UAE Pics: 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Atlantis fireworks display lights up Dubai night sky

UAE 2:38 PM 0

At least 100,000 fireworks were used in the spectacular display.

The fireworks were part of the $20 million party to mark the official opening of the Palm Atlantis Hotel.

Guests were treated to a spectacular light show as well.

Among the celebrities who attended were Robert De Niro, Charlize Theron and Lindsay Lohan.

The display could be seen for miles and was three times bigger than the one at the Beijing Olympics.

Celebrity chef Giorgio Locatelli was one of the people who catered at the party.

The fireworks display was certainly a feast for the eyes for residents and A-listers alike.

Kylie Minogue and Mawal Al Zoghby performed for the 2,500 invited guests.

The crowds got so big that it caused a traffic bottleneck when the fireworks had finished.

Thousands of people lined the beaches near the Palm Jumeirah to watch the display.

The display lasted for around 15 minutes and could apparently be seen from space.

Fireworks were spread out across the whole of the Palm Jumeirah.

Palm Jumeirah residents were told to return home by 4pm to avoid traffic during the oficial launch party.

The lavish bash was strictly invite only and featured the cream of local society as well as international celebrities.

No doubt everyone enjoyed the lavish and colourful fireworks display that lit up the Dubai sky.

Queen and Paul Rogers rock Dubai

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Legendary rockers Queen and Paul Rogers, the former Free and Bad Company singer/songwriter, stamped their own mark on a quintessential evening of classic rock music at Dubai Festival City on Friday.

The group performed classics such as We Will Rock You, Tie Your Mother Down, Bohemian Rhapsody, All Right Now, I Want It All, Bad Company and their latest hit C-lebrity.

Fans were thrilled as the rock artists raised the roof with their energy-charged performance at a packed Dubai Festival City.

The trio hit the stage, launching into Hammer Will Fall before covering the hits fans wanted to hear — Fat Bottomed Girls, Another One Bites The Dust, I Want It All and I Want to Break Free.

Rogers teamed up with Queen's guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor to launch an exhaustive European Tour, which also took place in Dubai.

Queen was formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor. Bassist John Deacon joined the team a year later.

The artists are known for vocal harmonies and audience participation in their live performance.

Following Mercury's death in 1991 and Deacon's retirement in 1997, May and Taylor have performed infrequently under the Queen name.

The two artists have also been collaborating with Paul Rodgers since 2005 for performances around the world.

Queen's hit single Bohemian Rhapsody, was number one in the United Kingdom for nine weeks, and is Britain's third best selling single of all time.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Plastic Boat Regatta at Dubai Festival City Marina

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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Past pictures: The UAE's famous female celebrity visitors

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Cindy Crawford was one of the most successful models of the 90s, during which time her marriage to Richard Gere made them one of the most high-profile couples in showbiz. Here, she joined a number of other A-listers, including Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, in opening Dubai's Planet Hollywood restaurant in May 1998

Naomi Campbell is one of the most recognised supermodels in the world and has also tried her hand at being a singer, author, actress, and fashion designer. Unfortunately, her reputation for violence has recently eclipsed her success as a model. She has been arrested and convicted of physically and verbally abusing others on several occasions. In January 2007 she was sentenced to five days community service for assaulting her maid.

Claudia Schiffer was one of a number of top supermodels who visited Dubai in May 1998. Schiffer, originally from Germany, is one of the world's most successful models, having appeared on over 500 magazine covers. She has also appeared in several films, and married film director Matthew Vaughn in 2002.

Egyptian actress Safia El Emary visits the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre in Dubai in this shot from December 1997. She became a goodwill ambassador for the Arab world for the United Nations Population Fund earlier that year.

Karisma Kapoor dances with Shah Rukh Khan in Dubai in this photo from February 1997. The Indian actress is the sister of Kareena Kapoor and has starred in several successful films, including 1997's Dil To Pagal Hai. She took a break from cinema in 2003 but is set to make a comeback soon.

English socialite Jemima Khan is pictured at the Dubai World Cup with then husband, former Pakistani cricketing legend and politician, Imran Khan, in this picture from March 1996. The couple had two sons before splitting and most recently she was in a relationship with actor Hugh Grant.

Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai is one of the most recognised Bollywood faces in the world. Married to Abhishek Bachchan, she has starred in dozens of Hindi movies, and several English-language films, including the commercially successful Bride and Prejudice. Here, she enjoys some Arabic coffee in this shot from May 1995.

Indian actress Jaya Bachchan has acted in many films throughout her career, which began as far back as the 60s. She has also, until recently, dabbled in politics. The wife of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan and the mother of actor Abhishek

Madhuri Dixit made a promotional visit to these shores in November 1992. An accomplished dancer, she is one of the most successful actresses in India. In 2008, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, by the Government of India.

Zsa Zsa Padilla is an award winning and world class Filipino singer, recording and concert artist, and also a dramatic and comedy actress. She's also a songwriter, commercial model, product endorser, businesswoman, and record producer. In a relationship with comedian Dolphy, she managed to squeeze in a visit to the UAE in May 1991.

Egyptian actress Athar El Hakim began acting over 20 years ago. She has made over 20 movies and has also starred in several television shows, including Ramadan blockbusters Zizinia and We Don't Plant Thorns. She takes part in a press conference in this shot from January 1990.

Elaine Paige is one of the most prominent stars of musical theatre in the UK, and has appeared in dozens of well-known stage shows, including Grease, Evita and Cats. In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson from the musical Chess, which remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo. She is seen here during a visit in July 1989.

Pakistani-born Salma Agha sang as well as acted in several Indian films in the 1980s and the early 1990s. Born to a wealthy father in Karachi, she moved to London at age 9 and has also worked on many Pakistani movies, none as successful as her Indian films. Pictured in Dubai in February 1987, Agha currently lives in the city.

Bollywood diva Rekha is pictured here visiting the country in March 1985. Born in Chennai, India, she has acted in over 180 films in a career that has spanned 40 years.

Sharon Cuneta, seen here in December 1991, is a television star and singer. The mother of actress and model KC Concepcion, she is also known as The Mega Star of Philippine Showbiz.

Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave is an English actress and member of the famous Redgrave acting family. A social activist for human rights, she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1977, for her role in the film Julia, about a woman murdered by the Nazi regime in the years prior to World War II. She visited the UAE in October 1982.

Actress and Lebanese director Nidal Al Ashkar on a visit to the UAE in May 1993. After studying at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London, Al Ashkar went on to become a founder of the Theatre Workshop in Beirut and has had main roles in many popular Arab television series.

Monday, October 20, 2008

GITEX 2008

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Gitex, the Middle East's largest technology show, took off with a bang on October 19 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, opened the Gitex 2008 exhibit on Sunday.

The show is set to receive more than 130,000 visitors and host 3,300 companies from 83 countries over the next five days.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (right), Dubai Crown Prince, at the Gitex show.

A host of brands are featuring the latest developments at the expo.

The annual business and consumer technology exhibition, now in its 28th year, is scheduled to be held from October 19 -23 and promises to be bigger than before.

Gitex Technology Week consists of three major elements: Gitex Business Solutions, Gulfcomms and Consumer Electronics.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai tours the show.

Gitex is organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Gitex Shopper and Consumer Electronics Expo, the retail component of Gitex got off to a flying start on Saturday.

Models show off some of the newest gadgets being launched at this year's expo as part of Gadget Glam 2008.

Major international companies launching new products and making announcements at the exhibition include BlackBerry, Dell, du, etisalat, Google, HP and Microsoft.