Swiss watchmaker introduces ice karting at Dubai Mall Ice Rink

The iconic Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, long associated with racing and performance, is introducing a new thrilling event to the Dubai sports calendar. The TAG Heuer Ice Race, which will see drivers compete in a karting race on ice, will take centre stage at the Dubai Mall Ice Rink on April 2-3, 2010. It is the first time such an event takes place in the Middle East.

Contestants, age 16 and above, will have the chance to race for and set the fastest single lap with electric karts on the Olympic sized-ice rink. The karts, supplied by Dubai Autodrome, have been modified especially for the ice rink with special tires to ensure grip without damage to the ice.

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If you didn’t score a Hollywood beau in time to be a plus one at Sunday’s Academy Awards show in Hollywood – that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun at home. Most of the Oscar winners are already available on Amazon’s Oscar Central. Moreover, you can save up to 40% off this list of past Oscar Winners and Nominees if you place order today!

The complete list of the winners of the 82nd Academy Awards:

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, for “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Animated Feature Film: “Up”

Best Original Song: “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart),” music and lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, for “Crazy Heart”

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, for “The Hurt Locker”

Best Documentary Short: “Music By Prudence”

Best Makeup: “Star Trek”

Best Short Film (Animated): “Logorama”

Best Short Film (Live Action): “The New Tenants”

Best Adapted Screenplay: Goeffrey Fletcher, for “Precious: Based on The Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”

Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, for “Precious: Based on The Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”

Best Art Direction: “Avatar”

Best Costume Design: “The Young Victoria”

Best Sound Editing: “The Hurt Locker”

Best Sound Mixing: “The Hurt Locker”

Best Cinematography: “Avatar”

Best Original Score: “Up”

Best Visual Effects: “Avatar”

Best Editing: “The Hurt Locker”

Best Foreign Film: “El Secreto de Sus Ojos”

Best Documentary Feature: “The Cove”

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, for “Crazy Heart”

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, for “The Blind Side”

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, for “The Hurt Locker”

Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker”

The second Dubai Tango Festival (DTF 2010) will be held from April 15 – 18, 2010 in collaboration with The Embassy of Argentina and Tango Dubai.

The festival will be attended by an impressive line-up of international dancers who will be hosting a selection of Tango workshops and performances, as well as ‘Milongas’, and a lavish dinner at the JW Marriott hotel on the 18^th April, 2010.

Tango workshops will be conducted by famous Argentinean Maestros – Alejandra Hobert and Adrian Veredice, Rodrigo ‘Joe’ Corbata and Lucila Cionci, as well as Facundo Gil Jauregui.

The workshops will be available for all three days at DUCTAC in Mall of the Emirates from the 15-18 April, 2010, and classes are available for beginners through to intermediate and advanced dancers. Private classes are also available on request.

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Ahmed Saleh, the director of Lahazat Harega Second Season requested the assistance of specialized doctors in writing the episodes and to be on set at alll times during the shooting of the second season of Lahazat Harega. This is to increase credibility, and he said, “The second season is based on the lives of the doctors and the relations between them. Lahazat Harega Second Season is the first such production in the Middle East set in an emergency hospital. Many of the hospital’s doctors are young, and were students of Dr. Galal, the hospital administrator and learned medicine at his hands; He trusts them and treats them like family.”

Saleh has completed filming more than 85% of the second season of Lahazat Harega, starring Amr Waked, Mahmoud Abdel Moghny, Hisham Selim, Yasser Galal, Tarek Lotfy, Randa Bheiri and Bushra. Saleh also said “we
decided to film the second season after the success of the first season, which has been translated into 17 different languages and distributed in a large number of countries around the world. We have been using the latest cameras and equipment in production and this season Lahazat Harega focuses more on the private lives of the doctors than before.

In the first season a large number of stars appeared, including Yousra, Ahmed El Sakka, Mona Zaki, Laila Alwi, Latifa and Hind Sabri. Many additional stars will be in in This season.

The premiere of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland made its debut in Dubai yesterday. The Reel Cinemas at the Dubai Mall put on two special screenings before it opens to the public today.

The film is in 3D and absolutely spectacular – from the elaborate makeup to the couture inspired dresses – that create the  magic of Wonderland.

The story of Alice In Wonderland is one that has been enthralling children and adults  since its publication in 1865. Many would have read about her adventures and number of editions are still bestsellers. Most people, however, are familiar with the 1951 Disney animated feature. Now,  Tim Burton has taken the helm to bring a new Alice to an entirely new generation of audience.

Set a few years on from the original story, Alice is now 19-years old and is an outsider in the stuffy Victorian society she has been bought up in. She is a dreamer and constantly thinks about a world which is full of talking animals and where anything is possible.

With an impending proposal from a  lord on the horizon, Alice does what every normal girl would – run after a white rabbit in a blue coat and fall down a magical rabbit hole.

A sequel of sorts to the original book, and taking on elements of  Alice Through the Looking Glass and the original source material, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is a magical, spectacular, grand vision of the world of Wonderland brought to vibrant life with the use of CGI and 3D.  The landscape looks like it could have come out of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and his use of colour is both visually engaging and engrossing.

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Dubai Carnivals, the colourful and vibrant face of Dubai Shopping Festival will make its final parade this DSF at Dubai Mall and The Walk at JBR. Featuring around 140 performers, the Carnivals will be hosted by Dubai Mall on Thursday, Feb 25, from 12 noon to 5pm, with the main parade expected to begin at 2pm.

The Walk at JBR, one of the main venues of this year’s DSF, will also host the carnivals on Feb 26^th and 27^th. On these days, the Carnivals will parade the popular destination from 6:45pm to 7:15pm.

The ongoing Fringe Festival at Wafi has brought a new show to shoppers at the mall in the last week of DSF. The Chinese Variety Show, running till Feb 28^th, features traditional Chinese dance performances and circus acts in a thirty-minute exhilarating display.

The show begins with a young girl’s enigmatic rendition of a classical Chinese dance. The graceful performance is accompanied by soothing Chinese melody in the background and narrates the dancer’s moments of happiness and sorrow.

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Global Village, the region’s entertainment, shopping, and cultural attraction located in Dubailand, marked another staggering record by receiving 155,000 visitors on Friday, February 19, 2010. During the day, the park entertained a massive crowd of 50,000 people in just two hours after opening its gates. Steady crowds kept streaming into Global Village throughout the night with visitors queuing up to get inside the venue.

With a parking facility for 16,500 cars, the Global Village car park reached its capacity as early as 5:30pm and remained full for the rest of the evening. Despite the heavy rush, no incidents were reported and visitors were guided from parking lots to the gates by Dubai Police personnel and Global Village security officials.

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SEGA Republic, the Middle East’s first and largest of its kind indoor theme park, managed by Emaar Retail at The Dubai Mall, is setting new benchmarks in indoor entertainment with a never-before array of amusement games and thrilling rides.

SEGA Republic recently celebrated the overwhelming public response since its opening in August 2009 by hosting SEGA Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mr Hajime Satomi. He was accompanied by President and Chief Operating Officer Mr Okitane Usui; Location Based Entertainment Division Senior Executive Producer Mr Yasuo Tazoe, Department General Manager Mr Yasutaka Sato and Project Leader Mr Shoji Mori.

Mr Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, and Mr Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail, welcomed the delegation and highlighted the impressive success of SEGA Republic.

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The Rigga Street has become a favourite visit for residents and tourists this DSF and numerous activities are attracting crowds to the popular venue located beside Al Ghurair City, a key sponsor of DSF 2010.

Fun Fair

More than 20 rides are on offer to entertain children and young adults as well as the young at heart. The Casa is an instant crowd puller and provides an adrenaline rush to even bystanders. The colourful inflatables present an opportunity to double entertainment with the much needed exercise and fresh air.

Street Musicians

The relaxing sounds of music from different instruments like the violin, flute, cello, drum, guitar, tabla, oud, nay, accordion, buzuqe, and qanoon work wonders for residents on their way home who can grab a hot bite from the food stalls. Music played by members of the Dubai Orchestra and Sharq Orchestra ensures that there is a never dull moment at Rigga.

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