HH Sheikh Mohammed visits camel barn

Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied on his tour of the public art initiative by HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed, President, Civil Aviation Department, Government of Dubai, Chairman of the Emirates Group and honorary patron of Dubai's Rotary Club. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, HH Sheikh Rashed bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, HE Sultan bin Sulayim, Executive Chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation (PCFZ) and Colonel Saeed bin Belilah, Director, Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, President of Board of Dubai's Rotary Club also toured the barn.

"The event has the full support of the Rotary Club of Dubai as the project is under the patronage of the club. We believe that Dubai is an excellent choice for such an event which merges art, business and charity" said Saeed bin Belilah

The Camel Barn is where artists are spending the next few weeks creating the six-feet high camels for the Dubai-wide Camel Caravan public art initiative.

The Sheikhs were welcomed to the unique painting environment based at Children's City by Hussein AlJeziri, Honorary Secretary, Dubai Rotary Club along with Patricia and Ken Palmer, directors of ArtWorks, the organisers of the Camel Caravan.

Ken Palmer said: "It was a great surprise and honour to have these important guests visit our initiative. His Highness was impressed by the colourful wall of camel designs received from artists.

"He also viewed the twenty 'Parade of Nations' small camels which have already been painted and displayed at the Emirates Towers hotel and are on display in the Camel Barn.

"But the highlight of the visit was His Highness' viewing the life size fibreglass camels which will be painted and positioned in Creekside Park until year end, then placed on the streets of Dubai.

"They will remain in the public areas until the end of April, 2004. They involvement of the Rotary Club will be crucial when they are to be sold at the auction, with the proceeds going to children's charities and toward the development of arts and culture in Dubai", said AlJeziri

According to Palmer, His Highness commented that he had seen and enjoyed similar events elsewhere in the world, but was confident that Camel Caravan would be the best event of it kind in the world.

The Camel Barn is located in Creekside Park at Gate Eight.

Activities include live camel and pony rides and other children's fun activities including a five-star bouncy castle. All Dubai residents are invited to visit this exciting venue offering arts and entertainment for the entire family.

Artists' designs were submitted to the event organisers, ArtWorks, with camel sponsors then choosing a design they liked, culminating in the city-wide parade of camels. Sponsors underwrite the manufacture of the camels, the artists' honorarium and help defray costs associated with bringing the project to Dubai.

Ken Palmer, Project Director, ArtWorks, said: "The Camel Barn is not just a painting environment, but a real focus for community activities. Painting the camels will be a spectacle in itself, and a worthy tourist attraction in its own right.

"The Barn is open to the public and we expect a great deal of interest from the artistic community and the general population alike, especially as this is a world first."

The barn features an exhibition of the best camel designs submitted, and opens daily from 10am to 10pm. There will also be a camel 'hospital', within the barn, where camels will be taken if they are damaged during display.

A Children's Corner in the barn will allow children to paint their own camel designs.