Alarabiya Productions and Dubai 2003 in joint venture

Dubai 2003 is being organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the UAE Minister of Finance and Industry. He is Chairman of the event's Steering Committee and has created an organising committee and ten special purpose committees to ensure the smooth management of the event.

The television project is being undertaken under the directive of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence and is an exciting new collaboration between Dubai 2003 and Alarabiya Productions. It will be a celebration of Dubai showcasing its heart and soul through using the finest still photographers and videographers for a documentary film aimed at a worldwide television audience.

Dubai 2003 General Coordinator Mr. Ibrahim Belselah and Alarabiya Productions Managing Director Mr. Nasib Bitar have signed the formal agreement for the project.

Dubai 24 Hours will be written and directed by author and director Michael Tobias who has been the recipient of the prestigious Emmy Award for television for his previous work that included Ireland 24 Hours. He has also applied the same unique technique in creating 24-hour documentaries for India, Hungary, Romania, Arizona, Beijing, Tokyo and Moscow.

The whole project includes the production of a television documentary to be shown on satellite TV around the world, already including the channels PBS, BBC and Discovery, a coffee table book and musical CD that captures the sound of Dubai. Production is expected to commence in late April.

Alarabiya Managing Director Mr. Nasib Bitar said: "The production will involve several teams of photographers, journalists and TV camera crews being sent out to capture the pulse of Dubai starting from either midnight or early dawn. TV cameras and still photographs will capture portraits of human emotions, activity, landscapes skylines, art, craft, cultures, traditions, technology, lifestyles, personalities, sports, business and education."

Dubai 2003 General Coordinator Mr. Ibrahim Belselah commented: "This is an exciting new joint venture for Dubai 2003 that will help to create a spectacular documentary of a day in the life of Dubai. It will give international audiences a true flavour of what this city and our country the UAE have to offer the world. We are looking forward to the film being broadcast on television screens across the world in advance of the Annual Meetings in September.

"Dubai 2003 is taking a financial stake in this project as part of our ongoing role to ensure that the UAE is promoted as a business and cultural centre around the world and to ensure that we give our country the highest possible international profile. Elements of Dubai 24 Hours will also include features on specific Dubai 2003 activities and personalities."

Previous films created by Michael Tobias have been featured on television stations all over the world from the BBC to PBS in the US, NHK in Japan, Discovery Channel and other stations across Europe, Africa and South America.

During a visit to Dubai last year Tobias said: "Dubai 24 Hours is a project of special significance, it is a people's film, something to cherish, remember and be motivated by a lively tour de force."

Alarabiya Productions is a nationally owned television production company based in Dubai Media City. Previous productions include The Last Cavalier, based upon the poetry of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that was launched in November 2002. The company also produces Arab World Direct for BBC World.

Dubai 2003 is hosting the 58th Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund and is overseeing the introduction of the highly complex logistical framework required to ensure the success of such a global event. The Annual Meetings will be held in the Dubai International Convention Centre that can accommodate 4,500 delegates for the Annual Meetings, 6,000 delegates for usual convention events and up to 15,000 people standing for other events.

ENDS