Red Door Productions, a Dubai-based entertainment services company, has won the contract to operate the on-screen advertising network of Reel Cinemas, the region's largest megaplex newly opened in The Dubai Mall.
Mr Gordon Kirk, General Manager, Reel Cinemas, said: "Just over a month into opening and Reel Cinemas has already set new benchmarks in Dubai's entertainment scene by offering a refreshingly different cinema experience. With thousands of visitors thronging the mall and the cinemas everyday, Reel Cinemas is an ideal vehicle for advertising. Our partnership with Red Door Productions will further build on the megaplex's appeal to advertisers."

Commenting on the deal, Malini Dhawan, CEO of Red Door Productions said, "This is an important win for us after what was a long and fiercely contested selection process. We are delighted to be working with Reel Cinemas, which offers a unique experience to movie lovers and delivers an affluent audience to cinema advertisers. This partnership is very exciting news, not just for us but also for all our existing and potential clients."

Reel Cinemas, the region's largest megaplex with 22 screens and a seating capacity of 2800, is set to be the best in its class. The megaplex at The Dubai Mall will house 4 Platinum Suites, a dedicated arthouse cinema hall - The Picturehouse, and the region's only THX-certified cinema hall.

Ms. Dhawan added, "The cinemas are designed for utmost convenience and comfort with direct access from the mall carpark. Moreover, the halls set a new standard for quality in the region with their state-of-the-art audio visual technology and ergonomically designed seats. With the large choice of screens and films on offer, it will certainly be a hotspot for movie buffs."

Besides managing cinema advertising, Red Door Productions also offers comprehensive post production solutions, celebrity management, and Contract Publishing. Red Door Productions FZ LLC is situated in the Business Central Towers in Dubai Media City.

Based on role play, the oldest game of all, KidZania is one of the world's most popular children's entertainment concepts and is readying for opening at the mall shortly.

Essentially a scaled-down city featuring all business and social components of a bustling metropolis, KidZania at The Dubai Mall offers up to 70 roles for children to play ranging from doctors, engineers, teachers, construction workers, artists and mechanics, among others. At KidZania, children have the option of just 'visiting' or 'working' in establishments that are modelled on various professions. The 'employees' are provided costumes reflecting the theme of the role they prefer to play, and will be part of an entertainment zone that has its own currency and economy. The entire concept of KidZania is developed on offering children a real-life business and social environment, and familarising them with real-world careers.

KidZania aims at enabling children to develop their abilities and attitudes physically and intellectually, while stimulating creative thinking and social responsibility. This will particularly appeal to educational institutions looking for avenues to further strengthen their students' overall development. The award-winning credentials of the theme centre are a perfect complement to the high standards of education envisaged by schools. KidZania has already won the Best Theme Park Worldwide Award from the Themed Entertainment Association in 2001, the IAAPA Top FECs of the World Award in 2006 and IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Industry Marketing in 2008.

Mr Mohammed Ali, Region Executive Director, Emaar International, said: 'Retail and leisure are central themes that drive the economy of Dubai, and both the sectors need continuous innovation. KidZania is bringing to Dubai, a powerful and successful leisure attraction, which will further enhance the appeal of The Dubai Mall as a family destination.'

Established in 1999, KidZania was an overwhelming success when it first opened in Santa Fe, Mexico City. The entertainment zone attracted over 760,000 visitors in the very first year of trade in Mexico and the impressive visitor turn-out repeated at KidZania franchises in Tokyo and Jakarta. In addition to Dubai, new franchises are planned to open in Seoul, Osaka and Lisbon in 2009.

Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall, said: 'KidZania is an entertainment concept that has no parallels in Dubai or the region. For the first time, children will have a city all for their own. They will manage the 'city's' economy and social life by enacting various roles. They will also deal with the special KidZos currency, which they can use for buying and selling products, or even save into their accounts.'

He added: 'KidZania will be a place where every child's dreams come true, and will enable them to obtain a better understanding of how cities and societies function. The opening of KidZania also reiterates the commitment of The Dubai Mall to offer a distinctive leisure and lifestyle experience. Today's mall visitors are discerning about their choice, and it is important to give them variety. KidZania will be a much-preferred attraction for families.'

Sprawling across 80,000 sq ft over two levels in the entertainment zone, which will also feature SEGA Republic and REEL Cinemas, KidZania will feature homes, offices, schools, fire station, race track, radio station, pizzeria, hospitals, bank, ATM machines, theatre and fashion ramps, all scaled down to a smaller, child-friendly size. Kids can then choose a preferred 'role' and be provided with costumes and other accessories for the complete real-life like experience.

Mr Suresh Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail, said: 'The overarching philosophy of KidZania - an award-winning concept - is edu-tainment. For the first time in Dubai, children of all ages will have a unique play environment where fun and interactive learning meet. They can not only participate in fun-filled role-play activities but also hone their talent and skills through the real-life-like learning experiences. KidZania's niche activities also mark the first 'experimental marketing' platform in Dubai, whereby we are partnering with local service providers such as banks, hotels and automobile dealers for a true-to-life experience.'

He explained: 'Work on KidZania is progressing, and when it opens later this year, it will add to a diverse entertainment roster in The Dubai Mall including the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and Dubai Ice Rink. KidZania Dubai is billed to be the city's next biggest family destination that will greatly contribute to the all-round development of children.'

KidZania will be managed by a team of trained professionals. The high ratio of staff-to-children and Kid Zearch, a Radio Frequency ID, will keep track of children's activities and whereabouts, reassuring parents who can drop off their kids and pick them up at a later time.

The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations, has a wide spectrum of retail and leisure choices for visitors. Of the 1,200 retail outlets in the mall, more than 800 have opened. The leisure attractions including the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink and The Waterfall are crowd-pullers, while the Gold Souk and Fashion Avenue offer a variety of niche shopping options.

Abu Dhabi will take centre stage this weekend as the curtain rises on the 6^th Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival.  The exceptional festival line-up was today previewed by organisers, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF).  Attending the press conference on behalf of the artists and performers were the most gifted opera singer of our time, Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu, who will be part of a special Opera Gala that opens the festival this weekend; oud virtuoso, Naseer Shamma who will perform with World Music Award winner Tunisian singer Latifa; and Dia Al Azzawi, one of the most recognisable and collected contemporary Arabic artists, whose work features in the visual arts element of the Festival.

Held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Festival begins on 21 March and runs until 2 April 2009, primarily hosted at the Emirates Palace. The Festival will feature a varied programme of ballet, opera, classical and Arabic music, a visual arts component, a strong educational programme and a community programme reaching across all the Emirates under the theme of ‘Bilad al Khair’ or ‘land of blessings’.

The 6^th Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival is presented by ADMAF with executive producer IMG Artists, the world’s leading performing artist management company. The Festival is supported by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), the title sponsor of the Festival, and sponsored by Mubadala and Etihad Airways.  This year’s Festival is also the first to involve collaboration with Flash Entertainment who, together with ADMAF, is bringing Andrea Bocelli to Abu Dhabi for the first time.

Commenting on her participation in the 6^th Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival, Angela Gheorghiu said “It is very exciting to be here in Abu Dhabi and to have the opportunity of opening the wonderful Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival as part of the Opera Gala.  I am very much looking forward to sharing the stage with Jonas Kaufmann, the talented German tenor with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra under the direction of Ion Marin.”

Dia Al Azzawi added: “It is a great honour to be invited to exhibit at the 6^th Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival, one of the region’s most important cultural events. The works I am bringing are some of the most important pieces in my career so far. Much like the Festival itself, my pieces bring together influences from across the Arab world as well as the West.” 

 Naseer Shamma, also present, added: "It is wonderful to return to Abu Dhabi for my sixth year as part of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival.  Abu Dhabi is on an extraordinary journey of cultural development as it establishes itself as a centre of arts and music in the region and it is a pleasure to be a part of that and perform as part of this fantastic line-up of Arabic and Western artists.”

The Festival is an integral part of ADMAF’s year-long efforts to complement Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision.  The Festival aims to feature Abu Dhabi as a prominent cultural destination, while promoting the unique role of music and arts in cultural cooperation. 

 Mrs Hoda I. Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, comments: “Now we are at the eve of the Festival, we are very excited about the feast of music and arts that Abu Dhabi will witness over the coming two weeks. This is undoubtedly our most inspiring programme of international artists to date and each year we grow from strength to strength. But as important to us is the programme of educational and community activities, which are set to take place across the nation.  Developing culture from within the UAE is a founding principle of ADMAF and we hope that these activities will inspire the next generation to great artistic achievement and appreciation.”