'Dubai Idol'

• Image Credit: Courtesy: Hari M. Varrier
• Western Union Camp Ka Champ, the singing contest popularly known as Dubai Idol within the South Asian expatriate community, has begun

Dubai: The new season of a singing contest for labourers, dubbed “Dubai Idol”, has begun, expecting to draw 3,000 workers.

Season Seven of “Western Union Camp Ka Champ [Champ of the Camp]” will cover over 15 companies and 80 labour accommodations in all the seven emirates of the UAE. Over 3,000 labourers are expected to take part in the auditions.

The contest sees blue-collar workers belt out Bollywood and other Hindi and Urdu songs as amateur singers.

The first leg of the auditions was held in the first week of July at various labour facilities in Dubai and Sharjah. The main auditions will be held from Wednesday onwards. The nearly four-month-long contest, free for all workers, will culminate in a two-member team being crowned “Champ of the Camps” for 2013 at the finals in October.

ETA Group, a UAE-based conglomerate, has won the contest for the last four consecutive years, and is in the running for a record fifth consecutive win.

Western Union Camp Ka Champ has grown manifold since its first season in 2007, which had just three companies and four facilities participating.