IIFA AWARDS 2023 GALA GREEN CARPET
IIFA ROCKS 2023 GREEN CARPET
Why is the IIFA Awards carpet green? The story behind the move from traditional red
For 16 years, stars arriving at the annual IIFA Awards have been greeted by a bright green carpet, instead of the traditional red.
First introduced at the 2007 event in Sheffield, UK, the colour change has not only allowed the travelling Bollywood ceremony to stand out, but also it delivers an important global message about climate change.
“IIFA has always put the environmental agenda at the realm of IIFA Awards,” organisers said.
“In 2007, we launched the concept 'Greening the IIFAs' and came up with the idea of bright green carpets instead of traditional red ones.
“IIFA has always helped create clever messaging on the environment that the stars and celebrities involved would convey to the audiences and fans globally. And today, with the power of celebrity following, it’s worked.”
First held in 2000 in London, the IIFA Awards were created by Mumbai event company Wizcraft International Entertainment to honour the best Hindi films and movie talents of the previous year.
It is usually spread across several days, culminating with a gala awards night, and has been instrumental in boosting Bollywood's popularity globally.
Dubai hosted the event in 2006, with other hosts including Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau.
Abu Dhabi plays host for the second year in a row this weekend, with the musical IIFA Rocks and the gala event being held at the Etihad Arena on Friday and Saturday.
At the IIFA's first green carpet event in England, Hollywood stars Colin Firth and Sienna Miller rubbed shoulders with top Bollywood actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra.
Read the full story here
IIFA AWARDS GALA 2023
IIFA ROCKS 2023
IIFA AWARDS 2023 ARRIVALS
IIFA AWARDS 2023 PRESS CONFERENCE
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
