The Dubai arm of non-profit organisation Bazm-e-Urdu honoured achievers who have worked to promote the language at an event on Friday, while also holding a musical tribute to the famous poet Kaifi Azmi at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium in Oud Mehta.
The event was attended by noted film star Shabana Azmi, daughter of the late poet, as well as her sister-in-law Tanvi Azmi and actor Kanwaljit Singh.
This year marks the birth centenary of Kaifi Azmi.
The evening's programme was divided into three segments – a musical tribute with Bollywood singers Mohammed Salamat and Sangita Melekar, the award ceremony for four achievers and a stage talk show called Ru-Ba-Ru with Shabana Azmi.
The four award winners this year are:
1) Josh-e-Urdu Award: Dr Gopi Chand Narang (Indian theorist, literary critic and scholar)
2) Alamdar-e-Urdu Award: Muhammad Ahmed Shah (President, Arts Council of Pakistan)
3) Pasban-e-Urdu Award: De Mala Mehra (Principal, Hoerner College, Lucknow, India)
4) Kaifi Azmi Award: Irshad Kamil (Poet, writer, lyricist)
The host organisation Bazm-e-Urdu Dubai is a non-political group that was founded by Rehan Khan, and holds seminars, tributes, talk shows, poetry sessions, contests, dramas, etc in the hope to revitalise the Urdu language in the community.
Racecard
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
