• Winning designs have been carefully selected after a thorough evaluation process, and will be exhibited on Yas Island

Abu Dhabi, UAE: Miral, the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi, partnered with Aldar and Creative Lab overseen by Creative Media Authority to host the Yas Design Contest, where students across the UAE were invited to showcase their creativity by submitting unique designs for a pop-up installation. After a thorough evaluation process and public vote, the dynamic trio of Arfa Abdul Azeem, Shifa Asif, and Gopika Rethikumar from Amity University Dubai; and Radwa Elkasas from Sharjah Performing Arts Academy; have been revealed as the winners, and their designs will be brought to life and showcased on Yas Island.

Over 26 entries were received from students across the UAE, with each submission fulfilling the key criteria including being a piece of public art, acting as a backdrop for photo taking, telling a story about the UAE, and being partly or entirely made using environment friendly materials. In addition to the design submission, participants also shared a technical submission with a detailed write-up, sketch of their design, a visual mood board and a materials list.

Taghrid Alsaeed, Executive Director – Group Communications and Destination Marketing at Miral, and one of the judges on the panel, commented: “We are proud to have collaborated with Aldar and Creative Lab for this remarkable competition, which not only engaged and empowered the younger community but also provided a platform for creative talent across the UAE. This is testament of our commitment to producing a positive impact on the communities and cultures we serve, a key pillar of our Miral brand.  Congratulations to the winners and all who participated. Your creativity, skill, and hard work have truly shone through your designs, and we are thrilled to see the incredible talent and ingenuity displayed across all the submissions.”

After being reviewed by a panel of four esteemed judges from Miral, Aldar Properties, Creative Lab, as well as influencer Maitha Mohamed (@mythjourney) based on creativity, storytelling and concept design, as well as material planning; five remarkable submissions were shortlisted and taken to a public vote. These included Majeda Mohammed from University of Sharjah’s ‘Fort To Future’; Haia Ali from University of Sharjah’s ‘The UAE Pearl’; Radwa ElKassas from Sharjah Performing Arts Academy’s ‘Evolving’; Arfa Abdul Azeem, Shifa Asif, and Gopika Rethikumar from Amity University Dubai’s ‘Habat Al-Lulu’; and Raghad Yehya and
Itemat Sauria from Ajman University’s ‘A Touch of Emirates’.

The trio of Arfa Abdul Azeem, Shifa Asif, and Gopika Rethikumar and Radwa Elkasas were selected as the deserving winners based on their outstanding submissions ‘Habat Al-Lulu’, inspired by UAE’s rich history of pearl diving; and ‘Evolving’, a photo booth with three panels depicting the nation’s past, present, and future. Winning teams will be awarded an AED 5,000 cash prize and see their designs built and placed in select spots on Yas Island for residents and tourists to enjoy a unique backdrop for photo taking.

Rashed Al Omaira, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldar Development said: “As expected, the entries received for the Yas Design Contest were excellent - we were particularly impressed by the thinking behind the submissions as well as the quality of the creative proposals. There is no doubt that the UAE’s cultural and creative industries will continue to thrive given the passion our young people show for design, art, and visual storytelling. We very much look forward to seeing the winning designs come to life on Yas Island, where thousands of residents and visitors will enjoy the installations.” 

Khalid Khouri, Director of Talent Development at Creative Media Authority, said: “We were overwhelmed to see so many creative and inspiring submissions for the Yas Design Competition – it’s great to see that we have such incredible talent in the UAE. Creative Lab was honoured to partner with Miral and Aldar properties on this amazing initiative which underline our mission to support the youth of Abu Dhabi to explore their creative potential. We’d like to congratulate the very worth winners and look forward to seeing how they continue to grow their creative talent in the future.” 

Miral continues to strive to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, as well as offering employment opportunities while attracting and developing young talent as part of Abu Dhabi’s drive to accelerate the culture and creative industries.

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About Miral

Miral is Abu Dhabi's leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences that contributes to the growth of the leisure and entertainment industry and Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification. It conceives, creates, operates, and manages immersive destinations and experiences that attract visitors from across the world to create unforgettable memories, accelerating the realization of the Emirate’s tourism vision and growth.

Responsible for the development and management of Yas Island and overseeing Saadiyat Island's Destination Management Strategy, Miral has a portfolio of projects under construction worth over AED 13 billion on Yas Island and across the emirate.  Miral’s portfolio of world-class assets, which includes hospitality, leisure, culture, sport, dining, retail, and entertainment destinations, aims to deliver millions of memorable moments and spark joy across a diverse spectrum of leisure, entertainment, and tourism assets.

Miral also encompasses Miral Destinations, Miral Experiences and Yas Asset Management.

For more information, visit www.miral.ae

About Aldar

Aldar Properties PJSC is the leading real estate developer, investor, and manager in the UAE with a diversified and sustainable operating model centered around two core businesses: Aldar Development and Aldar Investment.

Aldar Development is a master developer of integrated, liveable, and thriving communities across Abu Dhabi’s most desirable destinations, including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Raha, and Reem Island. It is responsible for developing Aldar’s c. 69 million sqm land bank and includes three businesses: Aldar Projects, which is Aldar's dedicated project delivery arm and the manager of its project management business; Aldar Ventures, which incubates and nurtures new business opportunities and innovation areas; and Aldar Egypt, the platform focused on developing mixed-use communities in Egypt.

Aldar Investment houses Aldar’s core asset management business comprising over AED 32 billion portfolio of investment grade and income-generating assets diversified across retail, residential, commercial, hospitality, and logistics segments. Aldar Investment also manages three core platforms: Aldar Education, Aldar Estates, and Aldar Hospitality and Leisure. Aldar Education includes Aldar’s entire educational portfolio, with almost 33,000 students across 27 operated and managed schools, and a growing network of 3,000 educators from over 100 nationalities, offering a wide range of curriculum and ancillary services such as a Teacher Training Academy. Aldar Estates consolidates Aldar’s Retail Operations alongside existing Residential and Commercial real estate operations within Provis and will further include Community Management under one integrated property management platform. Aldar Hospitality and Leisure looks after Aldar’s portfolio of hotel and leisure assets, which are anchored around Yas Island and Saadiyat, in addition to Ras Al Khaimah. It includes Aldar’s portfolio of 13 hotels, comprising over 4,250 hotel keys and managing operations across golf courses, beach clubs, and marinas.

Aldar’s shares are traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (Stock quote: ALDAR:UH), and is a profitable, cash-generative business that provides recurring revenues, and benefits from a diverse and supportive shareholder base. Aldar operates according to high standards of corporate governance and is committed to operating a long-term and sustainable business in order to provide ongoing value for its shareholders.

Aldar is driven by a vision to be a leading real estate developer and manager in the region by playing a key role in the development of quality, comfortable, desirable destinations that people can live in, work at and visit.

For more information on Aldar please visit www.aldar.com or follow us on:

About Creative Lab

Creative Lab, overseen by Creative Media Authority, is a vibrant community full of like-minded people who want to expand their creative opportunities.

It welcomes anyone interested in the creative industries, whether they have a passion for film, TV, publishing, music, gaming, animation or illustration.

Through a variety of initiatives, from internships to mentoring and training, as well as #thelab where members can create and collaborate, creative lab helps young talent to realise their creative vision.

For more information, visit www.cma.abudhabi