Dubai World Hospitality Championship Announces Agenda for Event

• Live Cookery Shows by Celebrity Chefs to Dazzle Visitors on all Three Days
• 745 UAE Nationals Set to Compete in Emirati Competition

Dubai-UAE: 13 November, 2013 – Dubai World Hospitality Championship (DWHC) has announced the agenda for the three-day event that has been organised by the Zabeel Palace Hospitality under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
On the side-line of the announcement which was held at the Government of Dubai Media Office, His Excellency, Ahmed bin Hareb Al Falahi, President of Dubai World Hospitality Championship granted Her Excellency, Mona Al Marri, Director General of Government of Dubai Media Office, the title of Honorary Member of the Championship
A 45-minute live cookery demonstration conducted by celebrity chefs will serve as the high point of each day's programme. International chefs set to dish out their favourite recipes include Silvena Rowe, Sanjeev Kapoor, Nermine Hanno, Martha Yanci, Suzanne Hussini, Osama, Tarek Ibrahim, Marco Pierre and Joe Barza.

Chefs Bader Al Awadhi, Musabbeh Al Kaabi and Ali Salem are some of the leading lights comprising the Emirati contingent.

His Excellency, Ahmed bin Hareb Al Falahi said: "With just days left for the event to raise curtains, the organisers are working round the clock to place the finishing touches to an event of international stature. Utmost care has been provided to all aspects of the competition, from the facilities offered to participants to the measures taken to ensure stringent levels of health and safety standards. No effort is being spared to make this inaugural event of Dubai World Hospitality Championship a truly memorable one."
The opening ceremony of the Championship will announce the winners of the Homemade Dishes segment that has drawn a total of 154 participants. The Homemade and Innovative Products category had drawn 360 participants while both the Professional and Amateur categories have attracted 231 Emirati participants. Two sets of teams from all seven emirates will put their culinary skills to test with each of the course dishes. Winners of each segment will be announced shortly after the conclusion and evaluation of dishes on all three days, and medals as well as prize money will be awarded to the overall top 10 winners of the competition on the last day. One winner on a national level will receive the first golden award.

Alongside the Emirati Competition, a specially constructed Heritage Village, which reflects the different environments, will showcase activities such as henna art, the Majlis, folk art shows and displays of antique Emirati crockery.

An aggregate of AED6 million will be awarded as prize money to the winners of the different classes of the Championship, of which approximately AED2 million will be allocated towards the winners and participants of the Emirati Competition. The Emirati Professional Category participants get the chance to win up to AED334,000, while a sum of AED303,000 has been awarded to the Amateur Category participants. The prize money reserved for Homemade Dishes Category is AED525,000, and Homemade and Innovative Products Category participants stand to win AED793,000.
The International Competition will witness 12 teams of renowned chefs from different countries preparing a five-course gourmet menu for judges and 54 seated guests. The opening day of the Championship will witness top chefs from Germany, Russia, Brazil and Canada pitting their culinary skills against one another, while day two will bring Wales, Hong Kong, South Africa and Slovenia to the competition arena. The third and concluding day will witness Australia, US, Singapore and the UAE contending for top honours.

On each day, the four competing teams will commence preparations of their buffets at 7:00am. Cooking the main dish will take place from 10:00am – 1:30pm with each team allowed one hour to prepare the buffet from 11:00am - 12:00noon. Judging the international competition buffets will commence at 12:00 noon daily and conclude at 12:30pm, with the buffet then being opened up for sampling by guests.

The evaluation criteria, on a 100-point scale, will take into account cleanliness, presentation, flavor, cooking tools used, organisation, innovation and creativity. Every team will be awarded with gold, silver or bronze medals as well as participation certificates. The top three winning teams will be honoured with monetary prizes.

In the Hospitality Sector Competition, over 700 chefs will cook up mouth-watering delicacies in various categories ranging from ice carvings and sugar displays to chocolate carvings and wedding cakes. The segment will challenge participating chefs to craft showpieces using consumable ingredients according to the specifications provided by the organisers.

In the run up to DWHC, the Worldchefs Culinary Dream came together for the first time to prepare a demonstration buffet in the offices of the Za'abeel Palace Hospitality. The Dream Team consists of select professionals with extensive industry experience and a track record of competing in international culinary circuits.
The first-of-its-kind gastronomic odyssey in the region is set to open doors to the UAE's timeless traditions on a global stage at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 16 - 18 November. The championship committee invites everyone to visit www.dwhc.ae/visit to register for a complimentary badge and enter a raffle draw for a chance to win the Lexus LX 570 SUV luxury car. The committee has also set up an entertainment zone for kids aged 2-10 who will also be supervised by qualified baby-sitters.