Sony Ericsson took sixth place in the re-launched guide, taking joint top honors in the Products category, scoring maximum points for energy efficiency of its phones, its advice to users, and its targets to increase their efficiency. The guide also reveals that the company came close to scoring maximum points for the avoidance of hazardous substances in its products – a key indicator in corporate environmental commitment.

Following the release of the guide, Spyridon Gousetis, Head of Marketing Middle East and Africa, Sony Ericsson said: “Sony Ericsson is a lifestyle company and our products are targeted across various consumer groups. Environmental awareness however is something which many of our user’s priorities, an attitude which is increasingly evident especially in our younger customers who are becoming more and more concerned with climate related issues.”

Sony Ericsson’s ‘GreenHeart’ initiative is the company’s commitment to making mobile phones environmentally friendly throughout their entire life cycle. The unique green technology has been integrated into the recently launched Xperia neo smartphone, with future models also set to comprise energy efficient design and components.

Sony Ericsson also scored on Energy, taking most points for its targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its internal activities by 20 percent by 2015. In addition, the company was recognised in the Sustainable Operations category for its chemicals management policy and programme that has been highlighted by its work with suppliers to discourage the use of restricted substances.

Gousetis added: “Everybody is trying their best to go green, the global green initiative is gaining significant traction and this has brought a new dimension to the way products are manufactured. For instance, to take laptops as an example, if laptop manufacturers only used recycled aluminum it would take 90% less energy to make the same machine, and the energy saved would be enough to power the laptop for two years.”

Further demonstrating its commitment to the Green Cause, Sony Ericsson has signed into a number of significant framework agreements helping endorse its Green Heart initiative.  Such agreements include the United Nations Copenhagen Communique, a framework designed to tackle climate change.

In another example to the company’s alternative energy policy, in Sweden all the electricity used by Sony Ericsson comes from renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower, and represents approximately 53% (previously 40% in 2009) of the total electricity used in all Sony Ericsson office sites.

Abu Dhabi-UAE:8  February , 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced its Earth Observation and Environmental Remote Sensing (EO-ERS) laboratory has produced an animated clipping on the evolution and the urban expansion of Abu Dhabi City over the past 25 years.

Accessible on http://youtu.be/8gErC_tRAiY, the animation marks one of the projects by EO-ERS at Masdar Institute to capture various stages of the growth of the emirate. The satellite data used for this animation was provided by NASA and the US Geological Survey Department (USGS).

The EO-ERS laboratory at Masdar Institute is currently involved in several research projects focusing on developing new satellite-based tools to forecast, detect and monitor different environmental hazards in the UAE and the GCC region. Its research activities include coastal water quality monitoring from space; solar and wind potential mapping; real time dust detection; land cover monitoring; and thermal mapping of urban areas.

The EO-ERS lab is directed by Dr. Hosni Ghedira and presently includes a team of 3 postdoctoral researchers, one IT engineer and seven research assistants. Dr. Ghedira is also an Associate Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering at Masdar Institute. Before moving to the UAE, Dr. Ghedira spent six years at the City University of New York as an Assistant Professor and Research Associate Professor. He also acted as director of the Environmental Remote Sensing and Image Processing Laboratory at the NOAA Cooperative Remote Sensing Science & Technology Center in New York for more than four years.

The EO-ERS lab at Masdar Institute has been recently selected by NASA as one of seven global pre-launch test sites for a new Earth observation satellite SMAP, which is scheduled to be launched by NASA in 2014 (smap.jpl.nasa.gov). In collaboration with NASA, EO-ERS will jointly run a four-year pilot study on airborne dust estimation for this new satellite mission. The lab has its own satellite receiving station that receives real time satellite data from NASA and European Space Agency satellites as well as state-of-the-art software packages for satellite data processing and analysis.

Established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change.

Dubai, UAE: As part of its latest initiative to facilitate the growth of entrepreneurship, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) for providing financial services to small and medium enterprises in the Emirate.

The signing ceremony, held at the Dubai Chamber premises on Wednesday, was attended by H.E. Hamad Buamim, Director General, Dubai Chamber, and Mr Saif Al Shehhi, Senior General Manager, Domestic Banking Division, NBAD, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.

Under the terms of the MoU, Dubai Chamber and NBAD will cooperate to foster the growth of SMEs operating in the Emirate by providing finance facilities of up to USD 100 million to the Chamber’s members from the SME sector. Besides offering competitive rates and tariffs and a speedy service involving granting of loans within three working days, the bank will also offer assistance in managing and utilisation of finances, better understanding of repayment, collection and recovery programmes, as well as business progress reviews to the representatives of small and medium enterprises.

Commenting on the signing of the MoU, H.E. Buamim said: “The signing of this agreement with NBAD to support the financing of SMEs is very timely as the sector is underserved by the financial services industry and this partnership will allow us to be accessible to small businesses while providing liquidity to the sector drive to the overall growth of entrepreneurship in the Emirate. The service can benefit our members who reached by the end of January 2012 over 130 thousand members. Initially, during the first year of its launch, the scheme is expected to benefit more than 1,000 companies belonging to Dubai Chamber members.”

H.E. Buamim informed that SMEs make up over 90% of businesses in Dubai and the UAE’s total bank lending of 3.85% to SME’s is lowest than other countries of the world although the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP is 30-35%, therefore the need is to support the financing of this sector which is one of the most important economic sectors in Dubai. This initiative will not only encourage higher levels of trade but will also serve as an incentive for new companies to set up business in Dubai while boosting the overall performance of the sector, His Excellency added.

The Director General of Dubai Chamber informed that on its part, Dubai Chamber will facilitate meetings between NBAD and its members from SMEs looking for financial assistance. His Excellency further stressed that Dubai Chamber has initiated the SME Exporter of the Month award, which rewards trading firms who have achieved exceptional performance during a specific time. He also said that Dubai Chamber has earlier organized a financing roundtable and regularly offers mediation, arbitration and legal services as well as business networking opportunities to the SME sector and over

In 2011 NBAD significantly increased its SME-exclusive services and products.

“Small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs are a major contributor to economic growth in any economy,” said Saif Al Shehhi, the Senior General Manager of Domestic Banking Division of NBAD. “Since its inception in 1968, NBAD has been playing a significant and leading role in the economic and social development of the UAE, and NBAD believes boosting entrepreneurship would advance significantly the economic growth of the UAE and achieving the objectives of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, which sets the blueprint for developing Abu Dhabi into a world destination for tourism and commerce.”

NBAD has opened nine Business Banking Centres in Abu Dhabi’s Mina, Corniche, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi Industrial City, Al Ain, and Sharjah and in Dubai’s Jebel Ali and Sheikh Zayed Road and Bur Dubai. NBAD plans to have 14 business banking centres throughout the UAE by the first quarter in 2012.

“We are pleased to launch a partnership with Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the most significant business enablers in the Emirate of Dubai,” said Haitham AlRefaie, the Head of Business Banking Group at NBAD. “The SME sector is an important engine of growth but it is still underserved by the financial services industry, this is why we partnered with Dubai Chamber to expand entrepreneurs’ access to NBAD.”

The products NBAD has launched include three new current accounts. NBAD also launched Business Rent Finance, which offers short term loan to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to cover their rent expenses. NBAD has also launched Visa Business Credit Card, that has no annual fee and its other special features include up to 50 days interest-fee grace period, travel insurance up to US$150,000, pre-set limits on individual cards, access to cash, consolidated payments as well as special offers and discounts. The card can offer a credit limit from AED20,000 up to AED500,000.

“Our approach is to be accessible to SMEs and we are achieving this through opening business banking centres and by our partnerships to expand our geographical reach,” Al Refaie said.

Dubai, UAE, 8 February 2012: Abu Dhabi Municipality and Ruud Lighting Arabia were the standout winners at the Middle East Electricity Awards, taking home the Project of the Year Award for their joint collaboration on the Salaam Street and Tunnel project in the UAE capital.

Contested by 29 departments, teams and organisations across six different categories, the awards were a new addition to Middle East Electricity, which opened yesterday (7 February) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and concludes tomorrow (9 February).

Ruud Lighting Arabia supplied the municipality with 5,016 interior zone LED luminaires which were installed along the 2.6km Salaam Street Tunnel to replace existing High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights. The new fixtures reduce energy consumption by 60 per cent and deliver 80,000 of burning hours compared to 10,000 burning hours of the incumbent HPS fixtures.

Other notable winners of the evening included global leaders in power and automation technologies ABB Power for their ‘ABB Transmission & Distribution’ project in the CSR Initiative of the Year category; and CIMCON Software for their ‘LightingGale Intelligent Streetlight Management System’ in the Best Innovation or Technology of the Year category.

CIMCON’s LightingGale is an automated, intelligent street light management system that automatically adjusts lighting for traditional and LED lights where and when it is needed, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30 per cent and saving 50 per cent on maintenance costs.

Terry Willis, Managing Director of the Middle East branch for the Energy Industries Council UK, and one of the judges of the awards said: “The Middle East Electricity Awards are an excellent reference to highlight some of the outstanding contributions that are being made within the power sector of the energy industry across the region.

“It is an opportunity to showcase what is going on and how latest technologies are being implemented to meet the ever-increasing demands for excellence within the power community, both from a provider as well as a consumer perspective. The quality of entrants this year was equally as diverse as they were excellent.”

The Middle East Electricity Award winners

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler, Middle East Electricity is firmly established as the world’s leading power event.  The exhibition features more than 1,000 exhibitors showcasing the latest cutting edge innovations, solutions, products and services in the power, lighting, renewable, nuclear and water sectors.

Organised by Informa Exhibitions, Middle East Electricity 2012 is the partner event to Power + Water Middle East in Abu Dhabi, Power Nigeria in Abuja and Africa Electricity in Johannesburg.

His fifteen-year career in business education services, combined with his extensive consultancy experience, will be invaluable as he leads the QFBA to the next stage of it development. His wide consultancy experience has included work on organizational structure, strategic planning and implementation management, and leading think-tank processes of reengineering systems.

Dr Al Horr is the recipient of several awards, such as the State Award in the field of education and the Ali Bin Abdulla International Award.

Dr. Abdulazziz Al Horr commented: “I am delighted to be appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA), particularly at such an exciting time in the development of the financial services sector in Qatar. I am very much looking forward to helping the QFBA fulfil its mission of educating and training financial services professionals in Qatar in order to meet the demands of the current and future global business environment. This is particularly important in light of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 which recognises the importance of the continuing development of the financial services sector. I am privileged to be working alongside a senior management and leadership team drawn from prestigious learning and corporate backgrounds around the world as we look to develop the important role which the QFBA can play.”

Shashank Srivastava, Acting CEO at the QFC Authority said: “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Abdulazziz Al Horr as Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Finance and Business Academy or QFBA. He brings with him a wealth of regional and local experience within the business education services sector combined with a strong consultancy background. I have no doubt that he will be a great asset to the QFBA in its mission to educate and develop the skills of the next generation of Qatar’s finance professionals. This is critical as we continue to build a competitive, modern financial services sector in Qatar fitting to the country’s needs in the twenty-first century.”

Leading the company’s delegation at IPTC, Ghanim Al-Kuwari, Qatargas’ Chief Operating Officer - Administration, states, “Qatargas is pleased to attend this important industry conference which will provide a key platform to address technical and business issues that challenge oil and gas professionals. The conference will particularly report on overarching industry matters such as safety, the environment, security, human relation and training. IPTC will enable us to share our experiences of best practices, our state-of-the-art technology and our innovation, with industry peers from across the global LNG value chain.”

A part of the Qatargas delegation is Abdelkader Haouari, Qatargas Offshore Operations Manager who has been invited to co-chair two sessions during the conference week.

The first session, on day two of the conference, is titled ‘LNG Prospects and Technologies’. This session will relate to the international LNG prospects, natural gas reserves of Middle East, India as a market for natural gas, managing the gas export manifold to ensure gas deliverability, strategic approaches to new growth challenges of LNG, energy optimisation of LNG terminals and Floating LNG. The second session is on day three and is titled ‘Improving the Operational Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Performance’.

In response of this he states, “Representing Qatargas, I’m pleased to be associated with these two important technical sessions of the conference, which can offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise to all delegates.”

An exhibition is also being held on the sidelines of the conference, in which Qatargas is participating as part of the Qatar Petroleum pavilion and sponsoring an element of the delegate session breaks at the conference. Visitors will be able to receive first-hand information regarding Qatargas and its activities from Qatargas personnel at the stand as well as information regarding potential career opportunities at Qatargas.

Abu Dhabi - Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 – 2011 was more than just another year for Al Rahba Hospital, as the hospital managed to achieve milestones that covered many aspects. From unit expansions, addition of new sections, introducing cutting edge technologies, launching awareness campaigns, organizing conferences and forums, all the way to increasing the local workforce and offering training programs, Al Rahba Hospital has ended 2011 with an array of activities, events and announcements that positioned the hospital as a leading healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

In terms of expansions and section additions, Al Rahba hospital expanded its ICU and NICU rooms by adding 27 new rooms (10 ICU, 17 NICU), 2 new VIP suites and a specially designed play room for children. In the clinics section, the Ophthalmology clinic was reopened offering the best of medical services and operated by world renowned doctors and a dedicated Cardiology Clinic was inaugurated in response to the rising incidence of heart disease in the UAE.

“In 2011, we have managed to achieve many of our set objectives with regards to the hospital expansion and addition of new clinics,” said Mr. Timothy Dentry, CEO of Al Rahba Hospital. “The ICU and NICU expansion will help us aid more patients and ensure they receive the best quality of healthcare services.”

Within the past year, Al Rahba Hospital has organized a number of initiatives, campaigns and events including the 2nd Women’s Health Conference, the community town hall meeting (Mas’aool Intiative), the child injury prevention campaign, Osteoporosis, Diabetes and breast cancer awareness campaigns. Training programs for the hospital’s staff were also a key highlight of 2011 including the disaster preparedness training program that was held during December to enhance the capacity and capability of Al Rahba employees in a standardized and integrated approach.  Moreover, Al Rahba hospital organized its first professional lab day where it highlighted the lab processes and educated the public on one of the most essential phases of medical processes.

“Last year was a phenomenal one for Al Rahba Hospital as we focused our efforts on strengthening our bonds with the society and among our staff,” added Mr. Dentry. “Our awareness campaigns and training programs were widely recognized by the patients, visitors and staff members and created more channels of interaction and opinion exchange. This year, we are planning to increase our outreach programs and highlight many medical issues that can - if prevented- save many lives.”

Al Rahba hospital was also present in many of the yearly occasions such as the UAE’s 40th National day, Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr, Hijri New Year and many other celebrations. The events that took place gathered more than 5000 patients collectively and indicated the tireless efforts of the hospital staff to interact with the society and get closer to the patients and visitors on a more personal level.

The hospital was also part in the nationwide campaign to increase national workforce, and in line with this campaign and SEHA’s initiative, “Intilaqa”, Al Rahba hospital increased its national workforce by 30 employees in the last quarter of 2011 and offered management and medical training programs that contributed effectively to increasing the expertise and skills of those employees.  

“During this year, our focus will be more on increasing national workforce by recruiting and training locals in various hospital departments,” added Mr.  Dentry. “2012 promises to be a year of success and prosperity and we are confident that the management, staff and  everyone who works at Al Rahba Hospital will give his/her best to ensure that we offer nothing but the best of medical and healthcare services to the patients of Abu Dhabi.”

Abu Dhabi’s Al Rahba Hospital is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA) and managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International.

Abu Dhabi, 8 February 2012:- Emirates Motor Company (EMC), Mercedes-Benz Authorized General Distributor in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and the flagship company of Al Fahim Group is pleased to be the Platinum Sponsor of the 2012 Abu Dhabi Bride Show and is offering a lucky bride-to-be a one week getaway in the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLS.

In his speech at the press conference of the Bride Show, General Manager Mr. Kamal Rafih of EMC commented, “EMC is proud to endorse this event as it brings together the lovely ladies of Abu Dhabi under one roof. As part of our corporate social responsibility initiatives and in line with the Mercedes-Benz tradition, we happily support activities which relate to fashion and which remind us of the significant role women play in our society.”

Mr. Rafih further commented that EMC’s training instructor, Mr. Marlon Robel, will be conducting basic vehicle safety training exclusively for ladies. “It is vital for every woman to be aware of how her car works, how she can minimize risks while driving and how to react during an emergency”.

At the Bride Show event beginning this week on 8 February 2012, EMC will be displaying the stunning Mercedes-Benz CLS at their stand as well as a selection of Mercedes-Benz premium accessories. “In 2011 we noticed a surge in our CLS sales compared to the old model especially in our female customer segment. This positions the CLS as one of the top three most popular Mercedes-Benz models with ladies,” Mr. Rafih continued.

To further strengthen their relationship with the public, EMC  will be awarding a one week getaway in a CLS to a lucky bride-to-be in a raffle during the event. “A wedding is an important event for a bride and we wish to be part of this memorable day by making her feel even more special.” Another raffle will be taking place during the show where EMC will also be raffling off a weekend test drive of the CLS and an elegant Mercedes-Benz watch to a lucky visitor of the show.

The company, situated at Stand 7E10, will be displaying products from its entire range of Energy and Instrumentation, Copper, and Connect divisions. A key addition to Ducab offerings at MEEE this year will come from Ducab HV, a venture that brings global best practices in the manufacture of high voltage cables and products to the UAE, and covers the highest voltages in use within the GCC. Ducab HV offers excellent quality, stringently tested alternatives to imports, and ensures that utility providers and contractors can source vital energy infrastructure cables from a local supplier.

Senior decision-makers, including Ducab’s Managing Director and General Managers will be present at the event to interact with customers, partners and other stakeholders, as Ducab uses MEEE as a launch pad to introduce new products and to meet with customers.

Ducab will be introducing its new breed of flexible cables, designed for indoor wiring applications where cables are subjected to lateral stresses by kinking and twisting, such as when connecting handheld equipment, e.g. power drills and hand grinders.  The company will also be introducing a new range of cables ‘FLAMBICC’, the fire-resistant cables ideal for residential and industrial use where safety is a primary concern.

Ducab will also be unveiling a range of instrumentation and pilot cables used for data transfer and control circuits. Widely used across OGP (Oil, Gas and Petrochemical) industries, Ducab’s cables are manufactured to BS and IEC standards.
 
“We are constantly expanding our product range as we continually grow in existing business sectors while also exploring new markets. We are looking forward to MEEE 2012, which is an ideal venue for us to investigate new business opportunities while strengthening ties with our partners,” said Ahmed Al Shaikh, Chairman of Ducab and Ducab-HV.

“We are bringing greater capacity to the market and introducing products tailored to market needs, while ensuring excellence in quality, service and the delivery of customer value. At the same time, we are proactively exploring new markets in the region and internationally. MEEE 2012 is a platform that keeps getting bigger, and we are looking forward to establishing new connections while reinforcing existing ones,” he added.

Ducab continues to focus on its traditional strengths of customer service coupled with product quality, in the strong belief that such stringent commitment to quality and exceptional value will continue to drive the sale of Ducab cables and allied products across the region.

Abu Dhabi, 8 February 2012

In recognition of its extraordinary achievements in customer satisfaction and outstanding results in quality management, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA) won the European Award for Best Practices 2011 in the Gold Category. The recognition attests to SEHA’s commitment to improve its quality management system by implementing the ESQR Quality Performance Model.

The award selection process was based not on self-nomination but rather a recommendation process lead a group of specialists and managers appointed by the European Awards Committee, who consulted with embassies and public sector bodies to nominate suitable candidates

The ceremony was held in Brussels, Belgium, and was attended by Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui, Ambassador of the UAE to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Head of Mission to the European Union. Renowned business leaders from different countries, academic experts and quality professionals participated in the convention. During its presentation at the ceremony, SEHA highlighted key achievements in the field of healthcare quality and customer service, including the implementation of transparent reporting systems, uniform standards throughout SEHA’s network of healthcare providers, and open channels for feedback and customer suggestions.

The ESQR Quality Performance Model offers guidelines to organizations to achieve excellence in performance, and offers nine principles to meet customer expectations.   These include Continuous Improvement, Leadership, Human Resources, Training, Process Management, Environment, Data Analysis, Strategic Planning, and Quality Control.

The ESQR Quality Performance Model implementation will allow SEHA to better research customer needs and increase effectiveness in the use of available resources to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, motivate and involve employees in the process of continual improvement, to measure the capabilities of key activities and evaluate risks, and reduce costs while achieving predictability in excellence. 
 
“We are delighted to have been awarded the Best Practice Award in the Gold Category. It makes us proud that international forums are recognizing our mission of uncompromising excellence in the provision of healthcare services, and honoring our achievements. SEHA’s success and international recognition is testament to the influential position the UAE is acquiring globally as a leader in many fields of excellence,” said Dr Ali Al Obaidli, Clinical Officer, Clinical Affairs, SEHA.
 
“This achievement comes from our ethos of continuous improvement, and the careful consideration of patient feedback received through the community outreach “Mas‘aool” program as well as from employees through ‘Musharaka’ program. We have, wherever feasible, taken these recommendations into account and have implemented changes accordingly to further improve service provision quality,” he added.

SEHA is committed to the development of a system of world-class healthcare in Abu Dhabi, and has implemented a number of initiatives to achieve that goal. The organization has already received ISO 9001 certification for its quality management system, and has been recognized for consistency in excellence in several international forums. SEHA is also initiating transparent systems of reporting and benchmarking across its network of healthcare providers, and has implemented outreach campaigns to create open channels of customer feedback.