoil’. Worry about art dying had come to such an extent that experts were talking about collaboration between museums and art venues. However, art showed extreme resilience and thrived over the years after the economic meltdown. It didn’t die out like people predicted it would, and it instead thrived — in the UAE, within the region, and internationally. Speaking about where art is at this juncture, Art Dubai fair director Antonia Carver said: “The biggest shift in the art scene in the Middle East was the rise of the Gulf cities as a melting point for art and I hope Art Dubai has played a major role in that shift.” In an interview with Khaleej Times , Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture said: “The youth in the region embracing art and culture, and being open to cultural dialogue has a big role to play in the rise of art. A couple of years ago, the young preferred sports to anything else. But now they are showing a sense of national identity and are embracing art and culture.” What has now become a leading international art fair in the Middle East and South Asia, the eighth edition of Art Dubai is all set to woo the art community across the globe. Salient features Taking place between March 19 and 22, the 2014 edition of Art Dubai features three gallery programmes — Contemporary, Modern and Marker — the winners of The Abraaj Group Art Prize; artists’ and curators’ residencies; site specific commissions and projects; the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum; live radio; film and more. Held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, Art Dubai is run in partnership with the Abraaj Group and is sponsored by Cartier and Emaar. Madinat Jumeirah is home to the event. Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is the strategic partner of Art Dubai and supports the fair’s year-round education programme. It has become the most global fair to date with 85 participating galleries from 34 countries and works by more than 500 artists across the programmes. For the first time, the galleries are presented in three distinct programmes: Contemporary; Modern, inaugurating this year; and Marker, the curated section of invited art spaces and galleries focusing in 2014 on Central Asia and the Caucasus. Alongside the gallery halls, the fair also features an extensive not-for-profit programme including dynamic commissioned site-specific works for Art Dubai Projects; an exhibition by winners of The Abraaj Group Art Prize; the critically-acclaimed, five-day conference Global Art Forum; a live radio station; film and video screenings; Shaikha Manal Little Artists Programme for children; plus an engaging programme of curator-led tours, book launches, talks and so on. “Over the past eight years, Art Dubai has evolved into an extraordinarily dynamic art fair with particular emphasis on diversity and quality. The fair echoes the expansion of the arts infrastructure in Dubai and the region,” said Carver. “Our roots are firmly grounded in the UAE arts scene and we believe this year’s fair reflects Dubai’s identity as a major cultural city, alongside its role as a hub for trade, finance and transport. Art Dubai’s growth has been organic and supported by a highly motivated audience of artists, curators, gallerists, patrons and enthusiasts. We’re aiming to welcome even more visitors than the 25,000 that walked through the doors in 2013.” For more information about Art Dubai Projects check out http://artdubai.ae/art-dubai-projects dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
