Sheikha Latifa and Sheikha Maryam officially inaugurate DSF 2008 House of Talents

Their Highnesses were shown around House of Talents by Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of DSF Office, and accompanied by other DSF and Global Village officials. During the time at the venue, their Highnesses interacted with the participants and while praising their achievements, also encouraged them to further their talents through more creative initiatives.

"Since its inception in 1999, House of Talents has grown immensely in stature and popularity. This success can be attributed to the continuous support of Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and her support for women empowerment in various spheres and sectors. House of Talents is under the slogan 'Spread Your Creative Wings' that is by itself a motivation for women to participate in this creative display," said Laila.

House of Talents is an exhibition for women in the UAE to display their talents in categories including handicrafts, architecture, fashion design, drawing, interior design, jewellery designing, information technology, photography, perfume making, and make-up and hair styling.

The annual DSF display of creativity attracts talents from diverse backgrounds- from college students to working women and housewives - and is known for successfully empowering women to launch their own initiatives.

There are a total of 30 participants for the 2008 House of Talents besides special participation from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs. Sama Dubai TV is the official media sponsor of House of Talents this year and will conduct individual interviews with the participants in a special programme.