Neue Heimat am Golf: Die Internationale Agentur für erneuerbare Energien zieht nach Abu Dhabi. Die frühere Bundeshauptstadt Bonn konnte sich dagegen nicht durchsetzen - die Scheichs hatten weit mehr Geld geboten.
Sharm el Scheich - Die Internationale Organisation für Erneuerbare Energien (Irena) zieht in die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate. Die Agentur soll in Abu Masdar City angesiedelt werden, einer als CO2-frei geplanten Öko-Vorzeigesiedlung in Abu Dhabi. Die Entscheidung fällten Delegierte aus rund 130 Ländern am Montag im ägyptischen Badeort Scharm el Scheich.
Bonn, der Gegenspieler, konnte sich nicht durchsetzen. Eine Kandidatur der österreichischen Hauptstadt Wien hatte bereits vor der Entscheidung als chancenlos gegolten. Bonn wird nun Sitz eines Innovations- und Technologiezentrums. Deutschland wird dafür vier Millionen Euro bereitstellen und jährlich zwischen zwei und drei Millionen Euro investieren.
Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate hatten großzügige finanzielle Unterstützung für Irena in Aussicht gestellt, um eine Mehrheit der abstimmungsberechtigten Staaten für sich zu gewinnen. Die Startkosten von 136 Millionen Dollar wollen die Emirate übernehmen und jährlich Irena-Projekte in Höhe von 50 Millionen Dollar fördern.
"Das hat einen sehr großen Sex-Appeal", hatte etwa die Sprecherin der dänischen Umweltministerin Connie Hedegaard vor der Abstimmung gesagt - Ölscheichs, die Ökoenergie fördern.
Bonn konnte sich als Hauptsitz nicht durchsetzen - Deutschland wollte zu den laufenden Kosten von Irena gerade einmal acht Millionen Euro jährlich beisteuern. Die Bundesregierung hatte aber darauf verwiesen, dass sie bereits eine Milliarde Euro pro Jahr für die nachhaltige Energieversorgung in Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern ausgebe; für Entwicklungshilfe bei den erneuerbare Energien würden bis 2014 mehr als 2,5 Milliarden Euro investiert.
Die neue Organisation war im Januar in Bonn von 75 Staaten gegründet worden. "Irena ist eine deutsche Idee", hatte Bundesumweltminister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) deswegen für die ehemalige Bundeshauptstadt geworben - ohne Erfolg, wie sich nun herausstellt. Mittlerweile gibt es 129 Unterzeichnerstaaten des Gründungsabkommens. Auch die USA sind mit dabei.
Die Agentur soll weltweit den Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien wie Solar- und Windenergie oder Biomasse vorantreiben - und vor allem die Regierungen dabei beraten, wie sie die Möglichkeiten der erneuerbaren Energien optimal nutzen. Die Hilfen reichen dabei von technischen Fragen bis zur möglichen Finanzierung von Projekten. Insbesondere Entwicklungsländer sollen unterstützt werden.
chs/dpa/AFP
Montag, 29. Juni 2009
Montag, 23. März 2009
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009
Leg 1: Abu Dhabi to Tal Mureeb - selective section, 270.60km
·McBride leads 450cc bike class; Sebastien Husseini on top in the quads ·Mohammed Ben Sulayem flags teams away from Abu Dhabi start ·Strong winds and shifting sand add to first day difficulties
BMW X-raid's top-seeded Guerlain Chicherit and Frenchman Cyril Despres led the car and motorcycle categories after the opening 442.30km leg of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which included a 270.60km desert special stage into Abu Dhabi's Empty Quarter, on Monday.
Despres, riding a factory KTM 690 R, finished the selective section 41 seconds clear of his arch Spanish rival Marc Coma, as the event reached the Tal Mureeb bivouac. Norway's Pal-Anders Ullesvalseter headed Dubai-based Briton Dave McBride in third overall.
"A stage win is always nice, but I have noticed a difference with the desert since I was here in November, " said Despres. "The sand is a different colour and the dunes are 'more red'. It is amazing what can happen in a few months. It was a strategy to start at the back today. I managed to hit the gatch road first after the refuelling and passed Marc (Coma). Then it was a case of riding fast to the finish. Tomorrow will be another game, with him following me next time."
Predictably, the battle in the car category developed into a one-horse race with Chicherit and his new Swedish co-driver Tina Thorner holding a comfortable near 20-minute lead at the end of the leg in their BMW X3 CC.
"I am very happy to get the first desert stage out of the way with a good lead," said Chicherit. "It was not easy. It was my first stage with Tina (Thorner). She is very good, but I have had pace notes in French for many years and, a couple of times, I heard the wrong note in English and made a small mistake. But, we have four more days to get used to each other and for me to gain more experience in the car."
The UAE's Yayha Al-Helai was a distant second overall in his Nissan Patrol and Abdullah Al-Herais was third, although Al-Helai suffered a heavy landing over a ridge near the end of the stage and was worried that his Nissan Patrol had sustained damage.
Dubai-based Briton Dave McBride topped the strong field in the 450cc category. Sebastien Husseini struggled to match the leading bikes on the high-speed stage, but led the quad category on his KTM 525 XC.
Sixty-nine entrants were flagged away from the landmark Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi by event chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem, in the presence of representatives from the main sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Nasser Bin Obood of etisalat.
A 53.20km road liaison section guided competitors to the start of the day's opening 270.60km selective section at Al Dafra. The first day is arguably the easiest of the five desert legs and crossed high-speed sand flats and sabkha en route to the finish, north of Liwa, although reduced visibility and a strong desert wind hampered progress through the early kilometres.
The UAE's Mohammed Al-Shamsi led the entire field into the special stage on his Honda TRX quad, but Coma and Despres soon began their charge through the back-markers, after deciding to position themselves behind their rivals in Sunday's super special.
Przygonski was the first competitor to actually pass the first passage control at the 110km point, although Despres held a 14-second virtual stage lead over Coma heading into the final 160km of the day's stage and extended his advantage to 39 seconds through PC2.
Al-Shamsi was hospitalised with a suspected back injury, shortly before the first passage control, and Poland's Rafal Sonik sustained a broken wrist after falling off his quad.
Chicherit set the pace in the cars' category through the first PC. The Frenchman was 8m 17s faster than the UAE's Yayha Al-Helai at the 110km point and extended his advantage to 17m 26s at the end of the day's stage.
The 2009 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has the backing of key players, including the event's title sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Nissan, ADNOC, Beach Rotana - Abu Dhabi, etisalat, Explorer, Hertz, Lambda Electronics, Oasis Water, TAG Heuer and the ADIMSC.
Leading positions on Leg 1 (unofficial @ 15.25hrs):
Cars
1. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Tina Thörner (S) BMW X3 CC 2h32m 49s
2. Yayha Al Helai (UAE)/Khalid Al Kendi (UAE) Nissan Patrol 2h50m 15s
3. Abdullah Al-Herais (UAE)/Haleem Bin Zayed (UAE) Nissan Patrol 3h01m 26s
4. Ricardo Leal dos Santos (P)/Filipe Palmeiro (P) BMW X5 3h03m 08s
5. Glenn Reid (UAE)/Paul Richards (UAE) Honda Buggy 3h 03m 38s
6. Laurent Rosso (F)/Paul Forthomme (B) Nissan Pathfinder 3h05m 17s
7. Maurizio Traglia (I)/Fabian Lurquin (F) Nissan Pathfinder 3h14m 50s
Bikes - overall
1. Cyril Despres (F) KTM 690 R 2h 51m 47s
2. Marc Coma (E) KTM 690 R 2h 52m 28s
3. Pal-Anders Ullesvalseter (N) KTM 690 R 2h 59m 03s
4. Dave McBride (GB) Honda CRF 450 X 3h 06m 48s
5. Jacek Czachor (PL) KTM LC4 3h 11m 13s
6. Alex Zanotti (I) Aprilia RXV Africa 3h 13m 41s
7. Jakub Przygonski (PL) KTM 690 R 3h 15m 00s
8. Sean Gaugain (ZA) Honda CRF 450X 3h 16m 04s
Quads
1. Sebastien Husseini (NL) KTM 525 XC 3h 15m 37s
2. Franck Jaussaud (F) Yamaha Raptor 700 3h 26m 39s
3. Lionel Laine (F) KTM ATV 525 XC 3h 41m 50s
- Neil Perkins -
Leg 1: Abu Dhabi to Tal Mureeb - selective section, 270.60km
·McBride leads 450cc bike class; Sebastien Husseini on top in the quads ·Mohammed Ben Sulayem flags teams away from Abu Dhabi start ·Strong winds and shifting sand add to first day difficulties
BMW X-raid's top-seeded Guerlain Chicherit and Frenchman Cyril Despres led the car and motorcycle categories after the opening 442.30km leg of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which included a 270.60km desert special stage into Abu Dhabi's Empty Quarter, on Monday.
Despres, riding a factory KTM 690 R, finished the selective section 41 seconds clear of his arch Spanish rival Marc Coma, as the event reached the Tal Mureeb bivouac. Norway's Pal-Anders Ullesvalseter headed Dubai-based Briton Dave McBride in third overall.
"A stage win is always nice, but I have noticed a difference with the desert since I was here in November, " said Despres. "The sand is a different colour and the dunes are 'more red'. It is amazing what can happen in a few months. It was a strategy to start at the back today. I managed to hit the gatch road first after the refuelling and passed Marc (Coma). Then it was a case of riding fast to the finish. Tomorrow will be another game, with him following me next time."
Predictably, the battle in the car category developed into a one-horse race with Chicherit and his new Swedish co-driver Tina Thorner holding a comfortable near 20-minute lead at the end of the leg in their BMW X3 CC.
"I am very happy to get the first desert stage out of the way with a good lead," said Chicherit. "It was not easy. It was my first stage with Tina (Thorner). She is very good, but I have had pace notes in French for many years and, a couple of times, I heard the wrong note in English and made a small mistake. But, we have four more days to get used to each other and for me to gain more experience in the car."
The UAE's Yayha Al-Helai was a distant second overall in his Nissan Patrol and Abdullah Al-Herais was third, although Al-Helai suffered a heavy landing over a ridge near the end of the stage and was worried that his Nissan Patrol had sustained damage.
Dubai-based Briton Dave McBride topped the strong field in the 450cc category. Sebastien Husseini struggled to match the leading bikes on the high-speed stage, but led the quad category on his KTM 525 XC.
Sixty-nine entrants were flagged away from the landmark Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi by event chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem, in the presence of representatives from the main sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Nasser Bin Obood of etisalat.
A 53.20km road liaison section guided competitors to the start of the day's opening 270.60km selective section at Al Dafra. The first day is arguably the easiest of the five desert legs and crossed high-speed sand flats and sabkha en route to the finish, north of Liwa, although reduced visibility and a strong desert wind hampered progress through the early kilometres.
The UAE's Mohammed Al-Shamsi led the entire field into the special stage on his Honda TRX quad, but Coma and Despres soon began their charge through the back-markers, after deciding to position themselves behind their rivals in Sunday's super special.
Przygonski was the first competitor to actually pass the first passage control at the 110km point, although Despres held a 14-second virtual stage lead over Coma heading into the final 160km of the day's stage and extended his advantage to 39 seconds through PC2.
Al-Shamsi was hospitalised with a suspected back injury, shortly before the first passage control, and Poland's Rafal Sonik sustained a broken wrist after falling off his quad.
Chicherit set the pace in the cars' category through the first PC. The Frenchman was 8m 17s faster than the UAE's Yayha Al-Helai at the 110km point and extended his advantage to 17m 26s at the end of the day's stage.
The 2009 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has the backing of key players, including the event's title sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Nissan, ADNOC, Beach Rotana - Abu Dhabi, etisalat, Explorer, Hertz, Lambda Electronics, Oasis Water, TAG Heuer and the ADIMSC.
Leading positions on Leg 1 (unofficial @ 15.25hrs):
Cars
1. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Tina Thörner (S) BMW X3 CC 2h32m 49s
2. Yayha Al Helai (UAE)/Khalid Al Kendi (UAE) Nissan Patrol 2h50m 15s
3. Abdullah Al-Herais (UAE)/Haleem Bin Zayed (UAE) Nissan Patrol 3h01m 26s
4. Ricardo Leal dos Santos (P)/Filipe Palmeiro (P) BMW X5 3h03m 08s
5. Glenn Reid (UAE)/Paul Richards (UAE) Honda Buggy 3h 03m 38s
6. Laurent Rosso (F)/Paul Forthomme (B) Nissan Pathfinder 3h05m 17s
7. Maurizio Traglia (I)/Fabian Lurquin (F) Nissan Pathfinder 3h14m 50s
Bikes - overall
1. Cyril Despres (F) KTM 690 R 2h 51m 47s
2. Marc Coma (E) KTM 690 R 2h 52m 28s
3. Pal-Anders Ullesvalseter (N) KTM 690 R 2h 59m 03s
4. Dave McBride (GB) Honda CRF 450 X 3h 06m 48s
5. Jacek Czachor (PL) KTM LC4 3h 11m 13s
6. Alex Zanotti (I) Aprilia RXV Africa 3h 13m 41s
7. Jakub Przygonski (PL) KTM 690 R 3h 15m 00s
8. Sean Gaugain (ZA) Honda CRF 450X 3h 16m 04s
Quads
1. Sebastien Husseini (NL) KTM 525 XC 3h 15m 37s
2. Franck Jaussaud (F) Yamaha Raptor 700 3h 26m 39s
3. Lionel Laine (F) KTM ATV 525 XC 3h 41m 50s
- Neil Perkins -
Sonntag, 15. März 2009
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009
Spaniard Coma chases third win; Frenchman Despres out for win number six
This month's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will witness the renewed rivalry of two of the greatest riders in the history of the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship.
According to FIA Vice President, President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) and Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the Frenchman, Cyril Despres and Spaniard, Marc Coma are currently the finest two enduro riders on the planet. He confirmed the pair will lock horns across the sands of the UAE capital's Western Region at the end of the month.
The opening round of the prestigious FIM series has moved to March 20-27 and has the crucial backing of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) as title sponsor, and will showcase the emirate's capabilities as a major international events and tourism destination.
ADTA's Deputy Director General Tourism Operations Ahmed Hussein said the participation of motor sport greats, such as Despres and Coma, demonstrates the event's world-class appeal.
"We are fully committed to building Abu Dhabi's profile as a world-recognised capital of motor sport and international events. This month's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and November's Formula 1 Grand Prix will see us hosting many world-class drivers."
Both Andorra-based Despres and his 33-year-old Catalunyan rival fought a cat-and-mouse game of team tactics and brave riding in January's Dakar Rally across South America. The pair arrives in Abu Dhabi with little to choose between them.
Coma clinched his second Dakar victory in Buenos Aires, but Despres may feel that substantial early delays when the event crossed the Patagonian wastelands cost him his chance of pressurising Coma into a mistake. Some believe that a second place was a terrific achievement for the Frenchman under the circumstances.
The win was sweet revenge for Coma, after being beaten by 35-year-old Despres in last November's Desert Challenge, the last time the pair met in Middle East competition. The triumph was Cyril's fifth in the event's history which prevented Coma from completing his hat-trick of Desert Challenge titles and his third successive win.
Clutch and transmission problems thwarted Coma in the Rub Al Khali last time, but the KTM Repsol rider is determined to follow up his Dakar success with Abu Dhabi glory. Despres also has a KTM 690 factory bike and admits that the Desert Challenge is one of his favourite FIM events.
"The Dakar Rally has moved to South America and the format has completely changed," said the Frenchman. "But the newly-named Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is a real desert rally and to win it for the fifth time last November was a special feeling for me. It is a unique event. The desert in Abu Dhabi is like nowhere else."
Despres pressed home his advantage early last November and beat Coma by 90 seconds on the first selective section from Al Dafra to Liwa. Enduro riding requires patience and stamina and Despres realised the importance of putting in an early spurt to pressurise his rival. The contest was eventually settled in his favour on the fourth desert leg through the Rub Al Khali. Despres clinched the stage win, but Coma stopped with clutch woes.
"I have unfinished business in Abu Dhabi," admits Coma. "Dakar was a great result for me. The event was far more difficult than anyone predicted and I don't expect the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to be any different. It may be slightly cooler than the temperatures we faced in early November, but I am sure that the dunes will be as challenging as always."
"The return of Marc and Cyril heightens the excitement," said Sulayem. "Their duels for supremacy on events like the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Dakar are what make this sport so special. I expect they will enjoy a terrific battle again at the end of this month."
This year's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will be based at the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) for the first time and gets underway from the landmark Emirates Palace hotel (on Sunday March 22 2009).
The 2009 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has the backing of key players, including the event's title sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Nissan, ADNOC, Beach Rotana - Abu Dhabi, etisalat, Explorer, Hertz, Lambda Electronics, Oasis Water, TAG Heuer, and the Rally HQ host, ADIMSC.
www.uaedesertchallenge.com
- Neil Perkins, also photo -
Mittwoch, 18. Februar 2009
Abu Dhabi takes an international lead with Guggenheim, Louvre and Masdar City developments
A model of the Guggenheim and a computer generated image of the Louvre museums being built in Abu Dhabi.The spotlight has turned on Abu Dhabi as an emerging cultural capital focused on developing visionary projects based on modern architecture and sustainability, say the organisers of an upcoming international real estate and development event.
"With the global credit crisis causing uncertainty across much of the real estate industry, investors are naturally cautious about where to focus," said Rohan Marwaha, Managing Director of the Cityscape series, the next of which takes place in Abu Dhabi in April organised by IIR Middle.
"Abu Dhabi, with multi-billion dollar long term plans for continued infrastructure development, is providing the world with remarkable opportunities that simply do not exist elsewhere," he added. "What is becoming clear in the new global economic climate is that Abu Dhabi, is fast establishing itself as a beacon of cultural renaissance as well as a focus for futuristic, sustainable residential and commercial habitats."
Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2009 takes place from 19-22 April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and will bring together international and regional investors, developers, architects, government authorities, regulators and professional bodies to discuss market challenges.
Abu Dhabi's cultural focus is centred on the Saadiyat Island development which includes the first
branch of the Louvre outside of Paris and the world’s largest Guggenheim Museum. Appropriately, Saadiyat translates as "Island of Happiness."On the sustainability front, Abu Dhabi is a providing a global role model with the UK architectural firm Foster and Partners master planning the world's first zero carbon city. Known as Masdar City, the pioneering development has begun construction and will eventually house 40,000 people with no greenhouse gas emissions and no waste.
"Though developing business tourism is expected to support Abu Dhabi during the financial downturn, the emirate is pressing on with dramatic cultural attractions for the longer term," said Marwaha. "Saadiyat Island’s cultural district is on track to be completed on time, with construction of the Louvre, Guggenheim and Sheikh Zayed National museums scheduled to start this year, with no delays expected in their progress."
The dramatic Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi will be the largest Guggenheim at 30,000 square metres and is being built at an estimated cost of $400 million. Gehry's previous best-known works include the world-renowned titanium covered Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.
The similarly dramatic domed Louvre Museum planned for Abu Dhabi is designed by French architect Jean Nouvel who was awarded the 2008 Pritzker Prize for his creative experimentation. His works include the much acclaimed Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris, which utilises aspects of Islamic architecture and, like the Louvre itself, is one of the French capital's cultural reference points.
Saadiyat Island's cultural district is one of the emirate’s planned anchor tourism attractions and is expected to attract 1.5 million visitors a year once fully completed by 2018 and will be home to around 160,000 people. When the project was first announced, the island was expected to attract investment of more than $27 billion.
Marwaha said Abu Dhabi’s property market remains strong. “You have to compare Abu Dhabi to other international cities in terms of the extent to which they are on the radars of institutional investors and high net worth individuals,” he said. “Abu Dhabi still is a very strong proposition and has a lot of growth to go through.”
With more than 100 speakers, the Cityscape Abu Dhabi Real Estate Finance and Investment Conference will be tackling head-on the challenges facing Abu Dhabi and other regions such as financing major projects in troubled times. Trends in green development will also be examined in depth along with the continued cost-effectiveness of sustainability.
Unique contributions to world architecture and sustainability are strong focuses of this year's Cityscape Middle East Real Estate Awards which will be marked with a gala dinner that will be attended by over 500 industry leaders on 19 April 2009. All entries will be judged on their contribution to world architecture culture, invention and imagination, respect for people, the planet, context, environmental awareness and appropriateness in the Middle East and North Africa region. In some categories, entries will be separated into projects already complete and future projects.
Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2009 has received widespread backing from industry leaders. Headline sponsor is Mubadala Real Estate and Hospitality; Platinum sponsors are Aldar, Sorouh Real Estate, Al Qudra Real Estate, The Land Real Estate Investment and Development Company, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, and Burooj Properties; Investment sponsor is Abu Dhabi Investment House; Associate sponsor is the Department of the Municipal Affairs, Abu Dhabi; Gold sponsors are Tameer and Al Maabar; International Broadcasting Partner is CNN.
The Department of Municipal Affairs is also Associate Sponsor for the Cityscape Middle East Real Estate Awards with headline sponsors 2ig, Boomerang Automated Parking and Self Storage, Etisalat, Laticrete (RAK), ACB, CSG & Gaggenau.
For more details about all aspects of Cityscape Abu Dhabi, please visit www.cityscapeabudhabi.com
Chris Mullinger, Shamal Marketing Communications- also photo
Sonntag, 15. Februar 2009
Fresh faces, fierce fashion
CRYSTALLIZED™ Young Designers Award taps undiscovered talent in The Bride Show Dubai’s couture competition
The winners and runners-up from the 2008 competition, on the catwalk with their designs during The Bride Show Dubai.
One of the region’s most celebrated fashion design competitions is calling for entries giving untapped creative talent in Dubai and the Middle East an opportunity to shine in the spotlight.
The CRYSTALLIZED™ Young Designers Award is back at The Bride Show Dubai, with the prospect of national recognition and a fashion internship on the line for the winning entrants.
The popular competition is seeking fashion students and amateur designers with creativity and talent, in order to throw the spotlight on their abilities before the thousands of visitors who will descend upon The Bride Show Dubai from 8 – 11 April 2009. The awards are a great opportunity for anyone looking to break into the notoriously tough fashion industry.
Applicants are asked to send in outlines of their creative influences, their vision and basic designs of their ideal wedding dress, in celebration of The Bride Show Dubai. Closely weighing each application, a panel of high-profile judges from the region’s fashion industry will select ten finalists in the Student and the Amateur design categories.
With help from workshops and mentoring from sponsor Swarovski Middle East to develop their skills, along with 1,000dhs of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements for embellishment, the finalists’ wedding dresses will be brought to life as each design is displayed on the catwalk by professional models on the last day of The Bride Show Dubai.
The overall winner of the Innovation Award will win an internship at Swarovski Middle East or another dedicated fashion house. Furthermore, winners of each category will receive a trophy and vouchers from Swarovski Middle East.
Entrants are traditionally asked to take inspiration in a specific theme for the Awards. This year’s theme, ‘Gypsy Rose’, is sure to inspire free-spirited, imaginative designs as the creative hopefuls lay out their vision for the ideal dress in which to say ‘I do’.
The Bride Show Dubai is the largest and most prestigious bridal exhibition in the Middle East, making it the perfect arena for budding fashion stars to showcase their unique wedding dress creations to prospective brides and their families.
“Now in its 10th year, the CRYSTALLIZED™ Young Designers Award is a well entrenched success at The Bride Show Dubai,” said Daphne Cota, Exhibition Manager for The Bride Show. “We are always thrilled to showcase up-and-coming talent, and we know from the enthusiastic audience response that our visitors are equally proud to see local creative talent in the spotlight and on the catwalk.”
Swarovski, the world’s leading producer of precision-cut crystal, was established in 1895 and has, since its earliest days, worked hand in hand with leading designers and couturiers. CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, the company’s product brand for the innovative and inspirational loose crystal elements, pays homage to the company’s long history of mutually creative collaboration with the world of fashion.
The company also recognises the importance of nurturing young talent and developing new ideas and fresh creativity. “The CRYSTALLIZED™ Young Designers Award is an excellent platform to aid promising future designers and help them break into the fashion industry,” said Werner Baumgartner, Managing Director of Swarovski Middle East.
“Each year we see amateur and student fashion designers pushing the boundaries of creativity. It is one of the highlights of our year to tap into the region’s undiscovered talent and celebrate with some stunning dresses on the catwalk,” he said.
Aspiring fashion designers interested in taking part in this year’s CRYSTALLIZED™ Young Designers Award should download an application form from www.thebrideshow.com. The deadline for submissions is 26 February 2009.
- Lindsay Johnston, Total Communications Dubai - also photo
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