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The first-ever UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships at Ski Dubai, December 8 and 9, 2017

The first-ever UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships at Ski Dubai, December 8 and 9, 2017

 

Dubai Police and Ski Dubai to Host First Ever UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2017-Dec-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Under the patronage of Dubai Police and the Community Sport initiative of H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai – Chairman of the Executive Council for Dubai Government and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, is organising the first-ever UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships at Ski Dubai. The championships are also supported by the UAE National Olympics Committee and UAE Ice Sports Federation and Dubai Sports Council and will be held on December 8 and 9, 2017.

The National Championships are organised as part of Ski Dubai’s on-going efforts to promote snow sports in the country, and fulfil one of the key requirements laid out by International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) for membership. Once the UAE receives membership to FIS, snow sports athletes from the country will be allowed to compete internationally for the first time.

This is exciting news for snow sports athletes and enthusiasts in the UAE, who will no longer be restricted to local and regional events and can now aspire to make a mark on an international stage. The UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships herald a new era for snow sports in the country, which continues to go from strength to strength since the inception of Ski Dubai.

The championships, which are divided into four snow sports disciplines, will see more than 200 top athletes from the UAE, many of whom have honed their skills on the slopes of Ski Dubai, battle it out for the title honours. The first day will witness the UAE Alpine Ski Championships with athletes participating in the fiercely competitive Alpine speed disciplines of Slalom Skiing and Giant Slalom. The second day will feature the UAE Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Championships under two freestyle disciplines: Slopestyle and Big Air. The competitions will be adjudicated by a panel of four distinguished international judges, headed up by World Cup judge Martin Carr. Other renowned international guests and judges on the panel include: Gorgio Rocca, winner of 11 World Cup races in Alpine skiing and four times Olympic Champion, Halldór Helgason, winner of 2010 X-Games in Snowboard Big Air discipline and Sparrow Knox, the up and coming British Snowboarder.

Over the past decade, Ski Dubai has been committed to creating and supporting local talent and has helped lead the way in building and growing snow sports in the UAE. From organising regular freestyle nights and races at its state-of-the-art facilities, to mentoring, coaching and encouraging young athletes to develop their skills to an international standard, years of continued work by Ski Dubai and its partners has now come to fruition in the shape of the first-ever UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships.

Commenting on the championships, Ahmed Galal Ismail – CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures said: “We are proud to host the inaugural UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships at Ski Dubai. We are committed to fostering snow sports talent in the country and our goal is to make the UAE and Ski Dubai an international destination for the sport. With approximately one million visitors per year, which is on par with the international benchmark for major ski resorts, Ski Dubai is poised to become one of the major global destinations for Ski and Snowboard Championships. It is immensely fulfilling to see world-class athletes, many of whom have learned and refined their craft at Ski Dubai, creating great moments as they take part in this prestigious event.”

Colonel Khaled Ali Shahil, General Director of the Community Happiness Department at Dubai Police added: “We support every activity that is aimed at bettering the lives of citizens and residents of the UAE. The UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships are opening new avenues to promote snow sports in the country and develop home-grown talent in the field. This will eventually lead to the formation of the UAE National Ski and Snowboarding team, which is a matter of great pride for the nation and will bolster the country’s stature on the international snow sports stage.”

Dubai Police in association with the Dubai Positive Soul initiative and the Dubai Sports Council, along with the UAE Olympics Committee, are providing valuable logistical and strategic support for the first UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championship event. Dubai Police are Ski Dubai’s esteemed partner, and have played an integral part in the pre-planning of the Championships. As part of this they have generated a huge amount of support for this event, engaging a number of sponsors including ENOC, Aqdar, Sheraton, Empower, Emirat, Emirates NBD, Dutco and Capriole. In addition, Ski Dubai would also like to thank their sponsors including; ZSI Trading, Rosinol and Spyder, as well as and Burton who are proud partners and sponsors of the Ski Dubai Alpine and Freestyle team.

Commenting on the championships, HE Saeed Mohammed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council said: “H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai – Chairman of the Executive Council – Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council has launched several initiatives to promote an active lifestyle among the residents of the UAE, and Ski Dubai’s launch of the National Championships is in line with that vision. The UAE National Ski and Snowboard Championships, will boost the awareness of snow sports in the country and attract new people to the sport, whilst globally showcasing the talented athletes to emerge from the UAE.”

Ski Dubai recently announced the launch of its Sponsored Athletes team with an impressive roster of experienced coaches, who will guide the athletes over the coming years. The line-up includes: Mohamed Moulay, a former Moroccan National Ski Team member and experienced race coach, James Machon, a former Great Britain Olympic Freestyle skier and Mike Barker, whose experience includes five years as a coach of the British Children’s team. The entire project is headed up by Chris David, Snow Sports Operations Manager at Ski Dubai. Chris is a former GBR athlete and was Head Freestyle Moguls Ski Coach for Great Britain.

Media Contact:

Carine Arif
Weber Shandwick
04 445 4222
MAFLeisure@webershandwick.com

Source: Majid Al Futtaim

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UAE’s Mashreq Bank to revamp its banking services with innovative technologies from NCR

The bank is United Arab Emirates’ first financial institution to implement NCR Interactive Teller, Banker solutions to better engage customers

DUBAI, UAE, 2017-Sep-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions today announced that Mashreq Bank, one of the largest banks in the UAE, will revamp its banking services in the country with a host of innovative technologies from NCR over the next six months. Mashreq Bank will be the first in the region to deploy NCR’s tablet-based Interactive Banker, targeted to help financial institutions to transform their branches by converting branch tellers into financial advisors. Aided by this innovative solution, tellers can come out from behind their counters to help customer’s complete transactions faster.

“Ensuring uninterrupted availability of our services and delivering exceptional banking experience to customers at the time and channel of their choice remains a key strategy for us,” said Sandeep Chauhan, Head of Operations and Technology, Mashreq Bank. “The efficiency and secure transactions led by centralization of tellers coupled with the integration of NCR Interactive Services allows us to transform our customer interaction model.”

The Interactive Banker allows Mashreq Bank’s universal agent to monitor the customers’ transactions on its latest ATMs rolled-out in its modern branches. The technology helps the bank turn smart data into great customer service by using real-time customer information so the best assisted service is offered to the customer when needed. With a dashboard view, banks can allocate multiple advisors to multiple devices to achieve maximum efficiency, better serve their customers and make efficient use of staff time to focus on customer service and cross-selling.

Mashreq Bank will also deploy NCR’s software-based Interactive Teller technology that allows a live teller to take remote control of an ATM to assist customers to do all transactions typically completed by tellers inside a branch. Interactive Teller lets financial institutions offer access to teller services during non-traditional banking hours and build new small-footprint branches to provide full teller services in areas not served by branches. Mashreq’s customers can execute a host of branch banking transactions such as intelligent cash and cheque deposit, bill pay, new account opening and loan initiation using this machine.

“Consumer demand for digital access has highlighted the inefficiencies of current infrastructure and accelerated demand for a robust omni-channel customer interaction model that makes banking services available at all times and across platforms,” said Wael El Aawar, vice president, NCR Financial Services for Middle East and Africa. “Mashreq Bank understands the value of being accessible and available to customers when and where they require. Our innovative omni-channel technologies allow the bank to extend their digital brand footprint and physical reach to engage more customers, sell new services and increase revenue.”

NCR will also add its self-service financial kiosk at these modern branches allowing Mashreq customers to conveniently execute teller transactions on-their-own. Customers will now be able to perform a host of transactions without teller support such as Address Update, Instant statements of all accounts, blocking or replacing cards, registering for online banking services, Emirates ID registration, and bill payments, amongst other transactions.

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables nearly 700 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier.
NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Ga., with over 30,000 employees and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Web site: www.ncr.com
Twitter: @NCRCorporation
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncrcorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation

SOURCE: NCR Corporation

News Media Contacts
Rakesh Aulaya
NCR Public Relations
+91 22 619 45 83
rakesh.aulaya@ncr.com

 

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LuLu Group joins charity drive to distribute Ramadan Charity Cards to families in need throughout the UAE

LuLu Group joins charity drive to distribute Ramadan Charity Cards to families in need throughout the UAE

 

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2017-May-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — LuLu Group joins Ramadan charity drive with Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity & Humanitarian Foundation Launches Ramadan Charity Cards Worth Dh. 4 million this year

DUBAI: Retail major Lulu Group joined the charity drive by partnering with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation to initiate a Ramadan project that aims to distribute shopping cards to deserving Emirati and expatriate families throughout the UAE.

At a press conference held at the Foundation’s head office in Dubai, a Memorandum of Understanding MoU in this regard was signed between Saleh Zaher Al Mazroai, General Manager, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Est. and Yusuff Ali M.A, Chairman and Managing Director of Lulu Group in the presence of Birg./ Ali Mohammed Al Shamali , Director of General Department of Correctional Institutions, Mr. Salim MA, Director of Lulu Group and other top officials.

More than 8,000 deserving families in all the seven emirates will be given charity cards during the month of Ramadan. The cards will have denomination amount of Dhs 500 to be redeemed for food products throughout Ramadan at any Lulu group hypermarkets in the country. This is the 10th year of joint initiative being carried out by Lulu Group and Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation together and a total amount of AED 28 million worth of Charity cards has so far been issued including the current year.

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation engages in charity work within and outside the UAE during the Holy Month of Ramadan. As part of its constant drive to deliver necessary support to various segments of the society, funds are offered to needy UAE nationals and residents and to people in a number of friendly countries around the world.

Commenting on this initiative, Saleh Zaher Al Mazroai, General Manager, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Est said: “This year more families will benefit from this project and is of great importance to the Foundation as it cooperates with its partners in charity within the UAE for the distribution of the smart cards. On this occasion, we also extend our gratitude to Lulu Group for partnering with us for this noble cause.

Mr. Yusuff Ali MA said: “It’s indeed an honour for us to be able to part of such a noble cause and we thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai for choosing us for his vision to bring happiness in the lives of under privileged during the holy month of Ramadan.”

Contact:

Tel: +971 2 4182000
Fax: +971 2 6421716
headoffice@ae.lulumea.com marketing@ae.lulumea.com

Source: Lulu Group

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Majid Al Futtaim broke ground for its largest mall in the Sharjah, UAE

Majid Al Futtaim broke ground for its largest mall in the Sharjah, UAE

 

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2017-May-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, today (MAY 9, 2017) officially broke ground on what will be the company’s largest mall within the UAE’s third-largest emirate – City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah. Once complete, City Centre Al Zahia will be a valuable addition to the powerful City Centre brand portfolio.

Strategically located at the intersection of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and University Road, City Centre Al Zahia is a super-regional mall of 136,200 sqm of gross leasable area.

The super-regional mall will address the shopping and leisure needs of the residents of Sharjah, Northern Emirates and Al Zahia, an award-winning residential destination with six themed parks, leisure facilities and featuring 2,270 homes ranging from 3, 4 and 5 bedroom villas and townhouses to apartments of various sizes. When it opens in 2020, City Centre Al Zahia will serve a trade area of more than 1.9M people, as well as attracting residents of neighbouring Northern Emirates.

Offering a diverse mix of over 360 retail brands over two levels City Centre Al Zahia is anchored by a 15,100 sqm Carrefour Hypermarket, complemented by leisure options including VOX Cinemas, with 16 screens incorporating the latest theatre technology, and a 2,350 sqm Magic Planet family entertainment destination.

With a distinctive lantern-like design, City Centre Al Zahia’s architectural detailing echoes the annual Sharjah Light Festival.  In addition, the external food and beverage precinct, located at the mall’s entrance and with covered al fresco seating, will enhance Sharjah’s dining options for residents and tourists.  City Centre Al Zahia will have a contemporary, light-filled aesthetic driven by Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to sustainable, environmentally-sound building practices.

“Sharjah’s robust economic growth and the continued investment in its tourism, manufacturing, culture, and transport sectors make it an ideal destination for further development, especially in the retail, food and beverage, and entertainment landscapes,” said Ghaith Shocair, Chief Executive Officer for shopping malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

“The scale and long-term vision of the Al Zahia community warrant a retail and entertainment destination of this size and scope, in line with Majid Al Futtaim’s strategy to create malls that meet the current and future needs of the residents and tourists we serve.  When complete, City Centre Al Zahia will be the vibrant hub at the heart of this residential destination,” Shocair added.

City Centre Al Zahia’s ground-breaking comes following Majid Al Futtaim’s recent announcement that will see the company increase its total investment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by AED 30 billion by 2026, taking its total investment in the country to AED 48 billion. As part of its strategic development plan, Majid Al Futtaim continues to invest in the redevelopment of its existing assets in the Northern Emirates.

The expansion plans for City Centre Sharjah and City Centre Ajman are also key elements of Majid Al Futtaim’s overall UAE growth strategy announced in June 2016. City Centre Sharjah, one of the emirate’s largest and leading shopping destinations, is currently undergoing a AED 260 million redevelopment initiative set for completion in the last quarter of 2017. A comprehensive redevelopment of City Centre Ajman will see the mall almost double in size, from 29,000 to 52,000 sqm.  With an estimated cost of AED 600 million, the mall’s expansion is anticipated to conclude in the third quarter of 2017, followed by an additional refurbishment and redemising of the existing mall.

Following the opening of City Centre Me’aisem in September 2015 and City Centre Al Shindagha in 2016, and the successful delivery of Mall of the Emirates’ Evolution 2015 expansion initiative, City Centre Al Zahia is Majid Al Futtaim’s fourth major project to be announced in the UAE within the past 18 months.

Contact:
Phone: +9714 2949999

Source: Majid Al Futtaim

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