Dubai is a great destination for an awesome vacation not only because it has extravagant hotels, malls and restaurants but also because it offers the best festivals in the region.
Just when the famous Dubai Shopping Festival ended, the Dubai Food Festival started, calling foodies from around the world to enjoy a whole new level of culinary experience. The festival offers a variety of events held at different locations. More than 700 restaurants in Dubai are participating in the festival.
“The event offers delicious events for foodies, where we encouraged restaurants to create a special set of menus and challenged the chefs to be creative and serve food throughout the festival time,” said Saeed Al-Falasi, Director Strategic Alliances at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. “The event is a result of the cooperation between the private and government sectors to make Dubai the ultimate travel destination; we are always looking for creative ways to enhance the number of visitors to Dubai,” he added.
“We support different sectors and the food and restaurant sectors are huge in Dubai; we wanted to support it like we supported the shopping and retail sector in the Dubai Shopping Festival,” Al-Falasi said.
The first Dubai Food Festival offers a flavor for every taste, targeting residents and locals first to show them what they have been missing. The 23-day festival started on Feb. 21 and will end on March 15. It witnesses the launching of family-oriented events, such as the Dubai Food Carnival and The Big Grill, which showcases the rich culture and cuisines of the southern Indian state of Kerala at the Grand Kerala Festival, as well as the South American nation of Peru in The Taste of Peru Festival.
Dubai-based malls are also participating in the culinary event, following creative ideas to showcase their restaurants. “We have strategic partners, such as Deira City Center, Mirdif City Center, Mall of Emirates and Mercato, who are all offering shoppers a weekly draw to win prizes,” said Khalid Al-Najjad, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
The Dubai Mall was the most creative of the lot in its activities. “The mall managed to change the look of casual dining and turn it to fine dining experience for all the restaurants facing the Dubai fountain, only on Mondays. They call it The White Mondays,” said Al-Falasi. “The view is amazing due to the water front promenade, which looks like you are in a movie, where all the tables look alike and the dancing fountain provides live entertainment for diners,” he added.
The Dubai Food Festival also brings under one umbrella business events, including Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food and hospitality trade show, and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum. The annual event also includes different booths from different countries around the world where they are showcasing their cuisines, looking to spread the culture. Gulfood features more than 20,000 brands, 4,500 exhibitors, 120 country pavilions and 80,000 visitors.
One of the most exciting events that took place on Feb. 28 was the Big Grill that was held at The Emirates Golf Club. The weather was perfect where families enjoyed an outdoor event filled with music, food and laughter. Children were able to have fun at the children's corner while parents enjoyed their day listening to live music and eating some of the finest BBQ that was prepared by around 60 chefs. "We created different food stations that allows visitors to taste different kinds of meat cuts and enjoy our house specialty sauces and marinating, starting with the high street grill, which is a typical American BBQ with ribs, hot dogs, drumsticks and so on,” said Chef Jeffery Brothers. “The grill next door offers cuisine that is within our reach, such as Arabic and Indian cuisines, and of course, the famous shawarma. Then comes the most important part that is the Master Grill, which is created to showcase different meats that people don’t usually order in restaurants; it’s a great opportunity for them to taste it here,” he added.
The Grill also hosted a cooking competition inviting people to compete with each other for flavors and tastes. “We asked our social media followers to submit their recipes on Facebook and we chose five of them to compete with each other in a live cooking contest,” said Chef Brothers. “They are regular aspiring chefs who offered live entertainment to people and celebrated food with their families,” he added.
“Each festival has a message; the summer festival says that Dubai is a capital of tourism for summer vacation, the shopping festival says that Dubai is the region’s shopping capital destination, and now, the food festival says that Dubai offers a huge variety of local and internationally celebrated restaurants,” said Naser Hakim, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment media center manager. “We wanted to highlight the different varieties of restaurants, where people can spend anywhere between 10 Dh to 1000 Dh. We encourage people to go outside the box and experience different tastes and different cuisines in Dubai,” he added.
Another first for Dubai is the Beach Canteen, which was held between Feb. 28 until March 1 on the Kite Beach, Sunset Beach and Jumeirah Beach. “This event was held especially for beach lovers who enjoyed a variety of food on the beach. The casual setting is a great touch that makes you feel like you left the city and you are in a different place enjoying international cuisine,” said Al-Najjad. The Beach Canteen featured eight restaurants at Kite Beach, four restaurants at Sunset Beach and four restaurants at Jumeirah Beach, all of which offer a creative dining experience featuring food outlets operating out of refurbished cargo containers located along a vast stretch of beach,” he added.
Global Village is an annual event held in the winter season in Dubai. Every year, different booths from various countries come all the way from across the world to showcase their merchandise, culture and food to the visitors. “During the Dubai Food Festival, the Village came under this umbrella and offered casual and fast food from different countries all in one location,” said Hakim.
Taste of Peru was one of the most entertaining events at Souk Madinat Jumeirah that was held between Feb. 26 and March 1. The event allowed people to learn more about the South American Country, from its clothing and traditions to food and music. The event was organized by the Trade, Tourism and Investment Office of Peru in Dubai. It had live music entertainment and authentic Peruvian dishes were served to the visitors. The event not only attracted foodies but also fashionistas because it included a fashion show showcasing works by Peruvian fashion designers.
Locals and residents who attended the festival were excited to try different cuisines and learn about them. “I was very excited to see how restaurants started to add different kinds of dishes to their menus; it made me want to visit different restaurants to sample their dishes,” said Mariam Khalil, one of the event’s visitors. “It is a great idea to involve the whole family in a number of events knowing that festivals and events set Dubai aside from other cities in the country,” she added.
The food festival is a great opportunity for the whole family to join in a fun meal, according to Mohammed Salah, one of the attendees of the event. “The grill was so much fun where we gathered with friends and family for a great outdoor experience,” he said. “Knowing that most Dubai activities happen indoors, it was a great change to enjoy the weather and the sun with tens of people who enjoyed a family oriented event,” he added.
• [email protected]
Dubai food festival: A flavor for every taste
Dubai food festival: A flavor for every taste
Riyadh conference to explore museum innovation
- The winning team will earn a week-long educational trip to London, which will include expert-led museum tours and lectures
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Museums Commission is to host the International Conference on Education and Innovation in Museums, in Riyadh, from June 1 to 3, to help boost the sector in the Kingdom and beyond.
Leading museum professionals and educators will convene for knowledge exchange and collaboration, exploring best practices in museum education; the role of museums in fostering creativity and learning; and opportunities for international collaboration.
The three-day event will feature expert-led sessions, including panel discussions, workshops, and research paper presentations, addressing current museum issues and topics such as collaboration between museums and universities; beyond the textbook for active learning; beyond the museum walls for public engagement; and design thinking and innovation in museum management.
Additionally, the conference will host a competition in which participating teams will develop innovative solutions to enhance visitor engagement and museum experiences.
The winning team will earn a week-long educational trip to London, which will include expert-led museum tours and lectures.
Registration for the competition closes on May 25.
Wildlife center to explore caves in Saudi Arabia’s north
- The program to explore biodiversity in caves was launched “due to its environmental significance and positive impact on wildlife”
RIYADH: Teams from Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife will begin examining various caves in the Northern Borders region as part of the Caves Exploration Program, which began in 2022.
It comes as part of a larger program that monitors ecosystems and biodiversity throughout the Kingdom.
These sites will be added to an international map of biodiversity and natural heritage hotspots as historical ecosystems and natural biological museums.
Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, CEO of the center, explained that the discoveries in the caves hold significant historical environmental value for Saudi Arabia.
“The cave ecosystems serve as a historical museum, providing evidence of the biological diversity that has existed in the Kingdom throughout various historical eras, as well as the spatial, environmental, and climatic changes in the Arabian Peninsula,” he explained.
The cave ecosystems serve as a historical museum, providing evidence of the biological diversity that has existed in the Kingdom throughout various historical eras.
Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, National Center for Wildlife CEO
Qurban added that these unique ecosystems provide a suitable environment for a wide range of organisms, as evidenced by the discovery of numerous skeletons of different types of mammals.
The program to explore biodiversity in caves was launched “due to its environmental significance and positive impact on wildlife.”
The center is currently completing studies on the targeted cave sites and documenting their importance within an integrated program.
According to Qurban, the center’s earlier discovery of several Arabian cheetah mummies in a cave in the northern part of the Kingdom — with some skeletons estimated to be over 4,000 years old — provided the first evidence of the species’ presence in the Kingdom.
Consequently, the center plans to develop a program for the resettlement of the Arabian cheetah in the Kingdom, enabling it to play a crucial role in maintaining environmental balance.
Qurban noted that, among other significant discoveries, researchers from the center discovered rare bats and the remains of several extinct animals.
The center is currently working on classifying these finds and determining their ages. This effort will facilitate the resettlement of these extinct species or their closest genetic relatives, thereby restoring their role.
The cave ecosystem is one of the rarest and most important of its kind in the world, recognized as natural heritage by UNESCO.
There are 1,826 caves in the Kingdom, consisting of underground passages and tunnels formed by natural processes in dry limestone areas — evidence of a historical era that experienced prolonged rainy climatic conditions.
Baha’s quaint guesthouses offer a warm welcome
- Sharifa Al-Ghamdi, owner of Al-Ayed Heritage Guesthouse, revealed that she has worked hard over the years to acquire as many historic houses as possible to be able to give tourists an authentic taste of what life was like in the past
RIYADH: Al-Baha is a region of the Kingdom blessed with a rich legacy of ancient architecture, with heritage lodges playing a big role in luring tourism to the city.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, heritage lodges or guesthouses in the region play an important role in attracting more investment. They provide local and international visitors with a look into the past, a taste of a simpler time that many people long for.
The guesthouses are a reflection of the region’s heritage. Al-Baha’s residential buildings, castles and fortresses were designed to suit not just environmental variables such as topography and climate, but also social circumstances such as local customs and ancient traditions.
FASTFACTS
• Heritage lodges or guesthouses in the Baha region play an important role in attracting more investment.
• One of the most enticing elements of these heritage guesthouses is their deep connection with nature.
One of the most enticing elements of these heritage guesthouses is their deep connection with nature.
They are constructed using stones and trees from the region, typically granite and basalt boulders adorned with quartz, and roofed with mud-coated juniper trees.
Sharifa Al-Ghamdi, owner of Al-Ayed Heritage Guesthouse, revealed that she has worked hard over the years to acquire as many historic houses as possible to be able to give tourists an authentic taste of what life was like in the past.
She said that, with the assistance of her family, she was able to realize her lifelong dream and passion and invest her post-retirement time in establishing heritage tourist guesthouses.
She has transformed the old houses in her village from dilapidated structures into a tourist and environmental attraction for people in search of tranquility and relaxation.
All is rosy in Taif as fans flock to flower festival
- Taif’s annual show features a floral carpet of over million flowers
- Farmers, vendors optimistic about increase in sales at the event
JEDDAH: Visitors are flocking to the 19th Taif Rose Festival at Al-Raddaf Park where the flowers are in full bloom, highlighting the region’s rich floral heritage.
The festival, themed “Qetaf” meaning “picking time,” coincides with the harvest season and will run until May 12. The organizers include the Taif Rose Cooperative Society and Taif Municipality.
There has been an impressive turnout of Taif residents and domestic and international tourists. The exhibitors — mostly farmers and vendors — are optimistic that increased revenues will help boost rose cultivation and production.
Abdullah Altwairqi, a local farmer and festival participant, said: “Participating in the Taif Rose Festival has become a tradition for me. The atmosphere improves each year, and the revenue and exposure we receive from visitors make it worthwhile.”
HIGHLIGHTS
• Exhibitors at the Taif Rose Festival are optimistic that increased revenues will help boost rose cultivation and production.
• The flower carpet set up by the municipality in the center of the park was designed with decorative patterns inspired by the province’s heritage.
• It covers 5,206 square meters and was crafted using over a million flower and rose seedlings, making it the largest in the history of the festival.
At his booth, Altwairqi showcased various flowers and fruit, including Taif roses, peaches, prickly pears, figs, mulberries, grapes, blackberries, pomegranates, as well as aromatic plants.
Altwairqi urged people to visit the Rose Flavor cafe where they can savor hot and cold beverages infused with the flavor of Taif roses and other aromatic flowers including lavender, which is also abundant in the region.
The flower carpet set up by the municipality in the center of the park left visitors awestruck. Covering 5,206 square meters, it was crafted using over a million flower and rose seedlings, making it the largest in the history of the festival.
Faiz Al-Thibaiti, director-general of media and corporate communication at Taif Municipality, told Arab News: “The flower carpet was designed with decorative patterns inspired by the province’s heritage.”
He said the carpet has ensured the event has become “one of the most important tourism festivals in the Kingdom, attracting thousands of visitors and tourists from various regions of the country.”
NUMBER
70k
The rose-picking season in Taif starts around the end of March or early April, lasting between 35 to 45 days, with an average of 70,000 roses picked daily.
The decorations adorning the flower carpet draw inspiration from the intricate designs found on the walls and facades of Taif’s ancient structures, including Al-Kaki Palace in Al-Salama and King Saud Palace.
Al-Thibaiti added: “Preparations for the festival started early, with the Taif Rose Cooperative Society detailing participation criteria to highlight Taif roses, including their cultivation, harvesting, and distillation into fine perfumes. This adds to Taif’s unique tourist appeal. The festival provides a platform for producers, experts, and entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate, and boost this important sector.”
Among the highlights are the rose and flower path, product stalls, goods market, government booths, and the agricultural nursery.
Interactive fountain shows accompanied by national tunes were also among the attractions, with a crossing to the upper pedestrian bridge from where visitors can view the massive flower carpet.
Artwork, flower arrangements, and hanging floral baskets scattered throughout the park added to the flair of the event.
Al-Thibaiti said: “The significant turnout at the current festival comes amid increasing rose production year after year, indicating the success of this agricultural sector in achieving high revenues while continuing to promote the Taif rose product.”
Taifrosethon
The five-day Taifrosethon began on May 7, which is being held to encourage entrepreneurship in the region with technological solutions to enrich the industry.
The event includes various skills training and technical workshops covering trade, cultural heritage, and tourism.
The top-three winners will receive $2,666, $1,866 and $1,333 respectively. Participants are required to enter as teams, each with three to five members.
Taif’s roses
The Taif province produces more than 200 million roses each season. According to the local chamber of industry, each tree produces an average of 250 roses daily throughout the harvest season, which lasts for about 45 days.
The rose-picking season starts around the end of March or early April, lasting between 35 to 45 days, with an average of 70,000 roses picked daily.
Taif roses feature an exquisite, sweet fragrance and vibrant pink hues on delicate petals, and are a hallmark of the region’s natural beauty.
Cultivated in the high-altitude climate of Taif, these roses thrive in the cool temperatures and fertile soil of the region.
They are meticulously harvested by hand to preserve their quality, with the petals carefully collected for various purposes.
AlUla Academy aims to be hub for tourism vocational training in Saudi Arabia and beyond
- Hotel.School chosen as global partner for hospitality training and the academy will welcome its first group of students in early July
ALULA: The Royal Commission for AlUla on Tuesday officially launched AlUla Academy, described as a pioneering initiative that aims to be a beacon across the region for excellence in vocational training in the tourism sector.
It will serve as a global hub, officials said, for workers directly involved in crafting memorable experiences for diverse groups of visitors to AlUla from around the globe.
Hotel.School has been chosen as the academy’s global partner for hospitality training, and the collaboration will begin with an inaugural digital training program for the first group of students in early July. Subsequent programs will be available through the academy’s website.
Authorities in the Kingdom are carefully developing historic AlUla, an ancient oasis in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula, as a global tourist destination distinguished by its 7,000-year-plus history, spanning several civilizations.
It encompasses four primary heritage sites and a wide selection of visitor experiences which, the Royal Commission said, offer tourists the chance to immerse themselves in the region’s rich heritage and culture, take advantage of its wellness offerings, bask in the beauty of nature, indulge in the arts, and embark on and voyage of discovery.
The establishment of the academy therefore stands as a pioneering endeavor within the field of tourism, it added, and a cornerstone of efforts to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 development and diversification plan, one of the aims of which is to create 1.3 million jobs for Saudi citizens.
Philip Jones, the Royal Commission for AlUla’s chief tourism officer, said: “Learning centers such as AlUla Academy play a pivotal role in creating job opportunities while upholding excellence in visitor experiences to international standards, all while maintaining an authentic Saudi essence.
“Both physically and digitally, AlUla Academy will expedite the training process, enhancing the quality and efficiency of professional skill development, thereby advancing the tourism sector’s goals in the Kingdom.”
The guests at the launch ceremony on Tuesday included Anita Mendiratta, special advisor to the UN secretary-general at the UN World Tourism Organization. Also a member of the Royal Commission’s advisory board between 2017 and 2023, and one of the key figures behind the development of the academy, she emphasized the organization’s steadfast commitment and dedication to the enhancement of visitor experiences through the development of local skills.
“The key to AlUla’s development lies in embracing authenticity and prioritizing community engagement,” Mendiratta said.
“The Royal Commission for AlUla understands that reaching tangible milestones necessitates investing in skill development, providing services with international standards, yet infusing them with the distinct essence of AlUla that echoes its environment, the culture of its people, and their profound history.”
Hotel.School was carefully chosen as a global partner for AlUla Academy, the commission said, following a rigorous selection process to identify the most suitable collaborator to bolster its endeavors and help achieve its objectives. To that end, it will offer intelligent educational solutions and collaborate with developers of cutting-edge technologies to provide a diverse array of online-learning experiences, officials said. Further information about courses, registration procedures and criteria for the selection of students will be available soon.
Adnan Sawadi, the acting director of Hotel.School, said the institution is committed to supporting the commission in its mission to achieve excellence in vocational training across AlUla, the Kingdom and the wider region.
“At Hotel.School, we recognize that the vitality of the hospitality sector is its people, and we take pride in our pivotal role in nurturing and developing the skills essential to fortifying AlUla’s position as a global tourism and hospitality hub,” he said.
“Our commitment extends to fostering an educational environment that resonates with the region’s rich heritage, amplifying its cultural significance on the global stage.”
AlUla has received significant acclaim and been described as a beacon of success in the field of tourism development and the enhancement of local skills, the commission said. It attracted 263,000 visitors in 2023 alone and consistently surpasses the targets set for it, officials said, increasingly bringing it to the attention of leading event organizers, investors, development partners, airlines and the international media.
