HSBC Bank invests in Asian Lifestyle

The exhibition aims to celebrate South Asian customs, tradition and heritage, in what organiser IIR Middle East claims will be the biggest cultural festival of the year, attracting more than 30,000 visitors over three days.

Gul Khan, Regional Head of Wealth Management, HSBC, said, 'Asian Lifestyle is an event that complements our strategy of giving back to society, especially in those communities we serve. South Asian's represent a culturally important ethnic group in Dubai and we have lined-up a number of exciting activities to further our support.'

In addition to their Internet Lounge, HSBC will also be hosting a series of free financial seminars, aimed at the entire community, featuring advice regarding investments and other banking services of interest to South Asian expatriates of all ages. However with youth in mind, HSBC in partnership with Asian Lifestyle, are to launch a competition to design a bank note. Under the theme of 'Our Lifestyle in the UAE today', the competition which is open to children under the age of 16 years will start on 7th January 2007 with the deadline for all entries on 4th February. To raise awareness of the competition, Asian Lifestyle will host a road show to local schools to encourage budding artists to participate in the competition.

Entries will be sorted into three age group categories and hand drawn designs can be sent in by e-mail, post or web link and they will then be placed on the Asian Lifestyle website where visitors can then vote for their favourite designs. Three finalists per category will be announced on the 11th February and the designs mounted on to easels and put on open display. The general public will then have another opportunity to vote before the winners are announced and their designs displayed at the HSBC-sponsored Internet Lounge during Asian Lifestyle.

The winners will each receive a HSBC savings account credited with AED 1000 and the runners-up will each receive accounts with a deposit of AED 200. Local schools will also benefit, AED 10,000 worth of computer equipment will be delivered to the school of the winners, whilst the schools of the runners-up will each receive gift vouchers worth AED 1,000 to spend on books or equipment.

'Through this competition we want to encourage children to get in to the habit of saving for the future from an early age. We also want to give something back to the community and by gifting computer equipment and books to local schools we are investing in the future of our children,' added Khan.

Asian Lifestyle will feature hundreds of exhibitors offering products and services for the South Asian community, fashion shows, cultural performances, celebrity appearances, daily competitions, restaurants and food, with live cooking demonstrations and a bazaar of ethnic Asian artefacts.

Products and services on show at Asian Lifestyle will include, fashion and accessories, health, fitness, wellbeing and beauty, jewellery, home décor, consumer electronics, handicrafts and ethnic artefacts, music, property, travel and leisure, finance and investment, education and recruitment.

Zeffy Thompson, Event Manager, Asian Lifestyle, stated, 'Our partnership with HSBC is complementary, Asian Lifestyle is a celebration of South Asian culture and due to its mass appeal will bring together all ethnic groups in Dubai's cosmopolitan community, in a festival of life.'

Under the patronage of the Dubai, Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Asian Lifestyle is also supported by the Consulates of India, Sir Lanka and Pakistan.