Tuesday January 31st 2012 - Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) employees now have full access to the latest publications in the field of education through a new ADEC ‘E-Resources Research Portal,’ launched in September 2011.

The portal contains subscriptions to five major databases for a wide range of media: journal articles, e-books, newspapers, dissertations and theses, country reports, case studies, video seminars, and citations and abstracts, amongst others.

All 15,000 ADEC employees can now have full-text access to over 11,000 journals and 70,000 books from more than 500 publishers, approximately 1.2 million dissertations and theses, and more than 2,000 newspapers in 54 languages from 95 countries, in addition to many other forms of media.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Rafic Makki, Executive Director, Office of Strategic Affairs at ADEC said: “This project will help empower every single staff member, whether a policy researcher, curriculum developer, urban planner, school principal, or teacher with nearly unlimited amounts of up-to-date and authoritative information on the latest literature and best-practices in education, as well as cater to their professional development needs.”

Interested candidates signed up for a two hour training session to learn how to access/use the portal throughout a three day workshop held at ADEC on Thursday January 26th, Sunday January 29th and Monday January 30th 2012.

“The mission of the portal is to promote and encourage ADEC staff to engage in research to better inform their work and professional capacities, and to build their e-literacy and research skills by developing the ability to better evaluate the reliability of general and online resources, and the tools required to engage in that process” continued Dr. Makki.

“In addition, it builds an foundation within ADEC for one of the priorities of the Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic Plan, which is to build and maintain a research ecosystem to drive an innovation-based economy by fostering an environment of scholarship and discovery.”

“The whole idea is to go beyond public information, often unfiltered, and retrieve credible and updated information and news on education or any other field.  For instance, individuals can access dissertations and theses written by doctoral candidates all over the world.  These are valuable resources for any of our staff who may be considering furthering their studies, who are already engaged in their studies, or who wish to read only the abstracts to gauge trends and gain general information on a particular topic related to their work.” added Dr. Makki.

The portal contains publications by the world’s largest and leading publishers.  Publishers include organizations such as the OECD, World Bank, UNESCO, US Department of Education, and WHO; private publishers such as Economist Intelligence Unit, Elsevier, Routledge, McGraw-Hill, and Taylor & Francis; and University Presses of Oxford, Cambridge, University of Chicago, Yale and Harvard, amongst many others.

Eleven local coaches accredited at leading UAE soccer school

Abu Dhabi, UAE 29 January 2012:  Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in Abu Dhabi has underlined its commitment to the development of local talent by accrediting eleven UAE-based football coaches through its rigorous coaching programme.

The coaches who support the MUSS team of Andy Dixon and Craig Taylor all hail from sporting backgrounds and have proved their commitment to developing young football talent in the UAE.

A true blend of nationalities and cultures, reflecting the population of Abu Dhabi and of the children who take part in the MUSS programmes, the 11-strong team of local coaches include UAE national Ahmed Hamoud, a former Al Jazira striker and former professional Dutch footballer with AFC Ajax, Khalid Hamdaoui.

Leading the UAE’s first girls-only football programme is local coach Stela Samuela, a physical education teacher with GEMS American Academy in Khalifa City who is originally from Romania and has lived in the UAE for eight years.

Andy Dixon, MUSS head coach in Abu Dhabi, said: “We have trained these coaches to fully understand how to deliver fantastic soccer programmes the Manchester United way and make a difference in the lives of the children who take part in our programmes.

“We attract players of all abilities, from many different backgrounds, and with different learning abilities, and we develop our coaches so that they are able to get the best out of every individual they work with.”

Gavin Rhodes, Head of Coaching for Manchester United Soccer Schools based in Old Trafford who oversees all local coach development in the UK and abroad visited the UAE capital to formally accredit the Abu Dhabi team. 

“Our commitment to work with and be part of the local community in a city like Abu Dhabi is so important,” he said.  “Having seen the coaches in their sessions, watching the way they teach the art of football to children from all over the world underlines to me the vital role our local coaches play in delivering the very best teaching methods to our MUSS children.

“We are very proud of our coaching team in Abu Dhabi.  They continue to represent Manchester United Soccer Schools in a very professional and positive way, delivering against our key coaching philosophies.  To see such a development across the last 12 months is great testimony to everyone concerned with the Abu Dhabi programme”.

Manchester United Soccer Schools in Abu Dhabi Local Coaches
 Adil Bentafrit, Morocco
 Ahmed Hamood, UAE
 Brett Dickerson, USA
 Khalid Hamdaoui, Holland
 Khalid Al Maflahi, UAE
 Llion Thomas, UK
 Marc Evans, UK
 Paul Walker, UK
 Reda El Hammouni, Morocco
 Seth Amoafo, Ghana
 Stela Samuela, Romania

The MUSS Abu Dhabi coaching team is now teaching more than 350 children signed up to the latest soccer school programme which focuses on the skills and attitude of three Manchester United legends, Ryan Giggs, Nani and Antonio Valencia.  The new girls-only sessions are now fully booked, emphasising the popularity of football among girls in the UAE.

Registration is now open for the April 2012 programme, ‘Learn to attack with flair the United way’, which features 12.5 hours of on-field coaching by the certified MUSS coaches.  The cost of AED1,650 includes an exclusive Nike Manchester United training kit of shirt, shorts and socks, MUSS drawstring bag, water bottle and skills ball as well as catch-up sessions and individual player evaluation.

All players enrolled in the programme in Abu Dhabi will take part in the MUSS series of skills challenges with the top two point scorers receiving an all expenses paid trip to Manchester to represent Abu Dhabi in the World Skills Final at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground as well as the world famous Old Trafford stadium in 2012.

Abu Dhabi based developer Reem Investments, which signed a partnership agreement with MUSS, built the Dome@Rawdhat to create a vibrant sporting community in the area.  More than 12,000 people use the facilities every month. 

To learn more about the MUSS programme visit www.manutdsoccerschools.ae or call 02 449 8480.

Over 200 Chief Executive Offices, Senior Executives and Government officials from different parts of the world are to meet to celebrate the continued success of the aluminium industry in the Gulf.
 
The prestigious second Gulf Aluminium Dinner is an exclusive, by invitation only event that will take place at the Emirates Palace, the iconic landmark of Abu Dhabi.

Here there is an opportunity for existing relationships to be strengthened between the regional and international organizations that have aluminium business interest in the Gulf.

The annual dinner has been initiated and will be organised by the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) - the coordinating body that represents, promotes and protects the interest of the aluminium industry in the Gulf. One of the main objectives is to provide a forum to develop understanding for common issues and concerns.

Based on last year’s success, the Gulf Aluminium Dinner is becoming a very important international event worldwide and is a reflection of the importance of the Gulf Region as an emerging hub in the global aluminium industry.

According to Mr Kalban “The Aluminium Industry in the Gulf has developed over the years into a substantial hub in global terms. Not only has production capacity been established and expanded in various GCC countries, but also diverse downstream industries have emerged over the years. Indeed, aluminium production in the Gulf currently exceeds 7% of the world’s total aluminium production; and is set to increase to 10% by 2020.”

Abu Dhabi. Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi, a division of Ali & Sons Co. LLC, has opened a 55 million Dirham, state-of-the-art Porsche Centre in the capital that features the largest Porsche Service Centre in the world.

An exclusive gala event was held on 23 January, 2012 at the new Porsche Facility in Musaffah area that was attended by customers, dignitaries, and members of the media. The opening was also used as a platform to reveal the highly acclaimed the new generation 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupé.

Spanning 6,000 square metres, the new Porsche facility embodies the unique Porsche design and is the largest in the region, incorporating a Service Centre and Porsche Approved Pre-owned Cars Showroom. It can accommodate over 200 vehicles and has 50 working bays aimed at further improving service quality without compromising on precision.

Ahmed Al Dhahry, Vice Chairman of the Motors Division at Ali & Sons Co. said, “This is an exciting day for us as we move into our brand new facility and celebrate the arrival of the new 911. The opening of the facility is Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi’s next step towards achieving customer service excellence. This multimillion Dirham facility further reinforces Ali and Sons Co’s commitment to Porsche customers in Abu Dhabi and also marks another major step in strengthening the brand, recognised for its superior quality”.

As a part of the evening, Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi celebrated the arrival of the latest 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupé with a thrilling reveal show in the new showroom. The seventh-generation 911 has been completely redesigned to thrill even the sports car aficionados.

The new 911 Carrera now features a flatter, stretched silhouette, exciting contours with precisely designed details. Its wheelbase is now 100 millimetres longer, sits lower to the ground and consequently offers even better handling dynamics for more driving pleasure of 911 connoisseurs.

The 911 remains Porsche’s iconic sports car, offering a blistering speed of 289 km/hr, it is the first passenger car in the world to feature a seven-speed manual transmission and the first sports car equipped with an auto start/stop function; electro-mechanical power steering and a new ‘coasting function’, in vehicles equipped with the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). The new electro-mechanical power steering offers even better precision and response, while increasing efficiency and reducing general fuel consumption.

The athletic 350hp 3.4-litre boxer engine consumes a mere 8.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres; that’s 16 per cent less than its predecessor. And, with an emission level of 194 g/km CO2, it is the first Porsche sports car to make it below the 200 g/km mark.

The Carrera S, featuring a 3.8-litre boxer engine, produces 400 hp and manages to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. Pressing the ‘Sport Plus’ button on the optional Sport Chrono package cuts that to 4.1 seconds. The redesigned, lightweight body is an intelligent aluminium-steel construction, providing an overall weight reduction of up to 45 kilogrammes, offering significantly greater rigidity. Aerodynamic optimisation measures, including a wider, variably extending rear spoiler, means the lift of the new 911 Carrera is further reduced.

In addition to the exterior, the iconic sports car has been transformed throughout. Porsche’s Design Team from Weissach created a completely new interior, based on cues from the Carrera GT. The driver is now even more closely integrated with the cockpit, thanks to the centre console rising up to the front with the high-mounted shift lever located especially close to the steering wheel, in typical motor sport fashion.

Ahmed Al Dhahry concluded, “Expectations have been high since initial images were released last year, and we anticipate strong demand given the model’s attractive design and outstanding driving features. The inauguration of our new facility provides the perfect environment for the launch of this iconic model, and we are confident that this combination will mark the foundation of even more success in the future.”

First deliveries of the new Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupé start on the 11th of February 2012. Basic retail prices in Abu Dhabi are as follows:

911 Carrera Coupé              AED 334,000

911 Carrera S Coupé          AED 395,600

Dubai, January 24, 2012: Emirates Post Group recently organised a two-day Blood Donation campaign in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as part of its corporate social responsibility activities.

The Abu Dhabi campaign was held at Abu Dhabi Central Post Office  in association with Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, while the Dubai campaign was held at Central Post Office in association with Latifa Hospital.

A large number of employees from different departments as well as customers took part in the campaign by donating blood.

Fahad Al Hosani, Acting President of Emirates Post Group, commented: “We are pleased to contribute to the humanitarian mission of Abu Dhabi Blood Bank and Latifa Hospital. Our employees support this noble cause, so that we can render assistance to sick patients and other people in need of blood. We remind our employees that it is healthy to donate blood and brings many benefits to the donors.”

Emirates Post Group’s Mass Communications Department works with blood banks and hospitals across the UAE to organise such campaigns, with the aim of encouraging people and employees to donate blood and help patients who are in need of blood.

Street soccer skills perfected in new six-week clinic at the Dome@Rawdhat

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 24 January, 2012: Abu Dhabi’s home of football, the Dome@Rawdhat, has launched the UAE’s first street soccer academy, a new six-week programme teaching the art of street soccer to fancy footwork enthusiasts.

The Streetkings Football Academy will kick-start on 5 February and is open to all ages and abilities.  The popularity of street soccer is quickly growing in the UAE; the inaugural Streetkings tournament at the Dome last month saw more than 120 people take part and the launch of the new academy is in direct response to the positive feedback of street soccer in the emirates.

Streetkings founder Edward van Gils is due to make a surprise visit during the programme and will take the players through a special training session.  A former player at Dutch league side AZ Alkamar, van Gils is a cult figure around the world because of his awe-inspiring abilities to effortlessly manipulate a football in a flamboyant show of ball control, imagination and showmanship.

Van Gils and his colleague Izzy Hitman have worked with fellow Dutchman Khalid Hamdaoui, another former professional footballer and now full time coach at the Dome@Rawdhat and Manchester United Soccer Schools in Abu Dhabi, who will deliver the new academy sessions.

The first six-week programme runs every Sunday evening and will teach three age groups how to apply street soccer tricks, ball control, beat moves, positioning and highly skilled passing during a game of football.  Registration is now open for the academy which costs AED680 for six sessions which includes a branded Streetkings kit of t-shirt, shorts and socks.

Age Group Time
6-12yrs   5:00pm – 6:00pm
13-17yrs 6:15pm – 7:15pm
18yrs+  7:30pm – 8:30pm

Streetkings has set up a permanent home in Abu Dhabi and the first academy programme of its kind in the region will be followed by additional sessions in April 2012 and June 2012.  More one-day tournaments and special events are also in the planning stages.

“The ethos behind street soccer is to be as creative as possible and have some fun with the football,” said van Gils, who is known as the Godfather of street football.  “The new academy will focus on developing the players’ technical skills as well as building their confidence, discipline, dedication and attitude, both on and off the pitch.”

Street soccer has taken off around the world, and van Gils has appeared in major brand television commercials with famous footballers such as Ronaldinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy. 

The Dome@Rawdhat was built by Reem Investments to create a vibrant sporting community at the gateway to Abu Dhabi.  The area has become a magnet for players of all ages, currently hosting more than 12,000 footballers and their families every month on its indoor and outdoor pitches.  It is also home to the hugely successful Manchester United Soccer Schools which launched in October 2010.

Registration for the clinic and tournament is now open at www.thedome.ae or by calling 02 449 8480 or 050 662 7701.

23 January, 2012 – Abu Dhabi, UAE:  The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship trophy engraver will no doubt be practicing his ‘graves’ this week, after Spain’s three leading golfers, Álvaró Quiros, Sergio Garcia and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, all declared their intent to this month land the PGA European Tour event’s iconic ‘Falcon’ trophy.

The in-form Spaniards, all of whom have played in Abu Dhabi before, join a stellar cast featuring world number one Luke Donald, reigning Major winners, Charl Schwartzel (US Masters), Rory McIlroy (US Open) and Darren Clarke (British Open), as well as former world number one, Lee Westwood, and Abu Dhabi debutant Tiger Woods.

Intriguingly, the collective Spanish armada carries scintillating form into the event. García ended a three year title drought late last year with back-to-back wins in home events at the Castelló Masters and the Andalucía Masters; Quiros won the season-ending Dubai World Championship to finish the year ranked sixth in the Order of Merit, while Jimenez is no stranger to Middle East success, having won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2010.

“I had an up-and-down year but finished strongly, which was very pleasing for me after having so many challenges along the way,” said Quiros, who was sidelined for five months last year with damaged tendons and ligaments in his left wrist. “I’ve had a chance to take a break over the Christmas and I’m feeling relaxed and refreshed for the season ahead. I feel confident and I’m working hard to continue my form into Abu Dhabi. It’s an incredible line-up, but the Spanish have strength in numbers and hopefully one or more of us will be in with a chance on the final day.”

Rested and recuperated, Quiros, one of the game’s longest hitters, will need all his power to fend off a resurgent Garcia, whose end-of-season wins elevated him back into the world’s top 20.

“To finish the season that way has given me a great deal of confidence and I feel like I’m getting back to my old self and playing the way I know I can,” said Garcia. “I would love nothing more than to start the season with a win in Abu Dhabi against a strong field in a very tough event.”

Garcia may be confident, but the vastly-experienced Jiménez has other ideas. The iconic, cigar-smoking, 48-year-old has 18 European Tour wins to his name and, having contested four Ryder Cups (1999, 2004, 2008, and 2010) already, is eager to get this latest Ryder Cup season off to a flyer in the UAE capital.

“It’s a big year ahead with the Ryder Cup and I love playing in the Middle East where I have enjoyed some success and feel like I can enjoy some more, hopefully in Abu Dhabi,” said Jiménez. “With the line-up they have confirmed, it’s going to be pretty special tournament. There’s a lot to play for this year and everyone is going to be looking to get their season off to the best possible start.”

Elsewhere, defending and triple Abu Dhabi winner, Martin Kaymer, is back chasing title number four, while Australian hot-shot, Jason Day, Korean number one, KJ Choi, and Italian prodigy, Matteo Manassero - a global golf ambassador for Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), the Championship organiser - are also among the title favourites when the seventh Championship unfolds at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 26-29.

Tickets for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship are available via the event’s official website, www.abudhabigolfchampionship.com, as well as online at www.timeouttickets.com and www.itptickets.com. Phone bookings can be made through the ITP toll-free hotline 800 4669, or for international visitors, +971 4 210 8943.

The third Abu Dhabi F1 race and its related events helped produce record tourist numbers for the UAE capital, according to figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).

Last month, Abu Dhabi welcomed 206,748 hotel guests, a 22 percent increase on the corresponding month last year and the first time in two years that a calendar month has broken the 200,000 mark.

November’s performance means that in the first 11 months of this year, the emirate’s hotels and hotel apartments received 1,903,888 guests - a 16 percent rise on the year-to-date period in 2010.

Guest nights also rose 23 percent, ADTA said, jumping to 5,694,140 from the 4,640,893 figure hit last year.

 Despite an eight percent decrease in average length of stay and small dips in room, food and beverage and other revenue contributors, Abu Dhabi’s hotels’ and hotel apartments’ year-to-date revenue of AED3.96bn ($1.09bn) is four percent up on 2010 receipts.

The strong performance ensured Abu Dhabi entered December less than 97,000 guests away from achieving its stretch 2011 target of two million hotel guests.

“Without putting the horse before the cart, we are confident that we will surpass our stretch target for the year,” said Lawrence Franklin, strategy & policy director, ADTA.

“We have already had hotels and hotel apartments report strong business over what was an historic National Day weekend and the expected influx for the end-of-year Volvo Ocean Race fleet should ensure December seals fantastic, across-the-board performance levels for the year,” Lawrence added.

November’s growth in the total number of guests and guest nights led to an occupancy rate of 77 percent - the same as November 2010 - despite an influx of new hotel properties to the Abu Dhabi market.

During November, GCC guest arrivals rose 47 percent on 2010 numbers with arrivals from Qatar growing 56 percent.

ADTA said the UK is still Abu Dhabi’s top international source market with 15,246 Britons visited the emirate’s hotels last month, an 11 percent rise on November 2010, while Germany remained the second-largest European source market.

“We anticipate even bigger demand in Germany following the recent launch of Etihad’s four weekly services from Dusseldorf to Abu Dhabi and Air Berlin’s plans to operate four flights a week between Berlin and Abu Dhabi International Airport from January,” said Franklin.

Dubai-UAE: 26 December, 2011 – APCO Worldwide announced today the opening of a new office in Abu Dhabi, another step in the firm’s regional growth following their acquisition of Dubai-based JiWin Public Relations in November 2010.

The opening of the Abu Dhabi office cements the UAE’s position at the heart of APCO’s Arab-region operations and strengthens the communication consultancy’s links with the capital, where it already serves a number of clients.

“Our investment in the UAE reflects our belief that local and regional businesses are seeking more than simple public relations support,” said Brad Staples, President, International. “In these difficult economic times, there is growing demand for corporate advisory and strategic communication services to help companies navigate an increasingly complex business landscape.

“Our understanding of the regulatory, political and commercial issues that exist in the Arab region, combined with our global footprint and recognized reputation for delivering high-quality work, means we are strongly positioned to advise clients on how best to communicate to stakeholders to ensure a maximum return on investment.”

APCO has supported its international client portfolio with a presence in the Arab region since 2007. The Abu Dhabi office, which is located in Abu Dhabi’s media free zone TwoFour54, will be led by Wael Kanakri, who has 17 years of Abu Dhabi-based communication and media experience.

“Abu Dhabi plays an increasingly important role, not only for local and regional economies, but also for the global economy,” said Mamoon Sbeih, Managing Director, Arab Region. “We are already experiencing a high level of interest in our multidisciplinary approach to strategic communication, and we are looking forward to strengthening existing relationships with clients while building new partnerships.”

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO is an award-winning, independently owned, global communications consultancy with 31 offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Earlier this year, APCO was named Large Firm of the Year by PR News and developed a new brand-positioning model called Champion Brand, which helps companies align stakeholder expectations with business priorities into one cohesive narrative. APCO also recently launched Global Political StrategiesSM, an executive service designed to support businesses, governments and NGOs on geopolitics, global economics and new market opportunities.

Safi Airways, the leading International airline of Afghanistan, has appointed dnata as its General Sales Agent (GSA) representing the airline for its new flight between Abu Dhabi and Kabul.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliant airline, which will commence operations on the new route from 5th of January 2012, made the announcement at a special ceremony held at the Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi yesterday (December 19).

“This new air link will contribute to the development of Safi Airways,” said Hamid Safi, CEO of Safi Airways.

“We believe there is great potential to increase demand and we are pleased to have appointed dnata as our sales agent for Abu Dhabi,” He added.

dnata will provide Safi Airways with a dedicated ticketing service and give the airline access to its 24 hour call centre for flight booking and general travel support.

Commenting on the appointment, Abdulla Tawakul Senior VP, Corporate and Regional Network, dnata , said, “We are pleased to represent Safi Airways as a sales agent and we will tap into our extensive regional network of partner agencies to support and grow the airline’s business.”

The new route will be flown four times a week on Safi’s newly acquired A320 which has 12 business and 132 economy class seats. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased online and through Amadeus, major GDS with all IATA agents worldwide.