World’s largest stand-alone refinery to announce new storage capacity to buffer import price shocks

Dubai, February 1st, 2012 - Dubai’s Al Khaleej Sugar Refinery, the world’s largest stand-alone refinery, has announced its participation at the Kingsman Dubai 8th Sugar Conference, a renowned event in the world of sugar trading, being held at the Grand Hyatt Dubai from February 4th to 7th 2012.

The conference, which hosts internationally known speakers and is attended by some of the most powerful decision-makers in the world of sugar, offers Al Khaleej Sugar Refinery an ideal platform to network with stakeholders and announce its ambitious sugar storage expansion projects.

“We are delighted to participate at the Dubai Sugar Conference, an event known not just for the quality of its speakers but also attendees,” said Jamal Al Ghurair, Managing Director of Al Khaleej Sugar Refinery. “The conference attracts attention on the world stage, and places us in an ideal position to communicate our expansion and storage increase plans to a diverse audience of stakeholders and decision-makers. Al Khaleej Sugar Refinery is one of the largest refineries in the world, and we are looking forward to expanding our operations while guaranteeing an uninterrupted supply of raw sugar for our processing needs, and white sugar for the regional market.”

Most recently, Al Khaleej Sugar has added three new large silos for raw sugar with a capacity of 160,000 tons each. The new silos will add up to the existing storage capacity of one million tons. The decision to increase raw sugar storage is to create buffer stock that can be utilized to smooth out the price variations in imported raw sugar. For white sugar, the refinery currently has four silos with a total capacity of 132,000 tons of sugar. The four silos play a vital role in offering flexibility to Al Khaleej Sugar’s production and sales departments.

Al Khaleej Sugar’s storage enhancements plans will allow the company to better deal with demand and supply shocks and variations in pricing, while also offering a buffer to its production and sales departments.

“We are looking forward to our participation at the Dubai Sugar Conference, where we will be meeting with producers, importers, refiners, analysts, investment bankers, shipping companies, end users, traders, as well as leading discussions that impact significantly on the future of the sugar market. The Dubai Sugar Conference is an event that monitors and influences global sugar trade, and Al Khaleej Sugar is looking forward to playing an important role at this event yet again,” Al Ghurair concluded.

Qatar Petroleum recently took part as the Gold Sponsor of the 13th GCC Industrialists’ Conference and International Exhibition, a major event that was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and attracted the participation of many companies throughout the Middle East region.

In appreciation of QP’s sponsorship of the event, His Excellency Dr. Taufiq bin Fauzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, presented the corporation with a trophy during the conference, and he also personally visited the QP stand during the opening of the exhibition.

Held every two years, the GCC Industrialists’ Conference and Exhibition was first held in Doha in 1985. The event is organized by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), a Doha-based organization which was established by all six GCC countries in 1976 to promote industrial development in the region by facilitating the flow of knowledge and information. Yemen later joined the organization in 2009.

The GCC Industrialists’ Conference and Exhibition is hosted in rotation by its member states, and the 12th edition of the event was previously held in Doha in 2010, with QP serving as the event’s Strategic Partner.

For its 2012 edition, which took place on January 17-19 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, the theme of the event was “Knowledge-Based Industries and New Technologies.” The event was held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.

Being a major sponsor of the event and as one of the leading companies in the region, QP attracted the attention of many delegates and visitors, and the corporation used the opportunity to further spread awareness of its extensive operations. Over 900 delegates and visitors visited the QP stand during the three-day event, and they mainly inquired about QP’s range of projects as well as the employment opportunities in the corporation.

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba)’s sponsorship of Arindon’s 2012 Investors Conference at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 reveals the company’s support for initiatives that bolster confidence in the Middle East as a viable investment destination.

The 2012 Investors Conference looked at capitalising on market opportunities from a Middle Eastern perspective. It featured four panels of industry experts from leading companies in the region who tackled the following topics: Middle East Market Outlook; Alternative Investments; Capital Markets; and Investor Relations Perspectives.

Alba’s Chief Executive, Laurent Schmitt, Chief Financial Officer, Tim Murray, Investor & Public Relations Manager, Eline Hilal as well as the Finance Manager, Mansoor Afzal’ were present at the opening of the IR conference.

Commenting on the company’s support for the investor conference, Alba’s Chief Executive, Laurent Schmitt said: “Being ahead of the curve, reaching out to investors, customers and other stakeholders can create huge benefits and real value to the company itself.

Nowadays with the prevalence of volatile economic environment, companies that place high premium on strong corporate governance and transparency alongside possessing a clear roadmap for future performance are most likely to earn the trust and goodwill of investors.

We - at Alba - are positive that this conference will provide the right platform for engaging in productive discussions on the Middle East’s viability as an investment destination.”

The 2012 Investors Conference attracted investors from across the wider MENA region, chief financial officers, investment bankers, asset & fund managers, heads of investor relations, investment advisors and other high net worth individuals.

Dubai, January 11, 2012: The 7th Asia Information Retrieval Societies Conference (AIRS 2011), hosted by the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) at Dubai Knowledge Village in December, brought to the fore the need to end the monopoly of the English language in the acquisition and creation of knowledge.

Delivering the keynote address on ‘Challenges in Information Retrieval for Arabic Script-based Languages’, Dr. Ali Farghaly, Senior Knowledge Engineer at DataFlux Corporation, US, and former senior technical member at Oracle, said: “Web Search is just one aspect of Information Retrieval (IR). Since IR is primarily concerned with the encoding, decoding and creation of knowledge, it is imperative for countries aspiring to end the monopoly of the English language to be actively involved in Research and Development in IR.

“Arabic script-based languages and the countries where these languages are spoken represent a striking example as the advent of the Arab Spring is a precursor to what will follow. However, Arabic script-based languages do not belong to a single language family. For example, Arabic is a Semitic language but Farsi is an Indo-European language. The 20 languages which use the Arabic script exhibit many differences in their internal structure, but the fact that they all use Arabic script imposes common challenges when it comes to developing IR systems.”

Dr. Farghaly, who is currently visiting professor of Arabic Computational Linguistics at Cairo University and Adjunct Professor at Monterey Institute of International Studies, strongly believes that linguistic knowledge can, if used properly, enhance search quality and information retrieval.

The recently concluded AIRS Conference featured 32 papers and 24 posters from 52 universities from 18 countries. They were reviewed by experts from 27 different countries.

TECOM Investments’ Education Cluster, comprising Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, supported the event as knowledge partners. Dr Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director, TECOM Investments’ Education Cluster, was one of the main speakers.

“It was an honour for UOWD to play host to so many illustrious IR experts sharing their knowledge and experiences in this critical area,” said Dr. Mohamed Salem, dean of Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, UOWD. “The committees consisted of representatives from University of Wollongong, Microsoft Research Asia, University of Glasgow, UK, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Tsinghua University, China, National Central University, Taiwan.”

‘AIRS 2011’ had 8 technical areas: Arabic Script text Processing and Retrieval by Ali Farghaly, Senior Knowledge Engineer at DataFlux Corporation;  IR Models and Theories by Minjie Zhang, University of Wollongong, Australia;  Multimedia IR by Joemon M Jose, University of Glasgow, UK;  User Study, IR Evaluation, and Interactive IR by Tetsuya Sakai, Microsoft Research Asia; Web IR, scalability and adversarial IR by Min Zhang, Tsinghua University, China Wang Bin, Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS), China; IR Applications by Kazunari Sugiyama, National University of Singapore, Singapore;  Machine learning for IR by Tie-Yan Liu, Microsoft Research Asia and Natural Language Processing for Information retrieval by Chia-Hui Chang, National Central University, Taiwan.

At the end of the conference, it was announced that the 8th AIRS Conference 2012 would be held in China.

Microsoft Gulf, in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Justice, has announced that it has recently co-organized the 4th International Conference on Cyber Crimes in Abu Dhabi. The UAE – the first Arab state to enforce a special cybercrime law – led regional and international discussions on trends, best practices and challenges in the global fight against cybercrimes during the conference.

The Ministry of Justice’s Institute of Judicial Training and Studies organized the inaugural edition of the conference in 2007 shortly after the promulgation ofFederal Law No. 2 of 2006 on combating information technology crimes. The UAE had already been taking various legal actions against such crimes prior to the federal law, however, adopting legislations within the Penal Code and issuing judicial rulings from the national courts. As one of the world’s leading IT proponents, Microsoft has been lending full support to the Emirates and other Arab countries in establishing more effective legislation to reduce the incidences of cyber crimes.

Chancellor Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Al Kamali, Director-General of the Institute of Judicial Training and Studies, said: “The only way to effectively address cybercrimes is to enhance coordination and cooperation among the judicial, government and private sectors. The International Conference on Cyber Crimes adopts this mindset by bringing together experts and decision-makers from the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, industry and even society to develop comprehensive and suitable strategies, laws and standards. The UAE was a fitting host for this event as it has emerged as a regional model for cybercrime prevention and policing.”

“Strategic partnerships are key to the tackle against cybercrimes. We need to be aware of the legal strategies that can be taken against them, the impact of such activities on the IT industry and society in general, and the technologies and tools we can use to more effectively protect national and regional IT assets. For our part, Microsoft Gulf is highly committed to sharing its expertise and collaborating with key institutions such as the Ministry of Justice to achieve our common vision of eliminating software piracy and other forms of cyber crime in the region,” added Jawad Al Redha, Microsoft Gulf’s Head of Government Interface for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Small and Mid Market Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) Business Development.

Dubai Central Laboratory at Dubai Municipality recently organized a scientific conference in THE PALACE hotel addressing the role of paints and coatings in saving energy, protecting environment and maintaining the quality of indoor air.

The conference comes within the preparations to execute the laws of green building. It is worth mentioning that the administrative decision No. 344 of 2011 provides for the mandatory application of these laws on buildings and facilities belonging to government bodies and experimental application on building projects and facilities belonging to the private sector for a period of three years starting from January 2011.

The conference was attended by nearly 200 guests representing different groups of manufacturers and suppliers of paints from inside and outside the country in addition to a number of contractors, consultants, students, professors and specialists.

Hawa Abdullah Bastaki, Director of Dubai Central Laboratory Department inaugurated the conference and welcomed the participants, during which she confirmed the importance of paints in maintaining sustainability, health and safety of the community.

Bastaki elaborated the efforts of DCL in the development of specifications and requirements of paints, communicating with global institutions such as PRA in Britain as well as studying  best practices such as TUV laboratory in Singapore.

She also announced the launch of paint testing service using high-tech equipment which has been prepared for this purpose.

Mr. Cyril Zasinga, Regional Director of Walker sponsor the conference, highlighted company’s role in the manufacture of raw materials used in the paints manufacture, stressing on procedures in energy saving and environmental protection maintaining the sustainability.

Eng. Ali Alian, Head of Engineering Materials Section, talked about the importance of complying with requirements to maintain internal and external environment at all stages of manufacturing of paints and raw materials used in buildings. He emphasized the need to evaluate all stages of the manufacturing process in compliance with international standards ISO 14040, ISO 14043 and Ecolabel.

“The manufacturers should reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which has a negative impact on climate change and global warming, as the emission will cause symptoms of asthma and damage respiratory system. Reducing the proportion of heavy metals such as lead and amount of waste during production has big impact on the health. Requirements for storage and recycling also should be strictly followed,” he said.

Mrs. Hind Al Rahma , Head of Chemical Analysis Division  said that the manufacturers and suppliers should comply with the required proportions for the amount of volatile organic compounds, which if exceeded the allowable limit, will impact on indoor air quality and increase the chances of respiratory diseases and asthma, especially for young children. She also explained how to conduct tests on the volatile organic materials in paint and receive inspection reports electronically.

Mr. Imad Juma Mohammed, Head of Construction Units Division, shed light on the preparations of DCL in the examination of solar reflectance and value of light reflection, which defends sun and reduce heat.

There was an interactive discussion among the manufacturers, suppliers and lecturers focusing on the actions to be taken to develop the paint products in a manner that ensures maintaining the health, safety and environment.

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Centre for Responsible Business organised the latest Dubai Dialogue: Good Governance 2011 at the Emirates Towers hotel on Tuesday. With top global and local corporate governance experts in attendance, the conference discussed the mechanisms and best practices useful for businesses in promoting transparency and sustainability and gaining of confidence of investors and stakeholders.

With its aim to find the way forward to developing a holistic approach to sustainability, the conference examined shortcomings in corporate governance practices worldwide and outlined challenges and promising features of excellence in the field.  It also looked into measurable and progressive governance models and mechanisms that can lead to organisational excellence and long term sustainability.

In three different sessions, the speakers shed light on the topics of Corporate Governance and the Current Financial Turmoil, Corporate Governance a Driver for Sustainability and Best Practices in Corporate Governance.

In his opening address, H.E. Hisham Al Shirawi, 2nd Vice Chairman, Dubai Chamber, stated that the recent global financial turmoil has questioned well established governance and economic systems and has forced global businesses to rethink the traditional norms and standards.

He further stated that nHeHnow businesses in the region are beginning to recognise that good corporate governance, risk management and corporate social responsibility is a pre-requisite for sustainability and competitiveness and the ultimate path to business reputation and therefore, new directions for corporate governance have to be devised. 

H.E. Al Shirawi informed that there is a strong link between good governance, business performance and sustainability, a relationship which has been frequently overlooked by traditional organisations and corporate system. “Today corporate governance demands higher global outreach by businesses as it is a source of core global competence and competitive advantage. For making governance work we need to move beyond compliance to achieve higher standards. The need here is to create a corporate governance system which is based on ethics, integrity, equity, legitimacy and transparency,” he said.

“For the UAE, good corporate governance is a key pillar underpinning the country’s reputation as a trusted financial and business hub. Meanwhile, significant regulatory reforms are taking place in UAE to further strengthen our governance regime. The idea is to enhance the fundamental regulatory framework supporting Dubai’s growth as an international hub for both businesses and investors,” H.E. Al Shirawi added.

He further said that through its Centre for Responsible Business, Dubai Chamber aims to promote awareness and the practicing of CSR and good governance among Dubai’s business community, which he added is done through training courses, advisory services, seminars to raise awareness and various programmes which are designed to increase a company’s capacity to implement broad governance and CSR.

“It is a great pleasure that my participation in Dubai Dialogue: Corporate Governance Conference 2011 coincides with the recent announcement that we have ranked first in the S&P/Hawkamah Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Index 2011, as MENA’s most compliant company,” said Mahmood Ahmad, Vice President of Board Relations and Corporate Governance, du. “Our sustained efforts to enhance corporate governance standards within the company and the community led to this milestone achievement, and we would like to emphasise upon the fact that corporate governance reflects upon a company’s image, leading to greater shareholder trust, which, in turn, leads to increased value.”

Mr David Crackett, Vice President, Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe, who blamed bad corporate governance for the ensuing problems caused by the global financial crisis, stated that excessive legislation will not bring about the change but the renaissance of a strong ethical business culture.

Mr Mak Yuen Teen, Associate Professor of Accounting at the NUS Business School, said: “Good corporate governance is critical for attracting investment and building sustainable businesses. Corporate scandals and a succession of financial crises throughout the world highlight the damage that can be done to companies and economies when governance is poor. This conference is very timely for raising awareness and sharing ideas about how to move corporate governance forward in the UAE.”  

Mr Ryuichiro Yamazaki, Secretary-General, Asian Productivity Organisation, added: “The Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) has been assisting its member countries in the Asia-Pacific region for over 50 years in their socioeconomic development through the enhancement of productivity. These economies have continually recognised corporate governance as a vital factor in achieving organisational transparency and long-term sustainability alongside the needs for productivity and competitiveness. There are many best practices in promoting corporate governance which can be shared between the UAE and APO member countries, and we hope that the organisation can contribute to creating such regional linkages.”

The speakers included Paul Koster, CEO, Dubai Financial Services Authority, Dr. Peter Eigen, Founder of Transparency International,   Christianna Woods, Chairman, International Corporate Governance Network Board of Governors, David Crackett, Vice President, Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe, Mahmood Ali Hussain Ahmad, Vice President, Board Relations, Corporate Governance and Compliance, Du, Yumiko Yamashita, Program Officer, Industry Department, Asian Productivity Organisation Secretariat, Wolfgang Braun, Head of Energy Transmission, Siemens Middle East and Mak Yuen Teen, Associate Professor of Accounting at the NUS Business School.

The 3rd Annual SEHA Research Conference will be held at the Fairmont Hotel, Abu Dhabi on 14th - 15th December 2011 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The theme for this year’s event is “Research and Quality: Advancing excellence in healthcare.”

Under the direction of the SEHA Research Advisory Committee, the 2011 conference will be structured to be more interactive. The scientific program will comprise keynote plenary lectures with some parallel streams, poster sessions and with structured workshops.

“SEHA’s Annual Research Conference is an important signpost on the healthcare map of UAE, pointing the way to cutting edge studies and inspiring inquiring minds to explore paths not yet taken. I welcome you once more to this conference of healthcare experts and encourage you to contribute toward advancing excellence in healthcare” said Saif B. Al Qubaisi, SEHA Chairman.

The 3rd Annual SEHA Research Conference will feature around 200 scientific abstract presentations by healthcare professionals within the SEHA network, on diverse topics, making this year’s schedule even more engaging. Top international healthcare experts and researchers will present their views on the latest findings, best practices and emerging trends in quality and research. 

SEHA has continuously taken steps to meet the needs of the population in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. SEHA is committed to change and ready to face increased demands for excellence in health care. Primarily the most visible of SEHA’s changes are its reorganization into integrated service networks, its implementation of effective primary care, a heightened focus on customer service and its conversion from a hospital-based, specialty-focused system to one centered on “circle of excellence” based delivery of care. Many other changes are being implemented and still others are in progress. Process and practices are being re-examined through quality research  to see if it is still appropriate in today’s rapidly changing health care environment and whether it will continue to be appropriate in tomorrow’s world.

 It has been SEHA’s mission to support and advance cutting-edge thinking in healthcare so that it continues to provide patients with the best-in-class treatments and facilities. In line with this objective, SEHA has successfully organized the Annual Research Conference to build strong links with the research community, and promote excellence across all fields within the healthcare sector.

We invite you to visit our website www.seha-research.ae regularly for the latest updates and news about the conference. You can register online, find key speakers easily and contact us if you require more information.

December 5, Dubai UAE: The Middle East Vegetarian Group or MeVeg, a not-for-profit volunteers run support group, is launching its first regional conference today for two days (5-6 December) at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (Saeed Hall 2) from 11am to 7pm. Supported by International Vegetarian Union and iFOAM, the event will feature experts from the fields of nutrition, medicine, environment and holistic health who will speak to delegates on topics related to health, diet, cooking approaches, eco friendly and organic foods. The two day Congress and Workshop will take place alongside The Middle East Natural & Organic Products Exhibition (MENOPE).

Mohammed Al Noori, director, Environmental Centre for Arab Towns based in Dubai said, “We are constantly looking to inspire and innovate.  One of our fundamental aims is to organize conferences and discussion forums to bridge communication gaps and create synergies such that environmental expertise can be shared between all Arab towns and cities. Plant based diets and sustainability have a close connection and we shall explore adoption of the same by supporting the upcoming 2nd Meveg Congress taking place in Dubai.”

Explained Sandhya Prakash, founder of the MeVeg and organizer of the MeVeg Congress: “Following the successful debut conference last year, we decided to make it a regional event this year. Over the years people have become more discerning about their health and are keen on learning about how to make healthful food choices. This year again we have a lineup of regional and international speakers who will enlighten attending delegates on topics such as ‘reading food labels and identifying harmful ingredients in packaged food’, ‘organic foods – from farm to plate’ and a range of related topics.”

This year fruitarian Loh Yeow from Singapore will be returning to demonstrate apt methods in healthy living with his workshop ‘Yeow’s Meal in a Drink’. Another key aspect of the Congress will be a demonstration of how various spices and natural herbs and how these benefit the body. Creating tasty raw food meals, which is vital for our health, will be part of the seminar. A unique photo exhibition will highlight the activities of the Meveg Group and how it has contributed in creating positive awareness in the society.

“Meveg Congress promises to be a useful conference for individual consumers, families, health and environment government officials, the food industry, chefs, doctors, educationists, teachers, students and everyone in the community. Delegates will be allowed to participate in group discussions and interact with experts in the fields of health & environment, researchers, naturalists. They will not only learn about the benefits of a plant based diet, but also its impact on the environment as well as the variety of choices available in multiple cuisines. The goal is to make the Congress a truly international platform so that people of all cultures and communities as well as people having different kinds of food habits can participate and benefit,” concluded Sandhya.

For more details or to attend the conference, visit www.mevegcongress.com.

Middlesex University Dubai hosted the inaugural First International Conference on Emerging Research Paradigms in Business and Social Sciences (ERPBSS) from November 22 to 24 at the Pullman Hotel in Dubai.

The unique multi-disciplinary conference provided an important platform for academics from a range of different fields, to discuss new concepts, progressive methodologies, embryonic approaches and innovative practices in the context of the wider social environment. The three day event saw 175 delegates from 35 countries and 102 universities, present and discuss 160 research papers. The conference consisted of six tracks: 1) Education; 2) Psychology and Sociology; 3) Media Studies; 4) Information and Knowledge Management 5) Tourism and Hospitality; 6) Business and Management;

The keynote sessions were delivered by soft systems pioneer, Professor Peter Checkland, and leading social scientist, Professor John Urry, both from Lancaster University in the UK. Delegates were also treated to a presentation by UAE’s cultural ambassador and The National columnist, Ali Alsaloom, at the gala dinner. Pro Vice Chancellor Jan Williams, Dean of the School of Health and Social Sciences from Middlesex University in London, presided over the conference proceedings, together with the Conference Chair, Professor Ajit Karnik, and Conference Co-ordinator, Dr Marcus Stephenson.

The Director of Middlesex University Dubai, Professor Raed Awamleh, commented: “The ERPBSS conference is an important milestone for Middlesex University Dubai and firmly places us at the forefront of research developments in the UAE due to the multi-disciplinary nature of the event and the delegate base. The conference is the result of 18 months of work by the university’s Research Committee, which ensured that the papers selected were appropriate in the context of this region, and in terms of the social scientific component. We received over 400 submissions from all over the world, and the diversity of the delegates’ backgrounds complemented the diversity of the research presented”.

A Scientific Advisory Committee, composed of highly established academics associated with the specific subject areas, played a key role at various key stages of the process. The conference was sponsored by the Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). The second ERPBSS conference will be held in 2013.