Tradition and Atmosphere at the Fujairah Fish Market

Atmosphere

Tour guides usually make a stop at the Fujairah Fish Market and it’s not difficult to understand why.

A vibrant atmosphere abounds in the fish souq. There’s a noticeable camaraderie among the workers. Visitors are always curious to find out what’s been caught. There’s often a goodly number of browsers as well as buyers.

Probing Identity

It’s generally a man’s world at the markets but local and expat women do come and buy for their homes or restaurant.

The city of Fujairah was established on the fishing industry so in poking around the fish markets you can feel that you’re probing the identity of this eastern emirate.

Expats and tourists often have their cameras ready to capture their memories. Many remark on the size or the types of fish they have never seen before.

Types of Fish

Ask for the name of the fish and you’re more likely to get a reply in Arabic or Urdu rather than in English. A board on the wall lists the name in Arabic and English of the most common fish that are available in the market. At the top of the list it reads ‘sheep head’! This is a type of fish not the head of a sheep. Further down it lists ‘goatfish’.

Lots of Guts

Some fishermen and women arrive in the weekend with fish that they have hooked, preferring the professionals to clean their catch rather than do it themselves. The men at the fish market who scale and clean fish are fast and the cost of this service is very reasonable.

Cleaning Fish

A sign on the board indicates the costs in English and Arabic:

Wage of Cleaning, Scaling and Cutting Fishes in Central Market of Al Gorfa

1.5 Dhs 1 kilo small fishes

5 Dhs 4 kilo small fishes

1 Dh 1 kilo big fishes

4 Dhs 4 kilo big fishes

Cleanliness rather than Conservation

In the last few years there’s been an ongoing campaign to increase and maintain the hygiene standards at the market.

The environmental group, Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF), published earlier in 2011 a Choose Wisely book (free download) that lists the endangered fish in the UAE waters and encourages people to choose fish that are in good supply. Unfortunately, these resources don’t seem to be available to buyers within the fish market.

Watch the Video on Preserving Fish Species in the UAE

Take a Stand

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is one of a growing number of UAE restaurants that have removed from its menus endangered fish species such as Hammour, Kingfish, White Spotted Spinefoot and Sprangled Emperor. The Fujairah resort has replaced these fish with the more sustainable Orange Spotted Trevally, Two Bar Sea Bream, Pink Ear Emperor, Black Streaked Monocle Bream and Ehrenbergs Snapper.

When you go to a restaurant in Fujairah that serves fish, enquire about the type of fish, raise your concern about the use of endangered fish and choose a fish that is in good supply.

Take a Look

Some photos of the Fujairah Fish Market are posted in this photo album.

Related

Choose Wisely, UAE Consumer Guide, EWF-WWF (free download)

The UAE’s Sustainable Fish Cookbook Includes Recipes from Fujairah, FIF, 12 April 2011.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, info, resources and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Johnny Rodgers Band Performing in Fujairah

You’re Invited

You are invited to a public performance by the Johnny Rodgers Band in Fujairah on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 commencing at 8.30pm.

Venue

This evening of American jazz and rock music is being held in the performance theatre of the Higher Colleges of Technology-Fujairah Women’s College.

Patron

This is a free performance and bookings are not essential.

The event is being held under the patronage of His Highness, Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Chairman of the Fujairah Culture and Media Authority (FCMA).

It is being staged by the FCMA in collaboration with the US Consulate General of Dubai and the HCT-Fujairah.

Cultural Exchange

The evening will recognize and promote 40 years of friendship between the UAE and the USA.

The Fujairah event is part of a tour by the New York-based Johnny Rodgers Band of six countries in the Middle East—Jordan, Djibouti, UAE, Sudan, Bahrain and Egypt. Check out their tour blog at this link.

In many locations, their public concerts will be accompanied by master classes, lecture demonstrations, workshops and jam sessions.

Johnny Rodgers Band

The Johnny Rodgers Band is led by Johnny Rodgers on piano and vocals, Brian Glassman on bass, Joe Ravo on guitar and Danny Mallon on drums, percussion and vocals.

The band was formed in New York in 2003. Their style ranges from pop to jazz to classic. Johnny Rodgers, the leader of the band, is an award-winning singer-songwriter and pianist. New York Times writer, Stephen Holden, describes Rodgers as having fused elements of Billy Joel, Peter Allen and Johnny Mercer.

Eclectic Style

A usual song list for a performance contains a mix of Johnny Rodgers award-winning originals and American music classics that have been part of the repertoire of James Taylor, Ray Charles, Johnny Mercer and Randy Newman.

Further Information

Johnny Rodgers Band website.

Johnny Rodgers Band Press Kit with Bio is downloadable at this link.

Take a Listen

Further Details

For more information contact:

HCT-Fujairah Women’s College

056 8677868

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, info, resources and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

HCT Fujairah Expands Its Cafeteria at Women’s College

Higher Colleges of Technology-Fujairah Director, Dr. Dave Pelham, cut the ribbon to officially open the new cafeteria at the HCT Fujairah Women’s College.

The numbers of students has been increasing thus requiring an expansion and improvement of the College’s facilities and services.

The expansion now enables the College to seat 600 diners for meals. This increase is almost twice as many diners as was possible in the old facility.

The expansion has also involved a renovation with new decorations designed to create a more friendly atmosphere and open environment.

The expansion and renovations commenced in July and were ready for use on Sunday, 18 September 2011.

The Fujairah Women’s College currently has 1900 students and 200 staff.

Contact

HCT- Fujairah Women’s College

HCT- Fujairah Men’s College

Geoff Pound

Images: Photos supplied by HCT-Fujairah

More Fujairah news, information, resources and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

12 December 2011 is ‘Clean Up UAE’ Day Including ‘Clean Up Fujairah’

Mark the Date

Monday, 12 December, 2011, is the date to mark on your calendar for ‘Clean Up UAE’.

Let people know at school and in your workplace as the annual day is usually supported well by schools, Colleges, private businesses and government departments.

Tenth Time

Today, 18 September 2011, the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), launched its 10^th edition of the 'Clean Up UAE' campaign which, in 2002, was initiated in four emirates—Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi.

Since that time all emirates have got on board with this big campaign and last year more than 100 tons of waste were collected from the country. This is a staggering amount but what must galvanize our concern and activity is that the UAE’s waste per capita is among the highest in the world.

Clean Up Fujairah

At the 2011 launch, Engineer Mohammed Saif Afkham, Director of the Fujairah Municipality said:

“Through its participation for the eighth year in the ‘Clean Up UAE’ campaign, the Municipality is building on its social role that is strengthened through constant communication and interaction with the community at large in environmental events such as this. He stressed that environmental preservation is everyone’s responsibility, and must be treated as a priority.”

One Day, All Year

The ‘Clean Up UAE’ campaign could be seen as a token gesture toward environmental preservation so that people clean up on this special day and live wastefully for the next 364 days.

The intent of the EEG is that the impact of the year will have a flow on effect in the lives of ordinary residents and in the waste management practices of businesses and schools.

There are other formal and informal initiatives throughout the year and one of the impressive acts of leadership was the clean up of the Mirbah Harbour (pictured) by the Fujairah Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi.

In June 2011 the Crown Prince coordinated an effort with 45 divers (himself included) and pulled hundreds of kilograms of rubbish from the sea.

About this initiative of the Fujairah Crown Prince, Mohammed Saif Al Afkham said to The National:

“Whenever he goes diving he gathers his friends around him to clean and dive. For him, it’s not only an awareness campaign, it’s a habit that wherever you are, you should keep your surroundings clean.”

“He wants to do a schedule in each port to go with the fishermen and clean the shore and underwater. He’s very young and an active person and I like that he himself goes to clean.”

2011 Target

The hope of the ‘Clean Up UAE’ organizing committee is that this year, 25,000 volunteers will participate in this campaign on 12 December 2011.

Stay Posted

The Clean Up UAE Facebook Page will report further details as they are formulated.

Further

Emirates Environmental Group Launches 10^th Edition ‘Clean Up UAE’, AMEInfo, 18 September 2011.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, resources, information and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Images: ‘Clean Up UAE’ logo; His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi sponsored the clean up event in June 2011 of the Mirbah harbour (photo courtesy of WAM and The National).

New Al Hilal City Catering for the Growth of Fujairah

Unique Project

Al Hilal City, in the Al Sherah area of Fujairah, is currently being constructed as a huge residential and business development.

This new city is strategically placed (pictured) between the commercial district that is forming along Kuwait Road and the Fujairah Freezone and the Port.

The Fujairah Municipality website describes Al Hilal as “the first of its type in the emirate of Fujairah…a complete city.”

Multipurpose

The Al Hilal Company has developed this project to emphasize Fujairah’s position as a tourist attraction and a market to create more opportunities for investment in the area of real estate.

With a current population of approximately 180,000 and growing at a rate of 10,000 each year, the emirate of Fujairah is running out of flat land within easy access of the city services that can be used for residential purposes. The new Al Hilal City of towers is expected to be able to accommodate 70,000 people.

General Manager of the Fujairah Municipality, Mohammed Al Afkham, believes that with the completion of the Dubai-Fujairah highway, Al Hilal City could be an alternative for people who want to work in Dubai but live in Fujairah.

Style and Design

The new city has been divided into nine areas with each area serving different purposes.

The city will have 130 towers each with 20 to 30 floors for various purposes: tourist attractions, commercial offices, residential apartments and hotels with apartments and rooms.

It will incorporate shopping malls, movie theatres and mosques.

One of the dangers of a high-rise city is that residents and visitors can feel closed in and be consigned to views of other buildings. To overcome this the new city is being constructed with green spaces covering 40% of the total area. There will be a network of paved roads linking all areas of the city as well as providing easy access roads to other parts of the city of Fujairah.

Name

Al Hilal gets its name from the crescent moon (hilal) which is foundational to Islam and is that which is looked for by Moon Sighting Committees to signal the commencement of Ramadan.

130 high towers in the new city should give ample opportunities to sight the hilal!

Progress

The roads have been formed and the main commercial tower is nearing completion. Al Hilal City is expected to be finished in 2015.

Al Hilal Properties has set up offices on the ninth floor of the Fujairah Tower and will be overseeing the leasing arrangements for businesses and residential apartments.

In their office they have models of Al Hilal City and some of the commercial and residential towers.

Contact

Al Hilal Properties

P O Box 7575

Fujairah, UAE

Phone: 09 222 5584

Fax: 09 222 3060

Website

Take a Look

Some photos and architectural impressions are posted in this photo album.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, resources, info and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Image: This new city is strategically placed (pictured above taken as a snapshot from Wikimapia) between the commercial district that is forming along Kuwait Road and the Fujairah Freezone and the Port.

Faceless Fujairah Candidate Vows to be the Loudest Voice at FNC

The campaign billboards are currently on every main street in Fujairah depicting the names of the candidate and their photos but there is one board that stands out because it does not show a face.

One of three female candidates standing for election to represent Fujairah at the Federal National Council (FNC), Mouza Saeed Nowaylah told The National, “We can’t even put up our pictures on posters like the rest of the candidates because they will frown upon it.”

Rym Ghazal, journalist at The National, wrote in an article entitled, ‘Feminine Voices Speak Up in Fujairah’ that the women candidates are not only competing against the men but “against centuries of tradition where women play a subordinate role in a largely conservative emirate.”

Some women have posted their photos on their campaign boards but the frowns may increase in accordance with the youthfulness of the candidate. At 24 years of age, Mouza Saeed Nowaylah is the youngest candidate running this year. She is also single which maybe another reason why some might disapprove of a photo.

How much of a disadvantage is it not to have the candidate’s photo on the billboard? Do people vote according to the way the candidate looks? For some youthfulness may be a plus, signifying fresh talent and a representative of change, whereby others may vote for the look of maturity and experience.

If most candidates didn’t think it was an advantage to have their face appearing with their name they wouldn’t have posted a photo on their billboard. The face is as crucial to a candidate’s identity as their name.

To the discerning voter the contribution the representative makes in the council is the ultimate issue not how well they look or appear at the meetings. Mouza Saeed Nowaylah promised, “I will be the voice most heard at the FNC meetings.”

The challenge in this last week of campaigning is for all voters to examine the significance of the policies of each candidate, explore their track record in getting things done and evaluate how best each might represent their constituency and work to achieve the vision of the entire country.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, info, resources and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Image: “But there is one board that stands out because it does not show a face.”

Al Koptan Café Sets Up Business in Growth Area of Fujairah

Location

Al Koptan (the Captain) has recently started to brew and serve coffee on the ground floor of an apartment tower on Kuwait Road.

This is the by-pass road that runs down to the Beach Motel.

The new café is across the road from the HCT Women’s College and down a few buildings.

The business is likely to thrive as this commercial district grows and it will take off when Al Hilal city is truly humming.

The café is comprised of a ground floor with the counter, preparation area and several tables and an upstairs room that is decked out with tables under umbrellas to create a nautical atmosphere.

Televisions on both levels were set to some sports channels but surely can broadcast a range of stations.

Menu

On the menu are 12 varieties of coffee, 5 of tea, a host of cold drinks (soft and fruit) and 17 of the ‘mix and shake’ variety (milk shakes, smoothies and tropical mix).

A selection of cakes is available.

Contact

The phone number for Al Koptan Café is (09) 223 7996.

Opening Hours

At present the café opens at 1.00pm and it closes at 1.00am. Unfortunately breakfast and morning coffee drinkers will not be able to get their fix from Al Koptan.

Verdict

Only tried one drink at this new café and the coffee (Americano) was excellent!

Take a Look

Some photos of Al Koptan Café are posted in this photo album.

Download the Menu

Have a look at the range and prices on the menu by clicking on this download link.

N.B. The range of items offered and the prices are accurate as at the opening in August 2011. They will surely change in the months and years to come.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, info, resources and photos are posted in the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Lulu Mall May Be the First of Many Fujairah Malls

Not everyone is pleased about the Malling of Fujairah but in 12-24 months Fujairah will go from being mall-less to possessing these four malls:

+ Fujairah Mall (part of the Fujairah Commercial Complex opposite the Toyota Roundabout)

+ Fujairah City Centre (at the first set of lights when arriving from Dubai)

+ Lulu Mall (the extension of the Lulu Hypermarket)

+ Century Mall (formerly called Al Safeer Mall, near the Beach Motel)

A further mall, ready in 2015, is planned for Fujairah’s Al Hilal city and looks to be located on the left of the traffic lights on the road to Khor Fakkan, when one reaches the intersection of the Fujairah Port and the Fujairah Freezone.

Lulu Mall in 9/12

The Lulu Mall may be the first mall in Fujairah to be opened. The General Manager of Lulu in Fujairah city, Mr. Asif Moidu Ahmed, reported this week that the first phase of the new construction should be ready for business in September 2012.

The first phase represents 75% of the total area. The second phase, to be completed six months later involves the task of joining the existing building with the new construction.

“Every care will be taken,” Ahmed said, “so there is the least disruption to business and customer service as possible.”

Lulu Facilities

* The total built up area will be 41,000 square metres in a Basement, Ground and First Floor construction.

* 76 retail shops are planned for the Lulu Mall with three cinemas, a food court and an amusement area for children.

* Plenty of new parking spaces will be available for cars underneath the new building.

* The existing supermarket will be extended and the shelving and all other facilities will be completely new.

Stores in the Lulu Mall

The specific shops in the new Lulu mall are yet to be determined. Leasing arrangements are due to commence by the end of September 2011.

Mr. Asif Moidu Ahmed said that the composition of the RAK Mall, where the Lulu Hypermarket is the flagship and anchor store, might give a good idea of the type of outlets that will be in Fujairah’s Lulu Mall.

Take a Look

Some photos taken in September 2011 of the progress of Fujairah’s Lulu Mall are posted in this photo album.

Related

Fujairah’s Lulu Hypermarket Developing into Shopping Mall, FIF, 15 June 2010.

UAE Malls: Shopping the Emirates, ETE, 8 April 2007.

Shopping is Super, Hyper and Going Ultra in the UAE, ETE, 11 April 2007.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, resources, info and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Saj Panino Restaurant in Fujairah

The Saj Panino restaurant has opened its doors on the southern side of the Al Jassim Building in the Fujairah suburb of Faseel, off King Faysal Rd.

The offerings on the menu are an Italian/Lebanese blend which include panino appetizers, panino salad, mish pizza, panino plates, side orders, modern saj dishes, saj omelettes and a long list of fruit cocktails to wash the food down.

The specialty is cooking the bread and food on the saj (صاج) which is a round domed grill, like an upside down wok, that is often used in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon.

The saj is used to make markouk, the delicious light, thin bread which in this restaurant is used for many of the items, including the shawarma panino and the panino salad.

The food is reasonably priced, the restaurant has been tastefully decorated and a delivery service is available.

Contact Details

Al Jassim Building, Faseel, Fujairah.

Phone: (09) 223 7772

Hours

The Saj Panino opens at 8am and closes at 1am.

Saj Cooking

See how bread is prepared and cooked on the saj.

Check Out the Menu

Have a look at the new menu by clicking on this link.

N.B. Over time the menu items and prices change so the original menu may well be out of date by the time you download it.

Motto

The motto of the restaurant promises much: ‘Come hungry; Leave Happy.”

Take a Look

Some photos of the Saj Panino restaurant are posted in this photo album.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, information, resources and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Bull Butting in Fujairah Getting Safer and Slightly Up Market

Renovations

Regulars at Fujairah’s Friday afternoon bull butting extravaganza will have noticed that in recent months there have been some renovations.

Thankfully they haven’t made huge changes to bring it into the 21^st century with Disney-style organization. There’s still a rustic feel to the experience and a sense that things are muddling along as they have done for the last few hundred years.

Earlier bulls were tied up to trees but now there are lines of poles to hitch up your beast.

Formerly, there weren’t any fences around the arena. The crowd that gathered formed the boundary line as well as their vehicles. Sometimes when a bull went on the loose the crowd scattered and this was one of the things that held your attention and got your adrenalin pumping. Now there are fences against which people can lean but there’s still the opportunity for the hardy to go inside the fence to stand or sit.

Some shelters have been created from date palms to give shade from the afternoon sun. These are in keeping with the traditional feel of the experience. The grandstand seats are where people sit on the roofs of their cars to obtain a higher vantage point.

Revamped Organization

There have been some changes in how the bull butting bouts proceed but not enough to turn it into an event with military precision. This Fujairah experience is still veiled with a high level of mystery. Who knows what is going on and which bull is winning?

The caller (MC/DJ) has a microphone and amplification. He gives the welcome and offers an excited commentary in Arabic. An amplified siren after 2-3 minutes indicates that each butting round is over.

Plenty of Bull

Two trainers, each with ropes, lead their bull near the middle of the arena. As in a rugby scrum, there is a moment when the bulls engage and their primal instincts take over. The butting is not severe although sometimes the bulls return to their posts with the odd spike of blood on their heads. The winning bull appears to be the one that has pushed the other further back from the starting position but even as the bulls ebb and flow, the length of the push is never measured as players do in lawn bowls.

When the siren sounds the trainers move to their bulls to pick up the ropes and draw their beasts apart. If their attempts are unsuccessful, tow teams of half a dozen guys in their dishdashas will move to each bull and pull on the ropes like a tug ‘o war. Once the bulls are separated they usually seem happy enough to take a breather under their tree.

There doesn’t seem to be any clear declaration of winners or an award ceremony.

The bull butting and the competition are not the only purposes of the afternoon. The farmers are keen to show off their bulls, which they feed on milk and butter to increase their bulk and give shine to their coats. This is partly a beauty parade for the bulls, again without a contest.

Central to the weekly event is the chance for farmers to get together, exchange their salaams and rewarm their relationships—the sort of thing that happens in rural communities around the world where farmers get together at the sale yards.

So What?

For the many expat workers who live in the emirate, the bull butting activities provide some free entertainment to enliven their days.

For the UAE expats and tourists who attend, the bull butting is something of a novelty and an opportunity to take some photos with which to remember their time in Fujairah.

The bull butting tradition is a regular reminder that Fujairah is essentially a rural town where growing crops and keeping livestock have been foundational to life in these parts for centuries. The new fences, microphones and shelters are small innovations to a unique practice that has brought people together and nurtured the community for hundreds of years.

Getting There

Go down Fujairah’s main street as far as you can go (beyond the incense burner roundabout) and when you hit the Corniche Rd you have to turn right. After a kilometer or so and just beyond a horse farm and a coffee shop, you will see lots of cars parked on the road. The arena is set in a hundred metres from the road.

Times

The bull butting event starts around 4.30pm on Friday afternoons. Sometimes if there is a bereavement in the community the show is cancelled without people being given adequate notice.

Bull butting takes place all through the year but the number of people attending increases noticeably in the cooler months.

Take a Look

Some photos of bull butting in Fujairah have been posted in this photo album.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, resources, information and photos are posted in the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Fujairah Municipality Congratulates Children with Environmental Theme

To mark the beginning of the new academic year, representatives from the Fujairah Municipality’s Department of Environmental Protection, General Services Administration and the Division of Awareness and Environmental Media visited a number of kindergartens and schools.

They were accompanied by Morjan, the Municipality’s environmental cartoon character, who congratulated the students on starting a new academic year and wished them every success.

To strike a festive note the visiting teams distributed sweets, balloons, stamps and posters and the children enjoyed ample opportunities to have their photograph taken with Morjan.

Ms. Fatima Al Kindi of the Media Department said that this programme helped to spread among the children an environmental awareness in a fun and enjoyable manner.

The children were easily engaged and absorbed in the activities and at each school the teachers and their students expressed their happiness and appreciation for this initiative from the Fujairah Municipality.

The programme included a visit to various institutions including kindergartens at Al Anfal and Al Duhaa and the primary schools: Braa’m Al Liman, Al Qarya, Al Ma’arefa and Al Etqan.

The visits took place between Sunday 11 September and Tuesday 13 September 2011.

Well done to the Fujairah Municipality for taking this positive initiative!

Geoff Pound

Images: These pictures were taken at various kindergartens and schools visited in the environmental awareness programme conducted by the Fujairah Municipality this week.

More Fujairah news, resources, information and photos are posted in the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

French Day in Fujairah is Magnifique!

French business people and investors have been invited to a special day in Fujairah on 30 September 2011.

Engineer Mohammed Saif Al Afkham, the Director of the Fujairah Municipality, said that the one-day Fujairah-French rendezvous would give local business leaders the opportunity to showcase the emirate.

French business leaders will be invited to set up business in the eastern emirate of the UAE and it is hoped that investors will see the potential and be attracted to avail themselves of this new opportunity.

The one-day Fujairah showcasing to the French will be held on 30 September, commencing at 10.30am.

It will be located at the Concorde Hotel in Fujairah, under the patronage of the Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi.

Mohammed Al-Afkham said he was eager to hear from people with creative ideas about cultivating the French-Fujairah relationship, especially but not only at the commercial level.

Related

Fujairah Seeks an Ambitious Future in Tourism Says Patrick Antaki, FIF, 3 October 2011.

Fujairah Welcomes the French Highlighting Emirate’s Strategic Location, FIF, 2 October 2011.

French Business Council Has Firm Ambitions to Invest in Fujairah, FIF, 1 October 2011.

Crown Prince Seeking to Attract More French Companies to Fujairah, FIF, 30 September 2011.

Fujairah Forum Welcomes the French, FIF, 27 September 2011.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, resources, information and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.