Dubai Idol tunes up labour camps

The singing contest for the thousands of people living in workers' camps in the Gulf emirate will stage its first auditions on July 3, local media reported on Sunday.

Workers from five companies and living in more than 50 camps will take part in auditions for the third edition of Western Union Camp Ka Champ, whose title means "Champ from the Camp", according to the reports.

"The contest was developed to give labour camp residents an opportunity to discover their singing talent," the paper said, citing organisers.

Dubai is home to thousands of workers, mainly from southeast Asia, who formed the backbone of the emirate's six-year real estate boom from 2002 to 2008.

Rupa Vinod, managing director of Right Track Advertising, which runs the contest, will tour the camps in the city's industrial zones, such as Jebel Ali and Al Quoz, to conduct auditions and shortlist candidates, the reports said.

The best performers will be selected by a jury and through workers' votes sent via text messages.

"When we started in 2007, we faced initial resistance from the camps. It was a challenge to get people to come forward and be part of this contest," Vinod said.

"However, each year the interest levels and response from the camps are increasing," she said.

Informally known as "Dubai Idol", the competition will run for eight weeks until September and the winners of the quarter-finals will make it to the semis in a show for an audience of more than 3,000 people.