Dubai, November 1, 2010: The Young Arab Leaders (YAL) will hold its 5th Annual Forum in Dubai, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai and the Chief Patron of YAL’s Board of Trustees. The two-day event will witness an extensive participation from over 300 Arab and international personalities, including young entrepreneurs from the public and private sectors, academia, non-governmental organizations.

Held on November 5th and 6th in ‘The Address Hotel’, the forum is under the theme: “Bridging the Divide: Entrepreneurship for the Arab Future”, and reflects His Highness’s deep belief in the important role that YAL plays in grooming a young generation of Arab leaders, fostering the development of future Arab leaders and developing the region through a number of member led initiatives which seek to support in solving some vital issues of the Arab world and to bridge the divide between the region and the rest of the world.

Speaking at the event will be H.E. Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurair, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) and CEO of Mashreq Bank; H.E. Najla Al-Awadhi, FNC member, Chief Executive for Satellite Channels Affairs at the Dubai Media Inc. and Director of Dubai One satellite channel and board member of YAL, in addition to many other prominent local, Arab and Foreign personalities. The speakers will share their ideas and experience with the young entrepreneurs in view of the vital role that the entrepreneurship plays in the economies of the countries of the world.

The forum will discuss a number of issues including the way to foster linkages and partnerships among members of YAL and between YAL members and the wider community of individuals and organizations, particularly those who share YAL’s commitment to stimulating entrepreneurship and ambitions.

YAL’s Annual Forum Regional Entrepreneurship Summit provides opportunities for members to learn from the successes and challenges of their colleagues from all over the region. Synergies are discovered, partnerships are formed and incipient business ventures—and jobs—are created. And, of course, old friendships are rekindled. The forum also gives YAL members the opportunity to meet fascinating individuals and learn about organizations and institutions outside the YAL network that may offer possibilities of synergy. It also help create greater  awareness about the important role the private sector plays and how corporations like Sabic, Dubai Holding, Abraaj and Mubadala, to just name a few, could boost the capacity of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to enable them grow locally and move forward to achieve international status. 

“The ‘IT’ Effect: How Entrepreneurs Defy the Odds” is another topic on the agenda of the forum. A session that will discuss the effect of the Information Technology and how the internet has created an entirely new reality for entrepreneurs, and how it has provided the freedom to transform an idea into a business and reach millions of users from their keyboards. Entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated the bureaucracies, challenged the status quo and pursued their dreams will share their experiences and offer insight into how to improve the landscape for start-up businesses.

The significance of socio-economic development will also be highlighted in one of the sessions, which will review the experience of Dr. Mohammed Yunus’ Grameen Bank (Banking for the Poor) and how Dr. Yunus succeeded in achieving his objective which revolves on the concept of social business. The success earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, in appreciation of his “efforts to create economic and social development from below.”, as he led his Grameen Bank to issue soft loans totaling US$9.4 billion to 8.3 million borrowers by 2009.

Another point of discussion is the “Zamala” - Arab & American Business Fellowship program which is the only private sector-led exchange program that focuses on the business leaders of tomorrow, helping them create relationships that foster business success as well as cross-cultural understanding. The program brings bright young entrepreneurs and executives from the Middle East to the United States for three weeks to learn about American business, society and culture, and also features a similar exchange program for American entrepreneurs and executives to visit the Middle East.

Other speakers at the forum include: Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nahyan - Chairman and Founder of the Bin Zayed Group, UAE, Mr. Mohammad H. Al-Mady - Vice Chairman and chief executive officer of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), KSA, Mr. Mustafa Abdelwadood - Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj Investment Management, Member of the Board of Directors, Young Arab Leaders, UAE, Dr. Sulaiman Al Hattlan - CEO of the Arab Strategy Forum, UAE, Mr. Habib Haddad - Co-Founder of Yamli.com, USA, Mr. Ihsan Jawad - Vice Chairman of Zawya Board of Directors, UAE, Mr. Mohammed Johmani, CEO and Founder of O2 Network, Mr. Rabea Ataya - CEO and Chairman of Bayt.com; Young Arab Leaders Member, UAE, Ms. Zeyna Al Jabri - Founder of Buzoor, UAE, Abdulrahman I. Tarabzouni - Regional Manager, Emerging Arabia, Google; Young Arab Leaders Member, KSA, Ms. Nima Abu Wardeh - Presenter for BBC World News, UAE, Dr. Naif Al Mutawaa - CEO of Teshkeel Media Group; Member of the Young Arab Leaders Kuwait Board of D
irectors, Kuwait, Dr. Tarik Yousef - Dean of the Dubai School of Government, UAE, Ahmed Younis - Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications for Silatech, Qatar, Mr. Abdul Baset Al Janahi- CEO of Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment, UAE, Ms. Salam Saadeh - Founder and CEO of Activem; Young Arab Leaders Member, UAE, Ms. Rama Chakaki - Partner at Baraka Ventures, UAE, Mohammed Johmani - Founder and CEO of O2 Network; Young Arab Leaders Member, UAE, Ms. Nadine Hani - Presenter for Al Arabiya Business News, UAE, Tom Miller Vice President, Business for Diplomatic Action, USA and Mr. Fadi Ghandour - CEO Aramex, Jordan,

Since its establishment five years ago, YAL has been developing and promoting great initiatives to guide young Arab entrepreneurs and pave various business opportunities for them in the areas of education, training and entrepreneurship, to equip them with the necessary skills which will enable them play a positive role in the economic development of the Arab world. YAL, which currently has more than 470 members, has branches in nine Arab countries – the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, but its programs have spread to Arab youths in other Arab countries.

New partnerships provide greater flexibility for MAPEI products to reach key UAE markets

August 22, 2010

MAPEI, the leading global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for buildings, has announced that it has recently signed a reseller agreement with Logistics Company Ltd. MAPEI seeks to leverage Logistics market network and dedicated showroom and storage facilities to further consolidate MAPEI’s presence and strengthen its customer base in the UAE.

Logistics Company Limited has a showroom dedicated to specialist building materials located in the Sharjah Industrial Area Nos: 2 and 8 and the company is also capable of providing a total storage capacity of approximately 5,000 metric tons at any given time, inclusive of state-of-the-art equipment to meet MAPEI’s handling and logistic requirements.

Laith Haboubi, Business Development Director, MAPEI, said: “This partnership is in line with our continuing expansion into the market and to support various development initiatives in the UAE. It has been our vision to strengthen our presence across key markets in the country and we believe that the market presence and experience of Logistics Company will enhance our competitive advantage and complement our own growth initiatives, in particular to certain segments of the market which we currently have little or no activity in.”

Mr. Rajesh Somabhai Patel, Managing Director, Logistics Company Limited, added: “MAPEI has a very wide range of products and it has also established its own manufacturing facility, which was recently commissioned in the UAE, highlighting the company’s long-term commitment in this region. It makes logical sense for us to build a relationship with partners that share our belief in long-term growth. Moreover, we believe that MAPEI and Logistics Company also advocate identical corporate values, which make our partnership all the more symbiotic.”

MAPEI is well known for its range of adhesives and sealants used to install ceramic, natural stone and other finishes such as wooden, PVC and sports flooring. The company has been involved in some of the most challenging construction projects in the region, including the Armani hotel in Burj Khalifa, Qasr El Sarab resort, Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah, the Emirates Palace Hotel, Burj Al Arab, and Dubai International Airport’s Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

AJMAN - Ajman Civil Defence is planning to bring in a new law that will make it obligatory for insurance companies operating in the emirate not to attest or renew the insurance of industrial and commercial establishments unless they receive a prior approval from the Civil Defence.

Colonel Adel Saif Al Matrooshi, Head of the Civil Protection and Safety and Deputy Director of Ajman Civil Defence, said the Civil Defence would approve only those establishments that were strictly abiding to the safety and security rules in their premises.

Col. Al Matrooshi said the new law, which was expected to be implemented by the end of this year, aims at ensuring that industrial and commercial establishments strictly abide to safety rules.

A comprehensive draft of this proposed law was submitted to the Ministry of Interior.

At present, the insurance companies are not obliged to specify any safety/protection rules that must be implemented by the industrial and commercial establishments.

Partnership aimed at offering robust customer interaction solutions for call centres in the UAE

July 06, 2010

Sage Software, the leading global supplier of ERP, CRM and HRM solutions to medium and large organisations, has inked a strategic agreement with Voxtron Software Solutions, an international group specialising in delivering contact centre software with aims to offer robust, customised solutions for call centres in the UAE. As a result of the alliance, SageCRM, an easy-to-use, fast-to-deploy on-site solution that allows enterprise-wide access to vital customer information, will now be offered as an integrated solution with Voxtron’s IVR, ACD, email, Chat, Fax, SMS and Dialler modules.
 
Given the strength demonstrated by the UAE’s call centre industry amidst the recession, Sage Software and Voxtron are setting their sights on the prospects within the Gulf, with focus on helping call centres improve operational performance, create and retain customers, and raise customer advocacy by utilising new technologies. With Voxtron’s products serving as the basis for tailor-made solutions designed to improve the interaction with their customers, and Sage Software’s expertise in providing real solutions that boost organisations’ efficiency and competitive advantage, the partnership will enable both companies to offer pre-integrated Screen POPS, Preview/Predictive diallers, SMS/Chat/Fax and email integrations to regional call centres.

“We aim to support the continuous growth of the UAE call centre industry, whose potential has shone in the face of the massive challenges during the global crisis where it has remained one of the most stable sectors in the massively affected regional market,” said Reggie Fernandes – Sales Manager Gulf Region, Sage Software Middle East. “In line with our commitment to provide call centre companies in the UAE with real solutions that can help them achieve better returns, our partnership with Voxtron will ensure a rapid and maximum ROI while addressing their every requirement. By offering a comprehensive range of customised customer interaction solutions for call centres in the region, we anticipate significant opportunities to open up in this segment.”

Merging sales and marketing with customer care through the call centre, Sage Software and Voxtron’s CRM-based customer interaction solutions can take over various communication tasks such as skill-based routing of incoming phone calls, mails, faxes and web-chats; conferencing and recording; and intelligent routing for service organisations, including 24/7 support and time based escalation systems. Leveraging Voxtron’s powerful and flexible communication capabilities, the solutions are highly scalable to match the customers’ requirements, thereby making them ideal for quality outbound contact centres and custom IVR projects.

“Collaborating with Sage Software allows us to work with an ideal CRM product that goes very well with our strategy of offering cost effective integrated contact centre solutions to regional clients. SageCRM is user-friendly and feature rich yet very easy to use and deploy, and customising or developing applications on this platform is definitely quick and hassle-free. Through this, we will be able to develop a solution that can help call centres/Help desks facilitate emotional and business transactions simultaneously, which can directly impact customer loyalty,” concluded P.Thomas, CEO, Voxtron Middle East.

Voxtron was launched in 1994, and is headquartered in Belgium, with offices in over ten countries. The company’s software has been installed thousand fold on various PABX manufacturers’ systems, including that of leading companies such as Cisco, Avaya, Alcatel, Nortel, Siemens, NEC, Panasonic etc. With over 25 partners in the region, Voxtron aims to push SageCRM across its network in the region, along with its most popular applications including call and contact centres, IVR solutions and Diallers. As the initial joint initiative undertaken by the new partners, both have participated at the recently concluded ‘Middle East Call Centre ’10’ (MECC ’10) Conference and Exhibition in Dubai, where they underlined the capacity to build and support long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty of the ‘SageCRM’ solution.

Program reflects DJI’s vision of boosting human & intellectual capital investments & promoting creativity & innovation in line with Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 goals

June 22, 2010

Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI), a leading centre of law studies and judicial training in Dubai, has recently concluded a legal research program it conducted for the UAE Ministry of Labor. The closing ceremony was attended by Dr. Ahmed Saeed Bin Hazim, General Manager, Dubai Courts, Humaid Rashid bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Labour and Judge Dr. Jamal Hussein Alsumaiti, DJI Director General. 

The diploma program ran for two weeks, as a DJI initiative for promoting broader investments in human and intellectual capital as well as enhanced creativity and innovation. It provided participants working in the legal and judicial systems with new legal knowledge and the latest updates as well as best international practices. It also developed their abilities to complement the goals outlined by Dubai Strategic Plan 2015.

The concluding ceremony, which witnessed the graduation of 15 legal researchers for the Ministry of Labor, honored the lecturers and ministry employees who took part in the program. The program designers and coordinators were recognized as well.

Commenting on the program, Dr. Alsumaiti said: “The legal research diploma program complements the Institute’s training plan for 2010 which focuses on organizing a series of specialized training courses, workshops, administrative programs, forums, and social awareness initiatives, among others. This program follows the success of training initiatives specially designed for Dubai Courts aimed at providing the judicial authority with qualified personnel whose skills meet the highest international standards.”

“We are pleased to cooperate with the Ministry of Labor in implementing this initiative, which resulted in the graduation of 15 legal researchers who will definitely have a positive impact in enhancing the judicial process in Dubai and the UAE in general. We reaffirm our commitment to sustaining our cooperation with all concerned bodies and authorities in the country in terms of providing local youths with the best vocational training courses and development programs so that the judicial system reaches new heights,” he added.

For his part, Humaid Rashid bin Deemas Al Suwaidi: “This program is in line with the Ministry’s strategic plan of enhancing and qualifying human resources through partnerships with specialised training institutions such as the Dubai Judicial Institute. We in the Ministry are proud of our collaboration with the Institute, particularly with its program trainers who are a select group of judiciary professionals, interpreters of the Labour Law and issuers of judicial decisions covering labour cases that are referred by our agency. This program on Shariah and judicial interpretations is a valuable training tool that makes real and practical cases more understandable for legal researchers working for the Ministry of Labour.”

“We are honoured to witness the graduation of this batch of qualified legal researchers who have been trained based on the highest international standards. Their level of expertise will help the Ministry better develop its work and legal mechanisms and upgrade its service levels, which in turn will positively reflect on the overall development process of Dubai and the entire UAE. The implementation of this program specifically designed for our legal staff emphasises our confidence in the leading role of the Institute in supporting investments in human capital, promoting legal knowledge, and consolidating the principles of justice, security and safety within the various segments of society,” added Al Suwaidi.

The Dubai Judicial Institute was established in 1996 to help educate and train aspiring judges, prosecutors and their assistants, legal experts and lawyers. DJI also offers habilitation programs for public prosecutors to enhance their efficiency. The Institute provides training and consultancy services to various public and private sector agencies and institutions and conducts local, regional and global research and studies on all areas of law and jurisdiction.

Entrepreneur calls for an Arab investment fund worth USD 1 billion to support Arab entrepreneurs

Dubai, 22 May, 2010: During his participation in the Arab Economic Forum that was held at the InterContinental Hotel Phoenicia in Beirut, Mr. Mohammed Johmani, CEO and Founder of O2 Network, stressed on the importance of supporting young leaders through government leadership as well as structuring laws that will help entrepreneurs achieve their aspirations while contributing to the region’s social and economic growth.

Johmani called for the formation of an Arab Investment fund worth USD 1 billion as a support for 1000 elite Arab entrepreneurs. The program will be led by business leaders to ensure its success and is expected to play a major role in solving the unemployment and poverty issues throughout the Arab region. Also the suggestion states that those entrepreneurs should be granted easy access to all the Arab countries to market their thoughts and create valuable opportunities.

Johmani’s speech was heard during the final session of the forum titled The Role of Young Leaders in the Coming Phase, where he highlighted the need to boost investor confidence in young leaders and pump funds into projects that are currently facing challenges because of investor’s reluctance to take on additional risk in “uncertain” economic times.

Johmani also discussed the unemployment percentages that are rising in the region. “With the UAE as an exception, most Arab countries have dangerous unemployment figures amongst their youth, with 27% in Bahrain, 26% in Saudi Arabia, 17% in Qatar, 23% in Kuwait, 12.8% in Jordan and 9.4% in Egypt.”  Johmani encouraged international investors to take serious actions in order to give the youth community and young leaders a chance to excel.

“Our young leaders need support, trust and encouragement in order to achieve their goals.  Such confident will then serve to aid our communities in the future as young people continue to seek jobs and start on a professional career in which they can move their talents in the right direction,” added Johmani.

Research and development was another topic that Johmani considered to be one of the weakest areas in the Arab economic landscape.  “In many Arab countries, only governments are spending on research and development with a humble participation from the private sector. This spending still dwindles behind the rest of the work, and if you compare for example the average amount of GDP spent on scientific research in Egypt, 1%, with the world’s average at about 1.62%, the evidence is clear.  Despite the fact that we have over 200 leading universities and about 10 million graduates, the results of research and development are not comparable to other countries like China and Malaysia.”

Johmani also addressed universities in the region, asking their officials to actively pursue their “constructive role” in cultivating talent and promoting innovation through advice and expertise.  This kind of mentorship is essential in providing support and role models that can help create future young leaders that are respected and appreciated in the Arab world.

“The aspirations of young leaders in the Arab region need great encouragement and support so that they can astound the world,” Johmani noted in his final remarks.  “We have the potential and the creative ideas to forge ahead globally, but we lack the trust of governments and the confidence of investors. Our universities and educational institutions must prepare young people to play a role in business leadership, although it is the responsibility of us all to nurture young talent in the region.”

The Arab Economic Forum was held under the auspices of the Lebanese Prime Minister Mr. Saad Hariri. The two-day forum witnessed a large participation of leading business personalities from the Arab world including ministers, parliamentarians, banks directors, financial and economic executives, and banks governors from different Arab countries.

• Retains certification for second consecutive year

• Underlines international standards followed for data collection and dissemination process

Emcredit the UAE’s first government-backed credit bureau, Read the full story

Around 1,500 participants attend inaugural tournament

ALHOSN University, a leading Abu Dhabi-based university dedicated to high-quality, value-based education, Read the full story

Company uses 122,000 kilograms of powder coating and 487,000 litres of paint on the world’s tallest tower

Trine Finnevolden, General Manager, Jotun Paints UAE

Jotun, one of the world’s leading producers and suppliers of paints and coatings, announced that it has painted the ‘Burj Dubai’, Read the full story

The Community Development Authority in Dubai (CDA) in cooperation with UAE Down Syndrome Association, organised an awareness session titled “Ability not Disability”, Read the full story