Through the use of dynamic content the site becomes a place to engage, entertain and interact, as well as providing a unique platform for shoppers who want to explore the world of Splash and its fashion at a click. The website connects with a first time customer as well as a regular Splash shopper sharing all things new and inspiring and will be constantly buzzing with activity. With a regularly updated new blog added to the website, it features lifestyle and fashion tips to stay on top of the game and ideas on how to look your best, along with talking about the newest trends and hottest inspirations from across the fashion world.

Speaking on the new website, Mr. Raza Beig, CEO, Splash & ICONIC said, “The new website is another step into ‘A New Beginning’ of Splash and in sync with the paradigm of change we aim to create in 2012. As a high-street retailer we deliver the latest to customers and strengthen the brand’s reach digitally through our updated trends, collections, events and competitions on the site. In a bid to communicate further with an audience that loves splash, we have added a blog which is all and more about fashion, showing glimpses of life at Splash.”

So all you fashion-forward people log in for an interesting combination of content that revolves around brand, product, fashion shows, calendar launches, blogs and competitions, the new website is a fun way to know more and connect with Splash at all times.

Apart from the numerous slides, dry and wet attractions and water themes, children and adults get to enjoy a whopping discount on the entrance fee to Dreamland all through February. 

Located at Umm Al Quwain, Dreamland Aqua Park is set on an amazing 250,000 sq m of land. The park is accessible from Emirates Road through Exit No 103 while driving towards Ras Al Khaimah.

A well designed landscaped green oasis, Dreamland has natural features interlaced with over 30 thrilling rides, crazy slides and a lot of other wet rides and dry attractions. It is big enough to entertain 7,000 visitors per day and is the ideal place for safe leisure pursuits.

Visitors can watch out for the 1,250,000 liters of water at the gigantic wave pool which is the largest in the region. They can also slide down a 40 meter long tunnel, or take a 2-meter nose dive! There’s the ‘not to be missed’ wild rafting river with 2 gigantic body slides; Hippos Island, Twisting Dragons or Kamikaze.

Dreamland also features an aquatic obstacle course. Inflatable aquatic amusement structures have been set up for any action-packed competition. Kids can bounce, slide, crawl and splash down while racing down the finish line. The park has dry attractions like amphitheatre, tennis & basketball court and mini pet land.

Dreamland Family Festival is all set to be one of the biggest celebrations. Families will be in for a month of never before fun and frolic. Visitors must log on to Dreamland’s website to take part in the Family Festival.

To know more about Dreamland, call 06- 768- 1 888 or visit the website www. dreamlanduae.com

The region’s most anticipated automotive graphic design event – the MEMTS Airbrush Contest – is here.

To be held as part of the third edition of the Middle East Motor Tuning Show at Expo Centre Sharjah from March 15 to 17, 2012, the Airbrush Contest aims to bring the spotlight on to the rising stars in the field.

The competition, now in its second instalment, will give people a chance to create their own car body airbrush design or win a free airbrush design for their car.

“The Airbrush Contest will help enthusiasts showcase their artistic ability and add more excitement and a dash of colour and creativity to the region’s premier tuning show. The contest was a runaway success last year and we are back with this exciting pre-event activity aimed at inspiring creative minds,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah.

The winning airbrushed car and design, to be chosen by online voting, will be unveiled on the first day of the Middle East Motor Tuning Show, and will be carried out on the vehicle live at the show.

“As in the past edition of the contest, we will look into the originality, element of art and craftsmanship of participants. The work of art will take shape right before your eyes as we will take the winning design from paper to metal,” added Mr Midfa.

The airbrush design will be carried out by Al Ghandi Customs, the leading tuning and modification garage in the UAE.

“Possibilities are infinite, the only limitation is your imagination,” said James Liddle, Director – Aftersales, Al Ghandi Auto Group.

According to the contest’s rules and regulations, participants can choose to enter the ‘Car for airbrush’ or ‘Airbrush design’ categories, or both. In the ‘Car for airbrush’ category, contestants need to illustrate why their vehicles should be chosen for a free airbrush design.

“How persuasive you are with your reasons will decide how many votes you will get and it is perfectly OK to ask your friends and well-wishers to lend their support in getting the maximum votes for your car,” added Mr Midfa.

In the ‘Airbrush design’ category, contestants will have to submit their airbrush designs, and the entries will be featured on the MEMTS website seeking votes from visitors.

Entries for the Airbrush Contest can be submitted from February 1 until 29 and the 10 finalists will be announced on March 1.

For its forthcoming edition, MEMTS will feature the latest trends in car modification from leading global companies, including several dedicated areas for different types of cars and customization.

“We are back again. And this time we are packing a powerful punch with several new amazing features, new partners and new participants. Get ready for three days of pure, unadulterated fun and excitement,” said Roman Gavrilin, Project Manager, Middle East Motor Tuning Show.

Some of the hot attractions at the show will include the Performance tuning, Styling and Accessories Area and the Car Audio section.

The entertainment section will host two drifting arenas where a 4×4 vehicle drifting is supported by Top Speed Performance and another area for saloon car drifting is organized by SSK Drift team. This is in addition to the EMMA Car Audio Competition which has become a regular ‘volume’ addition to the event.

The second edition of the Middle East Motor Tuning Show was held in May 2011 and during its three-day run it attracted more than 30,000 visitors.

Brands Just Pret, Pakistan’s newest multi-designer fashion house, is organizing Fashionville, a fashion trade event in Dubai showcasing the spring collection of 29 prominent designers from Pakistan, on 16th February 2012 (Thursday), at Modula Conceptio on Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai from 11AM to 7PM. Fashion  aficionados from all over the UAE are expected to visit the one-day fair, which will display a wide range of high-end, luxurious but affordable prêt wear, jewelry and bags.

Shoppers visiting Fashionville will be assisted by a number of designers and professional stylist who will recommend trends and style related advice, free of charge, to help customers determine what is suitable for their body shape, budget, size and complexion.

Mr Hadi Anwar, CEO of Brands Just Pret said:  “Brands Just Pret is launching Fashionville in Dubai to create a suitable platform for Pakistani designers to showcase their collection and to accommodate the needs of our growing clientele from the UAE who have preference for independent multi-brand boutiques which carry small quantities and carefully chosen pieces.  We are delighted to have onboard an excellent line-up of designers who are known for producing high-end merchandise, complimenting the look and feel of Brands Just Pret.”

“Brands Just Pret will be opening a branch in the UAE before the end of the year and will also be launching a fully functional web store where clients from all over the world can shop,” added Mr Anwar.

The backbone of Brands Just Pret is its two Managing Directors, Ms Hasaah Hadi and Ms Somaya Adnan.  Ms Hadi has extensive background in Marketing, Human Resource and Finance which provides the required business foundation and strength to Brands Just Pret while actively planning Brands Just Pret’s fashion universe and expanse.

Meanwhile,  Ms Adnan  is known for being one half of the renowned ‘Ayesha – Somaya’ brand,  is a dynamic and versatile businesswoman who has managed to build her own retail trademark into an easily recognizable brand, bringing  this understanding of fashion retail to running Brands Just Pret.   She said, “Being a designer has helped me greatly in developing Brands Just Pret’s business model with Hadi and Hasaah. I myself have experienced the hurdles and nuisances when stocking at other places and this is why we have tried our best to tailor made Brands Just Pret into a model which is designer and customer friendly.”

Brands Just Pret’s impressive list of designers includes:

•Sara Shahid,  the designer behind Sublime and one of the pioneers of prêt in Pakistan
•Ayesha Khurram,  newcomer in the industry whose pop art embroidery motifs have become a fashion rage all over Pakistan
•Faiza Samee, the ‘brains’ behind Slate, one of the most recognizable and popular upcoming prêt brands
Other prominent names showcasing their fashion wares at Fashionville include Wardha, Bailin, Najma Zubair, Seema Jaffar, Usman Dittu, Nazrah Lodhi, Ayesha – Somaya, Zainab Sajid, Limited Editions, Hina Khan, Nazish Hussain, SNL, Zarmina, Farida Qureshi, Nida Ali, Naaj, Hejab Zafar, Flitz X, Amrah Khan and many more. 

Besides clothes, Brands Just Pret also stocks accessories and jewelry.   Naaj, a diamond jewelry brand, has designed an entire range of diamond jewelry solely for Brands Just Pret.  The store also has an exclusive line-up of shoes by Flitz X and bags and clutches by Limited Editions.

Shoppers who cannot attend Fashionville in Dubai can have another opportunity to see the luxurious merchandise when they organize the second edition of Fashionville in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, 25th February 2012. For more details on the event, please send an email to info@brandsjustpret.com

Brands Just Pret recently opened its first store at Dolmen City Mall, Clifton in Karachi, Pakistan which is just one of a series of retail outlets which will be opened in the next few years.  

Prince Alwaleed was accompanied by a delegation that included Mr. Fahad Alsukait, CEO- Rotana Group that is chaired by Prince Alwaleed, Mr. Jamal Khashoggi, General Manager of Alarab news channel that is privately owned Prince Alwaleed and Dr. Nahla Alanbar, Private Executive Assistant to HRH the Chairman.

Manama has been selected as the capital of Arab culture for 2012. This important cultural event is the result of years of continuous effort to preserve the cultural heritage and national knowledge, the preservation of national identity, promote cultural interaction and cultural exchange among Arab countries.

In December 2011, Prince Alwaleed congratulated HM King Hamad, the government and the people of Bahrain for the national team gold medal victory in the 12th football championship of the Arab Games which concluded in Doha, Qatar. To mark the occasion, Prince Alwaleed presented $10,000 as a gift to each team member and stressed the importance of supporting sports and athletes in the GCC countries. Moreover, Prince Alwaleed received HE Mr. Abdulmuhsin Fahad Almarik the Saudi Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain who briefed HRH about this great achievement.

Prince Alwaleed visited the Kingdom of Bahrain early 2011, during the visit HRH met with HM King Hamad. The main purpose of the Prince’s visit was to affirm his confidence in the leadership of HM King Hamad and HRH Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, wishing Bahrain stability and prosperity.

Moreover during the visit, Prince Alwaleed met with Dr. Essam Fakhro, Chairman of Bahrain’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and its members.

In addition, a press conference was held where HRH addressed the media and the Chamber of Commerce members confirming his confidence in the leadership of the King and Crown Prince.

The Prince also referred to the banks and companies that exist in Bahrain, and re-affirmed his investment presence in the country though KHC. Prince Alwaleed also expressed his readiness to further invest in the country. In turn, the head of the chamber and its members welcomed HRH’s visit and thanked him for his support of their local economy.

Prince Alwaleed also referred to his long established warm relationship with the Kingdom of Bahrain in his recent interview with US CNBC on March 11th 2011 and his confidence in the leadership of His Majesty King of Bahrain and HRH Crown Prince of Bahrain wishing Bahrain stability and prosperity.

KHC’s presence in Bahrain is through its indirect investments in the banking sector through Citigroup which has been operating in Al Manama for the past 40 years, and in the hotels sector through Mövenpick hotel in Bahrain that is managed by Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts in which KHC owns a 33.3% stake.

In addition, the Four Seasons hotel in Bahrain will be opening soon, managed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in which KHC holds a 47.5% stake and is co-owned by Bill Gates’ Cascade in which the company also holds a 47.5% stake, and 5% of the Four Seasons is owned by Isadore Sharp, the Company’s Chairman.

This new partnership, effective from 1 February 2012, will see PUMA benefit from prominent branding locations on all BMW Motorsport racing cars and all Race and Teamwear for BMW Motorsport technical staff.  With BMW re-entering the DTM racing class in 2012 following an illustrious history in GT car racing, PUMA will outfit drivers Martin Tomczyk, Bruno Spengler, Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus, Dirk Werne and Joey Hand with the latest innovations in fireproof technology.

In 2004, PUMA first partnered with BMW Motorsport, through its involvement with the BMW Williams Formula One team.  This relationship continued when BMW acquired Sauber F1 to become BMW Sauber F1, and after BMW ceased its Formula One activities in 2009 to reorganise its activities, PUMA and BMW Motorsport have once again joined forces with this new deal.

PUMA will also develop BMW Motorsport licensed products for global sales and distribution.  While existing motorsport markets in Europe are a key focus for this distribution, a strong emphasis will be placed on expanding sales performance of BMW Motorsport products in emerging markets, particularly in Asia Pacific and the Americas. 

“It is great to have such a well-known and reliable partner as PUMA on board again at such an exciting time for us,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “The link between BMW Motorsport and this successful company has grown over the years and goes as far back as the 2004 season. It is hard to imagine our team and driver apparel without the characteristic PUMA logo. As a strong partner in the field of licensed products, PUMA will play a major role in ensuring that our fans around the world enjoy the products from the BMW Motorsport collections.”

Christian Voigt, Senior Head of Global Sports Marketing at PUMA said: “PUMA is delighted to once again be working with BMW Motorsport, following the successes we enjoyed with them through their tenure in Formula One.  Their heritage in competitive motorsport and automotive engineering is so impressive, and their global profile derived from this makes them another strong partner for PUMA in motorsport.  Through our experience in licensed product development and distribution we are fully confident this will be a successful partnership for both parties, and we hope to grow it in the years to come.”

Dr. Thomas Goerdt, Head of Lifestyle Collections in the BMW Group, added: “From 2012, BMW will be even more active and prominent in motorsport than it has been in recent years. For this reason, securing this partnership with PUMA was a priority for BMW Lifestyle right from the start. As leading sport lifestyle brand, PUMA boasts a unique wealth of expertise and proficiency in developing and distributing licensed products on a global scale. Bearing in mind the great success we have enjoyed together in the past, we are looking forward to continuing this partnership.”

The Guinness World Record challenge, which will take place on Thursday, 1st March at the Kinokuniya Bookstore in Dubai Mall, will see Sedki signing copies of his newly released novel “Gold Ring 2”, the second in his series of graphic novels, illustrated by Tokyo’s celebrated manga duo Akira Himekawa.

Sedki’s determination to set a Guinness world record is dual-pronged: the initiative will serve to raise the profile of Arabic children’s literature locally, regionally and internationally; and he has pledged to donate 15 percent of all sales of his book during the record attempt to Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic organization that works to provide children in developing countries with access to quality primary education.

Sedki, who is also Managing Director of the novel’s publishing house, Pageflip Publishing said:  “The comic style art form of manga has a huge global following, and it is very exciting to think that Gold Ring has earned a place in history as the first Arabic manga novel.

“Now we are looking to take Gold Ring 2, and the UAE, into the record books with this new challenge, and at the same support primary education programs globally by raising funds for Dubai Cares.”

The current world record for most books signed by one author in a single session is 1,951 books.  Books must be purchased before being signed, and a steady line of fans must be maintained throughout the time period.  Sedki is hoping to appeal to the many Gold Ring fans that have been eagerly awaiting the next instalment in the series, a continuation of the protagonist Sultan’s preparations to meet his first competitor.

“This is a chance for Gold Ring fans to be a real part of a Guinness World Record, and we hope that many will come to Dubai Mall to join in the excitement.  Not only will I be signing every book, but we will also include an official stamp in the book to mark the fact that the book was part of the world record attempt,” added Sedki.

The Guinness World Record attempt will take place from 10:00am on Thursday, 1st March 2012 at the Kinokuniya Bookstore, Upper Level, Dubai Mall.  For more information, please visit: http://www.kinokuniya.com/ae/

Dubai, UAE; January 31, 2012: Fourteen films by Arab filmmakers have been selected for a special programme celebrating Gulf cinema at the fifth edition of the Festival du Court Mertage Maghribo-Asiatique (Asian-Moroccan Festival of Short Films) to be held in Tissa, Morocco, from February 23 to 26, 2012.

The selection of films, including award-winners from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq, is the result of a new partnership between the Gulf Film Festival and the Tissa festival. The Dubai-based Gulf Film Festival, heading into its fifth edition from April 10 to 16, is considered the home of bold, contemporary and innovative cinema from the region. The GFF is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

The programme includes UAE films Sabeel, directed by Khalid Al Mahmood, and Slow Death, directed by Jamal Salim. Sabeel, written by Mohammed Hassan Ahmed, won the first prize at the Official Gulf Competition of GFF 2011 as well as the best script award. The film is the inspiring story of two boys who live with their sick grandmother and their struggle to care for her. Slow Death, about a grave digger who is forced into retirement after 30 years of service, won special mention in the Festival’s Official Gulf Competition.

Included from Saudi Arabia are Aayesh, which won first prize at GFF 2010, and Football.. Baby?. Directed by Abdullah Al-Eyaf, Aayesh charts the life of a morgue security guard, whose life is forever altered in 10 minutes. Football… Baby? , directed by Abdullah Ahmad, combines the stories of three children trying to buy a ball, a girl wanting to join the football team and a young lover waiting for his sweetheart.

From Oman, films heading to the Tissa festival include Leaking, the first prize winner of the Student Competition at GFF 2010, directed by Amjad Al Hinai and Khamis Ambo-Saidi; and Spices, directed by Amer Alrawas and the winner of the special mention award at the Official Gulf Competition in 2011. Leaking is about a young girl who escapes the tension within her household by playing outside her home, while Spices follows the lives of four people - a 90-year-old man, an infertile woman, a child who prepares for change and a blogger.

The selections from Bahrain include Canary, directed by Mohammed Rashed Bu Ali, about four lives linked by a bird, and The Power of Generations, directed by Mohammed Jassim. Jassim’s film, winner of the third prize at the Official Gulf Competition in 2011, follows a man who watches the world develop around him as he rests in a desert.

The Kuwaiti films selected are Heaven’s Water, directed by Abdullah Boushahri, which also won a special mention for its actress Haya Abdulsalam at the Official Gulf Competition in 2011, and Sneeze, directed by Meqdad Al Kout. Heaven’s Water is about the friendship between a young pregnant woman and a peddler who visits a yellow fish at a pet shop daily. What happens when a Bengali worker accidentally sneezes in his Kuwaiti manager’s face is the theme of Sneeze.

Jassim Mohammed Jassim’s Semi-Illuminated, and Land of the Heroes, directed by Sahim Omar Kalifa, are the films selected from Iraq. Semi-Illuminated won special mention at the Official Gulf Competition in 2011, and is about how human beings react on instinct and create a fantasy realm to escape external threats. Land of the Heroes is about a 10-year-old boy and his sister, who want to watch cartoons on television but must overcome their fear of a bully.

Director Sophia Al-Marry’s Kanary about the conflict between a father and daughter caught riding in a car with a boy; and Demi Plie, directed by Faisal Al-Thani, which won special mention in the GFF 2011 Student Competition, about the passion of a young Arab girl for contemporary dance are the selections from Qatar.

Said Bakloul, General Co-ordinator of the Asian-Moroccan Festival of Short Films, said: “We decided to open up our festival to Arab films, especially those from the Gulf region, due to the quantum leap the region’s cinema has witnessed recently. The growth of the film industry in the Gulf has been both quantitative and qualitative, with the films distinguished for their creativity and elegance.  The fifth edition of our Festival aims at introducing the Moroccan audience to this changing face of Arabian Gulf cinema, and enhancing their appreciation in Morocco. We thank the organisers of the Gulf Film Festival for their sincere cooperation with our festival.”

Salah Sermini, GFF Consultant and coordinator of the Tissa-GFF programme, said: “The showcase in Tissa is an important part of our work to support and showcase Gulf and Arab films and filmmakers at home and abroad. The Gulf Film Festival is the start of many journeys for student and professional filmmakers, and we look forward to welcoming a new crop of filmmakers and films to the festival this April.”

The fifth edition of the Gulf Film Festival will be held in Dubai from April 10 to 16, 2012. Submissions to the Festival’s Gulf professional and student competitions, international shorts competition and its out of competition segments are now open online at www.gulffilmfest.com. Entries will be accepted until February 29, 2012.

GFF 2012 will be held at the InterContinental Hotel, Crowne Plaza and Grand Festival Cinemas at Dubai Festival City. Emirates Airline, Dubai’s flag carrier, is the presenting sponsor of the festival, which is supported by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and held in association with Dubai Studio City. More details on the festival are available online at www.gulffilmfest.com.

Abu Dhabi, UAE 29 January 2012:  Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in Abu Dhabi has underlined its commitment to the development of local talent by accrediting eleven UAE-based football coaches through its rigorous coaching programme.

The coaches who support the MUSS team of Andy Dixon and Craig Taylor all hail from sporting backgrounds and have proved their commitment to developing young football talent in the UAE.

A true blend of nationalities and cultures, reflecting the population of Abu Dhabi and of the children who take part in the MUSS programmes, the 11-strong team of local coaches include UAE national Ahmed Hamoud, a former Al Jazira striker and former professional Dutch footballer with AFC Ajax, Khalid Hamdaoui.

Leading the UAE’s first girls-only football programme is local coach Stela Samuela, a physical education teacher with GEMS American Academy in Khalifa City who is originally from Romania and has lived in the UAE for eight years.

Andy Dixon, MUSS head coach in Abu Dhabi, said: “We have trained these coaches to fully understand how to deliver fantastic soccer programmes the Manchester United way and make a difference in the lives of the children who take part in our programmes.

“We attract players of all abilities, from many different backgrounds, and with different learning abilities, and we develop our coaches so that they are able to get the best out of every individual they work with.”

Gavin Rhodes, Head of Coaching for Manchester United Soccer Schools based in Old Trafford who oversees all local coach development in the UK and abroad visited the UAE capital to formally accredit the Abu Dhabi team. 

“Our commitment to work with and be part of the local community in a city like Abu Dhabi is so important,” he said.  “Having seen the coaches in their sessions, watching the way they teach the art of football to children from all over the world underlines to me the vital role our local coaches play in delivering the very best teaching methods to our MUSS children.

“We are very proud of our coaching team in Abu Dhabi.  They continue to represent Manchester United Soccer Schools in a very professional and positive way, delivering against our key coaching philosophies.  To see such a development across the last 12 months is great testimony to everyone concerned with the Abu Dhabi programme”.

Manchester United Soccer Schools in Abu Dhabi Local Coaches
 Adil Bentafrit, Morocco
 Ahmed Hamood, UAE
 Brett Dickerson, USA
 Khalid Hamdaoui, Holland
 Khalid Al Maflahi, UAE
 Llion Thomas, UK
 Marc Evans, UK
 Paul Walker, UK
 Reda El Hammouni, Morocco
 Seth Amoafo, Ghana
 Stela Samuela, Romania

The MUSS Abu Dhabi coaching team is now teaching more than 350 children signed up to the latest soccer school programme which focuses on the skills and attitude of three Manchester United legends, Ryan Giggs, Nani and Antonio Valencia.  The new girls-only sessions are now fully booked, emphasising the popularity of football among girls in the UAE.

Registration is now open for the April 2012 programme, ‘Learn to attack with flair the United way’, which features 12.5 hours of on-field coaching by the certified MUSS coaches.  The cost of AED1,650 includes an exclusive Nike Manchester United training kit of shirt, shorts and socks, MUSS drawstring bag, water bottle and skills ball as well as catch-up sessions and individual player evaluation.

All players enrolled in the programme in Abu Dhabi will take part in the MUSS series of skills challenges with the top two point scorers receiving an all expenses paid trip to Manchester to represent Abu Dhabi in the World Skills Final at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground as well as the world famous Old Trafford stadium in 2012.

Abu Dhabi based developer Reem Investments, which signed a partnership agreement with MUSS, built the Dome@Rawdhat to create a vibrant sporting community in the area.  More than 12,000 people use the facilities every month. 

To learn more about the MUSS programme visit www.manutdsoccerschools.ae or call 02 449 8480.

In Liwa, Donald was joined by triple and defending Abu Dhabi champion, Martin Kaymer, as the awe-struck pair stood amongst 250-foot sand dunes at the entrance to Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) - a desert made famous by British explorer Wilfred Thesiger’s 1940’s crossing and immortalised in the timeless book: Arabian Sands.

“Well that was no ordinary sand-trap!” said Donald, who became the first player in history to top both the PGA and European PGA money lists last year. “When you spend the vast majority of your time on the course, it’s easy to forget that Abu Dhabi is surrounded by such an enchanting desert landscape. Truly, I was awestruck at the gigantic enormity of it all.”

Kaymer and Donald headline an Abu Dhabi field that is the strongest ever assembled at a Middle East tournament. Other contenders for the $2.7million, PGA European Tour event include Abu Dhabi debutant, Tiger Woods, world numbers two and three, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, respectively, as well as reigning Major champions, Charl Schwartzel (US Masters) and Darren Clarke (The Open), Australian hot-shot, Jason Day, Korea’s top ranked player, KJ Choi, Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.