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Dubai goes live for global audience

DUBAI - Al Arabiya Productions has produced and launched in collaboration with Dubai 2003 Dubai 24 Hours, a major project constituting a feature length television documentary, a coffee table book and a music CD, which will be distributed to the participants in the international event.

The film is directed by the Emmy-Award winner director Michael Tobias.

This was announced by Nasib Bitar, Managing Director of Al Arabiya Productions, during a Press conference yesterday.

"The film targets a worldwide audience, it is a celebration of a city and its people, showcasing its heart and soul through the region's distinguished photographers, journalists, film directors and videographers," he said.

"Today's troubled world is in need of better dialogue of cultures. Dubai 24 Hours communicates the distinctive realities of Dubai and the UAE, as a multicultural and diverse environ, totally in tune with modernity while keeping to its culture and tradition, a diversity of peoples working in harmony within an Islamic framework," Mr Al Bittar said.

Ibrahim Belselah, Dubai 2003 General Coordinator, explained that the production gives the international audience a flavour of Dubai and our country, the UAE.

"We are looking forward to the film being telecast on various television screens across the world during the annual meetings," he pointed out, adding that Dubai 2003 has been involved in this project as part of the ongoing efforts to promote the UAE as a business and cultural centre.

US writer-director Michael Tobias, who could not attend the Press conference wrote in his introduction:

"A dozen of Dubai's best photographers were given 50 assignments to cover, to immerse themselves in, to roam freely through. Dubai is the real star of this compelling film, book and the CD.

The soul, elegance and lyricism of its people are fully revealed while its traditions, history, landscapes, ecosystems, multiplicity of cultures, and music are explored with remarkable energy and freshness".

The coffee table book is published by Motivate Publishing. EMI, the world music publishers, will release the film on DVD, and the soundtrack on CD internationally.