Sharjah Museums Department emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage

Sharjah, 24 November, 2010: Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) has stressed the importance of preserving cultural heritage and its integration into the curriculum of higher education.

Manal Ataya, Director General of SMD, announced the sponsorship support of Sharjah Museums Department for the 5th International Forum on Engineering Education (IFEE 2010), organised and hosted by the University of Sharjah from November 23 to 25, 2010, under the academic supervision of Professor Mufid Samari, Senior Advisor of the Sharjah Academy for Scientific Research.

“The preservation of cultural heritage and the increased need for integration of this field of expertise into higher education is in line with SMD’s educational priorities in the area of museums and heratige,” said Manal Ataya.

“Linking the university curriculum with cultural heritage in an interdisciplanary way is integral to further promote the importance of heritage for a sustainable future. Through the sessions at the event, we will emphasize the need for joint cooperation between professionals and academics to achieve common goals,” she added.

Two keynote presentations for the event were given by both Dr Rita Awad, Director of Culture, ALECSO (Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization), and Dr Hassan Al Bassri, National University of Malasiya.

Ataya chaired a session titled Intergrating heritage conservation in higher education; which included speakers Dr. Zaki Aslan, ATHAR Programme Manager, and Dr. Hossam Mahdy from the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, Professor Mufid samarai, and Dr. Eman Assi, architect in the heritage department  of Dubai Municipality.

Professor Mufid Samarai in his capacity as the co-chair for the advisory committee was instrumental in conceiving the unique session on "Integrating Heritage in Higher Education". This is the first time the topic has been presented and discussed in the context of engineering at the annual  forum.  

The speakers emphasized the need to provide continuous training and education in all fields of conservation, enhance the work of institutions to foster professional talent, and address capacity building and training requirements.

The international Forum aims to bring together engineering educators, professionals, students, policy and decision makers, and community stakeholders from around the world to contribute to the enrichment and advancement of engineering education in the region and to discuss research, studies, case-studies, practices, and in-depth views on specific topics and experiences.

Dar Al Ibtisam Ladies Garments Opened in Rolla, Sharjah

Deepa Ganesh, the famous Malayalam singer and RJ in the United Arab Emirates and the General Manager of Asia Vision Advertising inaugurated Dar Al Ibtisam Ladies Garments, a new showroom for ladies' garments in Rolla, Sharjah. "We have a wide variety of ladies garments in stock to cater to the various segments of the market, in terms of fashion, quality, price and material," said Meenu Rajkumar, Managing Director.

Air Arabia records annual net profit of AED 510 million, up 35.6 per cent

Sharjah, February 15, 2009: Air Arabia (PJSC), the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), announced today its financial results for the year 2008.

The company achieved a net profit of AED 510 million for the financial year ending December 31, 2008, compared to a net profit of AED 376 million in 2007, an increase of 35.6 per cent.

The carrier posted a turnover of AED 2.066 billion in 2008, up 61 per cent compared to AED 1.283 billion in 2007. Passenger average load factor – passengers carried as a proportion of available seats – stood at 85 per cent.

Overall, a total of 3.6 million discerning passengers chose to fly with Air Arabia in 2008. This is an increase of 33 per cent compared to 2.7 million passengers in 2007.

For the fourth quarter of 2008, Air Arabia posted a net profit of AED 136 million, up 45.4 per cent compared to AED 93.49 million during the fourth quarter of 2007. For the fourth quarter of 2008, the carrier posted a turnover of AED 571 million, up 53.3 per cent compared to AED 372.37 million in same period of 2007. During the fourth quarter of 2008, the airline served 959,067 passengers, an increase of 29 per cent compared to 745,000 passengers during the same period in 2007.

Commenting on the results, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia, said: “2008 was a landmark year for Air Arabia, and this is reflected in our robust financial results. Air Arabia has managed to sustain growth and announce record profits in 2008. Therefore, the Board of Directors has proposed distributing a 10 per cent cash dividend to the company’s shareholders, which allows them to share in Air Arabia’s success while maintaining sufficient capital to ensure the implementation of the carrier’s long-term growth strategy.”

He added: “2009 will see serious challenges to the worldwide aviation industry, driven by the impact of the global financial crisis and lower levels of consumer confidence. This uncertainty about the future will place additional pressure on the bottom lines and earnings expectations of airlines across the globe.

“At Air Arabia, we remain focused on our core objectives and the implementation of our successful business model, building upon our expansion strategy and offering compelling value propositions to our customers. Now more than ever, low-cost carriers are an attractive option for travellers seeking value for money.”

In 2008, Air Arabia introduced seven new destinations, and now serves 44 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The carrier also announced its new hub in Morocco that is set to commence operations by the end of first quarter of 2009. Air Arabia also announced the launch of a 300-room budget hotel, and introduced new services such as its early check-in procedure and seat selection.

The company’s exceptional performance in 2008 was recognised through several industry awards. Air Arabia was named “Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” for the second consecutive year at the Aviation Business Awards 2008. In addition, Air Arabia won the coveted AVEX award for Best Regional Airline at the prestigious AVEX award ceremony in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The carrier won the World Travel Award for Best Low-Cost Carrier in MENA, hailed as the Oscars of the travel industry. Air Arabia was named Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East and Africa at the prestigious Budgie Awards, part of the World Low-Cost Airlines Congress, held in London, UK. In May 2008, Air Arabia received the gold award in the best airline category at the MENA Travel Awards 2008.

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 16 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 43 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: http://www.airarabia.com/