By Baron Henry Estramant. Winter Youth Olympic Games shall be held for a second time in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer in 2016.  The competition which is due to last ten days, encompasses over one thousand young athletes aged between 15 and 18 years old, hailing from 70 countries, and competing in the same number of events.  A ceremony to countdown 365 days to the event was arranged on 12 February 2015 under the auspices of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, who is a member of the National Advisory Committee to Lillehammer 2016. The ceremony itself was held at Lilletorget with the unveiling of the countdown clock by HRH Crown Prince Haakon and ice hockey player Carl Erik Kråbøl (14). Norwegian Minister of Culture, Thorhild Widvey, addressed the crowd, followed by OMEGA’s President Mr Stephen Urquhart, who was representing the International Olympic Committee.

The countdown in Lillehammer happened only a couple of weeks after the demise of an avid sporter within the extended Norwegian Royal Family, Johan Martin Ferner (22 July 1927 – 24 January 2015), husband to Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, the King’s youngest sister. Johan Martin Ferner himself had won a silver medal during the 1952 Summer Olympics held at Helsinki. At the time of his nuptials to Princess Astrid on 12 January 1961 the latter had to forfeit her royal status, and is thereinafter styled within Norway simply as “Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner”.  Princess Astrid served as Norway’s unofficial “First Lady” after the demise of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha in 1954, and continued in that role until 1968 when his brother Harald married the incumbent Queen Sonja. For her services to the kingdom, Princess Astrid was accorded an annual life pension in 2002 by the Norwegian government. She participates in all major events of the Royal Court including the annual reception for the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Norway. 

Between 23 and 27 February, Norway’s Royal Couple, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, left the winter theme behind to embark on their very first State Visit to the Commonwealth of Australia. The visit had an economic focus to promote Norwegian business interest Down Under.    For more information:    Lillehammer 2016: http://en.lillehammer2016.no/ Norway’s Royal House. www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=125735&sek=27262    

  By Baron Henri Estramant.   A million tourists visited the Emirate of Fujairah in 2014, the fifth largest Emirate in the UAE with a population of around 160,000 inhabitants.  The tourism sector in the emirate of Fujairah is promising continuous growth year after year; its most important change was linked to the increase in the number of resorts and hotels, which have doubled to suit all budgets. Fujairah Museum alone drew in last year ca. 40,000 visitors from outside the emirate, which is a record for the most relevant museum. 

According to Fujairah Tourism and Antiquities’ Director Mr Saeed Al Samahi “the number of hotel rooms is expected to soar to nearly 5,000 rooms over the next three years in order to meet the growing demand for private rooms in the seasons of holidays and vacations as well as the spring”. During the next two years he is looking forward to the activation of the new laws and regulations relating to tourism as Mr Samahi stated during an interview for Al Khaleej newspaper.  The Emirate of Fujairah is an oasis of nature which appeals to all the tourists who want to enjoy the charm of attractive, calm, beaches and magnificent towering mountains.  Its cultural and natural heritage is rich, including Fujairah Fort which is one of the most important places frequented by foreign tourists and visitors from within the UAE, the Fujairah Museum, Heritage Village, Al Badiyah Mosque (oldest extant in the UAE), Al Butna Castle, the natural reserves of Wurayah as well as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which is the second largest mosque in the country. Fujairah International Airport serves the emirate. 

Fujairah is ruled by the Sharqiyin Clan (Al Sharqi), led by His Highness The Amir of Fujairah, Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi (b. 25 Sept 1948) since 1974. His heir apparent is his eldest son by HH Sheikha Fatima bint Thani Al Maktoum, His Highness The Crown Prince of Fujairah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi married to HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, daughter of the incumbent Vice President of the UAE and Emir of Dubai.  Executive authority is vested on His Highness The Amir of Fujairah who chairs His own government but is restricted in power by the observance and precedence of federal laws.   For more information:  Fujairah Tourism and Antiquities Authority: http://www.fujairahtourism.ae/ Fujairah Museum: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/united-arab-emirates/the-east-coast/fujairah/sights/museums-galleries/fujairah-museum        

By Baron Henri Estramant.   At the heart of Bahrain Bay, a waterfront real estate development created from reclaimed land from the sea, has now been embellished after the ceremonious opening of its de luxe, five-stars Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.  Bahrain Bay includes three anchor developments, that is, the international headquarters for Arcapita Bank, Raffles City, as well as the Kingdom of Bahrain’s first Four Seasons Hotel. The latter features an H-shaped design with two 68-storey, 201 metre tall towers connected by the sky bridge towards the top and a “room bridge” in the middle with 17 floors accommodating the guest rooms. The lower multilevel podium houses public function rooms, spa and fitness centres, swimming pools together with the service and support function areas.

The hotel features 273 guest rooms, seven options for indoor-outdoor dining including three outlets by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, five swimming experiences with six “super-cabanas”, a spa with 17 treatment rooms, two ballrooms and a “Sky Bridge” with meeting rooms on the 50th and 51st floors. General Manager Greg Pirkle opened the Four Seasons facilities under the patronage of His Excellency the First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah underlined the role of the new milestone in creating jobs and encouraging Bahrainis to work in the hospitality sector which is considered a key pillar of the national economy and a purveyor of jobs during his speech. For more information: Four Seasons Bahrain Bay: http://www.fourseasons.com/bahrain/ Arcapita Bank: http://www.arcapita.com/  

By Baron Henri Estramant,   The Emirate of Sharjah lit up betwen 5 and 13 February to celebrate with florescent lights in all landmarks of the capital the fifth  repetition of “Sharjah Light Festival” This year celebrates the crowning of the emirate as the “Arab Tourism Capital for 2015”. The emirate was chosen for the prestigious honour by the Arab Tourism Organisation at the 15th session of the Arab Council of Tourism Ministers held in Cairo, Egypt back in 2012. The selection reaffirmed and recognised Sharjah’s pre-eminent position as the home of Arab and Islamic culture and a tourism destination with a difference. The festival is such an utter success that it now features prominently in the Sharjah tourism calendar by using some of the most advanced and sophisticated lighting techniques, 3D imagery and artistic contributions by internationally acclaimed artists and technical wizards from Europe and the region.   HH The Amir of Sharjah. The festival was opened ceremoniously by His Highness The Amir of Sharjah and Supreme Council Member of the UAE, Sheikh Dr Sultan III bin Mohammed Al Qasimi who is a reputed erudite, book author and patron of the arts. He was accompanied by one of Sharjah’s two deputy rulers, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, and other members of the ruling Qawasem tribe. Dr Sultan III bin Mohammed bin Saqr bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi (b. 2 July 1939) is Sharjah’s 18th ruler since 25 January 1972. Currently he is married to Her Highness Sheikh Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, whose brother and namesake of the sitting Amir is holds the post of “Crown Prince of Sharjah”, HH Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi since 1999. Sharjah’s Amir as well as the UAE’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan as well as  Sheikh Essam bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Adviser at the Office of the Ruler of Sharjah, offered their patronage and support to the XII edition of the “Sharjah Biennial (SB12)”, the longest running and one of the most influential contemporary art event in the Gulf, being held this year under the title “The Past, The Present, The Possible.” The fair is organised by the Sharjah Art Foundation at Al Mareija, Emirate of Sharjah, and runs until 5 June 2015. . The Emirati ambassador to The Netherlands, HE Mr Abdulla bin Hamdan Alnaqbi as well as the mission’s Third Secretary, Adil bin Sadiq Alamiri, hail from the Emirate of Sharjah. For more information:  HH The Amir of Sharjah: www.sheikhdrsultan.ae/portal/en/home.aspx Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority: http://sharjahmydestination.ae/en-us/ Sharjah Biennal: www.sharjahart.org/biennial/sharjah-biennial-12/welcome