Date: 07 November 2009

Venue: Armenian Community Center

Time: 8:00pm

Entrance is free.

Snacks, popcorn & beverages will be available during the intermission at a fee of 5 Dhs.

Children below the age of 15 are not allowed.

Organizer: The Cultural Committee of The Armenian Community of Northern Emirates

Read "The Killed Dove" by Nar-Dos (PDF format, 114 pages, in Eastern Armenian)

More about the movie and the author.

Original announcement (PDF format, 1 page, in English and Armenian)

I understand why no one has posted a comment regarding the recent opprobrious conduct of the council towards the Armenian school scene. The situation left me speechless, dumbfounded and utterly disappointed.

I was born and raised in this community and although living in the United States now, I cannot deny, that the reason why I write, read and speak fluent Armenian is partially due to this heartwarming, once a week, make shift school that functioned on devotion and for which I hold tremendous respect. This is a red flag that cannot be ignored. Hence, I speak as an alumnus, with all due respect, and call for immediate attention to this chaotic and shameful predicament. 

The Principal and the teachers have given their heart and soul to this facility and no matter what, they deserve unconditional and absolute appreciation for their selfless acts of devotion.

I personally and humbly salute them and thank them for their time and efforts and reassure them that their work did not go in vain.

God bless you all!

Your Student,
Shaghig Toukhmanian - Festekjian

See other comments (including a comment by THE VOICE: How could our community fall so low!) here.

Music concert

Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm

Location: Palladium - Dubai Media City

This Fall, by popular demand, Guy Manoukian will perform once again in Dubai.

His “Live in Dubai” concert will be held at the Palladium Theater on November 20, 2009, the program will include Oriental and Armenian modern fusion at its best.

Booking info:

1- Virgin Megastores
2- Palladium Theater

BUY ONLINE

- www.itptickets.com
- www.boxofficeme.com

Setting its eyes on the new upcoming business markets, Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers recently beefed up its Sales team by adding Anna Kandaryan to its team.

Armenian-born Kandaryan is no stranger to the dynamic Dubai hospitality industry. Previously attached to a hotel chain based in Dubai and global travel agencies both in Dubai and Armenia, Anna found her passion in Sales and pursued this path in this city after starting out in front office operations in 5-star hotels in Armenia.

Armed with a Master’s Degree in Business Management, Anna will lead the leisure segment for the hotel in her new role with Sheraton Dubai Creek.

Yerevan - Dubai

Starting from 26 October 2009 Armavia Air Company will fly four times weekly to Dubai, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Previously the route was served with three flights only.

Yerevan - Bahrain

Armavia Air Company is opening a new gateway to the GCC countries. Starting from 26 October 2009, Yerevan - Bahrain route will be operated on Mondays and Thursdays.

Armenian fans are invited to support Sophie Samuelian during a comedy show (in English) with a group of local talents. Sophie will have her own 15 minutes solo appearance during the event.

Venue: Warehouse Restaurant, DetailsLocation: Le Meridien Dubai, Garhoud, Dubai.

Date: 02 November 2009

Time: 09:00pm onwards.
 
Tel: 04 217 0000

Warehouse Le Meridien in TimeOut Dubai magazine (includes detailed location map).

Sophie has attended Parev Emirates meetings organized by Azad-Hye and is known to a circle of Armenian friends in Dubai. 

Cyprus Independence Day is celebrated on 1st October every year.

The reception in Abu Dhabi took place on 14 October 2009, in the Intercontinental Hotel. It was the first such event in the capital of the UAE, after the opening of the Embassy of Cyprus there in 2009.

Ambassador Costas Papademas and his wife, welcomed the guests. The official inauguration of the Embassy building will take place on 2nd November 2009.

Photos show H.E. Vahagn Melikian, Ambassador of Armenia in the United Arab Emirates, attending the event.

The Armenian Weekly school of Abu Dhabi has started its new school year after a delay of two weeks, during which a completely new administration was introduced to manage the school.

Pakrad Balabanian was invited to be the Principal of the school.

The previous Principal and several teachers (one of them with 30 years record service), left the school, after bitter disagreements with certain members of the Council of the Armenian Community (Varchutyun). They were not even awarded letters of acknowledgment or appreciation for their long-term devotion. Read all

Սիրելի՛ Հրաչ, Սփիւռքի Նախարարուհին ճիշդ եւ արդար որոշում առած է պատուոյ գրով պատուելու քեզ եւ «Ազատ-Հայ» կայքէջը: Ազատ-Հայու ներդրումը մեծ է Մերձաւոր Արեւելքի տեղեկատուական հետեւողական աշխատանքին, ինչպէս նաեւ հայկական երեւոյթներու ազատ վերլուծման եւ անոնց մասին անկաշկանդ արտայայտութեան գործին մէջ:

Ազատ-Հայի գոյութիւնն ու անոր շարունակականութեան ապահովումը քու անձնական ճիգերուդ շնորհիւ են միայն: Ուրախ եմ, որ տարիներու անվհատ աշխատանքդ աննկատ չէ անցած հայրենի ղեկավարութեան կողմէ եւ արդէն Ազատ-Հայը կը ճանչցուի որպէս հաստատութիւն՝ կողքին «Ազդակ»ի, «Առավօտ»ի, «Ազգ»ի նման լուրջ հայկական թերթերու: Ժամանակն է արդէն որ Ազատ-Հայը դառնայ լրատուական եւ հասարակական հաստատութիւն՝ բառի ամբողջական իմաստով: «ՆՇԱՆԱԿ» կայքէջի եւ անձնապէս իմ կողմէս ընդունիր ամենաջերմ շնորհաւորութիւնները:  

Նշան Պասմաճեան

www.nshanag.com   

Սիրելի՛ Ազատ-Հայ,

Ուրախ եմ որ Արմթէքի ապագայի շրջանային հանդիպումներէն մին նախատեսուած է Արաբական Միացեալ Էմիրութիւններուն մէջ իրականացնել:

Այն տպաւորութեան ներքեւ եմ որ Արմթէքը պիտի յաջռղի՝ Հայաստանի եւ հայութեան օգուտ բերելով:

Պիտի խնդրէի, որ Սիլիքոն Վալիի մէջ ի մօտոյ տեղի ունենալիք համագումարին մասին ամէնօրեայ դրութեամբ Ազատ-Հայը տեղեկութիւն փոխանցէր ընթերցողներուս:

Պիտի հարց տայի նաեւ, որ գաղութէս թէ շրջանէս ովքե՞ր հրաւիրուած են եւ ովքե՞ր կը մասնակցին այս կարեւոր համագումարին:

Պիտի խնդրէի, որ ներկայացուցիչները իրենց վերադարձին զեկուցէին՝ հրապարակային ձեռնարկի մը ընթացքին:

Այդ ձեռնարկը պայման չէ սահմանափակել զայն ներքին պիտակաւորելով. Թող օտարներն ալ հրաւիրուին ու մասնակից դառնան անոր:

Կանխայայտ շնորհակալութեամբ՝

Նշան Պասմաճեան

Comment posted here: Tony Moroyan: Armenia has an absolutely remarkable high-tech future

The Council of the Armenian Community of Abu Dhabi intends to form several committees with the "main purpose of re-energizing the community’s spiritual, cultural, social & ethnic life", after a period of relative stagnation and internal disputes.

There would be five committees in the process of formation: Armenian ball, church, youth, ladies and arts & crafts.  

The Council calls on interested persons to write to this email for the purpose of registering to one of the above-mentioned committees, providing the following information:
Name and Surname:
Contact telephone number:
Committee interested to join:

Original announcement (PDF format, 1 page, Armenian)

Photo: Razmig and Vanda Aboulian (left) benefit from Parev Emirates services. The couple are Iranian Australians who recently retired and decided to live in Armenia. They were in Dubai on their transit route to Yerevan, the first repatriated persons who benefited from our free services.

We arranged for them a tour of the Armenian Church and Community Center in Sharjah with proper explanation, commemorative publications and a memory photo.

New service: First time visitors to the Armenian church in Sharjah can benefit from our free navigation (detailed explanation about how to reach the Church venue), free welcome tour and a comprehensive introduction to the structure of the Armenian community.

Read more about Parev Emirates

Co-Founder and Chairman of ArmTech Congress Tony Moroyan transitted via Dubai in August 2009. Azad-Hye met him in the Festival City and had an interesting interview.

Zareh Tutunjian of Systronics (Dubai, UAE) attended the meeting in his capacity as ArmTech 2009 Program Committee member.  

Azad-Hye (represented by Hrach Kalsahakian) is involved in ArmTech 2009 activities and other future ArmTech events as Middle East Regional Co-Chair (other Co-Chairs are Zareh Tutunjian from the UAE and Maurice Kelechian from Lebanon).

Excerpts from Tony Moroyan's interview in relation with the UAE:

"What we are doing now, is to add a third leg to Yerevan and Silicon Valley, which is Moscow. Another leg could be Paris, yet another one could be the United Arab Emirates. Indeed, the UAE is important for Armenia, since it’s the centre of the Middle East. It is becoming the heart for high-tech.
 
... So you can imagine what a huge step forward we can move when we bring together every single Armenian interested in this domain from every city in the Diaspora. There is still a lot to go ahead. The main element is the social networking website. Armenia has an absolutely remarkable high-tech future. We will make that happen and become one of the advanced in this sector on worldwide scale."

Read complete interview here.

Visit the website: www.armtechcongress.com

If you would like to be involved in ArmTech activities please contact Azad-Hye.

Date: 22 October 2009
Venue: Armenian Church of Sharjah
Time: 04:30pm

Announcement (PDF format, 2 pages, Armenian)

Titel: "The Hope Play" by Saltmine Theatre.

The Hope Play
 
Joseph has the most fashionable coat in town, he loves life and he has big dreams. But Joseph's brothers are fed up with him and they hatch a plan that will turn Joseph's life upside down. What does the future hold for Joseph.....is there any hope?
 
Using three actors, twelve mops, a ukulele and a bugle The Hope Play charts the story of one boy and his fight to see his dreams come true even when faced with jealousy, lies and loneliness in a foreign land. The show explores issues of rejection, perseverance and hope in a way that has never been seen before!

Website: http://www.saltminetrust.org.uk/idx/

Question: The Embassy told me that I was approved for the Armenian citizenship and my next step should be to go to OVIR (Passports and Visas Police Directorate on Mashdots Street in Yerevan) and give them my file number. Can you let me know what should I do before going to OVIR?

Read the answer in the comments section here.

The diaspora have carried along their family stories

By Abbas Al Lawati

Dubai: Hrach Kalsahakian's grandfather, Garabed, was one of 4,000 Armenians whose ancestors settled in Kessab, Ottoman Syria, many generations ago.

Following the First World War, the town fell under the French mandate of Syria but only after half its Armenian population was either killed or marched out to as far as East of Syria and Jordan by Ottoman troops, according to the accounts of its inhabitants.

Garabed however survived, and his descendants, forming part of the eight million strong Armenian diaspora, have since moved from country to country, taking with them their family stories. Read all