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Afzaland Maryam

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Aroos Mohammed of Khaleej Times receiving their awards from Shaikh Maktoum

KT strikes it rich at DSF

WINS BEST MAGAZINE FEATURE, BEST DESIGN LAYOUT AND BEST PHOTOGRAPH AWARDS

By a staff reporter

——————————

DUBAI — Khaleej Times

has bagged three of the

prestigious 2008 DSF Journalism

Awards — Best

Magazine Feature, Best

Design Layout and Best

Photograph.

Pratibha Umashankar,

Special Feature Writer,

Weekend has won the Best

Feature in a Magazine

Award for her cover story,

In the True Spirit of DSF,

that appeared in the February

15 issue of Weekend.

It was a heart-wrenching

story of wheelchair-bound

21-year-old Carol Vaz

who, thanks to the writer’s

efforts and the generosity

of DSF, was able to fulfil

her dream of witnessing

this year’s Shopping Festival.

The story has since

then elicited tremendous

response from the readers.

Photographer S. Nair

won the Best Photographer

Award for his unusual

picture of a group of

Korean dancers and

Mohammed Akbar Aroos

Mohammed for his attractive

layout of cover stories

on DSF are other first

prizes for KT, which continues

to record its winning

streak over the years.

S. Nair, expressing his

joy on the win, said, “I

have been working for the

organisation for 11 years

and this prestigious award

makes me feel good. My

colleagues and superiors

have always encouraged

me to give my best and it’s

thanks to their motivation

that I have won this

award.”

Nair said the profession

does have its share of ups

and downs, but one cherishes

only the high points.

“I have been disappointed

in the past

because I did not win, but

I kept trying, and my persistence

has paid off,” he

said.

He thanked DSF for

instituting the award for

photographers and providing

a platform for being

recognised. “More than

the award money, it’s the

recognition that is important.

This has motivated

me to work even harder,”

he said.

M. A. Aroos, whose work

had earlier been recognised

in the 10th anniversary

of DSF, was in a state

of disbelief after hearing

the news of the award.

“The Islamic Year (1429)

Muharram 1 has started

off well for me,” he said. “I

bought a new car on the

day, and within a month

my daughter won three

gold medals and now this

award. What more can I

ask for?”

Aroos joined Khaleej

Times as a 17-year-old on

his first job 26 years ago.

“This is the first organisation

I worked for and it

will be my last. It has been

the place where my talents

got nurtured. It’s a place

where I have grown as a

human being and a professional.

I have dedicated

my life to the organisation,”

he said emotionally.

“The award has motivated

me to give even

more of myself to my

work. Thanks to DSF for

providing this opportunity

to showcase my talent.”

Pratibha Umashankar,

who has been associated

with Khaleej Times for

about 12 years, first as a

free-lancer and then as a

staff member for eight

years, said that it was a triumph

for Carol Vaz that

her story touched the

hearts of so many people.

“Journalism is often dismissed

as literature in a

hurry and the profession is

increasingly becoming

market-driven. But it is the

endeavour of every writer

to make a mark in the

world with the power of

words so that we positively

change the lives of

people around, albeit fractionally.

I feel blessed that

I was able to do this

through my cover story.

I’m indeed grateful to DSF

authorities for answering

my plea and making Carol’s

dream come true,” she

said.

“I would not have been

able to write the story

without the support of my

superiors and the encouragement

of my colleagues.

“But all the goodwill the

story has generated ought

to translate into something

good happening to

Carol. I appeal to all those

who are in a position to

financially help her to

come forward. Only then

will the award have its true

meaning.”

As a gesture from DSF to

this special person, Carol

Vaz and her mother were

special invitees to the

spectacular closing ceremony

held yesterday.

DSF awards presented

at glittering ceremony

By a staff reporter

—————————————————

DUBAI — A glittering awards ceremony

bode farewell to the 13th edition of

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) at the

Raffles Dubai in Wafi City here yesterday.

Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of

Dubai, and Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al

Maktoum, President of Dubai Department

of Civil Aviation, Chairman of

Emirates Group and Chairman of DSF

Supreme Committee distributed the

awards to participating shopping malls

and journalists.

Khaleej Times bagged three awards for

its excellent coverage of the annual mega

festival: Best feature writer award in

magazine category went to Prathibha

Umashankar; Shivram Nair, best photographer

in celebrations category; and

Mohammed Akbar Aroos Mohammed,

for best layout.

In English category, the Best Local Feature

award, first and second prize was

won by Saifur Rahman and Linda George

from Gulf News.

The DSF Prolific Writer Award went to

Kelly Crane from Gulf News, while Jyoti

Kalsi, also from the same newspaper,

took the second place. Indrani Mishra,

from Gulf Today, took the second place

in the Best Magazine Feature Award.

In Arabic category, Jameela Ismail and

Shereen Farooq from Al Khaleej won the

first and second prize for Best Local Feature

respectively. In the DSF Prolific

Writer category, Abdul Men’em Ashadeedhi

from Al Bayan took the first place

while Dia Abdul Aal from Al Bayan came

second. Al Bayan took the prize for the

Best Layout award. Salah Attiyah from Al

Jamhouriya Daily, Egypt, took the honours

in the Best Pan Arab Feature while

the second place was shared by Bady Al

Badrani and Ali Alkhahais from Al Riyad

Daily. In the Best Magazine Feature category,

Gina Tadrous Ayyoob from Al Marr

Al Youm took the second place.

In DSF entertainment photography

category Devadasan and Arshad Ali, from

Gulf News, shared the second place.

Walid Kaddourah from Al Bayan took the

third place.

In the DSF Shopping category, Ashraf

Al Omra from Al Bayan won the first

place while Haider Hasan Fouad from Al

Khaleej coming a close second. Yousuf

Salim Younis Al Amir from Al Khaleej was

given a special award for his entry.

The Ideal Arab Mother award was

bagged by Shamsa Hazeem Al Mehairi

from the UAE. The Ideal Arab Family

Award 2008 went to the family of Basit

Faisal Kayed Abeidath from Jordan.

The best Shopping Mall Promotion

award went to Deira City Centre while

the Best Shopping Mall Decor was

awarded to Dubai Festival City. The Best

Shopping Mall Event award went to Mercato.

Jashanmal took the honours for the

Best Retail Promotion and the Most

Attractive Point of Sale Display award

was shared by Paris Gallery and Hyper

Panda. Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group

took the award for Outstanding Customer

Service and the Outstanding Promotional

Campaign award was again

shared by two winners: VISA International

and DAMAC