HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, has announced that it has recently appointed Nikitas Glykas as Regional Director of HTC South Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Glykas will be responsible for the overall marketing and sales business of HTC in South Eastern Europe and the Middle East, which jointly cover a total of 33 markets.

Prior to joining HTC, Glykas was CEO of Shelman SA where he was responsible for the overall business of SHELMAN and four affiliated companies in Greece. He also previously worked at M J Maillis Group S.A. for more than six years and at Mobil Hellas AE as Balkans Marketing Coordinator, which has helped enhance his expertise and knowledge of key regional markets.

“HTC continues to increase its share in the mobile market through innovative, premium-quality products and a select range of value-added services. It will be a distinct honour for me to spearhead HTC’s growth initiatives in South Eastern Europe and the Middle East, which continue to offer excellent business potential for HTC’s diverse product range. I am certainly very pleased to be part of the continuing success of the HTC brand in these high-growth regions,” said Nikitas Glykas, Regional Director of HTC South Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Glykas holds a M.Sc. in Environmental and Ecological Sciences from the University of Lancaster, England and a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Athens. He has also attended an Advanced Management Program in Harvard Business School.

“Mr. Glykas’ extensive marketing experience and leadership expertise will be invaluable assets as we continue to pursue new growth initiatives and enhance our reputation as a premium provider of practical solutions to mobile users in the region. His appointment is a clear affirmation of HTC’s long-term commitment to South Eastern Europe and Middle East markets,” said Florian Seiche, vice president, HTC Europe.

Abu Dhabi; 10 March, 2010: His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shihhi, Director General, UAE Ministry of Economy, has emphasized the importance of adequate follow up through official meetings and business delegations to achieve the objectives of the UAE- UK joint economic committee meeting held in London recently. .

He was addressing a reception meeting in Dubai to welcome a UK delegation of entrepreneurs led by UK Minister for Trade, Investment and Small Business Lord Davies.

At the Joint Economic Committee meeting, the UAE and the UK had agreed to enhance cooperation on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a sector that is regarded as a safe alternative for investments all over the world.

“The Ministry of Economy is playing a central role in supporting SMEs at the federal level. In accordance with the Federal Strategy, MOE is currently working on a modern SME law of international standards to recognise their great significance to our economy,” said Mr Al Shihhi.

Lord Davis said the meeting was extremely valuable to strengthening business relationships between the two countries and that the UK business groups will fully commit to achieving the goals within the agreed timeframe. Several similar meetings are being planned to follow-up and implement new programmes.

Appointment is First of Its Kind for Hospitality Industry

10 March, 2010 – W Hotels Worldwide, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, announced an industry first with the appointment of international stylist and fashion authority Amanda Ross as the brand’s first ever Global Fashion Director.  For more than 10 years, W has continually broken new ground through innovative and first-of-its-kind fashion initiatives and programs.  As W Hotels continues to grow globally, on track to increase its footprint to more than 50 hotels by 2011, Ross will serve as a strategic fashion advisor to the brand, providing global insight and guidance for an integrated, cutting-edge approach to fashion.  A respected industry veteran, Ross will provide an authentic point of view for W, fostering industry relationships and identifying partnerships and collaborations that will make W Hotels a credible player within the fashion industry.  She will also work closely with W Hotels The Store, W’s twist on the traditional hotel gift shop, including Global Glam, a newly launched fashion
and accessories collection created exclusively for W by established and emerging designers inspired by the design of W’s latest hotels. 

“Fashion is an extension of design, one of the key differentiators for W Hotels,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien. “As fashion is ever-changing and evolving on a seasonal basis, it appeals to our guests who are always seeking the latest, newest, hippest, and Amanda, with her extensive industry experience, will guide us in further integrating fashion into our hotels in credible ways that positively affect the guest experience.”

Ross began her multi-faceted career more than 20 years ago at Condé Nast under the guidance of renowned Art Director Alexander Liberman and went on to serve as Market Director for Harper’s Bazaar, where she worked with the world’s foremost fashion designers and helped to identify and nurture emerging talent. Today, she combines extensive editorial work (Harper’s Bazaar, Russian L’Officiel, Town & Country) with international style consulting for film, television and retail interiors. Her film and television credits include Lipstick Jungle (Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, Lindsay Price) and It’s Complicated (Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin).  Ross also styles personal clients, including celebrities such as Mariska Hargitay, Julianna Margulies, Vera Farmiga, Kim Raver, and Lindsay Price. Over the years, she has consulted for fashion houses, including Dennis Basso, Elie Tahari, Ashleigh Verrier and Allegra Hicks as well as advertising campaigns for Maybelline, NBC and Volkswagen.

“I am so honored and excited to have been chosen for this first-of-its-kind position,” said Ross. “I share in W’s passion for fashion and look forward to using my years of editorial, styling and consulting experience to help W further connect the dots between fashion and hotels.” 

The announcement of Ross comes on the heels of W’s appointment last September of Michaelangelo L’Acqua as the brand’s Global Music Director.  Both passions of W, these two newly created roles will work closely together to provide an integrated global point of view on fashion and music, further establishing W as an authority in both industries.

Ross was introduced as W Hotels’ Global Fashion Director during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, which kicked off Thursday 11th February in New York where the brand was hosting the 13th season of its Backstage VIP Lounge at Bryant Park.  The W Hotels Arrivals Lounge designed by Slade Architecture and inspired by the experience of arriving to a new destination, is a contemporary cool interpretation on an airport baggage claim that brings to life W’s next destinations, including hotels and retreats in Bali, London, Paris, Koh Samui and St. Petersburg.  The Arrivals Lounge will provide an escape for celebrities, designers, and fashion’s elite from the hustle and bustle of backstage, offering cocktails and small bites while high-profile DJs, selected by L’Acqua, spin the hottest tracks from around the world. When she isn’t sitting runway-side, the Arrivals Lounge will serve as Ross’s home base during Fashion Week, where she will meet and greet fashion insiders from across the globe.

W Hotels has long been engaged in the world of fashion and was the first to link hotels with fashion when it launched the Backstage VIP Lounge at Bryant Park 12 seasons ago.  In 2009, W for the first time had a presence at Paris Fashion Week in anticipation of the soon to open W Paris – Opera in early 2011.  Over the years, W has collaborated with some of fashion’s most elite, including Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg, and Gwen Stefani. Last fall, W formed an exclusive partnership with renowned department store Barneys New York and its creative director Simon Doonan to create an exclusive window display at W New York – Union Square. W has also redefined traditional hotel retailing with the creation of W Hotels The Store, a trendsetting collection of boutique stores that sell designer apparel, jewelry, accessories, home and design items in W Hotels around the world and online. Recently, W Hotels The Store unveiled Global Glam, another industry first, that is inspired by the design of W’s newest hotels and
retreats. The first Global Glam collection (Fall/Winter 2010) featured exclusive designs for W by Alex and Ani, Foley + Corrina, and Lauren Merkin, while the second Global Glam collection, debuting in stores April 2010, will feature pieces from Rebecca Minkoff, DANNIJO, Dolce Vita and Yumi Kim, among others.

Dubai, 10 March, 2010: The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) in collaboration with its Foreign Investment Office (FIO) hosted the Action Learning Programme research teams of SP Jain Centre of Management (SPJCM) Dubai to present their research findings in the logistics sector. This initiative is part of DED’s continuing support to the Emirate’s logistics sector.

A 9-member team of the Global Masters in Business Administration (GMBA) programme, led by the Director of Industry Interface Dr Dhrupad Mathur, presented their research findings to a DED panel chaired by His Excellency Mr Sami Daen Al Qamzi, Director General, DED, and Mr Fahad Al Gergawi, Chief Executive Officer of FIO.

The research studies were conducted over the last few months in Dubai under the supervision of David Harris, Director of International Logistics, FIO and Dr. Rajiv Aserkar of SPJCM. The three researches projects brought out several strategic findings that will greatly enhance the efficiency of the logistics sector.

“Scientific research is the cornerstone of growth and progress. The extensive research undertaken by SP Jain Centre for Management in Dubai serves the dual purpose of giving the logistics sector insights into its functioning as well as suggestions for improvement and growth,” said His Excellency Mr Sami Al Qamzi.

He added: “The initiative is part of DED’s commitment to partner in the growth of various sectors of the economy. Logistics is a fast-growing sector with Dubai serving as a central hub connecting the East and the West. The new findings will significantly enhance the operational efficiency of Dubai’s logistics sector.”

Fahad Al Gergawi said: “The studies undertaken by SP Jain Centre of Management have the potential to improve the operational efficiencies of Dubai’s logistics sector, and is part of FIO’s corporate social responsibility to drive meaningful change through strong community partnerships. The studies cover strategic and high impact areas, and DED and FIO will share the insights and learning with concerned stakeholders to further elevate the global position of Dubai as a preferred logistics hub. We congratulate SP Jain Centre for Management for the excellent work undertaken.”

“Three projects were undertaken as part of the programme - Review of International Supply Chains; Identifying barriers to operations and entry for Third Party Logistics companies in Dubai and a Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Matrix for Operational Logistics,” said David Harris.

The team reviewing the international supply chain interacted with industry experts, wherein process walkthroughs and existing challenges were collated. The process was benchmarked against the leading ports and a strategic improvement plan in line with the best practices was recommended. During the course of this project, the students got a chance to gain the insights into the operations of the industry which would not have been possible otherwise.

The project to identify barriers dealt with identifying the operational and entry barriers for the third party logistics companies in Dubai. An extensive questionnaire survey was conducted which was backed by focus group interviews with the CEOs of world class 3PL companies. The responses gathered captured the obstacles that they faced during the 3PL operations. The subsequent data analysis helped us form recommendations for the DED which would help them reduce the impact of the barriers that the firms face.

Organisations like World Bank, World Economic Forum, and United Nations have consistently released reports and published data regarding international trade, competitiveness and ease of business. However Dubai, having built world class infrastructure, needs to emphasize more on operations as a key lever for productivity improvements. Thus, the team developed a KPI Matrix for Operational Logistics, which assessed the economies around the world on the basis of operational logistics.

Dr Dhrupad Mathur said: “The support of DED has been the driving force in undertaking this extensive project which covered three critical areas. The co-operation of FIO’s logistics leaders played a key role in identifying and defining the scope of the study and the determining the direction of research. We hope the findings will play a meaningful role in further elevating the standards of Dubai’s logistics sector

Global market expected to be worth $637.5 billion by 2013*; Sector is one of key drivers at Hardware + Tools Middle East 2010

The Home Improvement and Do-it-Yourself (DIY) sectors are seeing continued growth worldwide.  This growth is also reflected in the region with a surge in exhibitors in the DIY sector for this year’s Hardware + Tools Middle East exhibition.  The event will take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 18th to 20th.

Mr Ahmed Pauwels, Chief Executive Officer, Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH, organisers of Hardware + Tools ME, said: “Worldwide, the home improvement market is still on the upswing and is expected to be worth $637.5 billion by 2013, an increase of 12 percent over 2008. The market represents a huge growth potential globally which we are also seeing in the region.”

Retailers in the Home Improvement and DIY sector in the region have reported a continuous demand with sales of hand and power tools encouraging as a large number of people opt  to do their own repair and maintenance work.  It was noted at Hardware & Tools Middle East 2009 that the Hand and Power Tools sector drew strong interest from the 5,490 trade visitors to the event.

Ms Mehtap Kenar, Senior Show Manager, Hardware + Tools Middle East, commented: “The increase in the DIY and Home Improvement markets is largely driven by a sustained demand in emerging mar-kets. The DIY sector in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets es-pecially, is continually increasing.  This is reflected by the surge in this sector that we experienced at last year’s event and expect to see again at Hardware + Tools in May.”

Interest in the DIY sector is expected to drive an increasing number of visitors to this year’s event, which will feature 350 exhibitors from 14 countries exhibiting their wares in the Tools, Machinery and Hardware sectors in the region’s only specialised trade event of its kind.

Hardware & Tools Middle East is a must-attend show for all retailers, distributors and contractors in the region and has firmly established itself over the last 11 years as a solid platform for industry profes-sionals in the Middle East.

• First bank in UAE to introduce state-of-art cards to all customers
• Full range of cards available to Personal, Priority, Private and Business Banking clients

Dubai, February 10, 2010: Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets, in association with Visa, announced today the launch of its complete suite of Chip enabled Debit Cards. The new Emirates NBD Visa Debit Card comes equipped with the latest in card technology with the new generation of CHIP cards.

The bank which launched its new brand in November 2009, also unveiled its complete suite of Debit cards which cater to suit the varying needs of its customers. The new range of cards include vanilla offerings to the Personal Banking segment, in addition to variants like Platinum Debit card targeted at the Priority Banking segment, Infinite Debit card targeted at the Private Banking segment and a Business Banking Debit card catering to the large SME segment.

“Emirates NBD is proud to again be the UAE’s leader in product and service innovation, launching the country’s newest and most secure debit cards with EMV chip technology. This Visa Chip Debit card has been launched to offer cardholders a payment card with enhanced chip features, combining the convenience of a chip-enabled card with a greater level of security, thus falling in line with our strategy to combat fraud.” said Jamal Bin Ghalaita, Group Deputy CEO, Emirates NBD.

“Also we have segmented our customer base and have thereby targeted the right Debit Card product to the right customer segment. This has been a key priority given that we are the market leader in Debit Cards and this is the fastest growing segment across the globe”, he added.

Kamran Siddiqi, Visa’s General Manager for GCC, Levant, Pakistan and Afghanistan said: ‘Visa is delighted to partner with Emirates NBD and enable Chip and Pin technology on the new suite of Debit cards. Chip and PIN technologies add an important security layer to transactions, bringing convenience, speed and peace of mind to cardholders and merchants alike. Emirates NBD now offers a full stable of Visa Debit products, from HNW cards to business Debit cards, enabling everyone to take advantage of the benefits that Debit offers.”

The Emirates NBD Visa chip debit cards are great alternatives to carrying cash. It eliminates the need to write cheques or use ATMs to withdraw cash. It is faster, more convenient and can be used to pay for all day to day purchases anywhere cardholders see the Visa Logo. And what’s more – with the new Chip and PIN technology, transactions are more secure than ever before. 

The Emirates NBD Visa Debit Cards can be used to shop online or at any domestic or overseas merchant displaying the Visa logo - over 40,000 in the UAE and more than 24 million retail outlets worldwide.  This card can also be used to withdraw cash or make other transactions at more than 650 Emirates NBD ATMs as well as at over a million ATMs world wide. Unlike a credit card, funds are deducted directly from the cardholder’s account and there are no monthly bill or interest charges. The new Emirates NBD Visa chip debit card has both a magnetic stripe as well as chip functionality. The card will offer Emirates NBD Debit cardholders increased security and will mitigate fraudulent and disputed payments. When making a purchase with their card, cardholders have the opportunity to key in their unique PIN, thereby validating their identity. Around the world payment cards and card terminals are becoming chip compliant.

All new cards issued since January have been equipped with the latest technology and Cards will be issued to existing customers on a renewal basis; Emirates NBD will contact customers when their card is ready for issue to arrange a convenient time to deliver. Million of chip cards in use in countries around the world today points to the way the bank card industry is heading. Being the largest bank in the UAE, Emirates NBD has made the first move to rollout chip cards on a large scale for its banking customers.

• Region is second largest tea consumer globally
• 3rd Global Dubai Tea Forum concluding day sees trends in innovation, market developments and flavoured tea consumption

Dubai, March 10, 2010: The Middle East and Africa region accounts for 13.8 per cent of global tea consumption, and is the second largest consumer of tea globally, according to tea experts at the 3rd Global Dubai Tea Forum 2010.

The two-day biennial forum concluded today with discussions of trends in innovation and current market developments; tea consumption habits in Canada, the United States, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States; as well as the growing popularity of flavoured tea globally. During the event, tea experts also examined effective ways of marketing tea and creating stronger brands, followed by a unique tea tasting session that allowed participants to try a range of teas from different tea producing countries.

“The 3rd Global Dubai Tea Forum has received an overwhelming response from the tea industry worldwide,” said Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority. “The first day of this important event was marked by a keynote address by His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, and included a range of insightful presentations on industry trends in the world’s three largest producing nations. We are very grateful to all the participants for their significant contribution to the success of this event.”

“Despite challenging conditions facing the tea industry, due to extreme weather conditions in many producing nations in 2009, we firmly believe that the industry’s renewed emphasis on innovation will provide significant benefits for the trade, across the full spectrum of global markets,” said Sanjay Sethi, Director, Dubai Tea Trading Centre. “Here in Dubai, where we continue to invest in the market-specific infrastructure required to support the further development of the trade, we are convinced that the outlook for the global tea trade has never been brighter.”

The 3rd Global Dubai Tea Forum took place from March 9-10, 2010, at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi. The event saw the attendance of over 360 delegates from more 35 countries worldwide.

The Dubai Tea Trading Centre (DTTC) and Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCCA) play a significant role in supporting the diversification policy of the UAE economy. In 2009, DTTC registered a record 7.5 million kilos of tea traded through the Centre, despite adverse weather conditions reducing global production.

The DTTC presently stocks teas from 13 producing countries, including Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Nepal, China and Iran. In keeping with its mandate to further increase the tea trade in and through Dubai, the DTTC also facilitates sales with buyers in the GCC countries, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan, Afghanistan, UK and the ICS countries, and has plans to expand its services to other Middle East and European markets. 

Industry experts help transport and fleet managers to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness at Commercial Vehicles Conference.

Dubai, UAE 10th March 2010:  Commercial vehicles operators that identify the full range of costs a vehicle incurs over its lifecycle can achieve significant savings in the long-term, an industry expert said today.

Marc Legeay, Marketing Director at Renault Trucks said it is important for commercial vehicle operators to look beyond the initial and more obvious costs such as purchase price when deciding which vehicle to buy, and consider things like fuel consumption, driver salaries, maintenance and depreciation, which form a large proportion of costs over a vehicle’s lifecycle.

“Vehicle operators in this region typically focus on the purchase and financing costs and overlook the long-term costs of running a vehicle,” said Legeay. “The initial cost and type of vehicle purchased can also influence future costs. Commercial vehicle operators who pay less at the beginning might end up paying a lot more over a vehicle’s lifecycle.’

Legeay provided a comprehensive analysis on ‘The lifetime costs’ of operating a truck on the second day of the Commercial Vehicles Conference, taking place alongside Commercial Vehicles Middle East (www.commvehicles.com) in Dubai. He was joined by several other regional and international speakers who offered practical advice to the region’s transport and fleet managers during sessions on ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness’, ‘Ownership and Financial Best Practice’ and ‘Technological Advances: tracking, security and monitoring’.

Commercial Vehicles 2

Abdul Salam Al Hammadi, Head of Vehicle, Equipment and Maintenance, Dubai Municipality Transportation Department opened the conference with a presentation on ‘Enforcing international standards for a better operations environment’ and Adel Adamo, Certified Trainer, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport International, UK spoke on ‘Enhancing skills for better operations performance.’

Fabio Castello, General Manager of Scania Middle East delivered a presentation on ‘Practical strategies to ensure high fuel efficiency’ and Ian Godfrey, Director, CIPD Auto, UK outlined ‘Methods of continuously improving service (workshop) operations.
 
“Transport efficiency is a combination of many factors such as correct specification of equipment to ensure it suits 100 per cent of the tasks being performed, proper vehicle maintenance to reduce breakdowns, increase uptime and reduce repairs, and one of the key factors is increasing fuel efficiency,” said Castello.

The afternoon included a panel session on ‘Ownership and Financial Best Practices’ with an analysis of the ‘Cost of Ownership’ by Robin Voogd, General Manger of Leaseplan, UAE. Voogd was joined in the panel session by Imy Kassam, CEO, Stepping Stone Business Consultancy and Matthew Eisenegger, General Manager, Campbells, UK.

The final session on ‘Technological Advances: tracking, security and monitoring’ included presentations on the ‘Benefits of commercial vehicle tracking’ by Roy J Nasrallah, General Manager, GEO & Logic GIS Solutions; ‘Telematics: How it can reduce fleet costs’ by Chris Weiner, Solutions Architect, Arab IT; and a live demonstration on ‘Online vehicle tracking’ by Rani Ghazzawi, General Manager, Fleet Management Systems International

Abu Dhabi, 10 March 2010: As the Strategic Operator Partner, Etisalat participated in the Broadband Global Summit 2010, one of the region’s most important assemblies on broadband technologies, held 8-10 March 2010 at the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel. Broadband Global Summit, in its second successful year, is positioned to reflect the dynamic developments within the region’s broadband ecosystem and effectively highlighted the exciting growth areas in the telecommunications industry - universal connectivity via broadband in the Middle East and Africa regions.

Commenting on the participation, Etisalat’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Khalifa Al Shamsi, said, “Etisalat envisions that all UAE residents will soon be digitally connected, improving themselves and their lifestyles every single day. Through a mix of advanced broadband technologies, Etisalat has already embarked upon this process and its recent nation-wide fiber roll-out, e-Life, will add significant value to customers’ lifestyles, enabling them to achieve much more than what is possible today. Through our participation in this summit, we are pleased to bring to a wider forum our experiences and insights that will assist in laying out the future roadmap of broadband infrastructure development for the entire region.”

In a keynote presentation on the ‘LTE Focus’ day of the event, Tariq Al Qaseer, Senior Director of Mobile Network- Planning at Etisalat, highlighted the “mobile broadband trends and challenges” elaborating on the opportunities brought by the advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology and joint efforts required to accelerate the LTE maturity in the region. He also explained Etisalat’s efforts in this direction through an earlier demonstration of LTE, designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile networks.

As a key note speaker on the opening day, Ali Al Ahmed, Group Chief Strategy Officer, (GCSO) at Etisalat, mapped the evolution in the communications industry over the past one decade. In this congregation of the region’s top minds: regulatory decision makers, industry leaders and innovators, he discussed the opportunities and challenges faced in addressing the increasing customer demand and the strategic deployment of several technologies that exist within diverse environments. This was followed by a panel discussion on the region’s future broadband road-map and technology vision.

On the concluding day of the 3-day event, highlighting on the FTTH technological advancements and strategies, Fahem Al Bugham – Vice President / Technology Strategy presented the case study on the “Impact of evolving GPON on Access Network” and customer advantages met by the FTTH network, drawing from Etisalat’s experience, being the pioneer in deploying the region’s first fiber network across the UAE.

Pioneering the leading-edge fixed and mobile broadband technology locally and regionally, Etisalat’s contribution to the event was showcased through Etisalat’s experiences in the recent deployment of the Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and HSPA+ in the UAE, as well as through strategic insight from Etisalat experts on the future of broadband technologies. Etisalat’s FTTH network, has already covered over 735,000 households in the UAE, through eLife and Etisalat aims to connect the whole of the nation’s households by 2011, setting UAE in the league of top international fiber-connected countries.

Etisalat is also the first in the region to introduce the fastest mobile broadband technology, HSPA+ in the UAE, including the design and installation of the HSPA+ mobile infrastructure in the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.

The event, among other benefits, also explored the broadband business in detail and presented opportunities to craft business strategies in order to deliver a new level of experience for customers and greater returns for shareholders. The programme included multiple tracks across two days with over 60 high-level speakers, including 20 presentations, 38 operator case studies, workshops, training programmes and much more.

Plan to focus on improving judicial & legal transparency & innovation, creating databases and booklets; and developing training programs based on international standards

March 10, 2010

Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI), a leading centre of law studies and judicial training in Dubai, held today (Wednesday, March 10, 2010) a press conference to launch its training plan and initiatives for 2010 which focus on optimizing judicial practices and enhancing the Institute’s reputation as a regional center for legal and judicial excellence.

The conference is part of DJI’s strategy of raising more social awareness on general legal and judicial affairs and their significant role in achieving sustainable development. The 2010 agenda aims to accelerate the development of training and consultancy services in accordance with global trends in order to firmly establish transparency, promote excellence and innovation within the judicial and legal body, and reinforce the image of Dubai and the UAE in general as a leading international hub for various fields.

DJI Director General Dr. Jamal AlSumaiti reviewed the key points of DJI’s training plan for 2010 and discussed important initiatives and projects embodied by 118 upcoming events beside the training programs. These include a series of training courses; programs for operational efficiency; forums; workshops to be conducted at courts; specialized courses; administrative programs; the conference to mark the silver jubilee of UAE’s Civil Transactions Act; and social awareness programs which tackle crucial issues such as Intellectual Property, child custody rights, citizenship, ethics and other topics. Dr. AlSumaiti also shed some light on DJI’s training philosophy and the comprehensive approach and methodology the Institute uses to develop programs reflecting the highest international standards.

DJI also highlighted its most significant and prominent strategic agreements and partnerships with a number of academic institutions specializing in the development and training of qualified staff for legal and judicial work. The Institute explained that these will help ingrain excellence in training initiatives for expert UAE nationals and provide individuals involved in legal work with leading vocational training programs, while providing DJI with up-to-date information and expertise that can further enhance its operations.

“We are very eager to reveal our training plan, initiatives and development programs for this year, mainly because we are fully committed to Dubai’s Strategic Plan 2015 and its focus on security, justice and safety. We intend to develop specialized programs that can enhance the potentials of the legal and judicial workforce and broaden awareness on the importance of law in building an integrated knowledge-based society. We will also pursue the development of a solid network of local, regional and international partnerships in order to exchange information, experience and practices; develop resources such as databases and booklets; and support research and studies that can assist those involved in the legal and judicial system,” said Dr. AlSumaiti.
 
“Among the initiatives we intend to implement are the ‘Knowledge Management,’ the ‘Leader Experience Knowledge’, ‘Judicial Officiary’ and ‘Law Forum’ Projects, the event to mark the silver jubilee of the UAE’s Civil Transactions Act, and many other initiatives that were recently discussed at the sixth meeting of DJI’s Board of Directors,” he added.

“DJI’s vision is to create high-standard training programs that can teach human resources how to face all kinds of challenges, realize institutional goals and objectives, and fulfill the increasing demands and requirements brought about by international developments. We will thus continue to work with our strategic partners and associates to achieve more accomplishments similar to those we have realized over the past two years, particularly regarding the number of people we have been able to train. We trained 673 individuals in 2008, and then went on to double this figure to 1,284 by 2009. This reflects our strong commitment to enhancing DJI’s role in promoting scientific research and constantly developing world-class training programs,” concluded Dr. AlSumaiti.

The Dubai Judicial Institute was established in 1996 to help educate and train aspiring judges, prosecutors and their assistants, legal experts and lawyers. DJI also offers rehabilitation programs for public prosecutors to enhance their efficiency. The Institute also provides training and consultancy services to various agencies and institutions - both private and public – and conducts research and studies in all areas of law and jurisdiction, locally, regionally and globally.