Dubai, UAE : eCampaignsNetwork.com develops web based customized newsletter design and distribution application for organisations that need to stay in touch with their clients on an ongoing basis.

According to Sharad Agarwal, CEO of Cyber Gear, “We have developed this app for several companies in the region - Fairmont, Abraaj, Gulf Capital, Grand Hyatt, Emaar, Ekotribe and MECSC all use this e-communications tool for building an online community. We are sure that other progressive organisations in the Middle East would like to do the same and communicate with their clients in a professional way.”

The application includes various pre-designed templates which are developed based on the corporate identity of respective organisations. These can be populated in less than 5 minutes and distributed online, according to selected demographics of clients database through a high speed server. More information is available at http://www.eCampaignsNetwork.com

Since 1996, Cyber Gear has been a pre-eminent force in the web design and e-business industry. Positioned as an industry leader, Cyber Gear provides a range of Internet technology solutions to a large number of multinational and local organisations in the Middle East. Cyber Gear clients include GEMS, Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Burger King, Burjeel Hospital, Mubadala Healthcare, Mega Mall, Farnek Avireal, Cisco and Emirates Leisure and Retail.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Each year, over 17.5 million die from cardiovascular disease (CVD), of which 8.6 million are women. Globally, 35% of all women are living with heart disease - this is more than the total number of females who die from all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria combined. The statistics in the UAE are equally alarming, with 25% of all deaths caused by CVD – 50% being women. It’s the world’s number one killer, and yet most heart disease and stroke can be prevented.  This is the message that Deira City Centre together with Dubai Health Authority are campaigning for, by hosting the Go Red for Women initiative for the third consecutive year on May 4th and 5th at the mall.

Go Red for Women is an international awareness campaign dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and control of cardiovascular disease in women. Originally founded by the American Heart Association in 2004, the campaign was taken global by the World Heart Federation and its members and is a yearly initiative supported by more than 30 countries worldwide. The objective is to shed light on what was previously considered to be a man’s disease - Go Red for Women seeks to empower women with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their heart health and fight the number one killer in the world.

Joining hands with Dubai Health Authority, Deira City Centre will support Go Red for Women the weekend of May 4-5th by offering complimentary heart health tests for women. The event will take place on the Centre Stage, and medical doctors and specialists from Dubai Hospital will be administering a range of health-related tests including checks on Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol in addition to offering advice on nutrition, fitness and other preventative measures. Timings on both Friday and Saturday are: 10:00am – 1:00pm and 3:00pm – 7:00pm and tests are free for all females whether a resident or tourist. 

“The prevalence of cardiovascular disease amongst women in the Gulf region is a widespread epidemic that we need to raise a red flag on,” said Dr Nooshin Bazargani, from Dubai Hospital and Head of Emirates Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Group. “Half of all deaths in the UAE caused by heart disease are women, and a recent study revealed that more women are suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol than men. Through campaigns such as Go Red for Women, we are empowering women with information they need to detect risk factors, and take action for a healthier lifestyle. Deira City Centre is an ideal partner to help us reach out to our target audiences, due to its popularity with residents, accessibility and convenient location – we’re optimistic that this year will be the most successful to-date.”

“Go Red for Women is a passionate initiative Deira City Centre adapted three years ago in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority, to dispel the myths surrounding the risk of heart disease of women and to increase the levels of health awareness and education,” said Fuad Al Najjar, Senior Asset Director, Asset Management, Shopping Malls. “Last year, almost 1,350 women took action and visited the mall during Go Red for Women. With approximately 50% of all visitors to the mall being female and in their 30s, this initiative is the ideal platform to raise the red alert to the community and help fight cardiovascular disease.”

During the campaign, Deira City Centre will also be showcasing its Red Dress Gallery, comprising of various fashionable red dresses donated by the mall’s retailers. The red dress is the global symbol for the Go Red for Women campaign and represents femininity, the heart and female empowerment. The red dresses will raise further awareness of Go Red for Women, acting as a red alert for women to take steps towards preventative heart health care. At the end of the campaign, each dress will be given away as prizes to shoppers through the mall’s Facebook page. 

Deira City Cente first adapted Go Red for Women in 2009 by offering complimentary heart health tests to residents in the community, and the initiative has grown with success with increasing number of women participating each year.

For more information on Go Red for Women, please visit Deira City Centre’s Facebook page on: www.facebook.com/DeiraCityCentre.

Pearl Diving the centuries-old traition of Emirati culture. This activity involves finding the precious pearls from the sea. Travel & Culture Services is pleased to offer special Pearl Diving tour for the tourists visiting Dubai whether on holidays or on business. The tour is offered in association with Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG) and Jumeirah Group. The tour is cunducted in the waters off Palm Jebel Ali.

The inaugural public tour aboard a traditional dhow will be launched officially tomorrow giving up to 20 paid guests a chance to travel back in time and dive to the shallow ocean floor in search of their very own pearls.

The proud tradition of pearl diving in the UAE may be gone but it’s certainly not forgotten, said Major Ali Saqar Sultan Suwaidi, president of EMEG

Suwaidi invited Gulf News on a pre-launch dhow tour and pearling dive yesterday to a secluded protected cove where the media learned the merits of fetching oysters from the sea bottom and once safe back on board, shucking the shelled creatures in search of naturally-grown pearls.

None of the oyster hunters got rich but the dhow outing was about the journey, not the destination.

“This is an experience that nobody does now,” Suwaidi told reporters from the marred seemingly ancient wooden decks of the 60-foot sailing dhow anchored in a slight chop yesterday morning.

“The whole country used to do pearl diving. Unfortunately, very few people now do it. It’s very important for us to remember how it was before.”

Suwaidi pointed out that pearling was once the financial lifeblood for Emiratis in the 1800s when pearls were used to trade for goods around the world.

The local pearl industry collapsed when Far East pearl farmers created the cultured pearl by manually inserting a foreign bead in each oyster to produce fine pearls faster than Arabian pearl divers could find them.Almost overnight, the once elusive and very expensive pearl became affordable for everyone and the Gulf-based pearling economy crashed.

Back in the day before cultured pearls cornered the market, scores of Emirati pearl divers would spend weeks aboard a dhow at sea and up to 300 divers per day would explore the depths of the sea in search of the elusive pink pearl, the most expensive of a range of colours, including the infamous black pearl, he said.

“From 100 oysters that were found, you might find one pearl,” said Suwaidi, whose family history includes a long line of pearl divers.

Desmond Cawley, director for Sports and Leisure at Jumeirah Group — owners of Jumeirah Beach Hotel — said the new daily pearl diving tour will attempt to recreate the authentic diving experience through the offering of traditional diving clothes, fish and rice dishes cooked aboard for lunch and through the sharing of pearl stories from yesteryears.

Any pearls collected by guests will be kept as souvenirs, he said.

“For hundreds of years, this was the sole source of income,” Cawley said, “but it has died away. We’re looking to revive this rich heritage with a traditional experience.” The educational eco tour will complement existing natural history experiences already available in Dubai, he said.

“There are lots of land adventures now such as desert safaris but this is very different,” Cawley said.

Pearl Diving tour in Dubai Dubai Desert Safari Tour, Dinner in Desert

Dubai Tourism Authority has launched a new £1 million trade and consumer advertising campaign to change the foreign tourists perceptions of Dubai as a holiday destination. Launched in a week where Dubai’s hotels topped the world in occupancy levels (which averaged 86.2% in January); the campaign aims to showcase Dubai as a family destination that offers excellent value for money and a variety of different holiday experiences.

The campaign has been created in direct response to in depth research conducted by Dubai Tourism looking at travel trade and consumer views of Dubai. The research showed that among those that had never been to Dubai, there was a real lack of understanding of what the emirate can offer to holiday makers.

To really appeal to UK holidaymakers, Dubai Tourism is venturing into video advertorials with a series of bespoke interviews from real families who have been to Dubai talking frankly about their experiences. These videos, which will be distributed online, aim to speak directly to UK consumers who don’t realise what Dubai can offer and show what preconceived ideas these families have overcome by visiting the destination.

The campaign also includes a series of advertorials set to appear in leading lifestyle titles including Red, Stylist, Glamour and Easy Living that will focus on what Dubai can offer families, for affordable luxury and the cultural offering of the destination. The same themes will run on telegraph.co.uk, guardian.co.uk and handbag.com. In addition, competitions will be hosted on all of the above media channels giving readers the fantastic opportunity to win iPads.

This brand focused activity will be supported by joint campaigns with a number of Tour Operators through multiple media channels

Trade activity will also be taking place from March through to December. Travel Trade Gazette will be showing videos of agents online talking about their Dubai experiences, supported in print with 6 iPads up for grabs. Travel Weekly’s campaign kicks off with the ‘Mission Possible’ competition, offering 20 agents the chance to travel to the emirate on a secret mission to dispel misconceptions. Whilst there, the agents will be split into teams and race around Dubai unlocking clues as they go.

Ian Scott, UK and Ireland Director of Dubai Tourism, comments: “Whilst recent tourism figures show Dubai has increased in popularity globally, with visitor numbers increasing by 10% in 2011 compared to 2010, we still believe there is more to be done here in the UK to really showcase the breadth of offering in Dubai. This exciting new marketing campaign will showcase Dubai’s great value, diversity and family offering. Our latest research revealed there are myths still prominent in people’s perceptions of Dubai so this consumer and trade activity will tackle these misconceptions head on.”

Dubai as a tourist destination offers a lot more than just shopping. Dubai Desert  Safari , the east coast tours and Alain tours are just few popular tours in Dubai

Dubai, UAE - Clover Creek Hotel Apartments, an upmarket destination for both business and leisure travellers, has rolled out its magical Valentine’s Day packages.

Stay in one of the Hotel’s well-appointed suites with your beloved for as little as Dh777 that includes a lavish dinner for two at the Hotel’s Bundoo Khan Speciality restaurant and the breakfast served in the room next morning. Besides this savour an enchanting candlelit dinner at the Hotel’s Front Page Café for Dh133, enjoy traditional subcontinent cuisine at Bundoo Khan for Dh155 and enjoy sumptuous dishes at Noodle House for Dh177 per couple with romantic background music on this special occasion. Early bird discounts will be offered to all those customers who book before February 10.

Afeef Naqvi, General Manager of the Hotel, said: “Impress your Valentine this year at Clover Creek Hotel Apartments’ amorous offers and gourmet menu in an atmosphere of unique ambience. Get there early to book a cozy corner and indulge in a sumptuous meal prepared especially for this occasion! So pamper your beloved with our enjoyable deals on an eve to remember by experiencing a romantic stay.”

Meanwhile, keeping in view the theme of the occasion, the venue will be dressed up in red. All three restaurants will be lit with candle lights and every lady will be treated to complimentary red roses on arrival. The offer is only valid for February 14 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. For further information on the Valentine’s package, please call Clover Creek Hotel Apartments on 04-2336400.

Book Dubai Tours & Dubai Dhow Cruise at affordable costs this valentine’s day.

A typical web surfer visits an average of 7 sites

Despite there being millions of web sites on the web, there are only a handful of sites that a typical person visits on a regular basis. The Periodic Table of the Internet presents a classification of popular sites based on select categories.

Here are my favorite 7.

1. Fast Company  www.fastcompany.com

2. Springwise www.springwise.com

3. Ecofont www.ecofont.com

4. DriveSafe.ly^TM www.drivesafe.ly

5. Away Find www.awayfind.com

6. Fiverr www.fiverr.com

7. iWriter www.iwriter.com

Send your favorite sites to sharad@cyber-gear.com