The Knowledge Surprises week, organized by Dubai Land Department

Bin Butti was quoted saying that the department takes it as a serious responsibility to continue participating in all important activities that the country has been witnessing in the last years, especially in the city of Dubai. This goes to enhance the city's image as well as strengthen its position as a strategic hub for presenting world conferences, shows and festivals.

According to Sultan Butti the Dubai Land Department participates every year in the Dubai Summer Surprises by organizing a programme called 'Mind's Pleasure', which has been highly successful over the past years. This year the Department goes a step further and dedicates an entire week to similar activities that stimulate the faculties of the mind as it organizes the Knowledge Surprises week from the 3rd to the 9th of August.

"The Dubai Land Department is the only department that has been entrusted with organizing two activities within the Dubai Summer Surprises 2006 which goes to show the amount of trust the Dubai Government and DSS office has in us," he says.

The Director General of the Department then goes on to inform us that the department has gone all out to present an interesting array of activities to entertain Dubai audience. The activities are expected to draw a very good response from the visitors and are sure to be a big value addition to the DSS.

At a press conference held at Dubai Land Department on Monday, Omar Bushahab, Head of the Committee for the Knowledge Surprises said, "Dubai Land Department has dedicated a huge budget to present an exciting week full of interesting activities and events. We have lined up 19 activities that will be held across five shopping malls in the emirate. In addition to in-mall activities, we also have several events to line up at Modhesh Fun City at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Modhesh Fun City events are being held for the first time ever during Knowledge Surprises and target families. We invite families to come and enjoy the events while also learn and enhance their knowledge."

Dubai Land Department announced that they are organizing Knowledge Surprises for the first time and in order to give the best to the visitors the department has entrusted the responsibility to a team of dedicated members to present the week in the perfect way. All the activities have been designed to provide fun as well as knowledge keeping in line with the theme of the week. In addition, they are to present for the first time their funny and witty character " Fatfoot" that represents the measuring tool for land which in its essence is one of the main jobs of the department.

Over the week there will be prizes worth Dh 500,000 for the participating audiences and the winners of different draws and contests. There will be daily draws and for the first time in the history of the theme week big prizes such as 16 LCD TVs, 35 play stations, 12 sound systems, 12 video cameras, 28 vouchers, 175 cash vouchers, 11 laptops, 30 MP3 players, 1,000 courses in computer training, 100 free Internet memberships plus a Hummer car will be given away. The Hummer car will be the prize for the final draw to take place on the last day of Knowledge week Surprises.

Companies such as Etisalat, Liberty Cars, Emirates Union Cooperative and Pro-X are sponsoring major prizes during the week. They have worked as a team to offer activities and programmes that will be both useful and fun for the audience. The audiences will discover the joy of inventing new things during the week. A voluntary and charitable activity will also be held via the activity " Junior Entrepreneurs" where proceeds will go to Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, specifically to the UAE's campaign to remedy the Lebanese wounds under the slogan " their Kids are our Kids".

It was also revealed in the Press conference that a team of local volunteers will take the responsibility to oversee the various events. Six activities will be conducted in the Mall of the Emirates, which includes " Junior Entrepreneurs" as well as " Sama Fatfoot" for kids that teaches children about computers, cameras and movies. Additionally, there will also be "Fatfoot City" which is a competition with different segments to test the knowledge of children and the "virtual blast" activity a technology game that consists of video games in which two teams challenge each other.

Al Ghurair Centre will host four activities such as "Fatfoot Shagool" a game for children wherein they try and climb a pyramid after giving right answers to the questions posed to them. Another interesting event is the "Fatfoot Corner" which is a workshop for kids to dabble in the art of cinema. The participants will get to play with sound surround systems as well as sand and sticking products. The 3rd activity is "Wonder Compound" which is a lego. It's a highly stimulating activity that helps develop children's mental skills. The final activity is "scientific booths" where children can try experimenting with science.

Burjuman will host five activities including "World Cup" where children can play football, "Kimopoly" which will have children selling properties and build projects. Then there is the "Little Bankers'" workshop teaching children how to do business and then there is "Eureka" a workshop that teaches the kids theoretical science in a fun and easy way. The fifth activity at Burjuman is " Body Language" which teaches the little ones how to understand and project good body language.

The Deira City Center will also hold two activities during the Knowledge Surprises week These include " Fatfoot Around the World" which will enable the kids to address a crowd confidently and the second one is " Knowledge Surprise" a workshop for children which will be a mix of science, art and loads of fun.
Bin Sougat Centre will have one activity called "Star Lab" which as the name suggests will be about space.

Throughout the theme week a historical play titled 'I knew God' will be held at Modhesh Fun City every day.

The 10-week long DSS, which opened with Ice Surprises week on June 21, celebrated the Arts Surprises Week, Food Surprises, Adventure Surprises, Cartoon Surprises and continues with the weekly themes of Nature Surprises, Knowledge Surprises, Flower Surprises, Heritage Surprises and will conclude with Back-to-School Surprises on September 1.