UAE Superbrands To Be Honoured

Superbrands, the independent authority and arbiter of branding, today announced that they will be hosting a tribute event to honour the UAE’s strongest brands for their achievements and excellence in branding at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City. The event, which will be held on June 28th, 2009, will also see the unveiling of the 5th Edition of the Superbrands book as well as the announcement of the much anticipated ‘Brand of The Year’.Speaking about the event, Mr. Mike English, Director, Superbrands Middle East, said, “We are delighted to host our fifth tribute event to celebrate the success of the UAE’s strongest brands, which are among the most recognised brands in the world. This year, Superbrands were voted not only by the brand council but also by online voting, which has expanded the voting base to almost 3,000 marketing professionals. The brand with the highest score will be awarded ‘Brand of the Year’ at the event.”Sixty four leading UAE brands, which met the stringent selection criteria set by the Superbrands Council, were awarded ‘Superbrand’ status. The Superbrands Organisation also introduced the new voting system where over 3,000 professionals were invited to vote along with the Council. More than 1,160 leading UAE brands were scored by the Superbrands Council and invitees. The Superbrands voters evaluated and scored hundreds of brands available within the UAE and the highest scoring brands were then designated as Superbrands. Only brands that achieve the level of recognition set by the independent Superbrands Council are eligible for inclusion in the Superbrands UAE book, which traces the history and achievements of each of the brands.The Superbrands Council comprises individuals who have shown exceptional aptitude in business and who have a thorough knowledge of the market and methods of business. To be voted as a Superbrand by the Council is a powerful endorsement and evidence for existing customers, potential customers, the media, suppliers, investors and employees of each brand’s exceptional status.The Superbrands Organisation will unveil the much coveted coffee-table style Superbrands book, which includes a two-page profile of each of the Superbrands, at the Tribute event. “The brands featured in the book range from corporate giants to FMCG brands. We are happy to see so many of the UAE’s local brands included in the book alongside key international brands. Participation in the Superbrands book is by invitation only and acknowledges the intrinsic strength of the organisation and its brand value,” Mr. English adds.The Superbrands tribute event is set to be a true celebration of many of the country’s highest profile brands, and promises to live up to its global reputation as the "Oscars of Branding".
 

Dubai Silicon Oasis Implements New National Development Programme

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the region’s premier integrated innovation hub for high-tech industries, announced it began implementing the National Development Programme as part of its commitment to develop the leadership skills of the UAE national workforce.The new programme aims to open up career path development for UAE Nationals working in DSOA in terms of career growth and personal improvement. It has also set guidelines for identifying employees who demonstrate potential leadership skills within the organisation and offering them the tools to develop and unlock their hidden talent.Commenting on this programme, Haidar Ali, Director of People & Business Excellence at DSOA, said: "The growth of any organization is directly proportionate to the growth of its tangible and intangible assets. We have been actively providing several workshops during the past years to improve the competencies of our staff and we constantly place enormous emphasis on our employees, our most valuable asset. We strongly believe that the more we invest in our people, the higher the returns would be for the organization.""In line with the vision of the leadership of Dubai and the UAE, we have envisaged the National Development Programme to guide our indigenous workforce and help them grow in their respective careers. It is our firm conviction that our plan will adequately equip the UAE nationals and enable them to face tougher challenges on the employment front in an increasingly demanding marketplace" Haidar added.The National Development Programme included assessment programme for all nationals at the DSO Development Centre. The employees were divided into small groups and were asked to perform a series of customised tasks that could demonstrate their aptitude for critical DSOA competencies. Following the evaluation, a development report was prepared outlining the competency of the participants, their strengths and potential areas for training and development.Many nationals have made Dubai Silicon Oasis their employer of choice, representing more than 56 per cent of its workforce. A wholly-owned entity of the Government of Dubai, the state-of-the-art technology park provides the right enabling environment for companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and research and development divisions in the Middle East and North Africa region.