Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 15 February, 2015 9:08 am |

• 1st edition of the awards to be held on 10th April to honour the exceptional cinematic talent

• Public voting opens from 25th February



Benchmark Media today announced the 1st edition of the Arab Indo Bollywood Awards (AIBA) in association with Adplay and Al Bustan Group; to promote Indian Cinema in the Arab World and to reach out to millions of fans across the GCC. Introduced exclusively to the UAE and fully supported by the Government of Dubai; the AIBA will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre on 10th April, 2015 acknowledging the best from the field of acting, direction, music, choreography and scripting.

The nominations and nominees will be selected from the 2014 Hindi films. The Pre-selection Jury Committee of 8 members has reviewed the films that have been applied by the Indian producers. 25 awards will be given across 3 categories – Main, Technical and Special Awards. The final nominations will be voted 50 percent by the jury and 50 percent by the people, which is processed, audited and supervised by Crowe Horwath. Except for the Special Award category; residents and fans can either cast their vote online (www.aibagulf.com) or at the ballot boxes, which will be kept at 100 UAE Exchange outlets in the UAE from 25th February, 2015.

Announcing the launch of the AIBA - Abdullatif Alsayegh, Chairperson of AIBA said, “UAE has just won the bid for EXPO 2020 and now we will have the privilege of hosting the AIBA in our country. We want to show the world that we are not confined to only getting in the Guinness Book of records but also have the potential to showcase an event such as this. We feel so proud as a nation that we will create a space for ourselves in the world of entertainment. We feel so determined on this new artistic journey - the impact it will have and how it will connect people and countries. “

Tigmanshu Dhulia, Indian Director and Jury chairperson said, “GCC brings in some of the best audience in the world as it brings in so much diversity and Indian cinema is favoured by most – including Indians, Arabs and other Expats. We look forward to bringing these millions of fans closer to their favourite stars.”

Producer and organiser of AIBA - Habeeb Rahman, MD of Benchmark Media concluded, “UAE has grown tremendously over the years and shown such potential to host world-class events. AIBA will celebrate Bollywood's style and glamour. It is about time that UAE offers its very own awards that will attract opportunities and collaborations into the country, foster local talent, bring best practices and bridge communities together. We are determined to make this event a success.”

Celebrating the journey of Hindi Cinema on a global platform, the AIBA ceremony will feature a range of performances combining the best of Indian and international entertainment. The evening will also premiere few blockbuster movies and give fans an opportunity to see their favourite stars walk down the golden carpet.