• Egypt Sales Centre will now operate from Emaar Misr’s master-planned community

Hamptons MENA expands Egypt office to Uptown Cairo

Cairo, Egypt; July 28, 2010: Hamptons MENA, a premier property services company with a strong geographic presence in the Middle East and North Africa region, has cemented its Egypt operations with the opening of its full-fledged office in Uptown Cairo.

A master-planned community developed by Emaar Misr, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, Uptown Cairo is described as the new downtown of Cairo, with easy access to all commercial, business and governmental nerve-centres of the city.

As part of the expansion plans for Egypt, Hamptons has relocated its office, previously in the Mohandessin area in Giza City, to Uptown Cairo. The office, from its central location near Mokattam Hills, showcases a strong portfolio of projects including prestigious projects throughout Egypt and a wide range of ready rental and sales properties in Cairo.

A spokesperson of Hamptons MENA said: “The expansion of our Egypt office to Uptown Cairo underscores our strategy to focus on the regional markets, and offer our customers a wider portfolio of projects. By relocating to Uptown Cairo, a residential and commercial hub that is fast taking shape, we will be closer to our customers and it will help us strengthen our footprint in the Egyptian market by offering world-class property services.”

A 4 million sq m development, Uptown Cairo is located some 200 metres above sea level offering a refreshing lifestyle environment. The first homes in the community are scheduled for hand over later this year. The Hamptons office will be part of this integrated community with world-class residences, commercial offices, retail and hospitality amenities in close proximity.

In addition to offering Emaar Misr properties, Hamptons also has strong partnerships with other developers with projects located around Cairo, the North Coast, and also in the Red Sea vicinity including Sukhna, Sharm Al Sheikh and Hurghada areas.

The office will offer the full spectrum of Hamptons services including sale and leasing of primary and secondary properties in Egypt and other markets, property management, mortgage advisory, valuation and research services.

Visitors to the Hamptons MENA office in Uptown Cairo can evaluate the range of properties including Uptown Cairo, Marassi and Mivida – three of Emaar’s prestigious lifestyle projects in the country – as well as a strong portfolio of other leading developments and ready properties in Egypt. They can call + 201 0431 6316 or email: info@hamptonseg.com for more details.

Turkey’s business sectors set to benefit from the introduction of globally recognised qualifications

Dubai, Istanbul, 23 May, 2010: Edexcel MENA, the regional headquarters of Edexcel International, has announced the addition of Turkey to the regional network, with the goal of further consolidating its presence in the Middle East.

“The vibrant economic and technological developments in the region over the past few years have accentuated the need for internationally recognised qualifications at all levels,” said Mark Andrews, Regional Director, Edexcel MENA.

“The new office will bring to the Turkish business sector a diverse portfolio of globally recognised qualifications spanning different academic and vocational sectors. We will continue to invest in the delivery of high quality education programmes tailored to the needs of businesses and individuals in Turkey.”

The opening of the Edexcel office in Turkey comes six years after Turkey joined the Bologna Process, which currently has 46 participating countries. The Bologna Process created the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe.

The Turkish education system is a state-supervised system designed to produce a skilled professional class for the social and economic institutes of the nation. As part of the country’s strategy towards implementing a culture of lifelong learning, the creation of vocational training institutions is gaining momentum in order to meet the growing needs for standardizing training and certification of qualifications. 

More than 1.5 million students graduate from Turkish high schools and the US $ multi-billion total expenditure on education in Turkey includes the state budget allocated through the National Ministry of Education and private and international funds.
 
With its wide range of vocational and academic qualifications, Edexcel will play an important role in partnering with Turkish institutions. Moreover, because Edexcel qualifications are recognised by universities and employers all over the world, holders of Edexcel qualifications have a  wide choice of progression into higher education and local and international employment.

Andrews added: “As the country continues to experience economic boom, it is imperative for Turkish businesses to compete in an international marketplace which they can do by, among other things, employing staff who hold internationally recognised qualifications.”

Edexcel’s exclusive BTEC qualifications will be available through Turkish educational establishments which gain Edexcel approval to implement these qualifications. Additionally, as part of the ongoing rigorous quality assurance process, a random sample of students’ work will be assessed at sporadic intervals by a third party external verifier.

“Employment of qualified professionals is important to Turkey and Edexcel will provide these employees with the educational tools that will help them to integrate into the global job market,” added Andrews.

The following universities in Turkey have gained Edexcel approval to deliver Edexcel’s exclusive BTEC qualifications:  Uludag University, Ege University, Firat University, Bahcesehir University, Karadeniz Technical University, Okan University, City University, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Namik Kemal University, MYO Corlu, Istanbul University, Gaziantep University, Beykoz Logistics and Galatasaray University.

Leading local and international organizations in Turkey have welcomed the opening of Edexcel’s office in the country.

Dr. Murat Özoğlu, Assistant to the YÖK President’s Consultant discussed, during the official launch ceremony, YÖK’s support of Edexcel and the 1+1 project it is conducting in Turkey.

Mehmet Develioğlu, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Board Member and President of the Vocational Training Committee, stressed the importance of effective education for employment and said that joint efforts exerted by Edexcel and the business community in Turkey would pay off in the short and long term.

John Riley, British Consulate Business Relations Mananger, speaking  on behalf of the Consul General, reiterated the Consulate commitment to supporting this strategic move which would accelerate the pace of integrating Turkey into the global knowlege economy.

Tayebeh Kazempour of Hackney College and Professor Rıdvan Ezentaş of Uludağ University  both stated that the new Edexcel office would benefit a number of Turkey-based colleges by working with them to offer students the opportunity to acquire prestigious qualifications and broaden their horizons.