Commercial Bank Of Dubai Wins Best Bank In The UAE 20103 Award

Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) yesterday received the “Best Local Bank in the UAE 2010” award at the celebrated annual Middle East Banking Awards (MEBA) 2010, organised by EMEA Finance.

Ibrahim Abdulla, General Manager, Administration & Finance and Mahmoud Hadi, General Manager, Systems & Operations received the award on behalf of CBD at a ceremony held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai yesterday to honour the MEBA Awards winners. The EMEA Finance awards represent one of the leading industry recognitions in the Middle East’s banking sector.

Peter Baltussen, CEO of CBD said: “We are pleased and honoured to have received this prestigious award from EMEA Finance. This recognition is a clear confirmation of our strong performance in 2010 and our ability to navigate challenging economic conditions. It is also a vindication of the prudent strategy and policies that we followed, which ensured our stability and growth in what was a tough year for the global economy,” he said.

The 2010 EMEA Finance awards honour Middle East banks that are delivering impressive results despite one of the most severe and dramatic downturns in economic history, boasting rising profits and expanding in the Middle East and internationally.

“As a result of our focus on family owned companies and affluent individuals, the quality of our credit portfolio remained strong in 2010. Our profitability ratios are among the highest in the UAE banking sector. Our robust fundamentals, especially our strong liquidity, ensure that we are well geared to take advantage of the increasing opportunities that will come with the acceleration of economic recovery,” the CEO added.
 

Dubai eGovernment Re-Launches Best Online Customer Competition At Gitex 2010

Dubai eGovernment in collaboration with government departments has re-launched the “Best Online Customer” electronic promotional campaign under the banner “Pay & Win” during the 30th edition of Gitex Technology Week 2010 scheduled to be held in Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre between October 17 and 21.

All prizes for the ‘Pay & Win’ raffle are sponsored by Dubai Police, Dubai Courts, Dubai Tourism & RTA. These departments are keen to support Dubai eGovernment’s efforts to enhance adoption of online services and the eTransformation culture in the emirate. Names of winners will be randomly chosen from customers who use Dubai eGovernment’s ePay gateway between September 1 and October 10. Prizes vary from iPads, iPhones, AED 2500 cash prizes, Dalili navigation devices, Dubai city tours, hotel stays & meal vouchers, and sea cruises on Dubai Creek.

H.E. Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment, said: “Based on the strategic importance of Gitex as a great platform for all of eGovernment services under one roof, we can then streamline communication and co-operation with the aim of encouraging optimum use of ICT and provide high quality online services through multiple channels to ease the lives of citizens, residents and visitors, and the growth of the business sector; while boosting the efficiency of government departments.”

Bin Humaidan explained that the “Best Online Customer” raffles are part of a marketing initiative for encouraging the public to use online services, including ePayments, for the adoption of online services and expediting the process of Dubai’s digital transformation into an integrated knowledge-based community in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Dubai eGovernment will support the efforts of all participating government departments in the ‘Pay & Win’ competition by displaying the daily winners and arranging a platform to reward their efforts.

Dubai eGovernment is a strong supporter of Gitex every year based on its commitment to keep pace with the latest technological developments which will be used for serving the emirate’s eTransformation. To promote government initiatives during Gitex 2010, Dubai eGovernment will cover all events, press conferences and concluded agreements. A special edition of e4all Magazine focusing on government initiatives during Gitex 2010 will be released for exhibition visitors, while a dedicated micro-website with all Dubai eGovernment’s activities, table of lectures and details of raffles and prizes can be viewed at http://gitex.dubai.ae
 

Noor Takaful Awarded The “Best New Takaful Company” And “Best Takaful Marketing Campaign” At The 4th International Takaful Awards 2010

Noor Takaful, the Islamic insurance arm of Noor Investment Group, was last night honoured at the high profile International Takaful Summit, in London, for as “Best New Takaful Company” and “Best Takaful Marketing Campaign”. The Takaful 2010 awards are given to those companies and practitioners who have contributed to the success of the fast growing Takaful market.

Launched in January 2009, the Noor Takaful brand has quickly become a recognized name in the eyes of UAE consumers, supported by a carefully planned marketing and brand building strategy. Announcing the awards, the judging panel acknowledged in particular Noor Takaful’s thoughtful marketing and execution capabilities.

In its first year of operations, Noor Takaful outperformed its peer group in terms of gross written premiums, reflecting the success of its unique distribution set up and focused target segmentation strategy. At the same time, Noor Takaful has achieved recognition as an innovator, introducing, for example, the GCC’s first online Islamic Insurance service offering instant quotes, online payments and doorstep delivery.

In 2010 Noor Takaful has continued to deliver on its strategic growth objectives launching a suite of Individual Family products and securing strategic partnerships with Al Futtaim Motors, Belhasa Group and Sharjah Islamic Bank.

Dr Ahmed Al Janahi, Managing Director, Noor Takaful said: “These awards recognise the strong progress we have made in a very short period of time. Building a new brand takes time, but as a result of the hard work and dedication of our team coupled with the continuous support of our shareholders, Noor Takaful is very much on the map and gaining a reputation for innovation and service excellence.”

Parvaiz Siddiq, CEO, Noor Takaful said: “We are operating in an increasingly competitive field and to be recognised for our achievements at such an early stage in our evolution is great news for everyone associated with the company – starting with our own employees but extending of course to our customers who drive everything we do. These awards tell us we are doing the right things.”

Headquartered in Dubai, Noor Takaful Family PJSC and Noor Takaful General PJSC have a combined paid up capital of AED150 million. They operate from four locations across the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, offering a comprehensive suite of general and family takaful coverage for individuals, businesses and corporate clients.
 

Dubai Islamic Bank Named ’Best Islamic Retail Bank’ By International Islamic Finance Forum

Further highlighting its status as the Sharia-compliant bank of choice in the UAE, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today that it has been named “Best Islamic Retail Bank” by the International Islamic Finance Forum.

Celebrating excellence in Islamic finance, the event was held alongside the International Islamic Finance Forum 2010 and witnessed keen participation from decision makers in the Islamic banking and finance industry.

The award, presented to DIB at an exclusive ceremony at Raffles, Dubai, is another addition to the bank’s host of industry accolades this year, following the 24 it received in 2009.

“We are extremely pleased to be named ‘Best Islamic Retail Bank’ in the UAE,” said Abdulla Al Hamli, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Islamic Bank. “As the world’s first Sharia-compliant bank, and with over 35 years of experience in the Islamic finance arena, Dubai Islamic Bank remains committed to providing innovative, relevant products and services that meet the diverse needs of needs of our customers across the UAE.

“Our most recent retail product, Al Islami Salam Finance, is an example of our ability to fulfil the requirements of our more than 900,000 customers in the UAE alone. We are grateful to the International Islamic Finance Forum for appreciating our continued efforts.”

DIB continues to be recognised by its peers for the excellence of its operations and innovative nature of its Sharia-compliant products and services. Most recently, the bank was named “Best Islamic Bank” in the UAE for 2010 by Global Finance magazine; “Best Islamic Bank in the UAE” by Asiamoney; “Best Islamic Bank in the UAE” for the fifth consecutive year by Islamic Finance News; and “Best Investment Bank” by emeafinance.
 

Landmark Properties Receives ’Best Property Listings In The UAE’ Accolade At Propertyfinder.ae Awards

Landmark Properties, one of the largest property brokerage agencies in the UAE, has been acknowledged as having the ‘Best Property Listings in the UAE’ at the inaugural propertyfinder.ae awards. Selected from a shortlist of nine reputable brokerages, Landmark Properties had the best quality property listings of all 35,000 listings on propertyfinder.ae.

Set to be held monthly, the propertyfinder.ae awards – organized by the number one dedicated property portal in the UAE – pay tribute to businesses in the UAE for a variety of talents and achievements. The ‘Best Property Listings Award’ is determined by an algorithm of metrics measured by a range of factors including quality of photos, content, pricing and accuracy.

“propertyfinder.ae works closely with all its members to provide a transparent and compliant platform that everyone can benefit from,” said Marcello Sambartolo, Head of Marketing at propertyfinder.ae. “This can be a testing industry to play a role in with so much change taking place and undergoing massive regulatory change, but we believe it is beneficial to select and recognise the leaders that set the benchmark of highest professionalism and dynamism during this time.”

“A system that provides exceptional standards of clarity and efficiency is fundamental for potential home buyers and investors in the Middle East, propertyfinder.ae powers the real estate market by creating opportunities through successfully joining buyers and renters with landlords and homeowners through its website,” said Charles Neil, CEO of Landmark Properties. “We are delighted to receive this award from propertyfinder.ae and to be a part of its community.”

A total of 10 awards and certificates were presented from a pool of 200 brokerages across the UAE recognising a variety of talents and achievements.
 

The Address Downtown Dubai Wins ’Best Business Hotel In Dubai’ And ’Best Serviced Residences’ Awards

The Address Downtown Dubai, the five-star premium hotel of The Address Hotels + Resorts, won two prestigious awards – the Best Serviced Residences and the Best Business Hotel at the 2010 Business Traveller Middle East Awards and the third annual Business DestinationsTravel Awards, respectively.

The Address Downtown Dubai is the flagship hotel of The Address Hotels + Resorts, and is located in Downtown Dubai, described as the ‘new soul of the city.’ The 63-storey hotel, the second tallest in the neighborhood, overlooks Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building; The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination; and The Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest performing fountain.

The Address Downtown Dubai has 196 luxuriously appointed rooms and 626 serviced residences. Guests at the hotel and serviced residences have access to an array of business and leisure amenities and round-the-clock service to meet all modern lifestyle requirements.

For business travellers, the hotel has several facilities including complimentary wireless internet throughout its guestrooms and public areas. They can also enjoy a 24-hour fitness centre and a 24-hour business lounge. Guests opting to stay in selected suites or club rooms can enjoy the innovative and convenient privilege of a complete 24-hour stay.

Mr. Simeon Olle, General Manager, The Address Downtown Dubai said: “The two awards are a testament to the superior hospitality standards we uphold, and our acceptance by our guests and hospitality professionals. The Address Hotels + Resorts brand defines itself on a ‘one size fits one’ approach where offering tangible benefits to guests and service excellence is our priority. The Awards will further inspire us to uphold the highest quality of service.”

The Address Downtown Dubai Serviced Residences feature modern home appliances, complimentary wireless internet access in the apartments and public areas, a fully-equipped gourmet kitchen, Plasma TV and built-in wardrobes. Guests can also benefit from 24-hour concierge and room service, laundry and housekeeping services.

The Annual Business Destinations Travel Awards are organised by the leading magazine in the UK, Business Destinations. A panel of experts from the travel and tourism industries chose The Address Downtown Dubai as the Best Business hotel in Dubai. The judges analyzed the best hotels in countries that are frequently visited and short-listed the best in each region.

Winners of the Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2010 are voted by the readers of the prominent magazine Business Traveller Middle East. The Address Downtown Dubai’s Serviced Residences won over 13,000 votes over a period of four months. Readers also voted for winners across categories such as best airlines, airports, hotels and car rental companies.

The Address Hotels + Resorts is redefining the hospitality sector of Dubai through innovative concepts and a focus on its three unique propositions – a distinct location advantage, superior guest service and tangible guest benefits. For further details visit the website www.theaddress.com or call +9714 423 8888.
 

Etisalat Wins The ’Best Managed Services Provider’ Award From Data Center Middle East

Etisalat won the ‘Best Managed Services Provider’ award at the first Data Center Middle East awards 2010, reinforcing its unparalled leadership in the Managed Services Domain. The award was presented to Etisalat at a gala ceremony during the two-day Data Centre Strategies Middle East forum that opened on 25th May in Abu Dhabi.

Etisalat has been at leading the Managed Services revolution in the UAE with considerable investments in technology, infrastructure and human capital. Etisalat today offers a comprehensive managed services portfolio to its enterprise and SMB customers that encompasses Managed Network services (Managed LAN/WAN), Managed Security Services and Managed hosting services.

Commenting on the award, Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat said, “The Data Center Middle East award for Best Managed Services provider, substantiates Etisalat’s dominant leadership in this industry and validates our claim to offer the most comprehensive Managed Services and solutions to businesses. Etisalat has invested in developing a state-of-the-art customer network operations center (CNOC), a collaborative IT infrastructure and superior knowledge capital manned by certified IT professionals, to offer a combination of flexible, secure services and comprehensive support to our customers.”

Managed Services involve proactive monitoring and management of customer’s network and IT infrastructure enabling Etisalat to proactively resolve issues related to fault alarms and security threats through 24×7 monitoring at the CNOC to prevent network downtimes, thereby enabling consistent network availability and performance.

Etisalat has specifically dedicated helpdesk numbers for Enterprise and SMB businesses with 800-9111 and 800SPEED respectively. Business customers subscribing to managed services can call respectively their dedicated number for fault reporting and any assistance related to their managed services subscription.

Etisalat’s Managed Services portfolio has a wide variety of solutions ranging from Managed WAN Services, Managed Security services, Hosting Infrastructure, Managed Storage, Business Continuity /Disaster Recovery services and Managed Infrastructure services.
 

VIBE Wins “Best Incentive Event” For Coca-Cola Annual Event At Middle East Events Awards 2010

VIBE “The Event Management Agency” was called to the stage on the evening of May 26 to accept the award for “Best Incentive Event” during the Middle East Event Awards 2010 held at Madinat Jumeirah.

VIBE was awarded the “Best Incentive Event” Award as the judges felt that the Events Agency had successfully integrated all the values of the Coca-Cola art, celebration and social responsibility.

VIBE was responsible for the conceptualization, construction, and production of the Coca-Cola Annual Event experience which included all associates of Coca-Cola Middle East.

“This award is not only a token of recognition and appreciation from the industry, but it is a reward to the team and to our hard work to be recognized by our peers in the industry,” Commented Yassin Matbouly, founder and CEO of VIBE.
“We were also very proud to have had our friends from Coca-Cola present during the ceremony, to be able to see the hard work that is put into each and every event that takes place in the region, and to acknowledge our delight in being given the opportunity for creativity with the brand, and a platform to make our ideas a reality.”

The event brought home the Best Incentive Event Award to VIBE was the annual company gathering that is held by The Coca-Cola Company and involves not only locally based associates but also senior management and VIP guests of the company. The activity was themed on the Company’s latest campaign; Open Happiness, and included aesthetic elements that were created by artists that are fans of the brand. The event was successful in creating a positive atmosphere for all attendees, and the evening was concluded with an art auction that raised over $10,000 dollars for Haiti Relief that went to the International Red Cross.

“We were very happy working with VIBE and we are delighted that Coca-Cola was able to provide them with an opportunity to contribute and to be recognized in the events industry,” Commented Antoine Tayyar, Public Affairs and Communications Director for Coca-Cola Middle East.
“We hope that they continue to spread happiness through their events and look forward to their success.”

The Best Incentive Event is a category that recognizes the Agency which can successfully incentivize the presence of each and every guest at the event. The event must adhere to the brands most specific values and elements, and must be held in any of the Middle East countries with more than 25 people present.

Hailed as the region’s premier showcase of inspirational ideas for event organizers and suppliers, the Middle East Event Awards is the leading award honoring excellence in events held in the Middle East.

Winners for all categories were announced at the prestigious Middle East Event Awards Gala Dinner on Monday April 27 at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.
 

London College Of Fashion Student Wins Best Aspiring Designer Award At DFF’09

Anna Unger a student at the London College of Fashion, The University of the Arts London, won the best emerging designer award at the just concluded DFF-09. As the debutante designers at DFF showcased their collection for the top ward, Anna emerged the clear favorite of five distinguished members including Mr Sunil Sethi, the president of Indian Fashion Design Council, internationally renowned designer Mr JJ Valaya, international supermodel, actress, singer and now fashion designer Ms Sabrina Barnett from Miami, Mr Rajesh Sajnani, managing director RVS Group and Mr. John Mathew, Managing Director of Emirates Vision-the organizers of DFF selected for the sophistication. The organizers will provide Anna with the choice of International fashion weeks with whom they have a mutual agreement for her to choose one for the participation.

Anna handcrafts each creation directly onto a mannequin or the client for a perfect fit; her innovative use of fabrics and meticulous detailing make each garment a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Her favorite fabrics are natural silk, canvas, French lace, brocade, organza, taffeta and delicate leather, with turquoise, blue, grey and variations of red being her preferred colors.

The fourth day of DFF’09 was marked by showcasing of many eclectic collections that included designers like Nabeela Couture (South Africa), Pratima by Pratima Pandey (India), Miss Magou (UK/ London), Rocky Gathercole(UAE), Larisa Katz (Holland) Verica Rakocevic (Serbia).The highlight of the DFF’s last day was the brilliant closing collection by JJ Valaya. The amazing collection inspired by the opulence of regal and nomadic India drew collective applause from the audience. Deftly combining the signature Valaya tailored jackets, sensual jodhpurs and crisp tops worn with detailed skirts crafted out of the finest of fabrics, prints and ornamentation, the inspired by the
‘Kingdom of Love’ celebrated optimism, color and energy that seems mired in the disturbed world of today. DFF 2009 showcased the collection of over 40 designers.
 

Jebel Ali Voted Best Seaport And Container Terminal At 2009 Mela Awards

Jebel Ali, DP World’s flagship terminal, has been voted ‘Best Seaport’ and ‘Best Container Terminal’ at the 2009 Middle East Logistics Awards (MELA) for the third consecutive time. MELA was established in 2006 to recognise outstanding contributions to the region’s logistics industry.

Mohammed Ali Ahmed, DP World, UAE Region’s Director of Strategic Planning, Human Resources and Business Support, and Chief Commercial Officer Dirk Van Den Bosch, together accepted the awards at a ceremony held June 30 at Dubai’s Monarch Hotel. Several hundred top executives in the Middle East logistics industry attended the event, which saw 100 companies from 11 countries competing for top honours in both industry-wide and individual achievement categories.

Mohammed Ali Ahmed, Director of Strategic Planning, Human Resources and Business Support, DP World, UAE Region, said:
“We are extremely honoured to have been recognised as Best Seaport and Best Container Terminal at MELA 2009. DP World, UAE Region has always taken great pride in its ability to anticipate and respond quickly to the evolving needs of our customers.”