Whoosh! Art Exhibition Continues This Week in Fujairah

A good number of people from Fujairah and Dubai attended the launch of Boryana Korcheva’s public exhibition on Thursday evening but if you missed the opening you can still see her paintings this week at the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club.

The paintings in the exhibition represent the different stages in the career and development of the Fujairah-based artist but ‘the art of joy’ is the theme and focus which holds these eclectic creations together.

Art of Joy

Boryana explains in her introductory note:

“‘Whoosh!’ is a series of high energy, dynamic paintings of fish in motion. They have been inspired by my fascination with the ocean, its cool embrace and the magical transformation of light and colour in its depths. Diving amongst the fish and coral gives me a sense of calm and belonging, a desire to melt away and join the eternal currents.”

“The message of my paintings is simple: despite of all controversies and injustices, it is a wonderful world. My creative driving forces are the joy of life and the fun of being myself. If my paintings manage to sweep you in this happy whirlpool, then I have achieved my highest purpose. Whoosh!”

Fujairah Inspired

One of the delightful aspects in viewing these paintings is to recognize so many scenes from the emirate of Fujairah and to see the word ‘Fujairah’ in most of the captions which are written in Arabic and English.

There is a Fujairah flavour about so many of these paintings that engenders a sense of pride that an artist has invested so much time and effort into reproducing scenes with which Fujairah residents are so familiar. These paintings need to be taken to other emirates and countries in order to showcase the beauty of Fujairah’s landscape and the wonder in the ordinary, common things that Fujairah people see every day.

Tune into the way Fujairah is shaping the work of Boryana Korcheva:

“I am fortunate to live in Fujairah - a place bathing in sunshine all the year round, tucked between ragged rocky mountains and a warm restless sea, populated by a tantalizing mix of people from almost every corner of the world.”

“I source my subjects from my immediate surroundings—a glimpse caught on a mountain road, a dive, a shape suddenly appearing in another shape, or a moment of special connection with another human being. Such encounters explode into a chain of ideas calling for artistic incarnation and so the work begins.”

Feedback Welcomed

Do visit the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club this week, view the paintings in the Whoosh! Exhibition and then leave your name and a comment in the book provided.

Very few writers, poets and artists actively seek feedback, including constructive criticism but Boryana expressed on the opening night how important it is for her to receive this. She explained her desire:

“Look around the walls. I have experimented in different styles and in different medium. In many ways I am at the crossroads of my artistic career. I could go in different directions but I am not sure in which direction I should head.”

Perhaps a comment about a painting or a note about which painting had the most impact on you might be one of the signs that this Fujairah artist will value in the years to come as contributing to a vital turning point in Boryana’s career.

Location

Fujairah Tennis and Country Club—Check location on this Google Map.

Link

Boryana Korcheva Art—Facebook Page.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted in the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Image: See how the style of this Wadi Helo oil painting is quite different from the fish painting that is part of the Whoosh! Publicity?

Fujairah Commercial Complex Rising Rapidly

It’s remarkable how fast the Fujairah Commercial Complex (pictured) is proceeding especially with the high rising Millenium Hotel which, when finished, will consist of a ground floor plus 22 additional floors.

The commercial complex stretches out over 134,000 square metres in the strategic Haleefat location and is most visible at the first roundabout (Toyota Roundabout) that one encounters on arriving in Fujairah from Dubai/Sharjah.

The project involves, in addition to the 4 star Millenium Hotel, a shopping mall (basement, ground and four floors), a food court, an ice rink and six cinemas.

The estimated price tag is 425 million AED or $US115 million.

The construction of the Fujairah Commercial Complex commenced in 2010 and is estimated to be up and running by September 2012.

Related

Building Boom at Fujairah’s Gateway, FIF, 6 March 2011.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted in the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Images: Top: The rising form of the Millenium Hotel and the surround Fujairah Commercial Complex. This photo was taken from the main road near the Toyota Roundabout. Bottom: An artist’s impression of the final product (courtesy of this link).

Watch Pottery Being Made at Thoban, Fujairah

Stop Off at Thoban

It is worthwhile stopping off at the Thoban Pottery Factory to see traditional pots being made and to buy these crafts at factory prices.

Thoban is one of the many small towns that one passes on the road between Dubai/Sharjah and Fujairah city. It is 44kms before Fujairah city and 14kms before Masafi with its popular stopping place, the Friday Market.

The Thoban Pottery Factory is a popular stopping off place for many tourist buses.

Finding the Factory

Coming from Dubai/Sharjah, 15 kms after turning right at Dhaid’s Mosque Roundabout one passes an Eppco Petrol Station on your right and the turn off to Manama on your left. Continue for approximately 300 metres and, as you see the shops of Thoban there is a road to the right with about three signposts, one of which points the way to the Thoban Pottery Factory.

Coming from Fujairah you need to drive through Thoban and before you see the road going right to Manama, get into the left lane and do a U-Turn. As you go back towards Fujairah and before the Thoban shops commence, slow down to take the road going right.

For more detail check this article, Directions from Dubai to Fujairah.

The sign declares that one drives 800 metres down this road. After you see a bus shelter on the left with an image of a pot, turn left for another 300 metres until you reach the driveway on the left (which is also signposted). This driveway will take you past houses on the right and it will begin to veer to the left again towards the factory.

Ask for a Tour

The Thoban Pottery Factory has been owned and managed for seventeen years by Ali Rashid.

Peshawar-born, Abdul Qadir (yes, the same name as the great Pakistani leg spin bowler), has supervised the operation at the Thoban Pottery Factory for about the same number of years. Abdul is the one most likely to give you a tour.

Types of Pots

Thoban is the place for turning traditional Arabic terracotta pots but the factory also makes pots of a European design.

The three main types that are made are:

1. Pots with antique designs

2. Pots for planters

3. Pots for interior and exterior decoration including fountains and lamp stands

Raw Material

The clay that is used comes from the UAE (RAK) and Iran. It is mixed during a day-long process.

Potters

The Thoban Pottery factory has eight fulltime potters who were trained in India and Pakistan before they came to the UAE.

Outlets

The factory sells pots at the door but they also distribute to gift shops in Dubai, to stalls at the Friday Market and direct to some restaurants that like to serve their food in the clay biryani bowls.

Pottery Process

The potters are so adept at their craft they can turn out a small pot in a few minutes.

When the pots are taken from the wheel they are placed outside in the sun for a day for drying.

The firing stage is next and twice a month the kiln is filled with approximately 1,000 large and small pots. They are placed in three lines inside the kiln which is made of bricks and plastered with clay.

The kiln is diesel fired and reaches between 700-900C in this hardening phase that lasts for 36 hours.

When the firing finishes it takes a day for the cooling of the kiln before the pots are brought out to display and sell.

There is no glazing of the pots because, according to Abdul Qadir, “Our customers want the natural colours.”

Visiting Days and Hours

The Thoban Pottery factory is open every day except Friday between these hours:

7.50am-1.00pm

3.00pm-5.00pm

Contact Details

Thoban Pottery Factory

P O Box 12320

Thoban,

Fujairah, UAE

Tel: (06) 8827528

Fax: (06) 8827528

Manager: Ali Rashid

Supervisor: Abdul Qadir: 050 3904499; 050 5157196

Location on Google Maps

View Thoban Pottery Factory, Fujairah in a larger map

Take a Look

Some pictures of the pottery making and the finished items are in this photo album.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted in the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Arab Proverb: “They Planted So We Ate and We Plant…”

“They Planted So We Ate and We Plant So They Would Eat…”.”

-Arab Proverb.

More Arab Proverbs

“Marriage is Like a Fort…” FIF, 21 April 2011.

“Write the Bad Things that are done to you in sand but…FIF, 20 April 2011.

“Give the Bread Dough to the Baker Even…” FIF, 18 April 2011.

“A Chameleon Does Not Leave One Tree Until…” FIF, 17 April 2011.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted in the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Contemporary Rock Art or Unwelcome Graffiti in Fujairah?

Fujairah Rocks

The emirate of Fujairah is a region of the United Arab Emirates where huge numbers of petroglyphs have been discovered and studied, thanks in no small measure to the efforts of archaeologist, Dr. Michele Ziolkowski.

Author, Peter Hellyer, says that these rock images (pictured) provide ‘windows to the past’.

They shed light on the life and thought of those who lived in Fujairah thousands of years ago.

Contemporary Rock Art

There are several pieces of 'contemporary rock art' in the emirate of Fujairah like the painting (pictured below) on the mountains at Thoban. They are not carved or engraved like petroglyphs but presumably by using spray cans of coloured paint they might be called pictographs.

Often the art work in Fujairah and Khor Fakkan is drawn large enough to be visible to those who drive along the road. They take many forms and include facial images (usually male), a coloured map of the UAE or a series of patriotic words in Arabic.

Thankfully, those who have created different expressions of this contemporary rock art have displayed some degree of artistic talent but if every climber in the Hajars used their spray cans whenever they saw a smooth rock face there would be a public outcry and calls against this visual pollution.

What makes public rock painting a work of art and when do images and colour destroy the beauty and naturalness of the landscape?

The workers and caretakers at Fujairah’s Wadi Wurayah are thinking about effective ways to remove unwelcome rock art(?) (pictured below) and how to deter anyone who has an itch to write or paint in stone.

What do you think about ‘contemporary rock art’ like that which is pictured at Thoban—skilful outdoor art that should be welcomed or graffiti that should be discouraged or outlawed?

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Boryana Korcheva is the Latest Fujairah Artist to Exhibit Her Creations

Fujairah artist, Boryana Korcheva, extends an invitation to all to attend the opening night of her first solo exhibition.

The launch is on Thursday 28 April 2011, from 7-9pm at the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club (see location on this map).

Come and meet Boryana for the first time. She is fluent in Arabic, Bulgarian, English and Russian and she enjoys meeting people. View her paintings and discover how living in Fujairah is shaping Boryana’s artistic talent and focus.

More about Boryana Korcheva can be gleaned from this interview in the Fujairah Observer or from looking at this digital gallery, Boryana Korcheva Art.

Creativity Capital

This solo exhibition by Boryana is the latest in a succession of exhibitions by Fujairah artists which underscores the way the Fujairah environment and landscape are conducive to getting the creative juices flowing.

So far this year we’ve had these artists making and/or displaying art in different medium:

Dubai Photographers Shoot Fujairah and the East Coast (another link)

This Fujairah-inspired painting has been displayed.

There was the visit of an Arabic Jazz artist on Earth Hour Day.

Swiss photographer, Michel Roggo exhibited his photos from Wadi Wurayah.

Dubai Photographers shoot Wadi Wurayah.

HCT students are designing posters.

Traditional Emirati crafts were displayed on World Heritage Day/Week.

The ‘African Mystique’ Art and Photography Exhibition continues.

And Fujairah has many more artists who paint, sketch or create in paper, infused glass....

On the Map

Come to Whoosh! on Thursday night or in the days ahead. You might get inspired to stir up your talent.

Boryana voices what many other local artists feel, “I count on the community’s support to put Fujairah on the art map, where it deserves to be.”

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

New Regional Airline, ‘Al Hajjar Air’, to be Based in Fujairah

Update

In Process

A new Fujairah-based airline, Al Hajjar Air, is in the administrative and planning phase. The business plan has been reviewed by the Fujairah International Airport and the Department of Civil Aviation. The directors are currently seeking funds to enable Al Hajjar Air to enter the operational phase, hopefully in 2012.

The Vision

What is envisaged is a regional carrier, dedicated to connecting the GCC hubs (Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Kuwait), with a later expansion into the Levant states and the Indian subcontinent.

The concept is proven in many regions of the world yet the Middle East lacks a dedicated regional airline. Consequently major airlines operate economically non-viable routes with large aircraft.

The Planes

Al Hajjar Air plans to operate dedicated regional aircraft in the form of modern turboprops with a stand-up cabin in single class configuration, large baggage compartments and equipped with the latest avionics and systems to ensure a smooth flight according to the highest safety standards.

All flight crew (2 pilots and 1 flight attendant) will be trained according to the stringent GCAA regulations.

Al Hajjar Air will operate primarily as a regional carrier not as a low cost carrier but the small turboprop planes will be a low cost operation suitable for developing the local market.

Fujairah Feeder Plans

Al Hajjar Air plans to feed passengers into an existing route network of the major Middle Eastern flag carriers. Al Hajjar Air will fly passengers to/from Fujairah or its other destinations to/from the base of their partner airline, giving the people of Fujairah a chance to buy for example, one single ticket from Fujairah to London.

Baggage check-in will be at the Fujairah International Airport and baggage pick-up at the destination. It is envisaged that Al Hajjar Air passengers will be entitled to use the passenger lounge of their partner airline at the intermediary stop, making the long trip a simple and pleasant experience.

Why Fujairah?

The concept of basing an airline in Fujairah came from a thorough due diligence investigation of scheduled air services in the UAE.

Fujairah has the potential of being a tourist hot spot in the UAE.

Currently, any business traveller in Fujairah must drive at least one hour to an airport in Dubai or Sharjah to catch a flight say to Doha and one must be there two hours before departure.

With Al Hajjar Air, one would travel a few minutes to the Fujairah International Airport where you would be checked-in and seated in your aircraft direct to Doha within half an hour. What a saving of time!

Furthermore, a daily service that links Fujairah with say Abu Dhabi, would benefit business and tourism interests and strengthen the link between Fujairah with the UAE capital.

Venturers

The venture is headed by Capt. Mike Carvath of the UK and Alex de Vos (currently based in Fujairah).

Captain Carvath is an experienced entrepreneur with various links to the auto industry in the UK and aviation industry in Iraq. He established one of the first dedicated charter airlines operating regional flights out of Erbil after the war.

Alex de Vos hails from the Netherlands and he started his aviation career in international operations mainly out of the USA. He has served in various aviation management positions, including Flight Operations Manager for a charter airline in Germany and CEO of Gulf Executive Aviation, an aviation consulting and air charter company in Bahrain.

Local Character

The intent of Al Hajjar Air is to provide quality air services within the region while taking into account the local customs, traditions and character of the place.

Investment Opportunity

Al Hajjar Air is offering local investors an opportunity to support a local enterprise which will not only use Fujairah as base but the vision of its leaders is “to be a driving force behind the development of the Fujairah International Airport as a primary passenger aviation hub within the GCC.”

Contact Details

Alex de Vos

President and CEO

Al Hajjar Aviation

P. O. Box 7825

FUJAIRAH, UAE

Tel: +971 (0) 55 2580502

Fax: +971 (0) 9 224 1414

Email: alex.devos@flyaha.com

Captain Mike Carvath

Email: mike.carvath@flyaha.com

Tel: +44 7766903190

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Image: Alex de Vos, President and CEO of Al Hajjar Aviation in Fujairah.

Fujairah HCT Students Learn Business Studies by Staging a Bazaar

The Fujairah Women’s College recently hosted the 2011 Business Bazaar, ‘Souq Al Areesh’.

It was opened by College Director, Dr Dave Pelham, and special guest, Mr. Ghafour Behroozian, the Community Board Chairman and a businessman in Fujairah.

The entrepreneurial Business and IT Diploma students promoted more than 50 of their own small business projects and sold over 50,000 AED of goods that they had designed and produced themselves. Their products included lines of jewelry, home and fashion accessories, laptop covers, gift items and many more creative concepts.

To add to the bazaar atmosphere and draw in customers a competition was held with gifts generously donated by Jovial Fujairah, Optic Gallery and the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce.

Competition Winners

The first placed businesses in the different categories were:

• ‘Frisky Studio’ operated by Amal Ali Saeed Khamis Al Deek
• ‘Best New Product’: Raja Mohammed Hanoun
• ‘Stylish Accessories” operated by Fatmah Mohammed Al Qawadi, Kholoud Abdulla Saeed
• ‘Best Customer Service’: Kholoud Ahmed Khameis
• ‘Stylish Shop’ operated by Fatima Abbas Gholam Saeed
• ‘Best Display’: Nourah Rashed Saeed Al Wawy

Guests

In addition to Mr. Ghafour Behroozian, special guests that supported this occasion included:

• Mr. Khalid Al Jasim, a community board member and the Director General of Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Mr. Rashid Obaid, a leading businessman in Fujairah and member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
• Mr. Ebrahim Al Ali, a community board member and the Area Manager for the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, East Coast Area.
• Mr. Hameed Jaberi, owner of the Optic Gallery Fujairah.
• Mr. William Chong, Executive Managing Director, Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company.
• Ms. Hessa Al Yammahi, HR Manager, Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company Qidfa.
• Mr. Haian Al Mansour, Business Development Manager, Fujairah National.

Applied Business Studies

Running a bazaar is a great way to put business studies into action and all agreed that Souq Al Areesh was an encouraging opportunity to witness the potential of these future Emirati businesswomen.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Image: “Souq Al Areesh, a great opportunity to witness the potential of these future Emirati businesswomen.”

The Unique Shells of Fujairah and the UAE East Coast

Peter Hellyer in his book, Fujairah: An Arabian Jewel, has this to say about the unique shells to be discovered on Fujairah and UAE East Coast beaches:

“The beaches themselves hold treasures too, fragments of delicate coral and a remarkable variety of seashells, some much sought after by collectors.”

“Three species of seashell were first discovered on the beach at Qurrayah, and are not known from anywhere except the East Coast.”

“At the request of Fujairah’s ruler, their Latin scientific names were derived from those of three nearby villages, Mirbah, Safad and Girath, to commemorate the traditional links between the people of Fujairah and the sea.”

Source

Peter Hellyer, Fujairah: An Arabian Jewel (Dubai: Motivate Publishing, 1990, Rev. Edit. 2005), 67.

Related

The Beaches and Shells of Fujairah and the UAE, FIF, 26 April 2011.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Image: Sea shells which ended up on a UAE postage stamp.

The Beaches and Shells of Fujairah and the UAE

A practical introduction to the beaches and shells of the UAE and particularly, Fujairah and the East Coast, is contained in the 50 page illustrated eBook, Rough Sheller's Guide to the Northern Emirates.

Fascinating Author

The author, Dr. Sandy Fowler, was a long time resident of Dubai and an enthusiastic member of the Dubai Natural History Group. After his death in 2009 an obituary was written to sum up his immense contribution but this short book captures something of his wit, curiosity and passion for the beach life of the region.

Where to Go for Shells

Catch the flavour of the book from the author’s introduction:

“But, none of these publications [definitive reference books] told collectors WHERE to go. It was like telling birders there were vultures to be seen in the Emirates, but not that the top of Jebel Hafit was the place to go!”

“My work….is to help shell collectors…find the beaches they want to access, and to help select beaches on which to collect particular varieties of shells.”

“Because many of the beaches have no names on any map, I’ve been forced to give them nicknames. Some are shell-descriptive, some geographically informative, and some just plain whimsical.”

Sandy’s Style

In a few words one gets a good understanding of the author’s humour and practical intent. Dr Sandy’s honesty and humility shines through in these lines:

“This is a personal, opinionated, unedited one man’s view of shelling in the U.A.E., warts and all. You may disagree with some of my descriptions – fine! Argue with me.”

“You may claim there’s a better beach I haven’t described – great! Tell me how to find it.”

“You may have found shells I haven’t in places they haven’t been described before – super! Let’s have a shelling workshop and share our findings. And if you still think this is a pretty amateur piece of work – no problem. Produce your own version, and I’ll be the first to read and enjoy it!!”

The Northern Emirates

The focus of this guide is on the Northern and East coasts of the Emirates because of practical reasons that the author outlines but about this coastline Dr Fowler says, “Here is the cream of the shelling, with a sandy/rocky coastline.”

Practical

Dr Fowler’s knowledge and experience as a physician led him to include practical sections on the dangers of searching for shells in the UAE summer, a discussion of shell species that spit venom and first aid tips for shell hunters.

His listing of GPS coordinates for the various UAE beaches highlights the usefulness of this book.

Even if readers are not interested in searching for shells, this book provides a good introduction to the main beaches of the Emirates.

Tides of Change

This book was written in 2005 so there will be details that are out of date. Dr Fowler was aware of the changing scene of beaches and shells as he writes in his introduction about the very different scenario when he arrived in the Gulf in 1987.

The author adds a postscript ‘two years on’ after the book was first published in which he includes this gem:

“The ________________ corniche [read it to discover the answer] has emerged as THE place to find shells in quantity.”

Access

Sandy Fowler, Rough Sheller's Guide to the Northern Emirates.

This 50 page eBook can be downloaded in different ways at this link on the Emirates Natural History Group website.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Image: The front cover of the book, Rough Sheller's Guide to the Northern Emirates.

Students from HCT-Fujairah Win Poster Design Competition

Global Challenge

Sixty-five students from the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)-Fujairah recently competed in the HCT Poster Competition in Dubai which was part of the ‘Global Citizenship Challenge’.

Seven Fujairah teams were successful in winning the coveted prizes for their poster designs. The competition and following ceremony, held at Dubai Women’s College on 17^th March 2011, signaled the culmination of a five week project focusing on global citizenship.

HCT-Fujairah was represented by Bachelor, Higher Diploma and Diploma students from the men’s and women’s campuses.

Project Aim

The aim of the project was to encourage awareness, to find solutions to global challenges and to practice responsible citizenship.

The system-wide competition followed on from a college competition that took place on 6^th March 2011 at Fujairah Women’s College. More than sixty posters featured in the local competition. Winners of the local competition went on to compete in the national competition.

The Awards

HCT-Fujairah students performed excellently overall during the national competition, earning seven of a possible nine national awards.

Winning posters, with pictures of many of their creators are:

First Place Winners (2500 AED prize money)

Bachelor students from FMC ‘Only One Earth’

Higher Diploma students from FWC ‘Recycling Computers’

Diploma students from FWC ‘Secondhand smoke’

Second Place Winners (1500 AED prize money)

Bachelor students from FWC ‘Empowering women’

Higher Diploma students from FWC ‘Diabetes’

Diploma students from FWC ‘Dangerous Driving’

Third Place Winner (1000 AED prize money)

Diploma students from FMC ‘Climate Change’

Celebrations

Shaindra Sewbaran, faculty member from Fujairah Women’s College, was pleased with the success of the venture saying, “A valuable educational message was learnt through this competition!” He was joined by fellow faculty member Christine Baldwin who said, “Being on the celebration bus back to Fujairah made it all worthwhile….”

HCT-Fujairah is pleased with the students who represented the college so well at such an important event and the plaudits go to them. As Gabriel Greenspan, another faculty member said, “I was so proud of our students. They were so professional, and we won!”

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Ground Tanks and Pumps Boost Fujairah’s Flagging Water Pressure

In recent months many Fujairah residents have been reporting the lowering pressure of the water that is coming from the Municipality supply.

The growing Fujairah population and the increasing number of homes and businesses sharing the supply appear to be the chief cause of the low pressure. This is a growing problem for some homes that rely completely on the pressure of the main supply to raise the water to the tank on the roof.

One Fujairah resident became so frustrated with the feeble water pressure that he has used the bore water and pump to fill the roof tank with that thought that showering and washing clothes in salty water is better than doing it with no water at all.

When teams from the Fujairah Electricity and Water Authority come to check the main pipes and the connection to the residence, they frequently ask, “Where’s your ground tank and pump?”

It seems that all new residences in Fujairah must have a ground tank and pump but there is some dispute as to whether these items are legal requirements.

A cost of a ground tank and pump is approximately 6,000 AED (installation costs are extra) and at this price landlords would rather that their tenants foot the bill if they want better water pressure.

Despite the haggling, an increasing number of Fujairah residences are being equipped with ground tanks and pumps to boost the ailing water pressure.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Image: “An increasing number of Fujairah residences are being equipped with ground tanks and pumps to boost the ailing water pressure.”

Joe Cocker Rocking the Emirates

The UAE is getting an increasing number of musical artists to its shores and rock legend Joe Cocker is soon to thump out his much-loved songs.

Earlier this year Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder drew crowds from Fujairah and all over the Emirates to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Arena.

On 22 May Joe Cocker will strut his stuff at Dubai’s Al Badia Golf Club only two days after he turns 67.

This is an outdoor concert that will be held regardless of the weather.

With the UAE summer approaching Joe will be working up a greater sweat than he usually does.

Newsglobe reports that the Dubai performance is likely to be mainly a diet of vintage Cocker hits, including ‘Unchain my Heart’, ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ and ‘You Are So Beautiful’.

Which is Your #1 Cocker Request for the Dubai Concert?

Unchain My Heart

You Can Leave Your Hat On

You Are So Beautiful

Details

All the details about the Joe Cocker event are on this site.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Cutting the Speed on the Fujairah Corniche

The Fujairah Municipality is in the process of creating a speed hump on the Corniche Road in an effort to reduce the speed of motorists and make it safer for pedestrians crossing the road.

Fixed speed cameras were introduced a few years ago but with vehicles capable of rapid acceleration, these only became minor challenges to the many motorists who treat the Corniche Road like a Grand Prix circuit.

Speed Table

‘Traffic calming’ devices are a complex science. The type being installed on the Fujairah Corniche appears to be a ‘speed table’, a long speed hump with a flat section in the middle, long enough for the entire wheelbase of a car to rest on top.

Apparently the long, flat design allows cars to pass without slowing significantly as with speed humps (road bumps, speed ramps, judder bars and speed cushions). But it depends on how low-slung your car is and those with low undercarriages have to slow almost to a standstill and negotiate delicately the rise and fall.

Fortunately, warning lights have been installed and yellow paint applied to alert drivers to the bump.

Related

UAE Drivers Need Ongoing Driving Education, FIF, 14 April 2008.

UAE: The Tailgating Capital of the World, ETE, 16 October 2007.

Reducing Traffic Accidents on UAE Roads, ETE, 20 December 2007.

UAE Pedestrian Crossings: The Most Dangerous Place to Be, ETE, 20 March 2007.

What Does This Sign Mean in the UAE? ETE, 19 March 2007.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus-Facebook Page.

Image: The new speed table is operational on the side of the Corniche Road to slow the speeding cars from Kalba. The team from the Fujairah Municipality is currently at work to establish another one of the same variety on the other side to slow Kalba-bound vehicles.