The annual "House of Talent" exhibition will feature unique works of 250 creative women from the UAE as well as from outside at the Dubai World Trade Centre from March 15 to 21. Organised as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival, House of Talents 2001 will be held across 70 rooms at the venue in a traditional Arabian setting.

Najwa Al Rahma, Dubai Shopping Festival coordinator for the House of Talents exhibition, said: "This year, we have reproduced a huge traditional house and divided it into four villas having 70 rooms. "Each room is furnished in a different style, depending on the items displayed there. There are replicas of dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, majlis, etc."

The design of the venue has been made to resemble a traditional house from outside, but inside the exhibits reflect the Emarati lifestyle, while at the same time celebrating modern progress. Rahma said more than 250 women will be taking part in the exhibition, including participants from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Yemen and Bahrain.

Some of the women will take part in a workshop to be held alongside the exhibition. "The emphasis this year is on quality, and the exhibition reflects its transformation into a prestigious event that attracts thousands of visitors," said Rahma. "The new look visitors will see this year has been made possible by a dedicated team of young girls who will also be there at the exhibition site to ensure its success."

House of Talents will host five fashion shows, poetry sessions, workshops and a mini-bazaar to sell smaller items and knick-knacks. Among the facilities will be a creche and gift-wrapping service. The items will be reasonably priced. A few of the items will be for display only, not for sale.

"The exhibits were selected by a panel of judges comprising women from all walks of life," said Rahma. "They took great pains to choose the works on merit." Al Onud Abdulrahman, one of the judges, said: "I was surprised by the high standards of most of the exhibits. We had a tough time deciding which ones to drop out. However, we did find quite a few which did not come up to the mark."