Fujairah in Focus Now On Facebook

Blog Site
Fujairah in Focus has been since 2007 a blog site offering information, photographs, links, ideas, dreams and views with a Fujairah flavour.

Fujairah Facebook Page
Blog articles will continue to be posted on this Fujairah in Focus blog site but many more articles, links and pictures with a Fujairah theme will appear on the new Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Challenging the Information Desert
Local and overseas readers of the Fujairah in Focus blog have frequently complained about the lack of day to day information available about Fujairah, especially in the UAE newspapers. Business representatives have also expressed the desire for more platforms upon which they may advertise their new services, people and products.

The newly created Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page is one attempt to address these needs.

Why Facebook?
Facebook is one of the most popular sites on the Internet with an estimated user membership of almost 500 million. The international reach of Facebook makes it an effective vehicle for making local news on such a topic as ‘Fujairah’ accessible to a worldwide audience.

The UAE leads the Middle East in the number of Facebook users with 36% of UAE residents registered with Facebook. According to Arabian Business, of these 1,600, 000 Facebook users in the Emirates, 63% are male and 37% are female.

While the USA leads the world in Facebook users with 40.7% penetration, the Middle East and the UAE specifically are catching up at a rapid rate. Facebook users in the UAE have increased by a staggering 11% in the last six months.

The National reported that “local Web surfers [are] more than twice as likely to use the [Facebook] site as the global average.”

When I last reported on Facebook users in the UAE in October 2007, Facebook was the 7th most visited site. Currently (22 May 2010) Facebook is the 2nd most visited site after google.ae and before google.com, youtube.com, yahoo.com, live.com, msn.com, blogger.com and Wikipedia.org.

All this makes Facebook in the UAE and the Middle East a significant platform for sharing news, networking and advertising.

Much More at Fujairah in Focus on Facebook
In addition to the daily articles on the Fujairah in Focus blog the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page has also posted news in the last week about celebrations for the Taweelah-Fujairah pipeline, solar power, religious tolerance, price rises and inflation in Fujairah, fishing and overfishing with visits to the Fujairah fish market, hotel expansion, the digital device and electronics conference (DCC MEA), diving courses, the inaugural fashion exhibition, the forthcoming inspection of schools, ID cards, Fujairah holiday packages, a video on the attractive features of the Al Aqah beaches, resources for visiting Wadi Wuruyah, counselling services, international phone rates, the aluminium industry, the Middle East Retail Academy awards, Fujairah number plates for sale and sources for getting accurate weather information on Fujairah.

So many events and issues in one week from this rapidly growing and changing emirate of Al Fujairah!

Visit the New Site
Do drop by to inspect this new Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page and when you click the LIKE IT button you will get alerts whenever new articles, links and photos on Fujairah are posted.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Azerbaijan and Fujairah Connected by Oil

Partners
+ The Azeri State energy company SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic) is to build a new oil terminal at Fujairah.

+ SOCAR is partnering with AURORA Progress a privately owned Geneva-based Swiss trading house to build the project.

+Management will be by a joint company ‘SOCAR AURORA’.

Project
+ The name: ‘SOCAR AURORA Fujairah Terminal’.

+ Twenty reservoirs for shipment.

+ Storage capacity of up to 20 mill tones of refined oil products annually.

+ Terminal will handle fuels, gasoline, naphthas and middle distillates (diesel, gas oil and jet kerosene).

Cost
+ The first stage will cost up to $10 mill.

+ The finance is available.

Timetable
+ The new terminal is expected to be ready by the beginning of 2011.

Products
+ The terminal is to be used for oil products sold in this region, not Azeri-refined products.

Reason
+ A SOCAR official said there is a deficit of oil products and a growing market, hence the need for greater storage.

Local Benefits
+ The increased oil volumes strengthens Fujairah’s role as a key international trading hub and bunkering port.

+ The Port of Fujairah is commissioning in 2010 a new multi-berth facility for receiving and loading oil tankers.

Azerbaijan
According to Wikipedia:
+ Two thirds of Azerbaijan is rich in oil and natural gas.

+ In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and 13 oil companies, among them Amoco, BP, Exxon, Mobil, Lukoil and Statoil.

+ As Western oil companies are able to tap deepwater oilfields untouched by the Soviet exploitation, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important spots in the world for oil exploration and development.

+ The State Oil Fund was established as an extra-budgetary fund to ensure the macroeconomic stability, transparency in the management of oil revenue, and the safeguarding of resources for future generations.

+ Azerbaijan, the Central Asian country of nine million people, gained its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Press Releases
+ SOCAR and AURORA to Partner in Fujairah Terminal, SOCAR, 19 May 2010.

+ Aurora Web Site Statement.

Azerbaijan Tourism Video



Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Does Fujairah Need a Makeover or Reconstructive Surgery?

Keith Fernandez thinks this weekend’s inaugural Style 2010 fashion show may give Fujairah a ‘makeover’.

By-Pass Surgery or Natural Therapy?
One travel writer recommended that tourists by-pass Fujairah city as there was little to see and head straight for the Al Aqah beach resorts. His article displayed more interest in sipping cocktails around the pool at Le Méridien than investigating what the emirate had to offer.

The Al Aqah beach resorts should not be missed but sadly, many tourists take this writer’s advice and by-pass the city completely. It is crucial for Fujairah tourism to highlight and makeover the emirate’s many attractive features.

Makeover or Reconstructive Surgery?
The natural beauty of Fujairah must be enhanced instead of performing radical surgery that produces something artificial and unrecognizable.

A good example of an enhancement rather than a facelift is the Style 2010 venue at the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club. This resort is nestled against the majestic Hajar Mountains and is such a picture, especially in the evening light.

So what might a Fujairah makeover involve? Here are some guiding principles:

Remove the Veil
Unfortunately Trip Advisor reports and blog postings by visitors to Fujairah (here’s one of the latest) repeat the chorus that there’s not much to see and do in Fujairah. The Al Aqah resorts highlight the lure of Fujairah as a place where you can getaway and do nothing. But the huge numbers that come to the Fujairah port on cruise ships believe the trip advisory reports and thus decide to spend a lazy day on board rather than explore the eastern emirate.

The challenge is to remove Fujairah's veil and face up to the bad press by showcasing the features that people will admire and enjoy.

Replace the Ugly Spots with Beauty Spots
Despite the efforts of the municipality and conservation groups there is still too much plastic blowing around the city, litter being tossed out of cars, rubbish left on the corniche after people have feasted on fast food and the trashing of scenic areas.

It is disturbing to see beach areas taken and sea views blocked by high-rise hotels on the Fujairah corniche.

The efforts of the municipality to plant trees and replace concrete with grass are to be applauded but gardens, fences, children’s play equipment and park benches must be done well and daggy public furniture scrapped.

Remove the Oily Pane
Beauticians use cosmetics to deal with an excess of facial oil but it’s much harder to remove the oil that is dumped by oil tankers into the Fujairah waters.

Inserting the word ‘oil’ into the search box of The National online newspaper will uncover a large number of articles from the black year of 2008 about oil dumping in the Fujairah waters by rogue tankers. This has caused hotel beaches to be closed, diving companies to be decimated and the marine life destroyed.

Fortunately incidents of oil dumping and spillage have been greatly reduced with the development of better surveillance and threats of tougher penalties. But there’s a tricky balance between managing a growing oil industry and keeping the environment in pristine condition.

Accentuate the Positives
Just as a beautician or fashion expert might highlight a person’s hair, face or parts of the torso so one must accentuate the positives of an emirate like Al Fujairah.

His Highness, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, the Ruler of Fujairah and Member of the Supreme Council identified the fine features of his emirate when he wrote this introduction:

“It is…we believe, one of the most beautiful and interesting [emirates], with a combination of attractions found nowhere else in the country. It has no deserts and no oil. What it does have are the best beaches in the country, long sandy stretches washed by the Indian Ocean; the towering and rugged Hajar Mountains riven by valleys that run down to the sea with palm groves clinging to their sides; and a coastal plain verdant with farms that produce much of the UAE’s food.”
(Peter Hellyer, Fujairah: An Arabian Jewel, Dubai: Motivate Publishing, 2005, 4.)

Fujairah Features
Fujairah does not need to copy the things that attract people to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It has a unique ‘combination of attractions’ which must be showcased and made accessible to residents and visitors alike.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Brisk Oil Trade with Iran

Today’s Wall Street Journal (20 May 2010) contains a story about an oil tanker named ‘Front Page’ leaving the port of Fujairah to go to another UAE Port and thence to Saudi Arabia but making a stop in Iran to take on a supply of oil.

It all seems legal but trade sanctions proposed by the UN and the USA have led many countries to keep quiet about their trading business with Iran.

Link to the story:
Oil Trade With Iran Thrives, Discreetly, WSJ, 20 May 2010.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: Trip tracking of the oil tanker (Courtesy of the WSJ)

Letter to The National Newspaper from Fujairah

Thank you for another complimentary copy of The National. As a Fujairah resident it is difficult to sign up for a subscription when there is so little news reported in The National relating to the emirate of Al Fujairah.

The depth and international breadth of your newspaper’s stories is appreciated but to pay for the paper to be delivered to their door, residents of the north-eastern emirate need to feel their growing and rapidly changing region is being regularly investigated and covered.

Fujairah got a mention in today’s paper in the form of a brief notice about this weekend’s fashion exhibition, which is a first for Fujairah.

Disappointingly there did not appear to be any article on the major Middle Eastern conference (DCC MEA) in Fujairah this week for those buying and selling the latest electronics and digital devices.

There was a flurry of in-depth articles on Fujairah last month—five over two days (3-4 April 2010)—when a journalist visited Fujairah for the Easter weekend.

When I last wrote to you on this subject, a read of the paper that day (1 March 2010) revealed no references to any happenings in Fujairah. Furthermore, a search of the online edition during the month of February showed that while the word ‘Fujairah’ appeared 24 times, most of these were fleeting mentions. Only three articles and one online video contained any substantial information on Fujairah.

Put ‘Al Ain’ or ‘Ain’ into the search engine and see the startling contrast. In the Arts and Life segment on 1 March there was a two page calendar on upcoming cultural and sporting events in the UAE. Oasis picks out plenty of cultural highlights in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and to a lesser extent Dubai but after that it appears that all other emirates are a cultural, sporting and epicurean desert.

Until The National takes the smaller emirates seriously the subscription drive is not likely to yield the desired results and all UAE residents and international readers will be the poorer. Your journalists must rove into all regions of the country for this newspaper to adequately live up to its name.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: The front page of today’s edition of The National.

What’s Being Revealed at the DCC MEA in Fujairah?

Here’s a rolling collection of some of the reports coming out of the Digital Channel Consumer Channel Middle East and Africa (DCC MEA) get-together (18-20 May 2010) at Fujairah’s Le Méridien Resort.

New articles have been added.

DCC MEA Opening Ceremony
Sheikh Saif bin Hamad Al Sharqi, inaugurated the Sixth Digital Consumer Channel (DCC) MEA 2010.
WAM; Zawya PC Mag Al Bawaba

Major Reporters
Channel EMEA
Shufflegazine: Day 1 Zotac, Freshfiber, Navteg, Kensington, Robert Willett
Shufflegazine: Day 2 Freshfiber shows off its wares.

Keynote Addresses
Robert Alan Willett: on a multi-channel strategy and move from product preoccupation to customer-centric approaches, growth of online selling

UAE Phone Market
UAE's mobile phone market has been forecast to grow annually at 7 per cent valued at Dh1.4 billion ($374 million) by 2014, according to research reports.

San Disk
New Offerings: the 32 gigabyte (GB) SanDisk microSDHC card and the Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive a"

Acer
Gold Sponsor: Crucial role of partners; Middle East is one of strongest performing IT markets; reported on Trade Arabia

MSI
Single and dual screen design tablets: Ninjalane News; also featured by Bit-Tech

ProMate Products

Awards
Belkin Scoops Three Awards at DCC MEA, Zawya, 20 May 2010

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

2010 Digital Consumer Channel Conference (DCC MEA) in Fujairah

Major Electronics Event
The Digital Consumer Channel (DCC MEA) is the major professional networking event for senior executives from the consumer electronics, digital device and ICT products retail channel in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region.

Who’s Attending?
Over 500 senior executives are descending on Fujairah’s Le Meridien Resort at the Al Aqah Beach today (18 May 2010).

They will come from countries such as Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.

Why Attend?
Launched in 2005 in Fujairah, the 6th annual DCC MEA will bring buyers from emerging markets into contact with vendors.

Billed as a ‘powerful business platform’ and a ‘must-attend’ event, DCC MEA is a networking function allowing vendors to meet face-to-face with existing and potential retail partners from across the region.

In these three days (18-20 May 2010) people will hold dozens of face-to-face meetings with vendors, chat with their peers from across the region and find out more about the latest industry trends and market data.

Why Every Year?
The MEA retail market for consumer electronics, digital devices and ICT products is growing at a fast rate. From mobile phones to laptops to LCD TVs and MP3 players, demand continues to grow as the region’s fast-growing and youth population spends ever-increasing amounts on these products.

Vendors attend to keep up to date and to discover the answers to questions like these:

1. How do I improve relationships with the leading retailers and retail distributors throughout the MEA region?

2. How do I find the correct partners in some of the more challenging countries in the MEA region without wasting time and money?

3. How can I optimise my sales and marketing strategy for the MEA region?

The Programme?
The three days is billed as an opportunity for 1: 1 meetings, networking, 60 minutes to convince, talk shows, the annual award ceremony and plenty of entertainment.

Take a Look at Highlights from the 2009 DCC MEA


Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: A glimpse of the networking activities at DCC MEA last year.

Pronouncing الفجيرة‎ ‘Fujairah’, ‘Fujeirah’ or is it ‘Fujayrah’?

Fujairah in the Dictionary
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is expanding its entries and it now has a listing for ‘Al Fujayrah’ with the variant ‘Fujairah’.

Fujeirah, Fujairah and Fujayrah
It is common to see articles and signs around the city using these different spellings and also the common ‘Fujeirah’. Modern Arabic isn’t usually written with vowels so native Arabic writers will not worry about English words being spelt in different ways. In Fujairah most places where you can get a haircut are called a ‘hair saloon’.

Consider how many ways the prophet’s name is written: Mohammed, Muhammad, Muhammed, Mohamed…

Fujairah Fonetically
The online dictionary also gives these Fujairah words in phonetics:
äl-fu̇-ˈjī-rə\ and \-ˈjī-rə\ .
Here the second syllable is pronounced with a long ‘i’ as in the greeting ‘Hi’.

Fujayrah Pronounced
Just to be sure, the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary offers two audio files so we can hear the pronunciation.

Variations
But who knows whether the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has got it right?

Wikipedia, the fount of online truth, spells the city and emirate as ‘Fujairah’ as well as listing the Arabic: الفجيرة‎ and offering it in anglicized Arabic: al-fuǧayrah.

This last expression seems to suggest that the second syllable is pronounced ‘a’ as with the bird ‘jay’.

The Last Word
What is the correct spelling in English and how is the word pronounced?

Does it matter? My Mum in New Zealand uses at least four variations of the word ‘Fujairah’ in the one telephone call but most commonly she calls the place where I live ‘Fallujah’! Or should that be ‘Fellujah’?

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: Note the way the spellchecker on Microsoft Word has an opinion on how the UAE city and emirate should be spelt.

Fashion Show to Attract the Crème de la Crème of Fujairah

According to the billet, Style 2010 debuts in Fujairah this weekend and “is expected to attract [the] crème de la crème of Fujairah society.”

If you haven’t got your invitation to the ‘exclusive’ country club you can be sure that you’re not a member of Fujairah’s crème de la crème and probably not even part of its crème.

Don’t worry! Buy yourself a French dictionary and practice pronouncing terms like prêt-a porter, haute couture, outré, passé, très chic and ensemble. Make sure you check this site to get the pronunciation superbe for crème de la crème. One year you might get there.

Over the three days of this ‘high profile show’ it will be revealing to see who makes up the crème and who, along with la famille royale, rises to the crème de la crème.

What a relief to have three days away from the riff-raff of Fujairah, living in glorious isolation from the dregs and others who swill around society like thin powdered milk.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Resources for Visiting Wadi Wuruyah in Fujairah, UAE

Many helpful resources have been posted for those wanting to visit the UAE’s first national park in the emirate of Fujairah.

Here are some of them for your UAE Travel File:

General
Fujairah’s Wadi Wonderland, FIF.
The Wonder of Fujairah’s Wadi Wurayah, Gulf News.
Wadi Wurayah on Wikipedia.
Wadi Wurayah, Time Out Dubai.

How to Get There
How Do We Get to Wadi Waruyah? FIF.
The Road to Wurayah, Agnes’s Secret, 15 May 2009.
Wilderness of Wadi Wurayah, Khaleej Times.

Camping
Camping in Wadi Wurayah

Videos
Fujairah’s Wadi Wuruyah, Gulf News.
FJ in Wadi Al—This shows how rough the road in to the wadi can be.

Photos
Photos of Wadi Waruyah.
Animals caught on camera traps at Wadi Wurayah, WWF.

Fauna and Flora
New Species of Fish Named, FIF.
New Species of Fish Discovered, FIF.
Crocothemis Sanguinolenta, SmugMug, Tommy Pedersen.
UAE Birding, Paul Jaquith.
Rare Wild Cat Located in Wadi Wurayah, Eye of Dubai.
Arabian Tahr, ENS.

Protection
Wadi Wurayah becomes UAE’s first mountain protected area, UAE Interact.
Wadi Wurayah, UAE’s Protected Area.
Natural Paradise Gets Protection, The National.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Shooting of the Film ‘DAM 999’ in Fujairah, UAE

Fujairah Location
The award-winning director, Sohan Roy, decided on Fujairah as one of his locations for shooting a portion of his forthcoming film, ‘DAM 999’. Update: See the trailer.

The main message centres on the consequences of a dam disaster that symbolises the psychological dam of human emotions. The film traces the emotional life of a mariner and the pressures on his family. The Fujairah segment involves scenes on a ship at Fujairah overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Film Info
The film’s official website gives information on the movie, the crew and it offers a photo gallery and a trailer to tease.

Film in the Making
The associated blog chronicles the making of the film, including the shooting in the hot Fujairah sun on the largest oil tanker that has ever been on screen and the pre-launch of DAM 999 in Dubai (8 May 2010), which included some Middle Eastern entertainment.

Fujairah Footage
Check out this 10 minute video on the filming in Fujairah:



More on Films in the UAE
City of Life Screening at Fujairah Cinema, Fujairah in Focus, 11 May 2010
The Dubai Film ‘City of Life’, Fujairah in Focus, 12 May 2010.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Always Take the Weather with You in Fujairah

Temperature in Fujairah
Just after midday in Fujairah 15 May 2010 it was 32 degrees Celsius (according to Gulf News which added that the ‘RealFeel’ was 31 degrees).

Hang on a minute….

The Weather Underground service reported it was 43 degrees.

The BBC put it at 37 degrees (but it had been read two hours earlier at 10.00am)

AMEInfo said it was 42 degrees with an ‘apparent temp’ of 40 degrees.

Find Local Weather put it at 43 degrees.

What a discrepancy in these weather sites!

Where do you get your Fujairah weather details?

According to my reckoning, I’d go for the services that were reporting 43C.

Enjoy one of the best songs written about the weather:




Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Fujairah’s First Fashion Exhibition

Fujairah for Fashion
The word ‘fashion’ doesn’t come rapidly to mind when thinking about Fujairah but in a few days (19-21 May 2010) the ‘First Fashion Exhibition’ is being staged in the north-eastern emirate of the UAE.

Programme
After the VIP speeches and a ballet performance, fashion shows presented by different companies and brands will consume most of the time and be accompanied by Make Up Demos, Skin Clinics and raffle draws.

A more detailed programme is listed at this site.

Fujairah Getaway
One blog writer talking about this fashion exhibition says:

“It’s been ages since I actually went to Fujairah even for a simple get away from the city. You know, to relax, to enjoy the beach.”

This is the attraction that quickly comes to the minds of Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents—a place of retreat, a place to gain perspective amid the mountains, a place to dream as you look across the sea to the endless horizon.

Fujairah Reinvented
Traditionally Fujairah has been built on the sea (fishing) and the land (agriculture). More recently with its strategic eastern port Fujairah is becoming a major industrial and manufacturing hub for the region.

In a quiet and unobtrusive way Fujairah is developing as a place for conferences, a centre for retreats and a tourist region where one can get rejuvenated and refreshed.

Conference Centre
The Fujairah Fashion Exhibition (19-21May) is being held at the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club.

Check out their web site to find the location and to get acquainted with its many fine facilities.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

The Dubai Film ‘City of Life’

It is intriguing to watch a film that has been made in the country where you are living and about which viewers sense a special familiarity.

City of Life is set in Dubai and it offers glimpses of life in its glitzy villas as well as depictions of those who live in basic apartments and shop at small grocery stores.

The film captures well the cultural mix of Dubai and the UAE as it switches effortlessly between Arabic, Hindi and English in both the spoken language and written sub-titles. The characters also speak with a variety of accents that are typical of the sounds of the Emirates.

The cinematography with its special effects and scenes shot from unusual angles is a big part of the film’s attractiveness.

The quality of the acting is even which augurs well for the growth of the film industry in the UAE. The characters are representative of different groups in Dubai but the way their lives intertwine in the film is sometimes forced and far-fetched.

The story develops with an array of car chases, desert scenes and footage of parties and night clubs that are presented with pace to sustain attention.

City of Life reveals the rapid development of Dubai with its skyscraper skyline, bright lights, expensive cars and people feasting on the city’s excess. When one of the characters earns big money in a Bollywood style café for being a look-alike this suggests a motif for a city that is besotted with appearances and practiced in copying others. Realistically the film shows the city’s underbelly with expats struggling to hold their jobs and make their dirhams stretch until the next payday.

The young generation is portrayed as being adrift from its moorings while the expats struggle with a sense of temporariness and the desire to make meaningful and lasting relationships. The tension young Emiratis face between maintaining the honour of their family while managing the powerful temptations in the city is a constant theme. The destruction of traditional Emirati society by urban growth and wealth is seen as being as damaging and as fatal as a multi-car pile up on a Dubai highway.

City of Life provokes thought and provides a host of opportunities for talking about life in Dubai and in many rapidly growing cities.

Further
‘City of Life’ Screening at Fujairah Cinema, Fujairah in Focus, 11 May 2010.

Listen to the Director

Further
‘City of Life’ Dubai Film—Now for the Sequel, Fujairah in Focus.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: A car scene from the film, City of Life.

City of Life Screening at Fujairah Cinema

The acclaimed film ‘City of Life’ is screening Tuesday (11th) and Wednesday (12th) and may be longer at Fujairah’s Dana Cinema.

Synopsis
The synopsis given at the Dubai Film Festival stated:
“'City Of Life' is an urban drama set in Dubai that explores the existing complexities within an emerging multicultural society's race, ethnicity and class divide. A privileged Emirati male, a disillusioned Indian taxi driver and a European woman's paths are about to collide and irrevocably impact one another's lives. The first multi-lingual feature film to be written, produced and directed by an Emirati with UAE funding, intended for both local and international release, 'City Of Life' blazes an impressive trail for Emirati film.”

Take a Look at the Trailer



Times
The film is not mentioned on the Dana Cinema web site but a representative said the film was showing in Theatre 4 at these times:

Tuesday 11 May 2010 and Wednesday 12 May 2010
3.15pm, 5.15pm, 7.15pm, 9.15pm and 11.15pm

It may also be screened on Thursday 13th but check by calling (09) 224 3100.

Ticket Price
30 AED per ticket (18yrs+)

Web Site
Here is the official web site of City of Life for more information.

Further
‘City of Life’ Dubai Film—Now for the Sequel, Fujairah in Focus.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: Ali Mostafa briefs actors before filming a scene in City of Life. The young Emirati director wants to show Dubai as a real city. Picture courtesy of Gulf News at this Gulf News review.

Map of Things to See and Do Along Fujairah Corniche to Kalba

I have created this Google Map to point out some landmarks—things to see and do along the Fujairah Corniche.

The starting point is the Coffee Pot Roundabout in the Fujairah suburb of Faseel (next to the Hilton Hotel).

The progression is southwards past the Marine Club, Bull Butting arena through to Kalba (Sharjah), Khor Kalba and the Omani border.

This newly created Google Map is best used in conjunction with more detailed instructions in the article entitled: Things to See and Do Along the Fujairah Corniche to Kalba and the Omani Border.


View Fujairah Corniche to Kalba in a larger map


Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Searching Fujairah With Google

New look for Google
Have you noticed that Google has a new look, a new logo and a new left-hand panel when you do a search?

Google ‘Fujairah’
Check the left-hand panel on the search results page when you put 'Fujairah' into Google Search.

At the top of the left panel you get Everything as you did before.

Next is a red flag icon and the heading ‘Maps of Fujairah’ which when clicked opens up in Google Maps with a flag indicating the location of Fujairah city.

Further down is the camera icon and ‘Images’ of Fujairah. Here it is possible to narrow down the search according to the size, type and color of the photos.

Then there is an arrow down where clicking ‘More’ opens up to Videos, News, Shopping from the Google checkout (posters, books, photos, coins, T-shirts, coffee mugs etc), Books with a Fujairah theme, Blogs (recent blog and web site postings), Updates (new results that appear with the hour as they come available) and Discussions (from forums and site like WikiAnswers).

Time
If that’s not enough, you can narrow down your search by Time (things posted in the past hour, 24 hours, week, month, year or you can insert dates for a custom search.

Sort
Then you can narrow the search according to relevance and date or widen your search to look at Related Items.

That’s Not All
You can narrow the search according to whether you have visited pages before or not.

Google Wonder Wheel
You can try out the Wonder Wheel which currently has links to Fujairah airports, the Freezone, hotels and other things frequently searched in Google.
Google Timeline
Click on the Timeline and you will see references to Fujairah as they relate to the time in history. Currently the earliest reference is to 1670, the estimated date when the Fujairah Fort was built. The Timeline shows how patchy the historical references to Fujairah are until one gets to 1950 and more recent times.

More or Less
You can shape your search according to whether you want sites with more or less images, shopping sites and page reviews.

Sites with Images
Each search result now includes a strip of images from the website, so searchers can get a better preview of what each page has to offer. To enable this new feature, simply do your image-focused query on Google, click on ‘more search tools’ in the left-hand navigation, and then click on ‘sites with images’. You'll notice the search results page completely transforms.

Lost in Translation
The last tool is called Translated Search which offers a list of articles that have been translated about Fujairah especially those from Arabic into English.

These are great tools, not all new but brought together and made more accessible. A great help when searching all things Fujairah.

Geoff Pound

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Former Days in Fujairah

Several years ago the Gulf News posted 25 photos of Fujairah from out of its archives.

The picture attached bears this caption:

“Recent discoveries and excavations in the East Coast have revealed that Fujairah sits on a treasure of archaeological and historical sites which prove that man lived along the coast thousands of years ago.”

It would be a great thing to collect up as many of the old photographs as possible to help record Fujairah’s heritage.

Link: Fujairah in the Past, Gulf News, 11 August 2008.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Treasures in ‘Fujairah Observer’ Archives

The Fujairah Observer is online and its archives are rich with Fujairah information. If you are thinking of visiting Fujairah it would pay to do some digging in the online archives.

Community Builder
The Observer is a monthly magazine distributed along the UAE east coast to hotels, clubs and supermarkets but it is also obtainable by subscription. It does much to build a sense of community and it is one of the few local magazines in Fujairah.

Regular Features
The Fujairah Observer covers these regular features:
Fujairah News—conferences, business news, people
College Happenings
School Events
Health Articles
Club News: Toastmasters, Social Clubs
Films Reviews
Hotel and Restaurant News
Local Culture
Sporting Fixtures
Charitable Projects
Editor’s Letter: Dr Al Kindi puts his finger on Fujairah’s pulse
Classified Advertisements—services, for sale, jobs, accommodation--they’re free!

In the Archives
Here’s a sample of the articles from the online archives (from January 2009):

The Arts in Fujairah
Artist: Natasja Ahout (acrylic painting on canvas and more)
Artist: Haley Haddow (Fused Glass creations & exhibition)
Artist: Mara Thorson (painter, weaver, textile fabrications)
Artist: Saad Ibrahim (doodler, scribbler, eclectic expressions)
Artist: Alan Nambiar (Photographer)
Artist: Madiha Noaman (Still Life to Abstract Landscapes)
Novelist: Asha Iyer Kumar (Life as an Expat)
Poets: Saniya Shahid; Ms. Tammy; Marie Kristine Shrestha & (2); Brinelle Cladson
Fujairah International Monodrama Festival 2010
Thoban Pottery Plant
The Falcon Files—Drama Production

Fujairah Government Developments & Transport
Establishing e-Government in Fujairah
National Rail Network is Coming
Fujairah—Dubai Bus Service
Dibba to Kalba bus service

Who’s Who?
Profile on Dr Khalid Al Mazroui: General Manager Fujairah International Airport
Profile on Rev Peter Chase
Who is Saindee De La Cruz?
Restaurateur Raed Dabbous
Siegfried Fischer and Hispania (racing yacht)

Get Involved
Trekking Nepal and further on Nepal
The Flying Angel and more on Raising Money for the Angel
Social Service by local schools
Fujairah Toastmasters
Community Library Borrowing at HCT Colleges
Rotana teams up with MSF

Understanding Emirati Culture
How Emiratis are named
The Cities of the UAE and their Names
HCT Heritage & Culture Tour
Greeting an Emirati: What to say and do.
Drinking Coffee Arabic & Turkish Style.
The Significance of the Holy Month of Ramadan
Famous Arabians: Ahmed bin Majid
Dhow Racing
Al Shoosh Rowing Champs 2009
Falconry Competition

Sports in the UAE
Quad Biking around the UAE
Maktoum Championships
MK Interactive Games
Fishing Competition—The Fujairah Classic
Winners in 2009 Fujairah Classic and the fish; January 2010 Report
Fishing for Dorado
More Fishing Reports; October 2009 Fishing Report
F2 World Championships 2009; 2010 January Report
Swimming Championships 2009
Al Shoosh Rowing Champs 2009
Fujairah Rugby (7s)
Dhow Racing
Falconry Competition
Tennis Championships

Eating and Drinking
Food Guide to Green Valley, Al Meshwar, Seeran, Gulf Flower Bakery etc.
Fujairah’s Top Chefs Talk about Food and Recommend Dishes and eateries
Restaurants: Harbour Club, Faseel Restaurant, New Sheetal, Oriental, Munch More
Restaurant Reviews: Sapore; Faseel Café
The Concept of the Harbour Club Restaurant
The Club at Fujairah Free Zone

Ongoing Education
How to speak up in a meeting and be heard

Environment and Conservation
Washing cars in environmentally friendly ways.
Earth Day: Tree Planting, Recycling,
Wadi Wurayah, UAE’s Protected Area & Camping in Wadi Wurayah
Garra Smarti: Discovery of New species of Freshwater fish
Going Green at Work—Recycling Tips at home
Clean Up Arabia 2010
Rejuvenating Marine Life

Healthy Living and Wellbeing in the Emirates
Staying Young and Looking Fresh in the Gulf Climate
Where do I go to buy gifts, purchase pottery or beautify myself?
Living in the Heat
Air conditioning and Dehydration
Hair Loss & Healthy Hair and Desalinated water and Hair
10 Simple Changes for Healthy Living
Understanding Asthma
Good Habits for a Healthier Lifestyle
Juice Fasting
Home Remedies
Curbing Cholesterol
Diabetes in the UAE and Gulf
Tips for Eating at Festive Times
Audio Screening for Children
Festive Food
Home Care Services
Thick Glossy Hair
Stress and Shortness of Breath in Pregnancy
Losing Weight with Good Habits
Healthy Pets in Fujairah
Wedding Exhibition

Tourism Trends and Ideas
Travel Trends
Take a seaplane flight with Seawings
Exploring Musandam Peninsula
Tourist Night Souk and Fujairah Souk opens
Cruise Ship Season in Fujairah; ‘Brilliance of the Sea’ calls in to Fujairah
Abulhoul Aviation offers new ways to get to Fujairah

Thanks
Many thanks to the Observer staff for their monthly editions and for putting the articles online for ongoing reference.

Contact
Fujairah Observer Office
Room 312/3
Fujairah Trade Centre
P O Box 2000
Fujairah
Email: fujobs@eim.ae
Tel: 09 2241918
Mob: 050 4843470
Fax: 09 2241916

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Fujairah Airport Flying High

Well Done!
Congratulations to Dr. Khaled Al Mazroui, the General Manager of the Fujairah International Airport who won the award, ‘Airport Personality of the Year’ at the first Emerging Markets Airports Awards hosted recently at Le-Meridien Hotel.

Innovation
Some of the innovative ways that Dr. Khaled Al Mazroui is stamping his personality on the regional airport is by developing long term aircraft parking space and establishing areas for dismantling retired aircraft and readying them for recycling.

A further initiative on the drawing board is to build a substation for rescue and fire fighting services.

Despite the financial recession the Fujairah International Airport experienced a growth of 9% in aircraft movements in the first few months of the year.

More
Photos and a promotional video give a visual appreciation of the Fujairah Airport and here is a private photo album giving further illustrative material.

Geoff Pound

Connect with Geoff Pound on Facebook, Twitter or at geoffpound(at)gmail.com

Image: The Fujairah International Airport against the picturesque mountain backdrop.