This year, the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2024) is championing sustainability, unveiling a series of workshops designed to inspire children of all ages to significantly reduce their household waste and turn it into pieces of art and useful items. These sessions not only introduce the principles of the circular economy but also empower participants to creatively repurpose everyday refuse into something useful. “Recycling is important to save the planet and reduce pollution. They teach us at school,” shared nine-year-old Mohammed, a participant in two workshops who is keen to continue his eco-educational journey. He gleefully described transforming a…
Author: Kashan Tumsil
The lobbies and hallways of the ongoing 15th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) turned into a fabled wonderland full of soapy sparkle as Rya, the Ram, and Kos, the deer, made a fantastical entry with their famed ‘circus on bubbles’, leaving festival goers amazed and creatively inspired. The debuting Wonder Walks act saw the Italian duo of artists Alekos Ottaviucci, 29, and Ilaria Fioretto, 34, delight the young and old alike with their captivating storytelling and inspired choreography centred around the art of creating giant bubbles. Dressed as zoomorphic characters, the two walked around Expo Centre Sharjah – where…
An African musical instrument called kalimba taught by a Ukrainian trainer to schoolgirls from an Indian school in Dubai at the ongoing 15th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) is the greatest testimony of the unity in diversity that the emirate of Sharjah and its cultural festivals seek to achieve for its locals, resident populations as well as visitors. The inclusive societies and education being nurtured by Sharjah and the UAE was also reflected in the readiness and warmth with which the participants shared their kalimbas with two groups of differently abled children, who also joined the music…
DUBAI: Universal Brothers Private Limited, renowned for its dedication to exceptional service in the realm of Hajj, further exemplified its commitment during a Hajis Meet & Greet event held on Sunday, 5th May 2024, at the Pullman Hotel, City Center Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As the doors of the Pullman Hotel opened to welcome attendees at 7:30 p.m., a diverse gathering of industry professionals and prospective clients eagerly convened to explore the unique offerings of Universal Brothers. This event not only served as a platform for networking but also underscored the company’s strategic position as a leading organizer of…
Mr. Kamran Ghani, the visionary leader of Zone Tourism and Hotwheels Car Rental, hosted the Annual MEET & GREET dinner at the prestigious Hotel Park Regis Business Bay in Dubai, UAE. This exclusive event welcomed esteemed tourism leaders from around the globe, coinciding with the Arabian Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel and tourism industry. The Arabian Travel Market has been a pivotal platform for over three decades, facilitating growth and innovation within the travel and tourism sector. Under the theme of ‘Empowering Innovation – Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship,’ this year’s event aims to explore sustainable travel…
Industry professionals explored ways to stand out in the Middle East’s oversaturated luxury travel segment at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, which concludes today at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Panellists speaking during the exhibition’s luxury summit said authenticity, personalisation and the guest experience were among the key considerations for brands looking to distinguish themselves from the competition. Industry experts noted that while the architectural designs of hotel operators’ premises may vary, it is important for luxury brands to establish common values and authentic experiences across their portfolios. From the language used to convey a company’s offering to the…
More than 46,000 industry professionals from over 160 countries – including 33,500 visitors – attended the 31st edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which concluded today (9 May) in Dubai, UAE. This represents a 15% year-on-year increase in attendees compared to ATM’s landmark 30th edition, setting a new record for the show and demonstrating the strength, resilience and momentum of the global travel and tourism sector. In line with ATM 2024’s theme, ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, over 2,600 exhibitors gathered at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) to explore the drivers behind industry growth and identify future…
InterLnkd overcame stiff competition on the final day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 to win the third ATM Start-up Pitch Battle, which was held in association with Intelak. The UK-headquartered company uses specific data points and an intelligent matching engine to link the travel and hospitality sectors with the fashion, beauty and retail industries. A total of 33 travel start-ups submitted entries for this year’s competition, a 158% increase compared to last year’s figures. Finalists ClearQuote Technologies ME Ltd, stayK and InterLnkd presented to judges Sarah Saddouk, Director of Innovation – Entrepreneur.com and Mohammad Khoori, Ventures Team – Emirates Group.…
STEMpedia, an innovative tech-education ecosystem that helps students master the art of coding, has successfully conducted the fifth edition of its global ground-breaking innovation fest, Codeavour 5.0 International, at the Dubai American Academy on May 4th and 5th. Codeavour is an international Artificial Intelligence (AI), coding, and robotics competition hosted annually to encourage kids to bring out their inner programmers and make innovative projects using PictoBlox, a visual programming software to learn coding and AI. It provides a platform for students to learn and effectively utilize the latest technologies like AI, Machine Learning (ML), Augmented Reality – Virtual Reality (AR–VR),…
A noted author for young people and a literature professor spoke at length about the magic of contemporary children’s poetry and how to keep it ‘fresh’ during a panel discussion at the ongoing 15th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF). The hour-long conversation moderated by journalist Mania Suwaid saw poet and editor Shobha Tharoor and academician Dr Djellouli Laid discuss the various characteristics of poems written for today’s children and their existing standards. Dr Laid, who teaches Arabic literature for Children at University Kasdi Merbah in Ouargla, Algeria, emphasised the importance of simplicity and imagination in children’s poetry. “Children’s…