Sixty two teams registered to show off street soccer skills in one day competition at the Dome@Rawdhat

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 20 December, 2011: Four Abu Dhabi street soccer teams have been crowned the winners of the inaugural Streetkings tournament which took place at the UAE’s capital’s home of football, the Dome@Rawdhat.

Ahmad Yousef and Mohammed Khan, Team Liverpool shared the Under 12 trophy with Karim Ayman and Mohammed Tareq of Team MK in a tightly fought battle.  In the Under 17 category, Bader Alshabibi and Wael Alshabibi’s Team BW took first prize, while Team Hyatt – Razun Croitory and Anouar Moujami – won the 18 and over division.

“Even though I practise a lot with my brother Bader, it was a great surprise for us to win the first street soccer competition in Abu Dhabi,” said Wael Alshabibi, a 15 year old who plays for Al Jazeera’s boys’ team.

Each two-person team went head to head in the small gated football courts in a series of nine games.  Reem Investments, the company which built the Dome@Rawdhat and organisers of the tournament, were overwhelmed with the response from the local community; 62 teams registered to take part in the event which was sponsored by Pepsi.

Street soccer is growing a steady fan base in the UAE capital since Streetkings signed an agreement with Reem Investments to set up a permanent home in Abu Dhabi.  Edward van Gils, founder of Streetkings and a former player with Dutch league side AZ Alkamar kick-started the tournament with an impressive demonstration of tricks and moves with his colleague Izzy Hitman.

Streetkings Tournament / 2

Streetkings’ presence in Abu Dhabi is a fascinating insight into the hugely popular sport of street soccer, which has turned players like van Gils into cult figures around the world because of their ability to effortlessly manipulate a football in a flamboyant show of ball control, imagination and showmanship.

The sport has become big business, and van Gils has appeared in commercials for some of the world’s biggest brands with famous players like Ronaldinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Street soccer is seen as having learning qualities well beyond the vast array of tricks invented and perfected by players such as van Gils, and his colleague Lenny Macnack, an expert at Panna, the art of playing the ball through your opponent’s legs.

Rinus Michels, the Holland team manager who led Ajax to the European Cup and Barcelona to the La Liga title in Spain, has described the sport as “the most natural educational system that can be found.”

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.

Dubai –: The Future Leadership Academy (FLA) today completed its inaugural session of its LeadStar™ bootcamp focused on children aged between 10 to 13 years. This was the first session being run under the exclusive partnership announced earlier this month with KidLead, the world’s first leadership training organization for children.

Dr. Alan E Nelson, Founder and CEO of Kidlead, said: “I am so impressed with the leadership aptitude that was shown by this group of young leaders. With the amazing reaction we have seen from them, we are even more excited about the possibilities of developing ethical leaders when they are moldable.”

The LeadStar™ program is an executive caliber training program for pre-teens and early teens, focusing on a life stage when young leaders are still pliable in their character, but mature enough to be taught sophisticated social skills required for leading. It is based on a platform that teaches the 16 most desirable leadership qualities, and is taught by certified trainers using media, experiential activities and real-to-life projects. The program also includes parent and mentor training.

Commenting on the roll-out plans, Aman Merchant, Founder and Chief Emagination Officer, FLA, said, “With the launch of the pilot program, we have bought to this region the world’s 1st executive caliber pre-teens leadership skills development program. Our facilitators and coaches teach socratically, by asking strategic questions, in order to help students think like leaders themselves, not just follow directions from adults. The children have found this to be a refreshing change to what they are accustomed to in school – in fact, one of the participants commented that he learned more in four days with us than he had in five months at school. Clearly, for most children, this was the first time their leadership talent was being recognized and nurtured.”

The first public sessions for LeadStar™ will start in late December, followed by the teens program LeadSmart™ that will debut next year.

The Future Leadership Academy (FLA) is a leadership and learning open-source platform that will also serve as a school of thinking and a youth social-innovation incubator working as a positive change agent. It will be a greenhouse for preparing future world leaders, who will be confident in tackling their country’s and their region’s most pressing corporate, social, economic and political challenges.

Twenty young leaders enjoy and learn key leadership principles

Dubai – December 14th, 2011: The Future Leadership Academy (FLA) today completed its inaugural session of its LeadStar™ bootcamp focused on children aged between 10 to 13 years. This was the first session being run under the exclusive partnership announced earlier this month with KidLead, the world’s first leadership training organization for chil-dren.

Dr. Alan E Nelson, Founder and CEO of Kidlead, said: “I am so impressed with the leader-ship aptitude that was shown by this group of young leaders. With the amazing reaction we have seen from them, we are even more excited about the possibilities of developing ethical leaders when they are moldable.”

The LeadStar™ program is an executive caliber training program for pre-teens and early teens, focusing on a life stage when young leaders are still pliable in their character, but mature enough to be taught sophisticated social skills required for leading. It is based on a platform that teaches the 16 most desirable leadership qualities, and is taught by certi-fied trainers using media, experiential activities and real-to-life projects. The program al-so includes parent and mentor training.

Commenting on the roll-out plans, Aman Merchant, Founder and Chief Emagination Offi-cer, FLA, said, “With the launch of the pilot program, we have bought to this region the world’s 1st executive caliber pre-teens leadership skills development program. Our facili-tators and coaches teach socratically, by asking strategic questions, in order to help stu-dents think like leaders themselves, not just follow directions from adults. The children have found this to be a refreshing change to what they are accustomed to in school – in fact, one of the participants commented that he learned more in four days with us than he had in five months at school. Clearly, for most children, this was the first time their leadership talent was being recognized and nurtured.”

The first public sessions for LeadStar™ will start in late December, followed by the teens program LeadSmart™ that will debut next year.

The Future Leadership Academy (FLA) is a leadership and learning open-source platform that will also serve as a school of thinking and a youth social-innovation incubator work-ing as a positive change agent. It will be a greenhouse for preparing future world lead-ers, who will be confident in tackling their country’s and their region’s most pressing cor-porate, social, economic and political challenges.

Announces exclusive regional partnership with Kidlead; programs to be launched in mid-December 2011

Dubai – November 29th, 2011: The Future Leadership Academy (FLA) today an-nounced an exclusive regional partnership with Kidlead, the world’s first leadership train-ing organization for children. The inaugural pilot programs, LeadStar™ and LeadSmart™ focusing on kids aged between 10 to 13 and 14 to 18 respectively, are set to launch in the UAE in mid-December before being rolled out to other Gulf countries in the second half of 2012.

Dr. Alan E Nelson,Founder and CEO of Kidlead, a non-profit educational foundation that focuses on children and youth, said: “We are excited to be working in this region in part-nership with FLA. Our leadership programs are dedicated to raising effective and ethical leaders by developing them while they are still moldable. Consider these as executive caliber training programs for pre-teens and early teens, focusing on a life stage when young leaders are still pliable in their character, but mature enough to be taught sophisti-cated social skills required for leading.”

The LeadStar™ and LeadSmart™ programs are based on a platform that teaches the six-teen most desirable leadership qualities, dividing them into four modules, each consisting of eight sessions, typically formatted in 90-minute club settings. These are taught by cer-tified trainers using media, experiential activities and real-to-life projects. The program also includes parent and mentor training.

Additionally, all students interested to enroll will be required to have a parent and teach-er take the Leadership Influence Survey™ as a pre-requisite to help identify their observ-able organizational leader qualities. Once they graduate, program participants will join an alumni program that will allow them to remain engaged in the study and practice of lead-ership.

“Our special ‘Developing Your Child to Lead’ seminar for parents will cover recent findings on how to develop the full leadership potential in children. We will be discussing the 10 indicators of leadership aptitude in kids, why the 10 to 13 year window is the key for eth-ical leadership development as well as the five common adult responses that limit a young leader’s ability,” added Nelson.

Commenting on the partnership, Aman Merchant, Founder and Chief Emagination Officer, FLA, said, “This partnership with Kidlead is our first program under the LEAD side of our unique ‘Think, Lead, Impact’ platform and sets the stage for other programs we expect to announce in the very near future. By increasing the sense of confidence, empowerment and purpose that young people acquire early in life, they will be better prepared to take on the mantle of leadership and serve as active members of society earlier in life.”

“The first batch of LeadStar™ and LeadSmart™ sessions are expected to be run with around 100 children and will launch in the holiday period in December, giving parents an exciting new option for their children to spend their free time, discovering and developing their talents in ways unseen before in this region,” concluded Merchant.

The FLA was launched earlier this month, targeting to develop one million young future leaders aged 3 to 24 years across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It will work as a leadership and learning ‘open-source platform’ offering a unique multi-tiered leadership potential accelerator built around three core concepts – Think, Lead and Impact. The so-cial venture’s kick-off initiative was FLA-SAGE that is part of a global program called SAGE that encourages teenagers to create commercial and social entrepreneurial ven-tures on their school campuses, and is now active in 20 countries.

APID promises more exciting design-centric events and activities for next edition in 2012

November 16, 2011

The successful culmination of the Middle East’s first ever ‘Festival of Interior Design (FoID) has consolidated the UAE’s position as the region’s premier design hub, according to a statement issued by the Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID), an organization representing professional interior designers in the Gulf region. The pioneering event, which was held from October 22, 2011 to October 25, 2011, not only drew Dubai-wide attention and participation from the local design community but was also joined in by people coming from all walks of life. The festival fell in line with APID’s chief mission to increase awareness on the significance of interior design in everybody’s lives and providing the region’s design industry with a key venue to discuss timely issues while also showcasing the works of emerging talents and design firms in the region.

As a result of the strong response generated from major events like the FoID Shopper, the Interior Design Congress, the Product Design competition accompanied by the exhibition of the top entries at ‘thejamjar,’ the workshops and presentations given at the Pavilion, Downtown Dubai and the FoID gala dinner at The Address Hotel, APID has announced its plan to prepare more exciting and design-centric events and activities for next year’s edition of the festival. APID also announced the success of the first ‘Interior Design Congress, which was held on October 22, 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre and featured keynote addresses from world renowned figures in architecture and interior design such as David Trubridge, Rogier Van Der Heide, Hadi Teherani, Francesc Rife and Bruno Triplet.

FoID played host to successful partner events held at The Pavilion Downtown Dubai. The activities held at the venue included a special movie screening of the ‘Greenhouse’ movie, a presentation entitled the ‘8 rules of light’ given by Danilo Mandelli from Viabizzuno and a special lighting workshop and lighting themed soiree by multi-award winning lighting design expert Beau McClellan. Scarlet Opus, a leading trend forecasting and business development firm for interior products and services, also gave a presentation on the latest design trends along with industry forecasts for 2012. The Pavilion Downtown Dubai also hosted a standing room networking event featuring the Nomad Chandelier and a live urban art wall session by leading young British artist Amarty Golding.

“The excitement and momentum generated from the many events of FoID has given us the confidence to start planning and preparing for next year’s edition of the festival, promising a more design-centric and interactive set of activities for the whole of Dubai and the UAE,” said Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, President, APID. “We would like to thank our partners who have been instrumental in the success of FoID. Their support and patronage played a key role in the execution of the many events and activities that we lined up for the festival. We look forward to working closely with them again in FoID 2012.”

The exciting festival kicked off a week early with the launch of FoID Shopper, an initiative held in partnership with the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) and joined in by some of the country’s leading retail facilities. In addition, ‘thejamjar’ hosted the exhibition of the winning entries for the FoID Product Design Competition and was followed with a special FoID gala dinner at The Address Hotel where the winners were announced and the products were auctioned off. Bersun Erturk won the Platinum award for his entry ‘LOCT’ a coffee table, while Norah Al Twaijri received the Gold award for her multi-functional chair called ‘Rest and Read.’ Shersha Sarith grabbed the Silver award for his decorative light fixture called ‘Azpire’ and Rami Al Khatib took the Bronze award for his uniquely designed table called ‘Loop Concept Table.’

“The successful turn of the festival’s events has ably reinforced the UAE’s leading position as an established design hub for the Middle East. This has been a wonderful and memorable festival that has truly met our objectives of highlighting the importance of interior design in our daily lives and showing the immense pool of talented and creative designers coming from this region,” concluded Al Awadhi.

In recognition of the strong show of patronage and support for the pioneering festival, APID extended their thanks and gratitude to the FoID partners and sponsors. Special ‘Certificates of Appreciation’ were handed out to Marwan Juma Bin Beyat, General Manager for the office of H.H. Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Laila Suhail, CEO, Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) and Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General for Planning and Development, Department of Economic Development.

FoID 2011 was held in association with DEPE and was highly supported by key partners and sponsors. Platinum sponsors included INDEX 2011, the American Hardwood Export Council and Philips. The Gold sponsor for the event was Woodflors, while Silver sponsors were Roca, Poggen Pohl, RAME, OAK, Linder, Interfaceflor and Grand Royal. Tour bus sponsor was Moody Design. The main sponsors for the FoID Gala Dinner were Greenline Interiors. Support sponsors for the festival included Schulz, Design Design, Samuel Creations, Barrisol, Natuzzi, Techno Mec Building industries, Al Fara’a Interiors, Al Khaznah Tannery and the Pavilion Downtown Dubai. Event partners included ‘thejamjar,’ Viabizzuno, Manipal University, Beau Mclellan, Scarlet Opus, NCS Color System, Joost, the Shelter, Showcase art, antiques & frames, the British Contract Furnishing Association and the American University of Sharjah.

Taweya encourages volunteerism & humanitarianism among UAE citizens

November 14, 2011

ALHOSN University, an Abu Dhabi–based private educational institution dedicated to ‘global knowledge with a local vision,’ is participating in the first National Exhibition for Society Awareness and Humanitarian Services – Taweya 2011– in support of a nationwide campaign towards increased social awareness.

Taking place from today (Monday, November 14, 2011) until the 16th at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Taweya 2011 will gather prominent government and private sector organizations to advocate social awareness and promote a culture of volunteerism and humanitarianism. It is expected to become a major annual event for local and international participants to encourage UAE citizens to take an active role in social growth. The event will be held under the patronage of H.E. Maryam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, UAE Minister of Social Affairs.

Visitors can pass by ALHOSN University’s stand at Stand R01 Hall 5 of ADNEC to view the university’s various services and programs and learn more about its contributions to local and national social development. Exhibition hours will be from 10am to 8pm and admission is free of charge.

“Taweya 2011 is a wonderful platform for encouraging UAE citizens to take a closer look at the country’s social conditions and consider joining volunteer and humanitarian work. Part of ALHOSN’s vision is to uphold the local vision, which is why it is important for us to support initiatives that promote social awareness especially among youth. We are proud to be part of the inaugural edition of Taweya and we look forward to becoming a regular participant of this important event,” said Prof. Abdul Rahim Sabouni, Vice Chancellor and CEO, ALHOSN University.

Named after Abu Dhabi’s historic ALHOSN Palace, ALHOSN University was founded in 2005 by the Abu Dhabi Holding Company in response to growing local demand for high-quality, value-based educational institutions. It currently offers 11 undergraduate and 7 graduate programs under the Faculties of Engineering and Applies Sciences, Business, and Arts and Social Sciences. ALHOSN accepts students of all nationalities and also accommodates youths with special needs. All its programs are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

University to meet top employers & trainers at UAE’s leading annual exhibition on higher education, training & careers

October 18, 2011

ALHOSN University, an Abu Dhabi–based private educational institution dedicated to ‘global knowledge with local vision,’ will join the inaugural UAE Lead – Youth Leadership Congress taking place as part of NAJAH 2011, the 5th edition of the UAE’s leading annual exhibition on higher education, training and careers running from October 18 to 20, 2011 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

During the Congress, ALHOSN will be on the lookout for leadership opportunities for its students and ways in which the university can further support their personal and professional growth. A delegation of ALHOSN students will receive career assessments from AIESEC, the world’s largest student-run organization. NAJAH will provide various networking opportunities involving not only  educational and training institutions and employers, but also government authorities, as the exhibition is strongly supported by key government entities including the Abu Dhabi Education Council, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Emirates National Development Program, and Dubai International Academic City.

“We desire a bright future for our students – which is exactly what NAJAH promises as the leading education, training and career event in the country.  Leadership is one of the qualities we strive to bring out in our students, and this is why we are very excited over the new insights to be provided by this year’s inaugural UAE Lead – Youth Leadership Congress. And as usual, NAJAH will be a platform for ALHOSN University to showcase its competitive programs and share its vision of global knowledge with local vision with prospective students,” said Prof. Abdul Rahim Sabouni, Vice Chancellor and CEO, ALHOSN University.

NAJAH draws over 120 exhibitors and more than 18,000 visitors each year. The latest edition will feature over 500 courses offered by more than 100 local and international universities and institutes, as well asemployers from leading organizations seeking talented graduates for recruitment. Also on offer will be aptitude tests at the AIESEC Assessment Centre, one-on-one career counseling by experts from SUMMIT Career Services, and seminars on education and career-related topics by industry professionals, all of which will be given free of charge.

Named after Abu Dhabi’s historic ALHOSN Palace, ALHOSN University was founded in 2005 by the Abu Dhabi Holding Company in response to growing local demand for high-quality, value-based educational institutions. It currently offers 11 undergraduate and 7 graduate programs under the Faculties of Engineering and Applies Sciences, Business, and Arts and Social Sciences. ALHOSN accepts students of all nationalities and also accommodates youths with special needs. All its programs are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Egyptian Prime Minister’s support for first-of-its-kind event to help drive in more growth and development for country’s wood and wood working machinery segment

September 28, 2011

His Excellency Essam Sharaf, the Prime Minister of Egypt, has expressed his support and patronage for the first ever ‘Cairo International Wood & Wood Machinery Show,’ which will be held from October 9 to 12, 2011 at the Cairo International Convention Centre (CICC). The pioneering event is looking to tap the country’s wood market and nurture its continuous growth by acting as a strategic trading platform that will bring out the most effective networking opportunities for Egypt and its neighbouring countries. The Egyptian Prime Minister’s announcement of support is expected to help improve the country’s booming wood sector and is part of the government’s ongoing initiative to encourage more investment by prioritizing productivity and promote local businesses.

‘Cairo WoodShow 2011’ will feature the products and services of over 200 leading manufacturers and traders from over 30 countries across 5,000 square meters of exhibition space at the CICC. During its four-day run, ‘Cairo WoodShow’ will feature a comprehensive program of activities that will include daily thought leadership conferences, workshops and exclusive one-on-one business meetings. The event will also offer exhibitors strategic marketing solutions across different forms of media like show catalogues, banners, press releases, website and e-blasting, giving participants maximum exposure for the duration of the ‘Cairo WoodShow.’

“We would like to thank the Egyptian government for their strong show of support and patronage for ‘Cairo WoodShow 2011,’” said Dawood Al Shezawi, CEO, Strategic Marketing and Exhibitions. “H.E. Essam Sharaf continues to play a key role in Egypt’s move to regain economic footing and his patronage for the country’s first ever wood and working machinery exhibition will not only strengthen the wood segment but will also attract the entry of more investment opportunities.”

The event will feature exhibitors coming from countries like Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Switzerland. One of the highlights for the exciting four-day event will be the ‘Auction on Fire’ activity, which is an exciting two-hour daily auction of the latest wood products and wood working machinery that will be held at the CICC’s ‘Auction Zone.’ The first day of ‘Cairo WoodShow’ will be exclusively for VIP business personalities coming from 60 countries featuring high profile representatives from the wood business looking for importing and negotiating potential opportunities. The next three days are open to all specialized visitors.

“We are glad to report that preparations for this inaugural event are right on track and we have also received a lot of confirmations from companies and organizations that have expressed their eagerness to be a part of the show. We are confident that the show will be able to meet our objectives of driving in new opportunities between exhibitors and potential partners and help bring in more growth and development for the country,” concluded Al Shezawi.

Competition to showcase creativity and talent of local design community with winning entry being auctioned off at FoID gala event

July 19, 2011

The Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID), an organization representing professional interior designers in the Gulf region, has announced the launch of an exciting ‘Product Design’ competition open to members of the design industry and local community including individuals, groups or any design-based firms. The competition is one of the many events that will take place during the inaugural Festival of Interior Design (FoID), which will run in conjunction with INDEX International Design Exhibition 2011 from October 22 to 25, 2011 across Dubai. Deadline for the first phase of the competition, which covers the submission of scaled drawings and rationale via email, will be on September 8, 2011. Meanwhile, the deadline for the second phase, which covers the production and submission of the actual life-size product, will be on October 16, 2011. The best four products will be auctioned off at the FoID Gala Dinner on October 22, 2011, with the proceeds going to a charity (TBA). All product designers including the overall winner will also walk away with the distinction of being recognized by peers from the region’s thriving interior design industry.

The competition requires the submission of a product design that is relevant to the Interior Design industry and fits one of three interior categories, which are: innovative interior finish, interior furniture and accessories. During the judging and evaluation process, the judges will shortlist entries based on form, function and innovation. Further, contestants entering the competition are encouraged to consider the five underlying objectives of FoID during the design process which are: ‘Educate’, to increase awareness of the interior design industry within the general public and among industry professionals; ‘Celebrate’, to give homage and celebrate the significance of the industry in both traditional and modern Arab culture; ‘Encourage’, to promote and discover emerging talent in interior design; ‘Highlight’, to focus on innovation and new design trends in the industry today; and ‘Collaborate’, to promote and strengthen partnerships with similar interior design based groups and associations.

“APID is encouraging members of the local design community to put their thinking caps on, get their creative juices flowing and start coming up with a winning design concept for the first FoID product design competition,” said Farida Kamber Al Awadhi, President, APID. “The competition will allow us to tap into a cross section of designers, firms and groups and showcase their talent to the rest of the region. Winners will not only have the opportunity to have their design auctioned off but will also receive extensive exposure in design publications, the APID and FoID web portals and on social sites including Facebook and Twitter. The competition reflects APID’s aim of giving local designers the chance to demonstrate their talent and their vision alongside internationally renowned design Masters.”

As part of the first round, participants will be asked to submit a detailed drawing and the rationale behind their design concept in PDF format via email. Judges for the competition will then announce the top ten entries on September 15, 2011. The chosen ten will then be asked to produce and create an actual life-size product that will pack to a maximum size of two cubic metres, which needs to be submitted by October 16, 2011. A second round of judging will be made to choose the top four entries. Guests attending the FoID Gala Dinner will be invited to vote for the winning concept. In the event of a tie, a designated ‘reserve guest’ will be asked to vote to break the tie. Winners will be announced with the categories - Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze and auctioned off using these designations. The identity of the overall winner will be revealed at the dinner and the winner will receive a certificate, APID membership valid for one year and publicity through the support of APID, FoID, INDEX and industry publications.

“We are looking forward to the entries for the competition, which will allow us a peek at the creativity and design skills of the region’s emerging designers. Winners will not only be awarded with one year free membership to APID but will also gain the opportunity of meeting new contacts and fellow designers, allowing them more opportunities to hone and develop their skills and talents. Rest assured, APID will continue to live up to its commitment of being an association that best represents the interests of interior design professionals in the Middle East region,” concluded Farida Al Awadhi.

According to the organizers, all applicants need to be at least 18 years of age and will be required to submit a PDF version of the scaled drawings of the product design, a rendered drawing of the design and a clear concept design rationale as part of the initial submission. A registration fee of AED 250 will be charged, which can be paid online or in person. APID will then issue a code number to be used on all submitted materials for judging purposes. In addition, all collaborative entries should include the names of all contributors to the entry at the time of application. Only one entry per individual or group will be allowed.

• UAE visitors represent 35% of total pre-registered visitors at ‘Airports Expansion, Cargo and Logistics’ Conference and Exhibition
• Etihad Airways and Boeing Middle East among companies participating at event starting April 26

Erbil International Airport

Erbil, Iraq; April 22, 2011: Arabian Reach, the UAE-based company specialising in exhibitions and events management across the region, has revealed that over 1,200 visitors have already pre-registered to attend the inaugural edition of the ‘Airports Expansion, Cargo and Logistics’ Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Erbil, Iraq from the 26th to the 28th of April, 2011.

The business visitors, who are hoping to tap into the lucrative Iraqi market, will be coming from different Iraqi cities, as well as other countries across the region including the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan and Turkey. Half of the registered visitors represent companies from the aviation and airports sector, while the rest are from cargo and logistics sectors. Visitors from the UAE alone comprise 35% of the total number of pre-registered visitors.  

The company has also reported that leading companies from over 33 countries across the world will be participating at the event that will provide an ideal platform for networking and business development opportunities. Among the key participating companies at the event are Boeing Middle East, Etihad Airways, Modern Freight, Agility and Cavotec Middle East.

Raj Menon, General Manager, Arabian Reach, said: “Considering that this is the inaugural edition of the event, the response we have received so far has been truly overwhelming, and underlines the growing interest in Iraq’s aviation, cargo and logistics industries, especially with seven new airports and cargo villages being constructed. Companies and visitors who recognise the immense potential of these sectors in Iraq are keen to explore and capitalise on the available opportunities by participating in this event. Furthermore, we anticipate more visitors to register closer to the opening date on the 26th of April.”

Key speakers from Iraq and the UAE will be speaking at the conference to be held concurrently with the exhibition. Topics of discussion at the two-day conference include airports projects and expansion, cargo and logistics opportunities, new products and technologies, safety and IT issues.

Confirmed list of speakers include Dr. Khaled Al Mazroui, Chairman of Gulf Airports Services Association; Talar Faiq, Director of Erbil International Airport; Juergen Strommer, Managing Director of Cavotec Middle East; Sashi Sekhar, Founding President of Supply Chain Logistics Group and Hussam Al Haddad, General Manager of ATEIS Middle East. CEOs from major port and logistics companies from different Iraqi cities such as Sulaimaniya, Dohuk, Baghdad, Najaf and Kirkuk will also be participating at the event.

The event is being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport in Iraq and supported by international government bodies and trade associations, including Starlight Airlines as the presidential sponsor, Mateen Express as the gold sponsor and Makyol, a leading construction firm, as the gold sponsor.