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The Six Degrees of Richard Gere

Eva Fernandes — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 11:58:27 +0000

The 6th Abu Dhabi Film Festival was opened with a screening of the film Arbitrage which features Richard Gere. The film, which chronicles the world of a hedge funds and trading, has been well received “We have been screening Arbitrage and people have been responding to it well, which makes us feel good. There are so many people involved in making a film, so if I get an award then we all win” said Richard Gere. In addition to being rather timely, the film also has considerable Middle Eastern roots. After all the producer of the film is none other than…

The Six Degrees of Janet Jackson

Eva Fernandes — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:25:45 +0000

Janet Jackson

Her upcoming wedding to fiancé Wissam al Mana is the reason Janet Jackson is all over the news. Supposedly to take place in Doha in Qatar in 2013, the wedding is set to be an extravagant affair with estimates of the expenses at a hefty $3 million-rumor has it the money will go towards flying in their 500 guests and gifting each a $10,000 Rolex watch. So, who is Janet’s wealthy fiancé?

The Six Degrees of Justin Bieber

Jyothi M.V. — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:26:56 +0000

The platinum-selling Canadian-pop sensation Justin Bieber is coming to Dubai—he tweeted about his maiden UAE tour for May 4, 2013 on Twitter three days ago. He is one of the world’s biggest celebrities since he was first discovered by an American talent manager, Scooter Braun, who clicked on one of Bieber’s home videos by accident- and the rest is history. Justin became the first artist to have seven singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100. It was reported that around 10,000 tickets have been pre-booked for the “Believe” World Tour Live in Dubai, which will be held at 7he Sevens on May 4, 2013. Tickets will go on sale to the public at 9am on Sunday, September 23. Thomas Ovesen, COO concert organizer of Done Events said “This could be the biggest concert … Justin Bieber was the most requested artist I have encountered in 12 years. He has the most amazing fan base.” Justin Bieber was listed by Forbes as the third most powerful celebrity in America and is reported to have earned more than $50 million in the past 12 months alone. Having become the first ever solo artist to have three No.1 US and UK albums, Justin made it into…

The Six Degrees of Michelle Obama

Jyothi M.V. — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:21:59 +0000

Michelle Obama, the wife of U.S. president Barack Obama and the first African-American First Lady of the United States, is also a lawyer, a former Chicago city administrator and community worker. She was very supportive of her husband’s decision to play a political role when he was nominated as a Democratic presidential candidate and later had an impressive victory in the 2008 presidential election. At the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Michelle gave a remarkable ‘passionate’ speech that was well received by the audience; urging them to give her husband four more years: “Because Barack knows what it means when a family struggles. He knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids. Barack knows the American dream because he’s lived it.” According to Twitter, she clocked up 28,000 tweets per minute at the conclusion of her speech, which is a devastating blow to Mitt Romney as it is double the 14,000 that he received in his convention speech last week. In 1985, this bold, no-nonsense First Lady graduated from…

The Six Degrees of Madji du Pont

Jyothi M.V. — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:55:03 +0000

This year’s Longines FEI World Endurance Championship at Euston Park in Suffolk, UK saw participation from a total of 152 riders from 38 countries from across the globe, to compete for the gold title. Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum won the gold title becoming the champion of the World Endurance Championships 2012. Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum won the silver and Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri the bronze. The horse that led Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to victory is a 12-year-old French-bred chestnut gelding Madji Du Pont. Madji du Pont is based at the Emirates Stables in Dubai and is trained by endurance horse trainer…

The Six Degrees of Usain Bolt

Jyothi M.V. — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 14:48:13 +0000

Born on 21 August 1986 in Trelawny, Jamaica, The legendary sprinter, Usain Bolt (also known as the Lightning Bolt,) never really took his running seriously and was always interested in cricket and football as a child. On the insistence of his cricket coach he decided to enhance his sprinting abilities and dedicated his time to training for track and field events at school. He was the fastest runner at school. The five-time World champion is the first man ever to bag 6 Olympics gold medals in sprinting. Recently at the 2012 London Olympics, he declared himself “a legend” and “the greatest athlete” to have ever lived after he became the first man to win both 100m and 200m titles, twice in a row, and made a world record in 4x100m (36.84 seconds) relay. He is little hopeful of repeating his win in the 2016 Rio Olympics as he is going to hit his thirties. So, how does Kipp connect this highest paid athlete in track and field to a British fashion designer and a philanthropic organisation. Read on to find out.

The Six Degrees of Ferry Corsten

Jyothi M.V. — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:47:40 +0000

Born on December 4, 1973, Ferry Corsten, who is also known under the alias System F, is a trance music producer, a DJ and remixer. He plays at major music events all over the world and hosts his very own weekly radio show, Corsten’s Countdown. Ferry Corsten will be performing live in Abu Dhabi at the du Forum on Thursday, 28th June 2012, as part of the last Yas Island Show Weekends 2012. He will play hits from his latest fourth studio album WKND. This is not his first time in the region; he has performed at SkyBar at the du Forum in 2010 and at Creamfields Abu Dhabi 2011. So how can Kipp connect this Dutch-born DJ to the UAE National Olympic Committee? Read on to find out.

The Six Degrees of…Robert Fisk

Jyothi M.V. — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:09:24 +0000

The famous British journalist Robert Fisk has been invited to the UAE by the Youth Committee of the Council of the Armenian Community of Dubai and the Northern Emirates, to commemorate the 97^th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Robert Fisk has won more British and international journalism awards than any other foreign correspondent, and has been voted “the International Journalist of the Year” seven times to date.

He is the Middle East correspondent for The Independent, and has been based out of Beirut for over 30 years. Many of his colleagues have accused him of reporting fabricated stories, but Fisk has always denied the accusations.

Fisk has interviewed many historic personalities, including Osama Bin Laden. He was one of the few Western journalists to interview the Al-Qaeda leader, and he even admitted that Bin Laden tried to convert him to Islam.

The Six Degrees of…Matthew Glotzbach

kippreport — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:08:58 +0000

Matthew Glotzbach is in town for the launch of the local UAE YouTube domain. As the managing director of YouTube EMEA, Glotzbach is in charge of strategy, development and management of YouTube’s business and product direction in EMEA. Glotzbach holds a Bachelor degree from Cornell University. Prior to joining Google eight years ago, Glotzbach was a senior member of the management team for the Computer Industry Business Unit at Trilogy. Glotzbach is rather press-friendly and is often seen at conferences including…

The Six Degrees of… the Eagles’ Don Henley

Jyothi M.V. — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:39:38 +0000

The Eagles – Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit – will perform a two-hour concert at 7he Sevens Stadium in Dubai on April 12

Don Henley is the founding member, drummer and song writer of American super-hit band, the Eagles. Going solo, he released his debut album in 1982. His many hits include: “Dirty Laundry”, “The Boys of Summer”, “All She Wants to Do Is Dance”, “The Heart of the Matter”, “The Last Worthless Evening”, “Sunset Grill”, “Not Enough Love in the World”, “New York Minute” and “The End of the Innocence”.

In 2008, he was ranked the 87th greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Recently Don performed alongside Jennifer Hudson, Marc Anthony and other popular artists at the Mahaffey Theater.

The Six Degrees of…George Clooney

kippreport — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:32:56 +0000

This March, there were several activists, Amnesty International supporters and a number of members of the US Congress that were arrested outside Sudan’s embassy in Washington DC, USA. But one person stood out in that particular protest against violence in Sudan. That activist is Hollywood icon George Clooney. The actor, who was arrested with his father, Nick Clooney, used the incarceration as an opportunity to bring awareness to the “man-made” starvation and violence inflicted on hundreds of South Sudanese residents.

The 50-year old is not a new advocate of humanitarian causes. He is involved in a number of charitable organization, including Not On Our Watch and been a staunch advocate of a resolution to the Darfur conflict.

Aside from aspirations of bringing resolve to Africa, Clooney has also highlighted a number of Middle East conflicts. During his visit to the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in 2007, Clooney said he sees his visits as a step towards strengthening Arab/US relations. He attended the premiere of his movie Micheal Clayton at DIFF, which at the time was being chaired by…

The Six Degrees of… Robert Rock

p.deleon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:02:24 +0000

Fans were reportedly loudly humming the theme for the movie “Rocky” at the conclusion of the $2.7 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Ten years ago, he was giving lessons to 18-handicappers in England. And now, Robert Rock, a relative nobody, has become golf’s modern-day Rocky. And who doesn’t cheer for the underdog? This 35-year-old Englishman isn’t new to the UAE, though. He finished 2009 season ranked in the top thirty of Race to Dubai. (And if you should think this makes Tiger Woods into Apollo Creed then that’s up to you but we wouldn’t necessarily think so, especially since Rory McIlroy finished second and Woods finished third.)

The Six Degrees of Kristin Stewart

p.deleon — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:30:24 +0000

This awkward female actor has come to enjoy much fame with the unlikely success of the cliché-filled film series about vampires and twilight. And because Kipp enjoys our self a good eye roll we won’t deny we’ve followed the awful series thus far; which is why we know that the latest installment, “Breaking Dawn” is all set to release in the UAE this weekend. The release has gotten a lot of media attention and Stewart for her part is soaking it all up (in her awkward abrupt manner) making rather strange comments about her love of Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan. Says the pale thing: “Well, I am a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan who is an epitome of romance in Bollywood. (…) And not just Hollywood but I would love to work with him in Bollywood movies too and for that I am also looking forward to learning Hindi.”

Kristen Stewart and Shahrukh Khan, now wouldn’t that be a strange couple—whatever do the two have in common? Well with our powers of deduction, Kipp set out tracing the six degrees that connect the fidgety vampire-to-be to the Bollywood star—and to up the ante, we limited our search to regionally relevant topics and people.

It was a tough enough task. So for our first degree, we draw a connection between the hot and cold, on and off relationship the media has with Kristen Stewart’s romantic relationship with the male lead of the Twilight series, Robert Pattison. Their on-and-off relationship shares a resemblance with one of Dubai’s much anticipated real estate project….

The Six Degrees of…Ola Ghanem

shafeer — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:44:34 +0000

Ola Ghanem is a decorated actress. Born in 1973 and with her birthday coming up in November, this Egypt native has won a couple of Best Actress awards for her role in Sahar Al-Layali. The first award was from the Damascus Film Festival 2003 and the other was for the Paris Biennial of Arab Cinema in 2004.

But her acting prowess isn’t what’s keeping her on the social spotlight these days. Mostly it’s because she has received some backlash from her “provocative choices” in a Ramadan serial called Sharea Abdel Aziz (Abdel Aziz Street), deeming the clips unsuitable for Arab families to watch during the holy month.

It’s too bad that the show has attracted negative publicity. And it’s not just from Ghanem. Her co-star Ramy Waheed had been accused of being too realistic with his heavy hand during the taping of a beating scene with this co-star…

The Six Degrees of…Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Precious de Leon — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:27:37 +0000

This week, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, has received the 15^th Dubai International Holy Quran Award as Islamic Personality of the Year. The Islamic Personality is nominated on the merits of their writings and contributions to the Islamic cause. According to an article in The National, “The president has ordered significant humanitarian contributions in the country and worldwide, including the recent dispatch of 20 tonnes of food by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation to refugee camps in Somalia.”

As the eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa succeeded his father, the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who also received the Islamic Personality of the Year Award in 1999.

According to therichest.org, Sheikh Khalifa is the world’s fourth wealthiest monarch with an estimated wealth of $15billion. He ranks just behind Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is at number three. The world’s richest royal is Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej with his $30 billion wealth while the second richest is Sultan Haji Hassanal Bokiah of Brunei who has $20 billion. Somewhere down the list is this European monarch…

Six Degrees of…Novak Djokovic

Precious de Leon — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:42:21 +0000

Serbian native Novak Djokovic is currently the World’s No. 1 tennis player, ranked by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won three Grand Slam singles titles, the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open championships and the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest player in the open era to have reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam events, separately and consecutively.

Off the court, the 24-year-old was awarded the Order of St. Sava I class in April this year. It is the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church for his support and assistance to the Serbian people, churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija.

With Djokovic voted as the most popular Serbian athlete in 2009 and 2010, he has had several appearances on TV, including as a host in the latest Eurovision. Serbian band Zona B has also dedicated a song entitled The Joker to the champion tennis player.

Djokovic’s Wimbledon win allowed him to end his 7-year battle with this former No. 1 tennis player.

This image was originally posted to Flickr by globalite at http://flickr.com/photos/42774464@N03/5400763093

The Six Degrees of… Martha Stewart

shafeer — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:45:32 +0000

Kipp has fond memories of watching snatches of Martha Stewart’s show on Channel 33 in between shows. From cooking up a storm, to washing mirrors, was there anything Martha couldn’t solve? Wow, did we look up to her…until she was thrown into prison, that is. What? Come on, we had to take at least one stab at her, we couldn’t help ourselves. But regardless of her jailbird status, Kipp still is a fan of The Stewart—she taught us a lot more than any Home-Ec prof ever did, so props to her for that. She was recently in town promoting her show on Fatafeat. While she roamed the streets of Dubai soaking up the culture at Bastikiya and Kibeer Souq, her tour guide was Fatafeat founder…

The Six Degrees of…Diego Maradona

shafeer — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:16:41 +0000

Diego Armando Maradona was born in Argentina but raised in Buenos Aires. He is best remembered for the most infamous goal in World Cup history. For those of you, who surprisingly don’t know the ‘Hand of God’ incident, here’s a low down: It was during the quarter final of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico between Argentina and England. The score was locked at nil-nil six minutes into the second half. Maradona netted the first goal by hitting the ball with his fist into the back of the net—only from the referee’s angle, it could have been his head touching the ball. The referee counted the goal. It took 22 years for Maradona to apologise for what he described at the time as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.”

The latest chapter in his epic story sees him move to Abu Dhabi to coach the Al Wasl Club for an undisclosed sum of money. Rumours about this figure runs between $10 million to $34.5 million annually—if true, this makes Maradona the second highest paid coach in the world next to Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho.

Kipp figures this amount is just about right if Club Chair Marwan Bin Bayat is taking on Maradona more for his star power and media magnetism more than his coaching skills. The move comes right after Maradona left his post coaching the national team for his home country Argentina, failing to bring home last year’s World Cup. Maradona, endorses one player on the national team in particular. And that’s…

The Six Degrees of…Mohanlal

Precious de Leon — Sun, 29 May 2011 15:35:34 +0000

Born Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair, he is simply called Mohanlal or Lalettan by his adoring fans. The sometimes-bad-guy, mostly-good-guy actor is adding another Dubai address to his portfolio as he has recently purchased an apartment at the Burj Khalifa. He reportedly already owns a villa at Dubai’s Arabian Ranches.

Aside from acting, the 51-year-old also owns a restaurant in Dubai called Mohanlal’s Taste Buds. He also has a chain of packed food items under the same brand name.

When Mohanlal moves in, this Bollywood actress will be a neighbour at the world’s tallest building…

The Six Degrees of…Tony Bates

kippreport — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:37:03 +0000

Microsoft’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype –the largest Microsoft has ever made – has put Tony Bates, Skype CEO, into the limelight this week. He is now slated to become the President of Microsoft’s Voice division when the purchase deal clears regulatory hurdles, according to eweekeurope.com.

Although Skype has more than 600 million registered users, the two firms settled on 170 million as a figure for “connected users”, ie those who regularly use the service, using on average more than 100 minutes per month.

The main revenue opportunity mentioned in the conference was advertising. It would be a natural extension for the user experience, suggesting the ads would include media and be a “rich experience,” said Bates, who is an ex-Cisco VP and former Youtube board member.

The deal has Bates doing rounds in the media with this Microsoft executive, who makes Bates look like the nerdy child nobody talks to in class…

The Six Degrees of…Greg Grunberg

shafeer — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:09:48 +0000

Greg Grunberg is fan favorite in the TV series Heroes, as a cop who happens to be a master at mind control. But we’re not featuring him because he’s an actor, it’s because beyond pretending to be a superhero (which doesn’t work in Kipp’s mind unless you have a cape and wear spandex), Greg has been an eye for business and has created a mobile discount coupon app for iPhone and iPod called Yowza!! This of course leads nicely into Apps of Arabia that happened last month.

He says he’s already recouped the $100,000 initial capital he’s put in for the free application, which was nominated—but didn’t win—for the Golden Mouse Awards 2009 for the Number One App of the Year.

The idea came to him when he was at a store once and realized that he’d forgotten his coupons in the car. He was too lazy to go back and get it and wished the coupons could be digitally stored on his phone. And that’s how Yowza!! was born Of course with a little help from software developers, okay a lot of help.

But the actor-slash-drummer-businessman isn’t to blame for the double exclamation point name. That credit goes to his best friend since kindergarten. Film and TV producer…

The Six Degrees of Elie Saab

kippreport — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:06:34 +0000

Google Image ‘Elie Saab’ and you’ll see a search engine catwalk of breathtakingly beautiful gowns, some worn by equally breathtakingly beautiful and popular Hollywood actors and models. Anyone unfamiliar with the story of Saab would assume he’s just another designer who has been schooled in the great fashion houses of Europe. This is far from the truth, however, as Elie Saab is indeed a Lebanese designer who taught himself to sow. He launched his label when he was just eighteen, way back in 1982 but only received worldwide recognition twenty years later when Hollywood actress Halle Berry wore a burgundy dress he designed to the Oscars in which she became the first African-American to win an Oscar. The amount of attention Saab’s creation got after that historic moment was tremendous and celebrities as varied as Beyonce, Elissa, Queen Rania, Princess Victoria of Sweden and Dakota Fanning have worn his creations. Even here, in Dubai, the fascination with the Elie Saab brand has been increasing, especially when Tatweer entered into an agreement with the Lebanese designer to develop a signature hotel in The Tiger Woods resort. Though the project is currently on hold, the deal looked particularly promising in 2008 when Saab shook hands with Tatweer Chairman….

The Six Degrees of… Abbas Kiarostami

kippreport — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:47:45 +0000

Abbas Kiarostami is turning 71 this June 22. Renowned mostly for his direction of films like Taste of Cherry and The Wind Will Carry Us, Kiarostami has also worked extensively as a screenwriter, film editor and photographer, painter and graphic designer.

He has a reputation for using child protagonists, for documentary style narrative films,for stories that take place in rural villages, and for conversations that unfold inside cars, using stationary mounted cameras.

Kiarostami was one of the few directors who remained in Iran after the 1979 revolution, when many of his colleagues fled to the west. He believes that it was one of the most important decisions of his career, stating that his permanent base in Iran and his national identity have consolidated his ability as a filmmaker.

In 2000, at the San Francisco Film Festival, Kiarostami was awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Film Directing, which he had given away to veteran Iranian actor Behrooz Vossoughi for his contribution to Iranian Cinema.

In 2006, The Guardian ranked Kiarostami as the best contempoary non-American film director.

Kipp finds it hard to find fault in this mutli-tasker who’s had his fair share of criticism and praise, especially from one of our favourite directors…

The Six Degrees of…Mark Zuckerberg

kippreport — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:55:19 +0000

As the brain behind Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg had a year filled with milestones and waterloos. With a movie and book made about him, Mark is famous for his personal life and claim to fame as much as the more than half a billion Facebook users he now has access to. That’s right, Kipp readers, if you’re on Facebook, Mark owns you. It’s not a surprise Time includes this 26-year old CEO into the most influential list, after it named him 2010 Person of the Year. The youngest recipient of the title, Mark has friends in high places, including this search engine genius…

The Six Degrees of Abdullah Khalifa Al Kaabi

Samuel Potter — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:53:44 +0000

The UAE film scene is relatively young, but it does have a few jewels to boast of, and Emirati film director Abdullah Al Ka’abi is one of them. Just today Gulf News featured an article on how the young director will have his film “The Philosopher” screened at the Tribeca Film Festival 2011 in New York. The film, which was screened this December at the DIFF, will receive its 16th festival selection counting Tribeca. For his part Al Ka’abi is thrilled. He told Gulf News “After seeing my film, a film expert asked me: ‘Are you really 24? (…) The support has been tremendous. I have been away since December promoting the film but the amount of messages on email and Twitter are humbling indeed and can’t wait to be back home after Tribeca and Cannes.” His film, “The Philosopher” which had a AED1million budget has a noteworthy cast including Hollywood French actor…

The Six Degrees of James Cameron

shafeer — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:00:45 +0000

James Cameron: Kipp isn’t the biggest fan of the man’s films, but we will say one thing: he sure can make ’em. In his career he has managed to master the art of making a blockbuster film with a massive budget and equally massive technological innovations and still draw in crowds of huge proportions. That’s a tough task, as splashing a project with bundles and bundles of cash does not mean the film will be successful (take Sex and The City 2 or The Last Airbender for instance). The reason we are talking about James Cameron is that he will be in the capital this week at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit. Kipp probably won’t be meeting the famed actor but we will, however, try to connect him to an underaged sex worker through the world’s most famous whistle blower – it’s the type of thing we do. So, let’s get this all started: James Cameron, who’s latest blockbuster Avatar won a lot of Oscars, failed to secure the title of best film. That award went to The Hurt Locker, which was, coincidentally, directed by Cameron’s ex-wife…

The Six Degrees of… Usher Usher

kippreport — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:32:05 +0000

Usher Usher, otherwise known as just Usher, will always be Usher Usher to us. It stems from one of his biggest hits, ‘Yeah’, in which someone (him, maybe) says his name several times at the start of the track. Having said that, someone also says “Peace up, A-Town’s Down”, so perhaps we should just ignore it. Anyway here it is, in case you haven’t heard it. We defy you to mention him again without calling him Usher Usher.

Anyway, Usher Usher is on his way to the Middle East. In fact, he’s probably here in Dubai already. He’s got a concert on Thursday night in Dubai’s Media City (right outside Kipp’s window in fact, in the amphitheater. Apparently the event is a sell-out, with a rumoured 12,000 people coming. Kipp is certain that can’t be right, since anyone can see that the amphitheater has an obvious capacity much lower than that. But the sell-out bit seems likely, since it’s all anyone can talk about. There were even rumours early this week that the concert would be cancelled, but organizers have been quick to rubbish them.

For a guy who likes to go around without a shirt on, Usher is apparently into fashion, which could be why he was spotted with…

The Six Degrees of Colin Firth

shafeer — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:31:03 +0000

Colin Firth is certainly the man of the moment, if the shiny new Oscar for Best Actor in his possession is anything to go by. If Kipp is honest we, like everyone else, saw it coming, as Firth did give nothing short of a stellar performance in the historic drama The King’s Speech, in which he portrays King George VI of England as he attempts to overcome a pretty nasty speech impediment. Historic Drama, speech impediment – sounds like Oscar fodder, if you are asking Kipp. But regardless, Firth’s performance is both Oscar worthy and riveting.

Firth is a more popular name around this part of the world because he was one of the more prominent Hollywood stars who attended this year’s DIFF (Dubai International Film Festival), promoting his Oscar winning film, funnily enough. At the festival he rubbed shoulders with some of the big names of Hollywood, Arabic Cinema and a whole bunch of officials including DIFF chairman…

The Six Degrees of… Prince Harry

shafeer — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:07:08 +0000

Ah, Harry. Or, to give him his full name, Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales (presumably really Henry Charles Albert David Windsor). He’s a character, and no mistake. Third in line to the British throne, he’s got a bit of a problem: Dad is next in line, then his brother, so what the heck should he do with himself? His chances of being king are pretty slim. So, as a young man of incredible wealth and privilege, he did what any of us would do: Got himself a smoking hot girlfriend, and partied a lot.

Of course, everyone has to grow up at some stage, and Kipp is pleased to report that Harry now seems to be making a decent fist of life as an adult. He joined the army and served in Afghanistan briefly, which doesn’t meet everyone’s approval, but at least it was borne of a desire to serve his country. His carries out various royal duties, representing the state, and is also involved with numerous charitable initiatives. He’s in the news just now as media reports seem to confirm he’ll be older brother William’s best man at the much-hyped royal wedding in April, and because before that he’ll be in Dubai riding a horse. Apparently he likes riding a horse; in fact he’s big on lots of sports, which could be why he met…

The Six Degrees of Kevin Spacey

shafeer — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:11:28 +0000

Spacey; now if that name isn’t out-of-this-world we don’t what is (sorry, we had to). But why are we focusing a special Six Degrees on him? Apart from having a pretty nifty name and a couple of excellent films under his belt (American Beauty sticks out in our mind), he is also setting up a new theatre project in the Middle East. According to Khaleej Times, The Kevin Spacey Foundation (KSF) will launch the Middle East Theatre Academy. Speaking at the launch, Spacey said “My mentor Jack Lemmon had a phrase that he used all the time, which I’ve now adopted as my own. He believed that if you’ve been successful in your chosen path, then ‘sending the elevator back down’ is your obligation.” So the Hollywood star is all set to send the elevator down in collaboration with the CEO of Crescent Investments…

The Six Degrees of… Lara Dutta

shafeer — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:44:24 +0000

Kipp could win Miss Universe, if it wanted. At least, we could if they would let androgynous electronic business websites form the Middle East take part. Unfortunately they don’t so we’ll have to settle for writing about them. Lara Dutta, for instance, won Miss Universe in 2000. Apparently she was awarded the highest score in that year’s swimsuit competition, and the highest individual score in any category in the history of Miss Universe for the interview round. So she’s clearly not just a clotheshorse.

Born in 1978, she bagged a degree in economics before embarking on her modeling career. Since then she’s pursued a career in Bollywood, with mixed success. Why are we writing about her? According to Gulf News, ahead of her wedding to tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi in February, she was in Dubai this weekend for a bachelorette party. It was hosted by her friend…

The Six Degrees of… Shahrukh Khan

shafeer — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:56:45 +0000

Poor old SRK is in trouble. The squishy faced Bollywood hero is all over the papers in the UAE where it has been revealed that he faces investigation for tax evasion. The suspicions center on a villa on the Palm Jumeirah that he was apparently gifted by one of the local developers. But was it a gift, or was it a payment? India’s Income Tax department says that SRK provided a plug for the developer, so the villa constitutes a payment, making it taxable.

Born in 1965, Khan was a stand-out student at school, winning the the Sword of Honour, an annual award given to the student who best represents the spirit of the school. He attained an economics degree before Bollywood beckoned, and since then his rise has been meteoric.

The villa at the centre of SRK’s current problems was given to him by…

The Six Degrees of… Rafael Nadal

kippreport — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:29:45 +0000

Tennis sensation Rafael Nadal has been in the news for playing rival Roger Federer on a floating court (yes, you read right, a ‘floating’ court – check it out in this video) in the water of Doha Bay as the two kicked off the 2011 ATP World Tour season. Regardless of its setting or seriousness the match was surely a good one for Nadal who was coming off a straight sets win over Federer at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on the first day of this year.

But his recent visit to the Emirates wasn’t his first. In fact, Nadal is no stranger to the country, and he has a surprise connection with Dubai many can only dream of.

In 2008 Nadal not only signed his name onto but also fastened a bolt into the steel construction of the World’s Tallest Tower…

The Six Degrees of Amitabh Bachan

shafeer — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:48:47 +0000

Amitabh Bachchan: This man IS Bollywood. He is worshipped not only in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but worldwide, especially here in the Middle East. And we are not using the word lightly; Kipp knows of people who haven’t washed their hands for weeks after they got the chance to shake his hand. Coming from an unusually low-profile background (especially in the nepotistic industry that is Bollywood), Bachchan’s uncharacteristically tall and lanky frame and somewhat crooked looks have charmed generations Bollywood lovers.

Through the years Bachchan’s activity in the Hindi cinema scene fluctuated, but the marriage of his son Abhishek Bachchan to former Miss World Aiswariya Rai-Bachchan has seen the Big B bounce back into the limelight. Bachchan will be coming to Dubai for what promises to be a jammed packed (not to mention a well-paying) night when he attends the Masala! Awards at Atlantis, The Palm, and the annual Marathi International Film and Theatre Awards on the same night (December 17^th). But Bachchan is no stranger to stress or Dubai for that matter: in fact the last time he was in the Emirate he was awarded a lifetime achievement award during DIFF from none other than…

The Six Degrees of Tony Blair

shafeer — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:25:28 +0000

He is the man of the moment (or so it would seem). Tony Blair paid the UAE a visit as special envoy to the Middle East for the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia. Blair, who served as prime minister for Britain for a decade, stressed the importance of understanding faith on his visit to the Emirates. The National quoted him as saying, “The question is, does religious faith play a negative role, becoming a form of identification as an opposition to people of other faiths, or … a civilising role … helping people come together, live with each other in peace and harmony? That is the single, biggest challenge of our century.” Being envoy to the Middle East, Blair is no stranger to the region: in particular, he is said to have developed an especially close relationship with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of UAE…

The Six Degrees of Tom Cruise

Eva Fernandes — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:21:55 +0000

Probably best known for his couch jumping antics on The Oprah Winfrey Show and least known for his more sober real name (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV), Tom Cruise has been in the local news repeatedly over the past few weeks as star-crazy residents report their attempts to get a glimpse of the Hollywood actor as he films Mission Impossible 4 in Dubai. But climbing the Burj Khalifa isn’t the only reason fans are crazy about him; Tom Cruise has a series of Hollywood blockbusters under his belt including Minority Report, Collateral, Rain Man, Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky. His on-screen performances aren’t the only basis of his celebrity: Cruise’s rather public personal life has caught the attention of many. From his decade long marriage to Nicole Kidman, his brief affair with Penelope Cruz, his conversion to scientology and his over-publicized marriage to Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise is no stranger to the gossip magazines. When he first arrived in Dubai, Cruise was greeted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and his son…

The Six Degrees of Julian Assange

shafeer — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:01:26 +0000

Julian Assange once again seems to be the man of the moment, or so it would seem thanks to the latest release from internet whistle-blower website Wiki Leaks. The latest leak reveals comprises around 400,000 documents that implicate the US military had knowledge of Iraqi civilian abuse carried out by Iraqi forces.

Wiki leaks spokesman and editor in chief Julian Assange is an Australian computer programmer, hacker, and internet activist who has a preference for keeping his private life private—a choice he drew world attention to when he refused to answer questions about his personal life on CNN. He walked out of an interview with CNN anchor…

The Six Degrees of… Randi Zuckerberg

shafeer — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:48:01 +0000

As if her surname doesn’t give it away, Randi Zuckerberg is a big part of Facebook. The Director of Market Development for the social networking mega-site will speak at the Global Leaders Summit at this year’s GITEX. She’ll touch upon on the evolution of her brother’s brain child and will give tips on how companies can get in on the new-ish world of social media. It’s the thirtieth ever GITEX, and in Zuckerberg they have a speaker who is no stranger to major conferences; she last spoke during the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Given her business association and her surname, it should come as no surprise to Kipp readers that our first degree for Randi is…

The Six Degrees of Sheikh Omar Bin Saqr Al Qassimi

kippreport — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:28:32 +0000

Sheikh Omar Bin Saqr Al Qassimi is smiling again. The causalities of the financial crisis are abundant – quite unlike the success stories of the post crisis recovery. Meet the anomaly: RAK Airways. Two years after they had frozen passenger services, RAK Airways CEO Sheikh Omar Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, announced yesterday RAK Airways would be re-launching their services.

Apart from his activities with RAK Airlines, RAK Bank (he’s chairman there, too) and all other things RAK, Sheikh Al Qassimi helped develop the infrastructure for the 33rd America’s Cup, which was to be held in Ras Al Khaimiah in early 2010 before it was moved to Valenica, Spain. During the initial set-up, Sheikh Omar met with several yacht owners including Swiss-Italian billionaire and entrepreneur…

The Six Degrees of Eric Schmidt

kippreport — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:43:52 +0000

In tech circles, Schmidt is of course a well-known name. You couldn’t take a key role with Google and not be. In his case, he’s pretty much the top dog – chairman of the board and CEO.

Schmidt hit the headlines this month when he announced that people could soon be forced to change their names to escape their online past. “I don’t believe society understands what happens when everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time… I mean we really have to think about these things as a society,” he said.

Schmidt was formerly Chairman and CEO at Novell Technology, and before that Chief Technology Officer at Sun Microsystems. He’s armed with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton and a Masters and Ph. D from Berkeley.

As Google CEO his job is to help make sure the digital giant stays ahead, a responsibility mirrored by his counterpart at Sony…

The Six Degrees of Andrew Flintoff

kippreport — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:27:43 +0000

“Flintoff is box office – and the sponsors know it,” the BBC said about the famed cricketer whose name and face are synonymous with big name endorsements like Barclay’s Capital, Shell, and Audi. The 32-year old sensation is well known for a style of play that won him the “joint-most expensive Indian Premier League contract and a place in English folklore,” according to cricket analysts. But times are tough for “Freddie.” Having moved to Dubai (where he acts as “ambassador, promoting its importance as a centre for tourism and sport”) to recoup from injury, his efforts to return to cricket have suffered yet another blow with the recent news that he will play no cricket this season, despite his hopes of a return. Some doubt he’ll ever be back, but if he does, maybe he’ll manage a high profile move with the help of well heeled contacts like…

Six Degrees of Wadih El Safi

kippreport — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:48:18 +0000

His classical influences and rich baritone voice earned him international acclaim as the “Voice of Lebanon.” Wadih El Safi, classically trained at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music, is famous for his unique brand of folk music that draws on poetic influences to inspire love of country, romance, and morality. He is known for uniquely combining techniques derived from formal musical training, with the passionate and compelling influences from his upbringing in the rural countryside of Lebanon. The result is thematically rich music that incorporates pastoral inspirations from his countryside village, along with poetry and traditional folk music. He is a Lebanese musical icon that has inspired and influenced audiences for generations, and his work continues to influence superstar musicians from the region like…

Six Degrees of… Rupert Murdoch

kippreport — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:21:57 +0000

Rupert Murdoch is best grouped with those billionaires and financial institutions whose profiles are so imposing, they gave rise to the phrase, “too big to fail.” And if the name doesn’t ring a bell, his high profile assets certainly will: Via his company News Corp he owns or controls Fox Broadcasting, 20^th Century Fox TV, B Sky B, New York Post, The Times, Sunday Times, News of the World, to name just a few.

His salary last year was a staggering $20 million according to Forbes – plus or minus a mere 100 grand – and his assets might be regarded as the nearest thing to a toolkit for influencing the free world you can get.

Murdoch has variously directed, chaired, and served as CEO for some of the most influential news organizations in the world – News International, FEG, DIRECTV, China Netcom Group Corp, and the Associated Press.

And that’s a mighty stout resume for a man on close personal terms with…

Six Degrees of Steve Jobs

kippreport — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:18:42 +0000

He may be the world’s most famous – and certainly one of the wealthiest – college dropouts: Forbes valued his business empire at a cool $5 billion this year.

Steve Jobs is the iconic and charismatic CEO of Apple, and his iTunes, Pads, and Phones are now ubiquitous. Stylish and sleek, they have garnered a cult following of Apple geeks around the world. Jobs’ Apple empire has attracted the attention of royals, holy men, and tech-savvy counterparts, like the prominent CEO…

Six Degrees of Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem

shafeer — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:19:56 +0000

The Times of London called Bin Sulayem a “business big shot” – the fifty-something sultan with a US education and the CV of a globetrotting mover and shaker. Today, he’s the head guy at Dubai World, but just starting out, he began his career as a customs official in Dubai.

It was a fortuitous beginning for the Sultan, it seems. While serving as a customs official, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is reported to have asked Bin Sulayem what he thought of the concept of a free trade zone. When the Sultan replied that it sounded like a good idea, the Sheikh made him the head of one. “Me and my big mouth,” he has joked since. On his stellar rise from customs official to adviser to the ruler of Dubai, Bin Sulayem has constructed a very powerful network of associates, including…

Six degrees of Angela Merkel

shafeer — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:45:41 +0000

A physicist from provincial East Germany holds the reigns of the euro zone in her hands. Call her the brains behind the operation, and you won’t miss the mark. Angela Merkel earned a doctorate in Physics before going on to work as a chemist in east Berlin. At the age of 36, Merkel reportedly became involved in the nascent democracy movement following the fall of the Berlin Wall. A year later, she joined the Christian Democrat party, traditionally the province of Catholics from West Germany.

The protestant woman secured a place for herself in the CDU, analysts contend, when she broke publically with former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, calling for his resignation when he was snagged in a financial impropriety scandal. Analysts say she is better characterized by pragmatism and compromise than ruthlessness, however. She was elected as Germany’s first female Chancellor in 2005, a position once held by…

The Six Degrees of… Riad Salameh

shafeer — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:03:39 +0000

Riad Salameh is the celebrated governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank. He is widely credited with charting a careful course for Lebanese fiscal policy during a 17-year tenure that has witnessed years of extraordinary upheaval – including political assassinations, war, and a complex system of sectarian politics. Salameh’s far-sighted monetary policy has garnered international recognition for contributing to economic stability in a politically turbulent Lebanon.

Born in Antelias, Lebanon in 1950, Salameh is charged with preserving and maintaining stability of the Lebanese currency, in order to ensure social and economic vibrancy.

He was honored in 2006 as the Best Central Bank Governor in the world, and received a Euromoney award for his fiscal guidance during the Israel-Hizbullah conflict.

One of his important diplomatic contacts is…

Mohamed ElBaradei

kippreport — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:05:46 +0000

As former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN, ElBaradei jointly won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to ensure the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

A trained lawyer, ElBaradei holds a doctorate in international law from New York University School of Law, where he served as an adjunct law professor. In 1980 he left Egypt’s Diplomatic Service to join the UN as a senior fellow in charge of the international law program.

Born in Cairo in 1942, his career as a civil servant, diplomat, and scholar connects him to some of the world’s most influential people. And speculation is growing that he will challenge Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for that country’s highest seat. One of his many supporters in this is…

Rupert Murdoch

kippreport — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:20:17 +0000

Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, is currently attending the three-day Abu Dhabi Media Summit; his company’s subsidiary, Fox International Channels, has just announced major plans for expansion in the emirate.

Murdoch, who will celebrate his 79th birthday on Thursday, is credited with having built one of the most successful media empires in the world; News Corp had total annual revenues of around $30 billion as of December 31 2009.

Murdoch’s empire comprises the Fox movie studio and TV network, satellite TV operations, more than 100 newspapers and an internet division that includes social networking site MySpace. It is spread across the globe, predominantly in the US, Europe, Australia, Asia and Latin America.

The media mogul depends on many entertainers to keep his revenues rolling, and one of the famous celebrities, who enjoys three shows on Fox is …

Hans Blix

kippreport — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:09:37 +0000

Hans Blix has come out of retirement – again. It was announced earlier this week that the former UN nuclear watchdog head is to lead an advisory board for the UAE’s fledgling nuclear power program. The 81-year-old Swedish national will chair the UAE’s International Advisory Board – which will meet twice a year. The intention of the body is to “provide the UAE nuclear program with the expertise and knowledge of a highly select group of internationally recognized experts,” according to a government statement.

The UAE hopes to become the first Arab country to harness peaceful atomic power, in an AED150 billion program that will see the first of four reactors operational by 2017. Blix’s International Advisory Board will follow a spirit of ‘openness’, in order to emphasize the ‘peaceful’ element of the nuclear program.

Blix headed the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1981 to 1997. But in 2000, he was asked to come out of retirement to become the UN arms inspector for Iraq. The phone call came from…

(Photograph of Hans Blix be Dean Calma/IAEA Image Bank)