(http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com)

——————————————————————————
The Internet Magazine on what’s happening in the local UAE Internet community.
——————————————————————————
An ORB-UAE Creative Group Publication (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orb-uae)
——————————————————————————

Issue 5

CONTENTS **********

1. UAE WEBSITES IN THE NEWS –
- Email
- Print Media
- Web (eGroups, Websites, E-Newsletters)

2. REGULARS – Cub & Bug

3. INTERVIEW – Abdul Qader – Owner of the Win-Win Yahoogroup

************************
*
WEBSITES IN THE NEWS *
*
************************

““““““““““`
a) Source: Email

““““““““““

1) Welcome to EasyEmirates.com, Your Online Directory!
——————————————————-
Please visit our website and enjoy the search services we have provided. EasyEmirates is easy to use and provides you with

all the information you need about the United Arab Emirates!

http://www.easyemirates.com

Sincerely,
Easy Emirates LLC.

““““““““““`
b) Source: Print Media

““““““““““

1) Tejari and DED to hook firms up —————————————————————-
Tejari, the Middle East online marketplace and Dubai Department of Economic Development announced a brand new online service

called ‘mylinkDubai’ will be available for DED registered companies from June 2006.

http://www.7days.ae/2006/05/28/tejari-and-ded-to-hook-firms-up.html

(Source: 7days.ae, Sunday, 28th May 2006)

2) Emaledubai.com – Expat males get their very own website ————————————————————————
“…Jane Drury, founder of Emaledubai.com.

..Over five years, Drury’s first site, expatwoman.com has grown into one of Dubai’s most popular web addresses. Each month it

now gets almost three million hits from people in search of information on schools, shops, clubs and all aspects of expat

life….”

http://www.7days.ae/2006/05/28/tejari-and-ded-to-hook-firms-up.html

(Source: 7days.ae, Sunday, 16th May 2006)

1) ExpatGossip.com
——————————
Mentioned in the Emirates Today

EmiratesTodayOnline.com, Tuesday, 30th May 2006)

“““““““““““““““““““““““““
b) Source: Web (eGroups, Websites, E-Newsletters)

“““““““““““““““““““““““““`

1) ESouq.ae – One more Classifieds website ————————————————-
The online marketplace for the Gulf http://www.esouq.ae

(Source: Banner Ad on 7Days.ae)

2) METrader.com – Online Secure Financial Trading —————————————————————————
http://www.metrader.com/

(Source: Banner ad on eSouq.ae)

************ * REGULARS * * ************

1. Cool UAE Blog (CUB) —————————-

COnstant, Creative Cyber Communicator

Sabiha’s Desert Sojourn – Collection of warm original poetry and writings:

http://desertsojourn.blogspot.com/

2. Best UAE Group (BUG) ——————————-

WIN WIN ALWAYS – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/winwinalways/

Started by Dubaite Abdul Qader, he calls his group the Energising Station, as it mainly has a lot of posters sharing informative and inspiring reads. The current strength of the group is 1443 with members drawn from all over the world and the UAE.

************* * INTERVIEW * * *************

Abdul Qader- Group Owner (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/winwinalways/)

————————————————————————————
> 1) Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your educational and work background?
———————————————————————————-

I like to keep myself busy and love meeting and discussing with committed people who wish to achieve success in their walk of ife. I am a software engineer having completed my Master Degree in Computer Application and Business Administration. Right now, am working as a Systems Analyst & Senior Consultant in Dubai,UAE.

—————————————————-
> 2) What inspired you to start Win Win Always?
—————————————————–

Well, by the Grace of Almighty have got such great and influential parents. They used to tell me that “always help others without expecting something in return”. If you help others with pure heart, God will help you in many ways”. This always remains in my heart. Winners group is the place where you can showcase your talents.

The Key to success is to develop leadership qualities. Born leaders are the people most of them have a strong family background in a particular field of activity, which gives them an image by birth itself. Unfortunately all are not blessed with this quality…but certainly all individuals could develop leadership by sheer aptitude for it, followed by hard work. So winners team would give footage for developing a better personality by helping each other with fullest joy, desire,
commitment, peace and prosperity.

T OGETHER E VERYONE A CHIEVES M ORE (TEAM)

———————————————————-
> 3) How has the response to your forum been so far?
———————————————————-

Well, I must say, it has been excellent from the start. …Have received numerous complimentary letters and as well as excellent support from our great members around the globe.

—————————————————-
> 4) What are your future plans for the Win Win forum?
—————————————————-

After having couple of meeting with some of our UAE members, have planned lot of innovative thigns to carry out. One of the important thing to create a freelance job opportunities though our network. In Dubai already has started in training and teaching industry. So everything will be updated in due course to all the members how to proceed further..

——————————————————————————————
> 5) Any interesting tid-bits and happenings that you can share from the forum?
——————————————————————————————

Very much…We had a couple of tours and many meetings held on Fridays. Some of them still unforgettable. We shared a lot of information. Recently three of our lady members got placed as language trainers in one of Dubai’s famous institutes. The Managing Director has thanked us for referring outstanding candidates to his institute. We also have spoken with many institutes to give special offers and extra working hours for Winner team members in the UAE.

———————————————–
> 6) What are your other interests and hobbies?
———————————————–

Teaching, Training, Consulting, Creative Writing, Poetry, Business Correspondence and making true friendship.

———————————————————————————————
> 7) What are your favourite books, music, movies, celebrities and inspiring personalities?
——————————————————————————————–

I could say, books are my best friends …”You can Win” by Shiv khera is my favorite book . I like to hear melodic and romantic songs.

I don’t watch much movies and not in particular any celebrities.

Inspiring Personalities – none other than my one and only leader Prophet Mohammed (SAW). He is really the most inspiring personality. After Him, My parents and sister.

——————————————————————————————–
> What is your motto or philosophy of life that you would like to share with our readers?
——————————————————————————————–

If your performance has not produced the promotion you expected – at least cherish the joy of everyday learning.

If trust is lost, nothing much can vouch for our credibility….

Work with Persistence and fight against all odds, surely you will reach that elusive goal.

Last but not least…..” With Open heart & open mind one can win many hearts”. So don’t just do enough to get by do enough to
get ahead in life.

********************

Want to feature your UAE website, online service, blog, forum, ezine etc. here? Got some online news to share? Want to send

us your rants and raves? Email us at orbuae@gmail.com

To Unsubscribe: Email: orbuae@gmail.com with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject.

——————————————————————-
An ORB-UAE Publication (http://orb-network.ryze.com)
Copyright 2006 UAE Web of Life http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com
——————————————————————–

(http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com)

——————————————————————————
The Internet Magazine on what’s happening in the local UAE Internet community.
——————————————————————————
An ORB-UAE Creative Group Publication (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orb-uae)
——————————————————————————

Issue 4

CONTENTS

1. UAE WEBSITES IN THE NEWS -

2. REGULARS – Cub & Bug

3. INTERVIEW – SecretDubai – UAE’s first blogger celebrity and the creator of UAE’s first blogger’s forum.

WEBSITES IN THE NEWS

a) Source: Email

1) Dalili does all the thinking for you.
Dalili is an easy to use navigation system for your car that runs on continuous real-time traffic updates from millions of sensors placed under Dubai’s roads. The simplest Dalili version is selling at Dh5,000. But if the car already has a built-in navigation system, all one needs to do is to download the software. More info:
http://www.dalili.ae/

2) Free Online Restaurant Service in Dubai
The easy and free way to book some of the best dining deals in Dubai:
www.dubite.com

3) Used Cars in the UAE
http://www.emiratesusedcars.com/

4) Dubai Night Planner
They call themselves Dubai’s FIRST Interactive E-mail Entertainment Guide! Dubai Night Planner is designed to provide Dubai’s Residents and Visitors with a CONFUSION-FREE guide to whats on in the City. You can Register to receive exclusive offers and promotions in partcipating outlets allowing you to save money in your favourite Restaurants, Bars and Clubs.
http://www.dubainightplanner.com/

b) Source: Print Media

1) Teens 4 Positive Action – Dubai’s community service group
Started by expat mum Parisa Rayes.
Email: director@teens4pa.org

http://www.teens4pa.org

(Source: 7days.ae, 3/4/06)

2) DriveArabia.com – Car Reviews
http://www.drivearabia.com

(Source: Review in 7Days)

3) UAE Online Ticket Booking
Box Office http://www.boxofficeme.com Tel: 04 367 6520
Time Out Tickets - http://www.itptickets.com Tel: 800 4669
Time Out Ticket – http://www.timeouttickets.com

(Source: Ads in 7days, Emirates Today)

b) Source: Web (eGroups, Websites, E-Newsletters)

1) Emaar community portal on line
The portal will seek to involve residents in decision making and the administration of their communities. http://www.emaar.com/communityportal

(Source: Eqarat.com E-Newsletter, 3/4/06)

2) Cyber Gear Launches eCampaignsNetwork.com, A Global DIY e-Marketing Portal
http://www.ecampaignsnetwork.com/

(Source: DubaiCityGuide.com)

REGULARS

1. Cool UAE Blog (CUB)
COnstant, Creative Cyber Communicator
Kaya’s curiouser and curiouser : http://abudhabicalling.blogspot.com/

2. Best UAE Group (BUG)
KHALLI VALLI - http://kv-network.ryze.com/
Started by Dubaite Kandarp Baxi and as their home page state…”khalli valli will create an environment to ease the pressures of our day to day existence. khalli valli will be fun and NOT serious.” A unique feature of this group is their regular offliners or “Kootams” as they call it. These are fun-filled events where quality people spend quality time networking at public venues. A must-join.

INTERVIEW

SecretDubai – UAE’s first blogger (http://secretdubai.blogspot.com) celebrity
and the creator of UAE’s first blogger’s forum (http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com).

————————————————————————————
> 1) Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your educational and work background?
———————————————————————————-

I am a UK expat, I work in media in Dubai and I have a university degree.

—————————————————-
> 2) What inspired you to start blogging which ultimately culminated in
the UAE Community of bloggers – the UAE’s first?
—————————————————–

Before coming here I did some travelling, this was a few years ago pre
blogs, but post email. I used to keep in touch with friends and
family via a group newsletter that I sent out about my travels. When
I eventually settled for a while, I posted all these letters on a
website, like a homepage – they formed a kind of diary.

Then a couple more years I was on the move agan – to the UAE. After a
few months I wanted to record my experiences again. By this time
blogging was around, so I chose that way to do it. It really was
mainly for me by this stage, to record my own experiences of the UAE.
Only later on after migrating from LiveJournal to Blogspot did it
really get noticed.

———————————————————-
> 3) Can you share your experience of what it was like when your blog
was blocked ( another UAE first and all the media focus that
ensued?
———————————————————-

It was very terrifying, because I was overseas, and it was hard to
keep tabs on what was going on. It was also bewildering, because the
“offending” poem was never intended to mock local people, it was
specifically targeted at expats and the odd language of the Khaleej
Times.

The media focus was startling, as was the huge amount of support, even
from people that didn’t always like my blog, but respected my right to
write it. I made a couple of lasting friendships during those times.
The support was overwhelming, and moving.

Getting unblocked was a kind of miracle: the biggest relief ever.
Not because it meant that people could access my site again, but
because it meant a higher power found nothing offensive or illegal
about the blog. Which was a kind of vindication, almost a seal of
approval.

I had always been aware that the UAE authorities could trace my
activities or those of any other internet user, so I had always
exercised self-censorship, and continue to do so.

—————————————————-
> 4) What are your future plans for the UAE Community forum?
—————————————————-

Nothing. It keeps going by itself now, which is brilliant. It means
when I eventually leave this place, as like most expats I won’t be
around forever, it will hopefully continue and go from strength to
strength. There’s already an Arabic version, which sadly I can’t
understand a word of!

——————————————————————————————
> 5) Any interesting tid-bits and happenings that you can share from the forum?
——————————————————————————————

I think its coolest feature is the fact that people who would almost
certainly never belong to the same groups or clubs in the UAE
regularly interact there as members. It could so easily have got
hijacked by one particular group, and been just euro expats ranting
for example, but it hasn’t. It really doesn’t matter if one is local,
European, Asian or even bidoon. It’s for UAE bloggers: it transcends
age, gender, nationality, religion, class.

Very little moderation has ever gone on – it just hasn’t really been
needed there. So far, it’s all fairly civilised!

———————————————–
> 6) What are your other interests and hobbies?
———————————————–

Reading, the internet, RPG computer games, food. I don’t watch
terrestrial or satellite TV at all – my TV is used solely for DVDs and
console gaming – but I occasionally download stuff I want to watch,
like South Park. Amazingly given this list of absolute vegetativity I
am not (yet) the size of Jabba the Hutt.

———————————————————————————————
> 7) What are your favourite books, music, movies, celebrities and inspiring personalities?
——————————————————————————————–

Favourite Books (can I have two?):
- The Man In The Brown Suit, by Agatha Christie
- Scoop, by Evelyn Waugh

Favourite Music: Pet Shop Boys

Movies: Saved! starring Mandy Moore

Celebrities: Sean Bean

Inspiring Personalities: Sheikh Zayed

——————————————————————————————–
> What is your motto or philosophy of life that you would like to share with our readers?
——————————————————————————————–

You only have one life. Don’t waste it in bitterness, cruelty,
intolerance or hatred.

********************

Want to feature your UAE website, online service, blog, forum, ezine etc. here? Got some online news to share? Want to send

us your rants and raves? Email us at orbuae@gmail.com

To Unsubscribe: Email: orbuae@gmail.com with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject.

——————————————————————-
An ORB-UAE Publication (http://orb-network.ryze.com)
Copyright 2006 UAE Web of Life http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com
——————————————————————–

(http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com)

——————————————————————————
The Internet Magazine on what’s happening in the local UAE Internet community.
——————————————————————————
An ORB-UAE Creative Group Publication (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orb-uae)
——————————————————————————

Issue 3

CONTENTS
*********

1. UAE WEBSITES IN THE NEWS

2. REGULARS – Cub & Bug

3. INTERVIEW – Grapeshisha – UAE’s first independent current affairs ezine.

****************************
WEBSITES IN THE NEWS
****************************

1) AD WORLD – New UAE Business Directory
—————————————–
Register your company for free or place an ad
http://www.IndexYellowPages.com/index.asp

2) Free Dubai & Abu Dhabi Rents Information spreadsheet
——————————————————–
Grapeshisha compiles one more useful spreadseet – UAE Rental Range Spreadsheet – Download @: http://www.GrapeShisha.com

3) DU is here! UAE’s new telecom
———————————
Get to know them here! http://www.Du.ae

4) TEN Movies
——————
The Movie Resource of the Middle East [Cinemas in UAE, Lebanon, BahrainQ, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan] – http://movies.theemiratesnetwork.com/

5) For Labour Complaints
————————-
Now you can help some poor labourer get his rightful dues:
- http://www.LabourComplaints.ae

************
REGULARS
************

1. Cool UAE Blog (CUB)
———————-
Samuraisam’s One Big Construction Site : http://onebigconstructionsite.blogspot.com/

In spite of strong language in some of his posts, Samuraisam impresses! He also runs the UAE Community Blog forum with SecretDubai and the Arabic UAE COmmunity blog forum.

2. Best UAE Group (BUG)
————————

The Dubai Writers Group (more than 299 members) run by Adnan who also runs the Dubai Bloggers Meetup Group and the Dubai Indie Filmmakers Meetup Group.

http://writers.meetup.com/293/

Meet writers from the UAE, share writing tips, get feedback on your work, meetup with the writers whenever there is meet, a very happening group!

*************
*
INTERVIEW *
*
*************

GRAPESHISHA – Maybe the first independent UAE Current Issues Newsletter, the editor also compiles useful UAE data files for UAE residents and would be residents.

http://www.grapeshisha.com

————————————————————————————
> 1) Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your educational and work background?
———————————————————————————-

I have stayed relatively anonymous due to the nature of the work that I do, but I am originally from the UK and have been in the region for the last few years, doing strategy consultancy for a few organisations, both here and in the UK.

—————————————————-
> 2) What inspired you to start Grapeshisha?
—————————————————–

Well, Grapeshisha originated from an email home to friends to give them an understanding of the Middle East, and specifically the UAE, since most thought I was living in a war zone. It evolved to tackling cross cultural issues, before I formalised it about a year ago. Now, I just tackle an issue every month or so that I feel is of interest to people who have signed up. I have also started to put together information on subject areas such rent, cost of living etc. at the website because of the many emails I receive asking questions about specific issues. I just hope that the resources help people in some way.

———————————————————-
> 3) How has the response to your newsletter been so far?
———————————————————-

The reponse so far has been generally very positive. I get requests to cover certain topics, but am sometimes not able to cover them, but in the main, I try and keep the readers happy if there is a want for subject coverage.

—————————————————-
> 4) What are your future plans for Grapeshisha?
—————————————————-

I’m really not sure what will happen with Grapeshisha. I have just started a blog, and am trying to add more information to the website when I can, but essentially it is just a hobby. Really, it is to promote cross cultural awareness and understanding, as well as help people understand what life is like here, if they need to make a decision to move here, for example. If there is significant interest, perhaps it will become more of a real portals out there, but that’s a full time job. If it can make a little money for charity as well, that would be nice.

——————————————————————————————
> 5) Any interesting tid-bits and happenings that you can share from your experience with Grapeshisha?
——————————————————————————————

Well, I have had a couple of interesting marriage proposals from men, which my wife thought was amusing. At least this clears up the fact that I am male. Best of all, I had an email from a supposed ex-General in the Ivory Coast, asking if I could provide 10,000 shisha pipes, and if I could provide my bank details so that they could wire me the money. What will they try next?

———————————————–
> 6) What are your other interests and hobbies?
———————————————–

I read. I read a lot, usually business literature. I am also a 24, and Lost aficionado and a closet American Idol and Apprentice viewer.

———————————————————————————————
> 7) What are your favourite books, music, movies, celebrities and inspiring personalities?
——————————————————————————————–

FAVOURITE BOOK: Fiction, A Fine Balance – by Rohinton Mistry, Non-fiction, I have just finished Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim and Mauborgne, which was an excellent read.

FAVOURITE MUSIC: Anything that is not too hardcore. I like stuff like Sting, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Coldplay & Kanye West. I guess you might class that into popular mainstream, these days. I also like old school R&B.

MOVIES: Too many to list, but here are a selection I like: Jacob’s Ladder, Heat, Crash, Lock Stock, The Godfather, Stand by Me, The Insider, Memento

CELEBRITIES: Whoever is making a fool of themselves at the time. The TomKat thing was hilarious
Inspiring Personalities : Gates, Clinton, Branson & the Aga Khan – all successful and inspiring in different ways and all philanthropists in different ways.

——————————————————————————————–
> What is your motto or philosophy of life that you would like to share with our readers?
——————————————————————————————–

“The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.” – Edward de Bono

********************

Want to feature your UAE website, online service, blog, forum, ezine etc. here? Got some online news to share? Want to send us your rants and raves? Email us at orbuae@gmail.com

To Unsubscribe: Email: orbuae@gmail.com with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject.

——————————————————————-
An ORB-UAE Publication (http://orb-network.ryze.com)
Copyright 2006 UAE Web of Life http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com
——————————————————————-

(http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com)

——————————————————————————
The Internet Magazine on what’s happening in the local UAE Internet
community.
——————————————————————————
An ORB-UAE Creative Group Publication
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orb-uae)
——————————————————————————

Issue 2

Get a newspaper style PDF version file that you can print and read.
Subscribe: orbuae@gmail.com.

CONTENTS
*********

1. UAE WEBSITES IN THE NEWS

2. REGULARS – Cub & Bug

3. INTERVIEW – Founders of Creative Majlis

************************
*
WEBSITES IN THE NEWS *
*
************************

1) Order.ae
————-
UAE’s latest online food ordering service launch - http://www.Order.ae

2) GrapeShisha.com
——————-
Grapeshisha compiles UAE Cost of Living 2006 Spreadsheet – Download @
http://www.GrapeShisha.com
The next issue of his informative newsletter – ‘Inshallah Factor is out
- http://www.GrapeShisha.com

3) UaeSocietyOfEngineers.com
——————————-
UAE Society of Engineers launches web site -
http://www.UaeSocietyOfEngineers.com

4) GoWealthy.com
——————
adds new service that will give both investors and tourists alike a
guided tour around the landmarks major and property developments in
Dubai – http://www.GoWealthy.com

5) UAETeens.net
—————-
A website for UAE Teens – http://www.UaeTeens.net

6) DubaiEnquirer.com
———————
Hilarious new issue out! http://www.DubaiEnquirer.net

7) DealBay.ae
—————-
Signup for the DealBay.ae Newsletter – Site Soon to be launched -
http://www.DealBay.ae

Contest4Uae.com
——————-
Take part in contests hosted by companies in the uae.
http://www.Contest4Uae.com

************
*
REGULARS *
*
************

1. Cool UAE Blog (CUB)
———————-

The Blog of a talented Emirati Doctor: http://www.e3ashig.com/

(“E3ashig is a medical student with a great deal of impressive computer
skills, and that makes him special.
Very few people can do two things at a time.” -LoVe)

2. Best UAE Group (BUG)
————————

Dubai Classical Music Yahoogroup (more than 520 members)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dubaiclassicalmusic/

Keep updated with all the western classical concerts happening in the
UAE. Buy, sell musical instruments, find a MUSIC tutor etc.

*************
*
INTERVIEW *
*
*************

CREATIVE MAJLIS – New UAE Advertising Creatives Forum with a social
conscience!

http://creativemajlis-network.ryze.com

————————————————————————————
> 1) Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your educational and work
background?
———————————————————————————-

FARRUKH:

I am an award-winning advertising copywriter and journalist based in
Dubai. I hold a post graduate
qualification in Marketing Management with specialisation in Advertising.

Thorugh 9 years of my career as a creative copywriter and brand
strategist, I have had the great
fortune to write and conceptualise for some of the hottest brands in the
world like Microsoft,
Jaguar, Jacuzzi, Rodeo Drive, Hewlett-Packard, Honda and Sheraton Hotels.

As a journalist, I have met and interviewed the movers and shakers of
the corporate world here in
the Gulf, and covered a wide range of industries from cosmetics to
information technology.

I am also a photographer but more by passion than by profession. My
favourite subject as a
photographer are roses.

MAYURA:

I studied to become a software engineer, but my inclination was always
towards more creative endeavours. I picked up on multimedia skills
alongside my engineering course, and enjoyed every bit of playing with
2-D and 3-D animation. I started my career in the e-learning industry,
which required both creative and computing skills. I enjoyed my 3-year
stint in the industry in various roles, from graphic designer to
animation head, from instructional designer to quality assurance
specialist. Once I shifted to Dubai, I took to writing as a
profession, since the elearning industry here didn’t seem as exciting
as it is back in India. Writing has always been a passion, apart from
art and music. I graduated from a web-writer to a full-fledged
advertising copywriter. So, here I am!

—————————————————-
> 2) What inspired you to start Creative Majlis?
—————————————————–

FARRUKH:

Mayura inspired me to join her and form a forum where copywriters and
creative people can use
their skills and talent to contribute to our community.

We had seen how eager many of our fellow copywriters were in writing and
contributing creatively
for a cause. We felt we could achieve more as a team, pooling in
collective creative talents for
social campaigns. Thus, ‘Creative Majlis’ was born.

MAYURA:

The concept of Creative Majlis started as a club for copywriters
within the Dubai Writers Group, of which I was the Assistant
Organiser. Farrukh and I were very active members of the copywriters
club, which took off well, and we also worked on couple of mock social
campaigns with other club members. I started and managed the club,
while Farrukh was the inspiration behind the social campaigns and also
its moderator. Since we had no identity of our own as a group of
copywriters, getting the public service ads published was close to
impossible.

Farrukh and I then felt there was a need for a full-fledged creative
advertising club, where we could contribute our collective creative
skills to socially beneficial causes. Hence, we started the Creative
Majlis on 30th of January 2006. Creative Majlis is the meeting point
for progressive copywriters and creative people from the UAE, and the
world over to bring their creative skills together, connect and make
things happen. Why should creative ad professionals join the Creative
Majlis? To do more than push products and recycle special offers as
creative people. To propel our power of persuasion as writers and
seasoned marcom professionals towards making a positive difference to
the world around us.’

Hence, ‘to pool our talents and make a positive difference in our
communities’ will remain the primary agenda of this group. We are
collaborating with Al Noor foundation to plan and handle their
awareness / fund raising campaigns on a voluntary basis. This is only
a start. We have big plans for the future.

—————————————————————————————-
> 3) How can members from the media and creative field utilise this
forum effectively?
—————————————————————————————-

FARRUKH:

The best way to utilise this forum, i.e. Creative Majlis, is to become
an active part of it.

Join us. Interact with all the creative members. Brainstorm. Think of
great things we can do with the talents we have within us. Create social
awareness campaigns. Write, art direct, publish, promote messages that
make a difference in people’s lives.

As a group, a ‘majlis’, we can divide the work and thus take concepts
from thoughts to actions, from scribbles to artwork, from the drawing
board to the press, which might not always be possible for someone to
achieve by individual effort.

We are looking at active participation from copywriters, art directors
and graphic designers, PR professionals, printers, publishers and
journalists.

MAYURA:

The Creative Majlis offers a world of possibilities for enthusiastic
creative professionals looking at fertile grounds to harvest their
creative skills to the zenith.

At CM, you get to work on varied advertising projects, from public
awareness campaigns to fund-raising events, from posters to greeting
cards. And the part that every advertising professional would cherish
most is, we work directly with the clients; there are no annoying
middle-men coming our way! What’s more? Working with talented fellow
creative professionals from various backgrounds should be great fun!

—————————————————-
> 5) How has the response to the forum been so far?
—————————————————-

FARRUKH:

Almost every creative person we have met has been more than willing to
contribute his or her talent for a good cause.

I had invited writers to contribute ideas for social campaigns on a
message board on the Dubai Writers Group, of which me and Mayura are
active members, and the response to that message was the highest ever in
the history of the group. That gives us an indication of the kind of
response we can expect for Creative Majlis, a group focused on
creativity for a cause.

MAYURA:

The response has been good, and we already have a sizeable team of
creative professionals, from copywriters, artists and web-designers to
exhibition designers.

————————————————
> 6) What are your future plans for the forum?
———————————————–

FARRUKH:

Creative Majlis has started as a group of copywriters and creative
professionals who wish to contribute their talents to make a difference
to the society.

Our plans include creating social advocacy campaigns, contributing our
services to NGOs and charity organisations, sharing our knowledge and
experiences, discussing issues that are important for writers and
creative people in the region, and more.

As our efforts gather momentum, the direction in which we move will also
depend on the creative vision and collective insights of the all members
of the Creative Majlis.

MAYURA:

The immediate plan is to crystallize our collaboration with Al Noor
Foundation, UAE. We plan to grow as a team, in order to take up bigger
and more projects. As we grow bigger and stronger, we can tie up with
more such social service organisations in need of professional
marketing communication services, but cannot really afford them. We
also wish to make Creative Majlis the ultimate platform for creative
advertising professionals to mingle, contribute and learn.

We have plans to organise industry-specific discussions, seminars and
talks by leading advertising professionals for our members.

———————————————————————————————
> 9) What are your favourite books, music, movies, celebrities and
inspiring personalities?
——————————————————————————————–

FARRUKH:

Favourite Book: “The Revelations of the Unseen”, “The Alchemy of
Happiness”, “Scientific Advertising”, any book by Dale Carnegie.

Favourite Music: Lyrics by Bob Dylan (Blowin’ in the wind)

Movies: Movies with a message like Main Azaad Hoon, Swades and Rang De
Basanti in Hindi. Like ‘The
Message’ and ‘Gandhi’ in English.

Celebrities: Celebrities disappoint me.

Inspiring Personalities: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Jesus
(peace be upon him), Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Abdul Sattar Eidi.

MAYURA:

Favorite books: Da Vinci Code, My India the India Eternal by Swami
Vivekananda, ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Robert T. Kiyosaki and more,
Every Street is Paved with Gold – the autobiography of Kim Woo Chong,
the founder of Daewoo, and more. I mostly read non-fiction.

Favourite music: Indian classical – both Hindustani & Karnatic; old
Bollywood classics by Lata & Mohammad Rafi; English Country music; and
just any soothing, melodious music. I am not a very ‘rock & heavy
metal’ person.

Inspiring personalities: Swami Vivekananda, Narayana Murthy, the
founder of Infosys Technologies, India and my mother.

——————————————————————————————–
10) What is your motto or philosophy of life that you would like to
share with our readers?
——————————————————————————————–

FARRUKH:

My favourite quote by which i live my life:

“Be ashamed to die till you have won a victory for mankind.”

********************

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——————————————————————-
An ORB-UAE Publication (http://orb-network.ryze.com)
Copyright 2006 UAE Web of Life http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com
——————————————————————-

Issue 1

Get a newspaper style PDF version file that you can print and read.
Email orbuae@gmail.com.

CONTENTS
*********
NEWS
—–
1. ORB-UAE Creative Yahoogroup now on RYZE.com!
2. Comprehensive list of UAE Recruitment firms and sites launched on
Dubai Expats Yahoogroup
3. Grapeshisha UAE e-Newsletter – January Issue out and new website launched
4. Download the updated UAE Web of Life Internet Guide

REGULARS
———
1. Cool UAE Blog (CUB) of the Week
2. Best UAE Group (BUG) of the Week

INTERVIEW
———-
Interview with a UAE Web Resident Omair Aasim, Creator of SearchingDubai.com

NEWS
———————————————————–
1. ORB-UAE Creative Yahoogroup now on RYZE.com!
———————————————————–
The ORB-UAE Creative Yahoogroup http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orb-uae) -
an online community of UAE creative thinkers, artists, writers and poets with more than 300 members from the UAE has now started a branch on the Ryze Network
(http://www.ryze.com). Sabiha, the co-owner and moderator of the group
looks forward to the vibrant Ryzians taking an active part in the creative activities of the group.
Join Orb on Ryze here: http://orb-network.ryze.com/

———————————————————————————————
2. Comprehensive list of UAE Recruitment firms and sites launched on
Dubai Expats Yahoogroup
———————————————————————————————
Wayne, a South African who had lived in Dubai for quite some time has uploaded an Excel file containing a comprehensive list of all Recruitment firms and online recruitment sites.
The link is available in the Links section of the Dubai Expats Yahoogroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dubai_expats. The Dubai Yahoogroup, run by Dubaian Pat Hawkins, is one of the most popular Dubai forums with a wealth of information and
discussions on life in Dubai. Wayne intends to update the file regularly and hopes that all UAE Job seekers will benefit from it.

—————————————————————————–
3. Grapeshisha UAE e-Newsletter – January Issue out and new website launched
—————————————————————————–
Grapeshisha – the electronic newsletter on life in the Emirates, run by
has launched a revamped website. Now the site is truly on its way to become a a very informative UAE online resource. The January issue also has been launched. Read it here:

http://www.grapeshisha.com.

——————————————————
4. Download the updated UAE Web of Life Internet Guide
——————————————————-

The UAE WEb of Life Guide launched in December 2005 has now been updated
with new UAE Expatriate sites, Forums, Classifieds, Auction, Community Sites and Blogs, Maps etc. Email orbuae@gmail.com to get a PDF version emailed to you.
The UAE Web of Life Guide is a list of useful UAE websites compiled into
a single printable page. It is a 1 page PDF file that can be printed and stuck next to your computer for ready reference of all useful UAE websites, online services and portals.

REGULARS

1. Cool UAE Blog (CUB) of the Week

Dubai Consumer Mirror
http://dubaiconsumermirror.blogspot.com/

2. Best UAE Group (BUG) of the Week

Dubai Arts and Crafts
http://groups.msn.com/DubaiArtsCrafts

INTERVIEW

——————————————————————————
Interview with a UAE Web Resident Omair Aasim, Creator of SearchingDubai.com
——————————————————————————
1) Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your educational background?
Well I was born in Dubai and stayed most of my life there. I did my
schooling in Indian High School. Then I got enrolled at Sharjah College
to do my Computer Science Degree. After completing two years there, I
transferred to US where I completed my Bachelors and Masters in computer
science.

2) What inspired you to build SearchingDubai.com?
Although I’m a Indian citizen, I always considered Dubai to be my home
city. I think Dubai is one of the best cities in the world. It has given
so much to me in my life that I wanted to give something back to it. So
I designed this search engine so that people from all around the world
can find out and learn about this great city. And this site also
provides useful information for people residing in UAE. Its my way of
contributing back to the city where I grew.

3) What technology did you use to build it? Were you the only one in
this project or you had a team working ?
The entire site has been designed using the latest Java technology. I
worked with my friend Asim Iqbal to build this search engine. He has
been a great help and guidance to me in designing this project.

4) Can you explain the main features and functions of SearchingDubai.com
and how users can utillise the site effectively?
Well there are a lot of functionality in this website:
a) Dubai Search: Unlike Google, the Dubai search engine is built only
for the local community. It only searches for information on websites
that are related to Dubai or UAE. It’s an ongoing process. Everyday more
and more websites are added
to the engine.
b) People Search: You can search for people residing in UAE by their
name, or telephone number or po box or city.
c) Company Search:You can search for companies in UAE by their name, or
telephone number or po box or city or even browse them by categories.
d) City Guide: It basically allows you to look for anything in the city.
For instance, you can search for vegetarian restaurants or mexican
restaurants in Dubai or schools in Abu Dhabi or rent-a-cars in Sharjah.
You can browse the shopping malls, look for hotels, airlines, hospitals etc.
e) TV Guide shows you the current tv programs for various channels in Dubai.
f) Tourist Attractions: This is a new section that has just started
which basically shows all the main tourist attractions in Dubai.

5) How has the response to the site been so far?
Its been about a month or so since this website was officially launched.
And so far the response has been really GREAT. I did’nt expect this much
traffic in the first month.

6) What are your future plans for the website?
I would like to expand this website by adding more features like forums,
online dating community etc.

7) How do you get ideas for your projects? How do you apply creative
thinking and creativity in your field and life?
Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. Its always difficult to
come up with a new idea. I always try to do things that havent been done
before. Like 4 years back, I wrote a speech recognition software that
would translate your voice into words but that summer microsoft launched
the same feature in their office products. So much for that. But my
point is – no task is impossible to accomplish. If you have the
determination and will to do it, you can do it. Once you have an idea,
you can always figure out a way to do it.

What are your other interests and hobbies?
I have a passion for the game of Chess. I play it whenever I find time.
I also love to watch sports and hang out with friends.

9) What are your favourite books, music, movies, celebrities and
inspiring personalities?
Favourite Book : Not much of a reader but I like John Grisham’s novels.
Favourite Music : Pop, Hiphop and R&B
Movies : “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”…hehehee – a must watch movie
for computer geeks
Celebrities: Aishwarya, Preity Zinta, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro
Inspiring Personalities : One and only Bill Gates – He’s a living legend
for me.

10) What is your motto or philosophy of life that you would like to
share with our readers?
My favourite quote by which i live my life:
“Some men see things as they are and say WHY?” “I dream things that
never were and say WHY NOT?”

- Email interview conducted when SearchingDubai.com was launched.

Want to feature your UAE website, online service, blog, forum, ezine etc. here? Got some online news to share? Want to send us your rants and raves? Email us at orbuae@gmail.com

An ORB-UAE Publication
Copyright 2006 UAE Web of Life http://uaeweboflife.blogspot.com