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Emirati gets 'Oscar of Magic' for second time
Dr. Montaser Al Mansouri,
Emirati National Dr. Montaser Al Mansouri has been awarded the Merlin Award for Magic, also known as the ‘Oscar of Magic,’ for the second time, making him the first Arab magician to receive two consecutive Merlin Awards despite the difficult conditions and criteria.
The Merlin Award for Magic is instituted by the US-based International Magicians Society (IMS), with the UAE and Lebanon being the only two Arab countries to obtain membership of the society. Past recipients of the award include leading magicians and experts in magic arts around the world, such as David Copperfield and other distinguished magicians, and the award holds significant moral value.
A grand ceremony to honour Al Mansouri was held at the Emirates Park Zoo in the Bahia region in Abu Dhabi, where he usually enthrals visitors with his magic performances. Tony Hassini, Chairman and CEO of the IMS, flew in for the ceremony to hand over the award to the proud recipient, who received the first award last year in May.
Major General Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, owner of the Emirates Park Zoo, praised the higher leadership for its prominent role in providing moral support to the creative citizens of the UAE. He emphasised that the state spares no effort or fund in order to support creative talents in all areas.
Dr. Al Mansouri expressed his thanks to Major General Al Nuaimi for his kind patronage and support for the event; and for attending the award ceremony in the park which belongs to everyone. Finally, he expressed his happiness to obtain this second Oscar, following the one he received in May 2012.
Al Mansouri, who has given more than 70,000 performances in the last 25 years, promised his audience a big surprise at the Emirates Park Zoo on December 2, the UAE National Day. “This surprise, which will astonish everyone, stems from his appreciation and love for the UAE,” he said without revealing further details.
Addressing the audience during the ceremony, Al Nuaimi expressed his pleasure for Dr Montaser’s unique achievement. “The exciting and wonderful performances presented by Dr. Al Mansouri have filled with joy the hearts of all visitors of the zoo, which worthily succeeded in developing the infrastructure of all areas, including tourism and entertainment,”he said.
He pointed out that the Emirates Park Zoo actively contributes to the spreading of joy for citizens and residents alike. “We are proud of our Emirati National who deservedly succeeded in leading this area of recreation. This confirms that the UAE’s young citizens are unique and creative and they are also capable of expressing gratitude to their homeland through their achievements and unique innovations,”he added.
For his part, IMS’ Hassini expressed his happiness for this unprecedented achievement; pointing out that Dr. Al Mansouri’s name is officially registered in the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He noted that Al Mansouri is one of the best experts in this field in the Middle East region, and has presented more than 280 distinguished performances in the UAE in just two months, and he was given this prestigious award for the second consecutive time.
He pointed out that the Merlin Academy Award was given for the first time to Canadian Doug Cambage in 1968, and the Merlin Award statue was given to over 100 winners worldwide by 2013. Mansouri is the first magician to win this award in the Arab world.