All articles filed in W2W Events Blog

Selfie TV was launched in 2014 in Dubai and has since gained fans and followers globally making it one of the top entertainment channels in the UAE

“When I envisioned Selfie TV, I felt it had to become the pulse of the city, hence our slogan says ‘Providing Entertainment at your Fingertips’ and to achieve this goal. My team and I worked tirelessly on capturing every major news, event, launch and happenings. Over the past years, I am proud to announce that we have successfully covered UAE’s largest events, award ceremonies, conferences, film launches, and many more. We have produced our own online TV shows, content and even directed music videos and documentaries. As we continue to grow, we are grateful to our supporters who are constantly follow our work and cheer us on!” ~ Sahar Mahmud – Founder of Selfie TV

Services that Selfie TV offers:

In-house Production

Photography

Events Coverage

Commerical Advertisment

Documentaries

Corporate Videos

“My goal is to give out the creative and best of Entertainment content which is easily accessible to a wider audience around the world” ~ Sahar Mahmud – Founder of Selfie TV 

Follow Selfie TV online

Web: http://www.selfietv.co

FB: @selfietv2

Insta: @selfietv1

Twitter: @selfietv1

The Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, is inviting aspiring chefs to its annual Biryani Muqabla competition, to be held at the award-winning Mumtaz Mahal Indian Restaurant on 29^th May 2021.

Ten lucky finalists will get the chance to show off their culinary skills to a panel of judges comprising renowned food critics, writers and chefs. The competition is open to all aspiring chefs, they will be judged on preparation and presentation of their Biryani dish. The winning Biryani recipe will be added to the official Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant menu offering diners a chance to taste the delectable dish.

Habib Khan, General Manager, Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, says: “We are pleased to announce that we are holding our annual Biryani Muqabla competition on 29^th May this year, at Mumtaz Mahal we have always believed in offering a chance to aspiring chefs at creating their perfect Biryani. Hence, we keep this competition open to everyone who loves to cook and show their skills in preparing and presenting.”

The deadline to enter the competition is 23^rd of May 2021, for more information on entering the competition call Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa at +971-4-3519111 or email us at ‘mumtaz@arabiancourtyard.ae‘

About Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa:

Set in the historic heart of Dubai, Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa is inspired by old Dubai’s heritage it offers a unique experience which is a combination of warm Arabic hospitality and state-of-the-art amenities designed to cater to both tourists and business travelers. It is opposite Dubai Museum and is a stone’s throw-away from the famous Dubai Creek and the timeless Souk Al Kabir, more commonly known as Meena Bazaar.  At a walking distance to Historic Bastakiya, Bank Street, Diplomatic Area, Computer Street and Port Rashid, this hotel is just 6 kilometers away from Dubai International Airport. It offers a splendid accommodation of 173 tastefully furnished rooms, including 41 executive rooms and 23 suites with non-smoking and interconnecting rooms also available. The hotel offers all business services and conference/meeting rooms as well as a variety of dining options. A fully equipped health club, temperature controlled swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi and a Wellness Spa complete the picture.

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr – Email: zareen@w2wevents.com 

Chocoholics –“ Life is sticky but sweet”

The founder of 4get-me-not Desirée Vlekken recently launched “Chocoholics” a grief support group, with a purpose to provide seniors and caregivers who are living with grief, a safe environment to share, connect and heal. The group plans to meet monthly, over a hot cup of chocolate and share their personal journeys.

Desirée Vlekken – founder of 4get-me-not says “I felt compelled to start Chocoholic; since there are many senior and caregivers in our organization that are hurting from losing a loved one. Most often, whenever we have a group activity or gathering; someone from the group would volunteer a personal story about the husband or wife or child they have lost.  I thought it would make perfect sense to introduce a platform where seniors/caregivers would have a safe space to share, grieve and move forward. On a personal note, I carry my own heavy grief; I have recently lost my dad (79yrs) last 20th Jan 2021 from Pneumonia and complications of Alzheimer’s.  And about 1 week after launching Chocoholics, I lost my mom (81yrs) from battling Covid. I was unable to attend their funerals due to travel restrictions to Manila.”

The group’s name Chocoholics – “Life is sticky but sweet” was inspired from learning about the benefits of consuming dark chocolate, which helps with memory, blood pressure, and act as a mood enhancer whilst alleviating depression and it also has anti-inflammatory properties, which is good for the brain. This is what Chocoholics intends to achieve, for its participants to heal, one chocolate at a time.  

Chocoholics held its first meeting earlier this month with 6 participants. The program ensures that everybody gets a chance to speak.  The program moderator was Kim Smith, an Inclusion specialist for people of determination and book reviewer; her background enables her to manage delicate topics such as grief and mourning. Before the end of the session, each participant created a one-page collage with a photo of a loved one with colours and special messages. This will be filed and stored in the Chocoholics Time Capsule.

“It was vital to create a sweet and safe environment where we start each session with a cup of hot chocolate. People who are grieving (like myself) can feel detached and this needs to be addressed and enable us to be functional again” adds Desirée Vlekken – founder of 4get-me-not

If anyone is over 60yrs + and would like to attend one of Chocoholic’s monthly group meetings, they can email the team at info@4get-me-not.org to register. In order for the group to continue the group meetings, it needs support through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sponsorships. This will enable Chocoholics to hold meetings twice a month, subsidize refreshments for participants, materials and offer a stipend for program Moderators.

About 4get-me-not:

4get-me-not, the only Social Enterprise in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East which focuses on seniors (60 years old and above) as part of its mission to address Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), was launched in 2013. It’s Founder – Desirée Vlekken, belongs to a community touched by AD where both her father and father-in-law drew inspiration to create a social platform for families and caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.

4get-me-not creates a positive impact to the society, particularly the senior community by creating awareness on the importance of giving proper attention to their wellbeing and quality of life as one of the means to prevent AD. Positive lifestyle approaches are considered to help seniors cope with physical and cognitive changes.

AD is a growing global health issue that affects a large majority of the senior community with one person in every three seconds reported to have it. 4get-me-not has been working with various International organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) London office, Dementia Friends of Alzheimer’s Society UK and World Health Organization (WHO) through its Eastern Mediterranean Office, to build a vibrant community that addresses Alzheimer’s in a preventive, holistic and innovative way.

http://www.4get-me-not.org/

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr – Email: zareen@w2wevents.com  

Creamy Melts was launched 12 years ago in UAE, by Rajeena Mohammed a Certified Cake Artist-PME Knightsbridge. 

Our Business Woman of this week is the passionate Cake Artist “Rajeena Mohammed”, I have had the pleasure of meeting Rajeena a few years ago for an event; her positive energy is contagious and she was my go to baker for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and brownies. All my clients would have gotten a box of Creamy Melts in the last few years. Rajeena’s work ethics and her dedication to baking is truly admirable, I am so happy to share her story with all of you!

“Since childhood, my earliest memory of a vacation or birthdays at home.. The house used to smell cakes and cookies. My Mom’s baking and unique recipe’s used to mesmerize me as a child which is the reason I did my Masters in Sugar crafting, after graduating in Engineering. Satisfying the sugar rush of many in UAE since 12 years, I combined my love and taste for drawing and painting into the cakes, to come out with designs and shapes of every individual’s dream or theme. Creamy Melts play a vital role in many celebrations and as a cake artist, the smile and joy of the celebrant when they see the cake, gives me the adrenaline rush and their review after they have it completes my day.” ~ Rajeena Mohammed

Her designer cakes are a work of art, here are some of her beautiful customized artisan cakes:

If you want to try melt in your mouth brownies, order them from creamy melts:

If you want to make someones day, creamy melts cookies are the best to share:

During the festive seasons, we have ordered a variety of dessert jars, that come in many flavors, check out a few here:

Order customized Cake filled geohearts from creamy melts to spread love:

For your sweet cravings, try out creamy melts delicious cupcakes:

Last but not the least, is the signature ghee cake, which is seriously one not to be missed!

To follow and order from Rajeena Mohammed’s baked goods on instagram: @creamy_melts

For any further details please email zareen@w2weventsdubai

Storymelts candles are based on a personality or on a  moment with a story weaved through it. Each fragrance blend is also chosen to match that particular personality. 

The candles are made from a vegan soy and coconut wax blend. The wax is gluten free, parabin free, phthalate free, and come from renewable sources and are hand poured with love here in Dubai. We use pure essential oils which are also cruelty free and do not contain any CMR ( carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction) substances. 

“ I have always wanted to make something with my own hands and nothing takes us back to a place or a time than smells and fragrances. I have an insatiable passion of telling stories and they excite me to no end. So I decided to bring my love for story telling to a new venture, and hence Storymelts was born” ~ Zainab Malubhai – Founder of Storymelts

Here are a few of the best selling Storymelts candles:

1. The Binge Watcher

2. The Super Mom

3. The Teaholic

4. The Go-Getter 

5. The Spontaneous

6. The Book Lover

7.  The Dreamer

8. The New Mom 

To order your own personality candle at Storymelts, DM on instagram: @storymelts

For more details about our Businesswoman of the week email us at zareen@w2wevents.com

The award winning fine dining restaurant Mumtaz Mahal hosted a first of its kind “The Meethi EID Delicacy Muqabla” to offer a platform to amateur chefs, to demonstrate their culinary skills and prepare desserts for the upcoming Eid and Ramadan festivities. The contestants were judged on preparation and presentation; and were encouraged to use their own family/home recipe as an inspiration for their sweet delicacies.

“Mumtaz Mahal has always welcomed aspiring chefs & food enthusiasts and with Ramadan around the corner, we really felt that the best way to kick-start the celebration of this season was by hosting a cooking competition dedicated to desserts of Eid! We were extremely pleased to see youngsters join the competition to try their hand at cooking, the results were exceptional and I am sure the judges had a hard time deciding the winners” says Habib Khan – General Manager of the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa

There were 7 participants who churned out some of the most innovative desserts, including Vermicelli bites, Jashan-i-mithaas, Carrot Kheer & Sticky Dates pudding. The winner of the Meethi Eid Delicacy Muqabala was Kristina Derevleva with her own take on the Strawberry Manhattan Cake; the first runner up was Kavita Khira with her twist on Mango Paneer Delight and the second runner up was Bhupinder Kaur Chandhoke with her creation the Malpua Phirni Tacos. The Judges  for the event included Dr. Samar A. Mustafa – Lifestyle blogger joined by Ms. Hina Saleem and Ms. Zoobi who are both Food & lifestyle bloggers in the region. 

About Mumtaz Mahal:

An Award winning Indian specialty restaurant “Mumtaz Mahal”, located in the heart of Bur Dubai at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa. Mumtaz Mahal is a fine dining restaurant serving North West and Mughlai delicacies using authentic ingredients that will offer every taste bud a palette of flavors! The restaurant is a themed outlet that is adored by Indian/Pakistani and other nationals residing in Dubai & tourists alike. The Interior is flattered by attractive colors and decor, along with comfortable dining furniture & live band performance with cultural, classical songs and traditional dancers.

Mumtaz Mahal achieved several awards from different prestigious competitions in the year 2006 & 2007. Mumtaz Mahal restaurant has been awarded 2 White hats in the price category of up to Dhs 249′ for its exceptional level of cuisine and service in the year 2012 and was nominated in the Finalist for What’s On Awards in the year 2013, 2015 & 2018.  It is by far one of the most recognized Indian themed restaurants reputed for its Mughlai cuisine, unmatched service and family entertainment. This Ramadan, it is offering Iftar buffet with live station at AED 89  and dinner buffet from 8:30pm to 10:30pm at AED 49.  Special rate is available for group.

For more information, call Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa at +971-4-3519111 or email us at fbsales@arabiancourtyard.com

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr – Email: zareen@w2wevents.com ; +923125659527

Qudrat Ali and Namal Sididiqui gear up to ascent the un-summited Zoui Sar located on the Malangudi glacier, Pakistan

The Zoui Sar expedition team includes, Qudrat Ali (Climb Leader) and Namal Siddiqui (Expedition Member); have just returned after a 10-day attempt to summit Zoui Sar. Unfortunately, since this was their first attempt, there were a lot of unknown variables that kept them from successfully making the ascent; one major factor was the harsh weather conditions and the terrain itself was challenging, consisting mostly of jagged and craggy rock formation, along with loose stones and during this season there was fresh soft snow, taking all this in to account and accessing the safety of the team, it became too risky for the team to keep going forward this winter and a unanimous decision was taken to extend the summit to May of this year.

“Zoui Sar sits among magnificent mountains like Dastgir Sar (7885m), Malangudi Sar (7200m), Odver Sar or Whitehorn(6400m) in the West Bank of Malangudi glacier. Zoui Sar is not as high as the others, however it remains unclimbed due to its technical level of climbing. The terrain was unreliable with snow as there are loose rocks while it only allows for pure alpine style rock and ice climbing. It’s base camp is at 3,300 meters whereas summit around 6,100 meters so you can see that the climbing distance is about 2,900 meters and this distance is longer than the climbing it takes on an 8000 meter range. Due to unavoidable weather conditions and considering safety measures, we decided this time to end our winter expedition but this times effort has only made our next attempt easier, and we are hopeful to make it next time” explains Qudrat Ali

Namal Siddiqui adds, “This time the weather was not on our side, but we powered through to open the route up to camp 3 and we are proud of this, as this will make our task easier for the next time. We believe in exploring the unclimbed and untouched gives us an opportunity to present Pakistan’s hidden gems and create curiosity in adventure tourism while making sure the bearer of this message are both men and women in a safe and secure Pakistan.”

The Zoui Sar expedition team are now back in Islamabad and are training to go forward to climbing the un-summited Zoui Sar this May.

About the Team:

The lead climber on this expédition is the celebrated mountaineer Qudrat Ali, hailing from Shimshal Valley in Pakistan. Among the many mountains he has summited there are 4×8000m summits: (Broad Peak, G1, G2, Nanga Parbat) and 2 winters ascents of 6000m while also attempting a winter ascent of Broad Peak but had to abandon the climb 200m before the summit. Qudrat has walked barefoot from Gilgit to Shimshal to honor his ancestors who roamed the land barefoot, spending 14 hours outside in -25C using a sleeping bag only and sleeping in a crevasse. He also holds the world record of traversing three mountain ranges.

Namal is a Pakistani, born and raised in the UAE. She recently gave up her corporate life of 14 years to exclusively pursue her love of mountaineering by moving her base to Islamabad, Pakistan. She has summited 2 of the 7 highest summits of the continents: Mount Elbrus and Mount Kilimanjaro along with Mount Toubkal, highest in North Africa. Besides this she has attempted Mount Kazbegi. She has been on a winter survival training camp, ice climbing and rock climbing training to fine tune her technical skills.

This expedition is supported by:

Hashmi Pakistan

GREE Pakistan

Manaky

W2W Events & PR

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr – Email: zareen@w2wevents.com ; +923125659527

 UN Women Pakistan in collaboration with Sheworks hosted “Rozana” Fashion ShowRozana held on 12^th of March at the UN Women Country Office in Islamabad

In line with International Woman’s day celebrations the United Nations Women office in Islamabad hosted the “Rozana” Fashion show showcasing the finest hand embroidered collection for ladies from Sheworks & Sabah Pakistan; along with an exquisite collection for men by Mohataram.

This fashion show broke away from tradition, by curating designs made by artisans from rural communities of Pakistan and offering a prestigious line up of models, who represented the crème de la crème of the diplomatic community.

Rozana Fashion show models included the EU Ambassador – H.E. Androulla Kaminara; the Canadian Ambassador – Ms. Wendy Gilmore; the Maldivian Ambassador –Farzana Zahir- Ms. Lina Mousa; Rebekah Bell – FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization) Representative from Australia to Pakistan , the Deputy County representative – Ms. Jacqui Ketunuti and the Head of development at High Commission of Canada- Mr. Chris Khug to name a few.

“We were extremely elated to be invited by UN women to participate in Rozana Fashion show; it gave us an opportunity to exhibit our work and also share our brands story, for us this is a labor of love, focusing on functional design whilst highlighting traditional techniques of hand embroidery and aesthetic appeal in our work. We look forward to many more opportunities and collaborations.” says Samina Mahmud, Founder of SheWorks

UN women gave a voice and platform to the artisans who have created the intricate designs, artisans present at the show from Bhawalpur were Zareena Bibi from Wazir Wali, Tasleem Bibi & Rubeena Bibi from Jan Muhammad; and Faiza Bibi

Nosheen Bibi & Rubina Bibi came from Haripur district KPK, Faiz Buttry Village. They were invited to share their inspiring personal journey as artisans with the audience.

The Rozana Fashion show was instrumental in supporting and highlighting homegrown fashion brands, Sheworks which is a Social enterprise for change based out of Islamabad and works with artisans from South of Punjab; Sabah Pakistan a non profit organization based in Haripur district – KPK and Mohtaram the men’s brand of fashion.

About SheWorks:

A platform connecting business to textile artisanal communities

Artisanal activities generate income, create jobs, foster economic communities, sustain ancient techniques, and preserve culture and meaning that is an essential component of healthy and sustainable development.
SheWorks strives to launch a campaign and a set of related activities to build awareness and broaden support of the artisan sector (assess need, audience, potential partners, conduct research to make economic case, develop communication messages)

We work with business, supporting product development and design, implementing the production through the artisans collaborating with SheWorks

Web: www.sheworkspvt.com

Facebook: SheWorks

Instagram: sheworks.official

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr –  zareen@w2wevents.com /  +923125659527

Two mountaineers gear up to conquer the un-summited Zoui Sar located on the Malangudi glacier, Pakistan

There are many unclimbed peaks in Pakistan and as Pakistan opens up itself to travelers, the unexplored mountains become an opportunity for climbers to discover new heights. This march, the team involved is passionate and has the skills and expertise to climb; with unique backgrounds, they represent diversity, inclusivity and love for climbing. Attempting this summit are Qudrat Ali (Climb Leader) and Namal Siddiqui (Expedition Member).

The lead climber on this expédition is the celebrated mountaineer Qudrat Ali, hailing from Shimshal Valley in Pakistan. Among the many mountains he has summited there are 4×8000m summits: (Broad Peak, G1, G2, Nanga Parbat) and 2 winters ascents of 6000m while also attempting a winter ascent of Broad Peak but had to abandon the climb 200m before the summit. Qudrat has walked barefoot from Gilgit to Shimshal to honor his ancestors who roamed the land barefoot, spending 14 hours outside in -25C using a sleeping bag only and sleeping in a crevasse. He also holds the world record of traversing three mountain ranges. He has been actively encouraging female climbers to participate in all his expeditions since 2007, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone who is passionate about mountaineering.

“One of the reasons of attempting this climb is to create a positive and inviting image of Pakistan to the world. I have co founded the Shimshal Mountaineering School, so that we can train and groom mountaineers, there are many times I sponsor students because I believe that no one should miss out on their dreams because of financial constraints. We also want to provide equal opportunities for girls and boys both, and build their confidence in this as a vocation.” says, Qudrat Ali

Namal Siddiqui adds, “With great love and respect for the ones we have lost, we continue to keep their legacy alive. Losing Ali Sadpara this winter, has been a wake up call for mountaineers and the country. Ali Sadpara had a dream: to create opportunities for his people and to put Pakistan on the map. This dream is not a one man’s job, it requires faith and support from our country and from people who have a voice – ‘collectively’. I am excited to be part of this community while representing female climbers.”

Namal is a Pakistani, born and raised in the UAE. She recently gave up her corporate life of 14 years to exclusively pursue her love of mountaineering by moving her base to Islamabad, Pakistan. She has summited 2 of the 7 highest summits of the continents: Mount Elbrus and Mount Kilimanjaro along with Mount Toubkal, highest in North Africa. Besides this she has attempted Mount Kazbegi. She has been on a winter survival training camp, ice climbing and rock climbing training to fine-tune her technical skills.

Qudrat is an expert world record holder climber, Namal is experienced and learning the ropes. Their objective for this climb is to promote Pakistan and stand for inclusivity, Namal is aiming to represent and inspire more female mountaineers in the region. This 10-day expedition begins from 10^th till 20^th of March, a first time attempt to summit the magnificent Zoui Sar. If they are able to climb before 21st March, it will be a winter ascent and if weather conditions don’t allow them before, it will be the first ascent of Zoui Sar.

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr – Email: zareen@w2wevents.com

 SheWorks and The Embassy of France join hands to acknowledge women artisans from South of Punjab

As part of this year’s international woman’s day celebrations, SheWorks and the Embassy of France join hands to pay a tribute to women artisans with “Women of Resilience”, an online campaign conceptualized to shed light on the artisans behind the art of embroidery. The campaign will begin from the 1^st of March until the 15^th of March on all SheWorks social media platforms, comprising of stories and visuals by the award winning photographer Mobeen Ansari.

The founder of SheWorks – Samina Mahmud, is the brainchild behind this campaign. Her organization, has been rooted, since long, in a mission to improve livelihood opportunities for skilled rural artisan communities, whilst creating high quality products for the luxury market.

“It was important for us to share the stories behind the textiles. These beautifully handmade crafts are products of skilled and hardworking artisans. There is immense economic potential in the creative manufacturing sector for skilled artisans and we aim to guide and to create opportunities for designer and artisan collaborations, offering sustainable income and financial independence to empower women in rural areas of Pakistan” explains Samina Mahmud, Founder of SheWorks

Mr. Marc Baréty, Ambassador of France to Pakistan adds, “Socio-Economic empowerment of women is at the core of France’s international strategy on gender equality. In Pakistan, rural women artisans are custodians of a rich and diverse cultural heritage, particularly in textile. By providing livelihoods to their communities and preserving this heritage, they are an essential driver for sustainable development.”

This campaign is supported by embassy of France and by creative professionals from across the globe with the common objective to highlight and acknowledge the stories of artisans from South of Punjab. The regions covered include the Cholistan desert and Jaan Muhammad, Dera Bakha and Wazir Wali villages.

“Women of resilience” will run from the 1^st until the 15^th of March 2021 on SheWorks.

About SheWorks:

A platform connecting business to textile artisanal communities

Artisanal activities generate income, create jobs, foster economic communities, sustain ancient techniques, and preserve culture and meaning that is an essential component of healthy and sustainable development.
SheWorks strives to launch a campaign and a set of related activities to build awareness and broaden support of the artisan sector (assess need, audience, potential partners, conduct research to make economic case, develop communication messages)

We work with business, supporting product development and design, implementing the production through the artisans collaborating with SheWorks

Web: www.sheworkspvt.com

Facebook: SheWorks

Instagram: sheworks.official

Official Photographer: Mobeen Ansari

For more press information, please contact: Zareen Khan – W2W events & pr – zareen@w2wevents.com /  +923125659527