Dubai, UAE, January 25 2012: John Butler has been re-appointed as the State Government of Victoria Commissioner to the Middle East and North Africa until 2015.

Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu announced the appointment this week which will see Mr Butler continue to lead the Victorian Government Business Office (VGBO) in the region.

“Mr Butler has been a fine advocate for Victoria in this key market and his extensive prior experience in the aviation industry has been important in developing relationships with airlines flying into Melbourne,” Mr Baillieu said.

Mr. Butler was first appointed in 2009 and he is now looking forward to further developing the strong business, trade and investment links the State has with the region.

Through a variety of programmes and business initiatives, the VGBO assists Victorian exporters and provides assistance to Middle East and North African regional companies and organisations to source products and services, business introductions and investment opportunities with Victoria.

“The opportunity to further foster the relationship with the Middle East and North African business community is very exciting for me and my team,” said Mr Butler. “There are many countries in the region who have played a vital role in the Victorian economy as both a source of investment and as an export destination. “The Victorian Government remains committed to the region and I’m delighted to be playing a pivotal role in such an important market.”

Mr Baillieu also announced Commissioners for Malaysia and Japan. The VGBOs across the world were instrumental in attracting nearly $2.8 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Victoria in 2010/11, which created more than 6,100 new jobs.

The VGBO network covers 13 key locations, with posts headed by Victoria’s Agent-General in London and Commissioners for Victoria in Frankfurt, Dubai, Bangalore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Tokyo and San Francisco.

The State Government of Victoria will also open two new offices in Beijing and Mumbai as part of a significant upgrading of Victoria’s relationships with important trading partners.

Dubai, UAE - 28 November, 2011:  Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, will be joining telecom experts at this week’s Middle East Telco World Summit—held on the 29th & 30th November in Dubai, UAE—as the company shares it’s vision for the advancement of smart Mobile Broadband networks and the forthcoming opportunities for operators, businesses and individual subscribers in the MENA region.

Now entering its 16th year, the Middle East Telco World Summit is the longest established and largest annual Middle Eastern telecoms event. Huawei is both a Branding Sponsor for this year’s summit as well as the Diamond Sponsor for the ‘LTE Focus Day’ being held on the second day of the event.

“Realizing the important role of ICT in a country’s development, especially within the Middle East and North Africa, Huawei is continuing to develop its capacity to offer solutions that support the transformation towards broadband-based ICT services,” notes Mr. Gaston Khoury, Vice President of Wireless Networks, Huawei. “Telecommunication technologies have swiftly passed the Kbps and Mbps era over the past 20 years and are stepping into a Giga world. New business opportunities in mobile broadband are compelling many regional operators to escalate investments in strategy and planning. As we witness the explosive growth in traffic following a continued surge in smartphone uptake and exciting new multimedia applications, developing new partnership models, revenue-share options, and other incentives schemes will be necessary to future broadband-based services.”

Huawei global experts will be linking with this year’s +2,000 attendees via a series of high-profile keynote presentations, panel discussions and exhibition activities. At center stage will be the introduction of Huawei’s latest SingleRAN Beyond solutions—a combination of the company’s market leading GigaSite, Small Cell and SingleSON elements that provide a single unique platform to operators for enhanced wireless-network capacity and management.

During the ‘LTE Focus Day’ on 30th November, Huawei will also be offering its expertise on the latest development and deployment strategies that are specific to regional Long Term Evolution (LTE) services—widely touted as the future in wireless broadband standards.

“One of the main concerns for operators today is how to design profitable MBB networks that provide a rich subscriber experience whilst still realizing large-scale operation and management,” notes Khoury. “To meet such challenges, Huawei has established new mechanisms, procedures and tools to continuously monitor and report on the link between service and experience. Such practices will play a major role in allowing operators to balance cutting-edge broadband services while staying commercially competitive in the mobile era.”

Huawei has earned a reputation within the region as a pioneer in the field of mobile broadband and LTE technologies in particular. This year alone, the company was involved in the deployment of the region’s widest LTE network in the UAE as well as the recent launch of LTE TDD services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Huawei also released the world’s first LTE TDD wireless broadband router, and partnered with Etisalat Academy to introduce the first certified LTE training programme in the Middle East region.

Organisation relocates to Dubai Media City as part of plans to expand its footprint in the region

Dubai, UAE, 25th October, 2011: Edexcel MENA, the regional headquarters of Edexcel International, has announced the shifting of its Dubai headquarters to Arjaan Tower in Dubai Media City to serve the entire Middle East, North Africa and the Caribbean.

The move aims to consolidate its current market position and build an infrastructure for future growth.

Mark Andrews, Regional Director, Middle East/North Africa/Caribbean, Edexcel, said: “The accelerated economic development in the region over the past few years has accentuated the need for internationally recognised qualifications at all levels.”

Edexcel sees tremendous potential for growth in the Middle East. The relocation of the head office is aimed at meeting with the growing demand for high quality vocational programmes in the region and our expanding team.
Edexcel brings to the business sector a diverse portfolio of globally recognised qualifications spanning different academic and vocational sectors.

Edexcel’s exclusive BTEC qualifications provide a practical, real-world approach to learning, alongside theoretical background. They are designed both to replicate the professional working environment and provide learners with the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to succeed in today’s job market. Various opportunities for higher education are available for BTEC HND holders in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia.

Edexcel, a PEARSON company, is the UK largest awarding company offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally.

Edexcel offers academic and professional qualifications and testing to thousands of schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning globally, and has over 4 million learners enrolled in its highly regarded courses in more than 85 countries.

www.3alatv.com allows users to keep track of selected TV Channels and get the latest information about favourite programs and actors   

August 9, 2011

Mr. Bashar Dahabra

Info2cell.com, the leading mobile service application provider in the Middle East, has announced the recent launch of 3ala TV, a specially-designed interactive TV guide website - www.3alatv.com - for users to find selected TV channel schedules and information about their favourite shows and actors. Users can also sign in the website for the latest news, read blogs and also participate in live forums.

Moreover, users can also create their own pages and select their favourite actors or TV programs, while also being able to add friends, who are already registered on this website, to their page. Users can also follow 3ala TV on Twitter, facebook and Youtube.

Bashar Dahabra, Founder and CEO, Info2cell.com, said, “Info2cell.com has always been focused on developing products and mobile applications services that are in tune with market requirements. After a thorough market study, we identified a need for a website that provides useful information about the most popular TV shows and actors. We believe that users in the MENA region will greatly appreciate the effort gone into launching this interactive website that also allows them to take part in live forums and discussions. Going forward, we will also make continuous improvements to the website after considering the feedback we receive and in response to the latest TV viewing trends.”

Info2cell.com is a leading provider of mobile applications and content in the highly competitive MENA markets. The content provider offers advanced mobile messaging technology to deliver SMS, MMS, WAP, IVR, video, ring-tones, picture messaging, animations and Java games to mobile devices.

AHEC to reveal initial findings of LCA study at ‘Dubai WoodShow 2011’

April 05, 2011

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwoods industry, has revealed that a record USD 72.7 million worth of American hardwoods were exported into the Middle East and North African (MENA) region in 2010. The announcement was made today (April 5, 2011) at the opening of ‘Dubai WoodShow 2011’, the region’s only dedicated wood and wood machinery exhibition. Reports have shown that USD 52.8 million of the posted figure was accounted for by shipments of hardwood lumber, which is considered to be the highest value ever posted for American hardwood exports to the region. AHEC has also announced that it will be revealing the initial results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, highlighting the environmental credentials of American hardwoods, at the event.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the value of American hardwood exports for the period of January to December 2010 grew to USD 72.7 million - particularly noteworthy was the 46 per cent increase in exports of U.S. hardwood lumber during the same period. To date, Egypt remains the top destination for American hardwood lumber and veneers. The figures also report that veneer exports to Turkey and Lebanon have increased by 108 per cent amounting to USD 3.75 million and by 86 per cent amounting to USD 3.33 million respectively in 2010. Underlining the increase in exports of American hardwood logs, lumber, veneer and flooring across the Middle East region, are key figures that show an 82 per cent increase in exports of American hardwood flooring in 2010. During this period, there was also a 38.5 per cent growth in the shipments of red oak lumber to the MENA region. Furthermore, industry analysts are upbeat that growth will continue over the next few years as activity in the construction sector is slowly picking up again; ably reflected in the resumption of stalled construction development projects and the launch of newer ones. The statistics also highlight increased growth in exports to other Middle East markets, such as UAE (104 per cent), Jordan (103 per cent), Saudi Arabia (26 per cent), Egypt (63 per cent) and Morocco (56 per cent) for 2010.

“Exports of American hardwoods to the Middle East and North African region have shown an increase that has almost doubled from the figures of the previous year,” said Roderick Wiles, Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania, AHEC. “Architects, consultants, interior designers and developers in the Middle East are increasingly aware of the key benefits of American hardwoods, which makes it a primary choice across the region.”

AHEC will also discuss the initial findings of the LCA study, which reveal that the carbon footprint of kiln dried American hardwood lumber shows that sequestration of carbon during the growth of the tree more than offsets total carbon emissions during extraction, processing and shipment to the Gulf. The AHEC Pavilion at Dubai WoodShow will demonstrate hardwood lumber grading and distribute technical publications on American hardwood species. Among the companies that will participate under the pavilion are Hermitage Hardwood, American Hardwood Industries, American Lumber Co, Baillie Lumber, Bridgewell Resources, Frank Miller Lumber Company Inc, Hill Wood Products, Kretz Lumber, Mayfield Lumber Company, Nina Co LLC, Northland Corporation, Oaks Unlimited Inc, Pike Lumber, SR Wood Inc, Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods and Wheeland Lumber Co Inc.

“The initial results of the LCA study have shown us that the strong environmental performance of American hardwoods are bolstered by key factors like an expanding forest resource, sustainable management and low carbon emissions. A preliminary assessment made by AHEC also reveals that ocean transport is a relatively minor factor in the overall carbon footprint of American hardwoods. In addition, the heavy dependence on biomass rather than fossil fuel energy during processing is a particularly important factor in keeping the overall carbon footprint of American hardwoods low,” concluded Wiles.

ADU holds International Recruiting Agency orientation to increase more students

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 08 March 2011 – In order to bring more foreign students who wish to receive a quality western education in a multi-cultural environment, Abu Dhabi University (ADU) is partnering with different international recruiting agencies from the MENA area to serve as a liaison between the university and potential students around the region.

Supported by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), ADU has recently hosted the first batch of the agencies consisted of 26 recruiters at the Khalifa City Campus. The agencies received one day orientation on all programmes being offered by the university including the campus life of the students. A city tour showcasing the highlights of Abu Dhabi as destination to live, study and eventually work in was also part of the activities held for the prospective agencies.

“Abu Dhabi is drawing a number of international students due to its strong economy, rapid development and urbanisation. The city has transformed into an advanced metropolis catering to a vast multi-cultural society,” said Dr. Nabil Ibrahim, ADU Chancellor.

“Abu Dhabi University, employing easy visa process for students, is also among the leading university choice because of its solid western education programme, quality faculty, research opportunities, flexible admission requirements, excellent English courses and high employment rate for its graduates. Collaborating with international recruiting agencies is a significant step for ADU as it continues producing quality graduates who can contribute to the further development of the economy and achievement of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030,” he added.

Currently, there are 52 different nationalities enrolled at ADU, with the student population comprising 64% non-nationals. The university will receive more groups of recruiters in the coming weeks via the International Recruiting Agency orientation at the campus.

This year, 28 new scientific programmes were added to ADU’s list of programmes, including a foundation course, 21 undergraduate programmes and six post graduate programmes. Nine of these are featured in the current semester which includes Bachelors in Health & Environmental Safety; Environmental Sciences; and Mechanical Engineering; Masters in Education; Engineering & Management; and Human Resources Management; and a Diploma in Teaching, accredited by the Academic Accreditation Department at the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.

MENA countries affected by food security challenges now making progress with agricultural growth of up to 3.2 per cent annually

March 2, 2011

AGRA Middle East 2011, the largest agribusiness trade event in the Middle East, will be showcasing the latest advances in agriculture sector as stakeholders in the global agribusiness industry gather at the event to discuss urgent issues affecting the MENA region’s food security situation. The MENA has been recognised as the most food import-dependent region in the world although recent studies have shown that agricultural growth has achieved steady progress, particularly in countries suffering from food security challenges (FSC) with growth of up to 3.2 per cent annually.

AGRA Middle East, which will hold its 2011 edition from March 29 to 31 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, has been credited to help sustain the steady agricultural growth in the region by providing a dedicated gateway to access the latest technologies, equipment, expertise and other resources in agribusiness. This year’s event will particularly focus on how to cater to the surging food demand of the MENA region’s rapidly increasing population, which has tripled from 100 million in 1960 to more than 300 million people in 2006 and is projected to continue to grow at an annual rate of 1.7 percent, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Goutam Malhotra, Exhibition Manager, AGRA Middle East 2011, said: “It is very encouraging to see different countries in the MENA region acting proactively to cultivate the growth of the agricultural sector and subsequently boost their food production capacity. This is a significant step forward as the region seeks to address long-term food security issues. To complement the growing agricultural investments across the region, AGRA Middle East helps global manufacturers, suppliers and technology providers in the agribusiness industry to become more aggressively involved in the development and growth of the agricultural sector of the MENA region.”

“Prominent exhibitors from different countries have already confirmed their participation at AGRA Middle East 2011. This will ensure a truly comprehensive and genuinely quality-oriented showcase of the latest advances in agriculture and irrigation, animal husbandry and poultry farming, fisheries and aquaculture, floriculture and horticulture and agricultural machinery,” added Goutam Malhotra.

Supported by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Flower Centre, AGRA Middle East remains the premier networking platform for international manufacturers and suppliers of agribusiness products in the MENA region. This year’s edition of AGRA Middle East been organised to encompass five closely linked sectors – agribusiness; poultry and livestock; fishing and aquaculture; floriculture and machinery; and supplies.

Organisers have confirmed a 25 per cent increase in the volume of participants at this year’s AGRA Middle East, with over 150 international exhibitors, dealers, and distributors from more than 30 countries attending the event. There will also be national pavilions from different countries including China, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Turkey.

AGRA Middle East 2011 will provide regional and global suppliers and manufacturers a direct access to lucrative and growing markets all over the MENA region, including over 4,000 regional buyers, dealers and distributors who will be attending the event. The exhibition is also widely recognised as a cost-effective platform to promote products and services, connect with new dealers and distributors, reinforce ties with customers, and launch new products. Participants can also attend various seminars and business networking sessions organised throughout the exhibition.

Recent political upheavals highlight the power of social media; Arabic language communications is the next big opportunity, and challenge, say experts

social-media-and-gadgets

Dubai – February 23rd, 2011: Internet use is growing and users are spending more time surfing the web in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region. This is evident from research reports that forecast 60 percent of the region’s population will be online by 2020, accounting for 260 million users .

Currently, there are 65 million users accounting for 19 percent in the region. Comple-menting the Internet penetration is the significant growth in mobile phones from 200,000 cell phones in 1991 to a forecasted 340 million users in 2020 .

The rapid growth of technology has also been instrumental in the growth of social media platforms across the region. Facebook is a prime example with currently 18 million regis-tered users from the MENA region. The recent political unrest and banning of social net-works is a live and vivid example of the power of communications through social net-works. People are using social media to better connect, interact and communicate across borders, and more so in Arabic.

The Arab Media Outlook 2009 – 13 report states that there is a clear demand for locally generated Arabic content from the Arabic speaking populations of the world. The ever-increasing Internet penetration and use of social platforms, analysts believe, will also be a key medium of growth for Arabic content.

“The region is looking for more original Arabic content,” said Jonty Summers, General Manager, Bladonmore Middle East and a speaker at the upcoming Corporate Communica-tions Conference 2011. “Twofour54 was set up in Abu Dhabi with the specific purpose of promoting the generation of Arabic language content across all communication mediums. In the area of business, the use of Arabic helps companies influence the decision making process in the region; it acts as an important facilitator of dialogue with government and community entities.”

These issues coupled with new focus areas such as online communications, establishing a strategic communications function and crisis communications will be covered at the Cor-porate Communications Conference 2011 in Dubai.

The Conference now in its fifth year will be held from February 27th – March 3rd, 2011 at the Mövenpick Hotel JBR. The repositioned and revamped conference will feature leading corporate communications practitioners sharing techniques that have worked for them through real life case studies.

SMEs losing crucial business opportunities due to lack of adequate financial support

Zed ayesh Flagship

Dubai, UAE, 02 November 2010: An international financial expert has urged Arab banks to raise the ratio of lending to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in order to revitalize the economic movement in Arab countries which are largely driven by this sector.

According to a study conducted by the Union of Arab Banks in association with the World Bank on “SMEs Bank Loans in the Middle East and North Africa”, it has been revealed that  the percentage of loans provided by banks to the SMEs does not exceed 8% of total lending operations in MENA region.

Zed Ayesh, the General Manager of Flashship Consultancy, commenting on the study, said: “SMEs are not provided funds for many reasons, and therefore they lose great opportunities to boost their market share.”

This study covered 139 banks in 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including  6 from GCC, and  76 national banks and 34 foreign banks, as well as 29 banks belonging to the state and 110 private banks.

“These companies have enough management and marketing capabilities to enter foreign markets if only they were supported through appropriate loans from the government and private banks,” Ayesh added.

The study clearly showed that the share of loans for this type of companies in the GCC does not exceed 2%, at a time when other companies in the region have a share of 14%.

Ayesh added: “The Arab economies should unify their administrative and economic criteria when dealing with SMEs but the truth is that Arab countries lack the kind of unity seen in Europe or North America.”

“Strengthening the relationship which governs between SMEs and the banks is part of the solution to increase the quantum of loans granted to these companies,” added Ayesh. “This will promote their integration with the international financial organizations and create a sense of trust between the two parties.”

“The growth of SMEs in the Gulf region is dependent on the willingness of banks to financially support these companies,” Ayesh warns.

He said: “Our SMEs are among companies that are playing a pivotal role in accelerating the pace of recovery from the recession. The United States of America, which is the world largest economy, built its economic system through 75% contribution of SME companies.”

Ayesh said: “The best way to promote the Arab economy is to open new financing plans and to make the credit mechanism easier in addition to strengthening relations between banks and SMEs and enhance transparency of these companies.”

The study showed that the factors behind the lack of growth among SMEs is illustrated in the lack for transparency toward these companies and a weak financial infrastructure due to poor insurance provided.

Ayesh added: “The recession has seriously hit large companies, while SMEs have shown stronger immunity, an indication of the critical role these companies can play in strengthening Arab economies.”

Export volume to UAE within 4-month period doubles as local construction activities resume

July 12, 2010

Roderick Wiles

The value of direct US hardwood lumber exports to the MENA region has reached USD 13.9 million or 19,832 cu. metres from January to April this year, according to official trade data released by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry. The growth is highly evident in the numbers recorded across leading regional markets such as the UAE, which is showing renewed and steadily increasing interest, with the import value hitting USD 2.5 million during the first four months of the year. The recorded export to the Emirates during the specified period has also doubled - from USD 1.17 million last year to the aforementioned level this year, thereby distinguishing the UAE as the top importer in the GCC region.

Usage of US hardwood lumber in the MENA region has been increasing significantly in recent years, with red oak emerging as the most in-demand among all species in the Middle East, recording a total export volume of 4,688 cu. metres. In the North Africa region, red oak has also seen high demand, but demand for white oak has been increasing and shipments reached over 1,000 cu. metres in the first four months of this year. Optimistic of the growth potential in American hardwood exports to majority of the regional countries, AHEC is focusing heavily on all aspects of the UAE’s interiors sector and looking at the furniture, flooring, kitchen cabinets, doors and internal joinery, which have all emerged as strong drivers of the regional wood processing business.

“Despite the influence of the global economic recession on export volumes to some leading regional markets, we are, once again, seeing stable growth since the beginning of the year, which indicates that local customers are now becoming more active again,” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania. “In line with this, we are confident that prospects will improve greatly in 2010, particularly in the UAE, given its enviable location and infrastructure, which make it an excellent wood processing and re-export hub to surrounding Middle East countries and beyond. We are continuously investing in building awareness on the benefits of American hardwoods in the interiors and furniture industry across the emirates, as part of our efforts to sufficiently address the needs of local customers, especially now as the market approaches a recovery phase.”

In addition to the UAE, other top importers of US hardwoods in the Middle East region from January to April 2010 include KSA, which ordered products with a total value of almost USD 1.9 million. The Kingdom remains a very important market for hardwoods due to its young and fast-growing population, a factor that can further fuel the domestic construction sector in the foreseeable future. Driven by its massive furniture, interiors and exporting industries, Egypt accounts for the bulk of US hardwoods shipments to the North Africa region, with more than USD 3.1 million in total exports delivered to the country during the same period. In its bid to further increase the export volumes of US wood products to the MENA region, AHEC has outlined a plan to conduct intensive workshops on species and lumber grading within these high growth potential markets later on this year.

“The stirring of the economic situation across the MENA region is having significant effects on the growth of US hardwoods, and we are taking proactive steps to develop customers’ confidence in US hardwood lumber and further leverage the excellent prospects in the region. We are confident that our increased activities within the region will build awareness of the advantages of using American hardwoods, not only in terms of quality but also amidst the widespread demand for proof of sustainability. Over the coming years, we aim to expand our activities in the region with increased emphasis on direct interaction with wood traders, manufacturers and specifiers,” concluded Wiles.

Identifying the prospects within other emerging US hardwood markets, AHEC is looking to extend its awareness drive to Lebanon, which registered USD 1.17 million in total imports from January to April 2010; and Jordan, where USD 639,000 worth of American hardwood lumber were delivered during the same time span. Furthermore, Qatar, whose total value of US hardwood purchased reached USD 701,000, according to the same statistics, is also being eyed by the Council as a high-potential market, in addition to Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain where exports totaled USD 363,000, USD 271,000, and USD 38,000 respectively.