Day: September 8, 2021

DUBAI, The Dubai Police’s emergency hotline (999) received 2,402,173 calls at a rate of 10 seconds per call during first half of 2021.

Colonel Turki Abdel Rahman Bin Faris, Director of the Command and Control Centre at the General Department of Operations in Dubai Police, confirmed that the Centre is always keen on providing quick and the best services to the public around the clock.

He also confirmed their readiness to receive reports and emergency calls at all times, especially during official holidays and occasions.

Colonel bin Faris urged the public not to hesitate in reaching to Dubai Police via the call centre 999 or “SOS” service in the Dubai Police application in cases of emergency, otherwise the Force strictly advises the emirate’s citizens and residents to call 901 for non-emergencies and general inquiries.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Dubai, H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), today launched ‘Dubai’s Culture & Heritage’ project on Google Arts & Culture.

The launch of the Project, in partnership with Google Arts & Culture, falls in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to strengthen Dubai’s position on the global stage and make it the global centre of the creative economy. ‘Dubai’s Culture & Heritage’ project allows people from around the world to learn more about the emirate’s rich culture and heritage as well as its vibrant creative scene.

Google Arts & Culture is an online platform that features high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from around the world. The Platform works with over 2,000 cultural institutions to help make the world’s culture and heritage accessible to anyone, anywhere. Through its partnerships with cultural organisations, the Platform is able to develop powerful and cutting-edge technologies that help to digitise, preserve and showcase their treasures and stories to people around the world.

As part of the Project, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority has started showcasing over 800 iconic, high-resolution images including 120 of artefacts and over 70 stories in both Arabic and English that document the emirate’s history and present through the eyes of its residents. Through this collaboration, Dubai Culture seeks to paint a comprehensive picture of its cultural richness, unique identity and distinctive heritage as well as achieve its vision of strengthening the emirate’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity and a thriving hub for talent.

‘Dubai’s Culture & Heritage’ project was launched by H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the presence of Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture, Amit Sood, Director and Founder of Google Arts & Culture, Lino Cattaruzzi, Managing Director of Google in the Middle East & North Africa and other dignitaries.

Sheikha Latifa said: “Today, I am pleased to be launching ‘Dubai’s Culture & Heritage’ on Google Arts & Culture. Technology and creativity often intersect, resulting in fascinating experiences, and Google Arts and Culture is a prime example. Through this innovative platform, people will be able to embark on a journey to explore Dubai’s unique story, its rich history, vibrant culture and ever-evolving creative scene. The emirate has a unique, dynamic identity rooted in the diversity of its fabric; it is a place of rich culture and creativity that embraces people and cultures from all over the world, and where global excellence is not just an ambition but a reality.”

The ‘Dubai Culture & Heritage’ project on Google Arts & Culture highlights the diversity of Dubai’s cultural offering, giving people around the world a platform to take a glimpse of Dubai’s hidden gems and unique natural habitats. The Project also sheds light on talented, emerging and pioneering Dubai-based creatives, chronicling their inspiring and artistic journeys.

“Thanks to the vision and guidance of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai now holds a distinguished position on the global creative map. We are proud that the city has truly become a global centre for arts, culture and creativity, a place where we empower and enable our home-grown talents, and welcome creatives from all over the world, offering them a home where they can thrive on a professional and personal level,” Sheikha Latifa said.

Highlighting the importance of technology for the sector, H.H. said: “Today, we live in a world where adaptability and flexibility are key to progress, so it is crucial that the creative and cultural sector continue to think about how technology can shape its future, whether it is in the process of creation, enhancing people’s experience of arts and culture, or providing more access to it.”

H.H. said that technology has helped empower local creative talents, attracted global artists and creative institutions and enabled a spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration.

Her Highness expressed Dubai Culture’s pride in launching the Project, which came as a result of a distinguished cooperation with Google Arts and Culture, inviting members of the public to take part in the exciting journey that awaits them.

Lino Cattaruzzi, Google’s Managing Director in the Middle East & North Africa, said: “At Google, we’re very excited about the collaboration with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority to help share the beauty of Dubai’s culture and heritage with more people around the world. We believe this partnership is an important example of how technology can play a role in the long-term recovery of tourism in the region while amplifying the work of the cultural sector.”

Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture, said: “The launch of ‘Dubai’s Culture & Heritage’ project on the platform, will enable us to showcase the emirate’s rich culture, art and heritage to a wider global audience and celebrate its contemporary creations. We are proud to be the first government entity in the world to provide content in Arabic and English on Google Arts & Culture.”

Badri said that the Project is a result of the collective efforts members of the creative community. “Through our curatorial efforts and continuous collaborations with arts and culture professionals as well as the local creative community, we were able to share incredible stories and resources on the platform, which will contribute to making us largest content contributor in the MENA region,” Badri added.

Badri welcomed visitors to the platform, hoping that the stories of Dubai will inspire them to visit the emirate, discover its venues and experience the cultural aspects of the city.

Amit Sood, Director & Founder of Google Arts & Culture said: “I am excited about our collaboration with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority on the ‘Dubai’s Culture & Heritage’ project, which gives people an opportunity to explore Dubai’s culture and heritage in a new and interactive way. I particularly enjoyed learning about Dubai’s vibrant art-scene and traditional Emirati crafts like Al Khous and Talli that have been preserved for generations.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Design and Crafts Programme has launched MENASA – Emirati Design Platform, which showcases more than 40 local and international designers, telling stories of the UAE through exclusive curated design collections.

Millions of visitors to Expo 2020 will have the opportunity to explore and experience traditional Emirati crafts and traditions through a contemporary lens, with MENASA featuring seven exciting design collaborations between local and international artisans and designers under the title of Craft Stories, and Designer of the Week – a showcase of 24 designers and organisations from across the UAE, highlighting the breadth and vibrancy of the country’s contemporary design scene.

Dr. Hayat Shamsuddin, Senior Vice President, Arts and Culture, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “The collective approach of MENASA, which means ‘platform’ in Arabic, is inspired by the theme and spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. By bringing together artisans and designers from the UAE and around the world, we are nurturing a rich cultural and creative dialogue that will contribute to a meaningful legacy after Expo 2020 closes its doors.

“The content that we are bringing to Expo through MENASA is innovative and intriguing, and will capture the hearts and imaginations of our visitors. We are very proud of this programme and believe that it will help to ignite a new appreciation of Emirati crafts as a contemporary and living expression of our cultural identity – locally and globally.”

Commissioned and curated by MENASA, Craft Stories is a dialogue between local and international designers and artisans who were invited to explore and represent Emirati crafts and culture in a new way.

A series of documentaries, shot on location around the UAE, will be exhibited alongside the design collections, drawing visitors farther into the intimate worlds of the artisans and their crafts and traditions, including clay, safeefa (palm frond weaving), talli (embroidery), sadu (bedouin weaving), gargour making (wire-crafted fish traps), pearl diving and coffee making.

Samer Yamani, Curator, MENASA – Emirati Design Platform, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “Crafts have a special, innate power to communicate a local culture, a nation and its identity. Giving this power a poetic approach, we used Emirati crafts as a communication tool and merged it with design, new technologies and materials to convey more local stories and to intensify the experience for our visitors through our exclusive design collections.

The curated selection of designers and crafts organisations at MENASA – Emirati Design Platform is drawn from 11 countries, across four continents. UAE designers and organisations include Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts, Alia Bin Omair, Ammar Kalo, Bil Arabi, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, Khalid Shafar, and Tashkeel. International designers and design brands include BD Barcelona Design (Spain), Estudio Campana (Brazil), Iwan Maktabi (Lebanon), Klove Studio (India) and Nicolas Jebran (Lebanon).

Source: Emirates News Agency