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".
 

naseba Announces The Winners Of The GCC HR Excellence Awards

naseba, a leading business information company specializing in organizing high profile conferences and events today, announced the winners of the GCC HR Excellence Awards at the 4th Annual Human Assets Expansion Middle East Congress at the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai.

The GCC HR Excellence Awards, a naseba initiative, recognized leading private and public organizations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and contributed to the successful development of the HR role in the region. The judges, comprising of senior decision makers from the Knowledge and Human Resource Development Authority, TANMIA and Eye of Dubai, based their decision on various aspects including excellence in HR strategy and management, innovation and creative development of solutions, strong relationships both with top management and employees as well as personal characteristics, amongst others.

The winners per category are:
� Best talent management strategy – Abraaj Capital
Abraaj Capital is an organisation where the work culture is one of passion, colour, fun, hard work and merit. Talent management was taken from a holistic perspective in the past 18 months by increasing learning days leading to increased skill set across the organization, strong learning and development interventions, reward and recognition initiatives, appraisal proposal, 360 degree feedback system as well as focusing on unnamed areas of concerns such as daily stress from work which were addressed by implementing a wellness program with a fitness coach. � HR director of the year – Ms. Azzah Al Shahran, HR Director, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
During her 10 years of experience, Ms. Al Shahran has demonstrated a committed determination to achieve excellence in each of her HR roles. She has often experimented with new ideas and has had the courage to implement new concepts despite resistance within the organization. She has introduced many successful programs including jobs first concept, encouraging nationals recruitment in the retail and hospitality sectors and breaking down stereotypes. Her previous roles in diverse private sectors have given her wealth of experience. Her functions with the government also added to her previous skills and prepared her for her current role at the Chamber.  � Best nationalization friendly initiative – Oman International Bank
Oman International Bank has a highly skilled professional team of over 900 members with a ratio of 90.82% of the country’s nationals engaged at all staffing levels at the organisation. The company has always believed in its slogan of being a friend and partner of each and every person in its country and ensured all the initiatives were driven towards ‘Omanisation’. � Employer of the year – M A Al Kharafi group
The Employer of the year is a multinational organisation with an impressive 0% staff turnover achieved in 2008 – 2009 with 60,000 employees working with the group. Despite the difficult circumstances, the group never considered laying off any number of its manpower and its track record testifies to that fact. For the past 12 to 18 months the organisation and the HR department have worked on maintaining the salary structure, implementing huge salary structures, enhancing the work life balance, and the bonus system while creating opportunities in different regions to eliminate unemployment and generate job opportunities for local talent. � Most innovative recruiting and staffing strategy – Saudi Chevron Phillips
Saudi Chevron Philips tied up with a local industrial college to meet the requirements of ‘Saudization’ as well as to achieve the need of training the Saudi youth. They reached a consensus on a custom made curriculum entirely monitored by the organisation and designed to meet the job requirements.

Prior to the program, the trainee and his legal guardian enter into an abiding agreement with the organisation to
ensure that their decision to join the organisation is a shared choice. By helping the trainee to make the choice to join, the guardian is part of the success or the failure the trainee makes. This is what makes Saudi Chevron Philips’ approach unique. � Most admired individual in human capital sector of the GCC region – Ibrahim Al-Suleimany, GM HR, Haya Water
In the last few years at Haya Water, Ibrahim Al-Suleimany has completely transformed the HR function. The people oriented approach he adopted in his tenure at the organisation has resulted in workforce changes and employee satisfaction. The judges were also impressed by the nationalization initiative undertaken by the Head of HR for the organisation. The awards function will be followed by an interactive panel discussion featuring all the awards winners on 17th of June. The panel will discuss strategies and solutions to minimise the ongoing impact of the credit crisis and preparation for recovery. For more information, visit www.humanassetsmideast.com

Dubai Investments Holds Annual Gathering Of Its UAE National Employees

Dubai Investments PJSC (DI), the largest investment company listed on the UAE stock exchange, recently held the annual gathering of its UAE national employees at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai. The event was presided over by Khalid Kalban, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Investments.

During the event, Khalid Kalban apprised the audience of the challenges being faced by DI as a result of the global economic downturn and the steps that are being taken to address these challenges and limit the impact of the crisis on the company’s operations. He called upon national employees to take on greater organizational responsibilities and outlined plans to increase representation of nationals in the company’s workforce.

“Enhancing the role of nationals at all levels of the business is a key priority for Dubai Investments, and we remain committed to increasing steadily the number of national employees in our different companies,” Kalban said. “We believe national employees have a vital role to play in driving the company’s success and in accomplishing our long-term goals.”

At the event, senior Dubai Investment officials shared with the audience plans and recommendations to improve the work environment at DI and its various subsidiaries, and sought the views of national employees on how to create a more effective workplace.

“As a company that considers its people to be its greatest asset, Dubai Investments is committed to provide our employees a stimulating professional environment that offers continuous opportunities for career development and growth,” Kalban concluded.

naseba Launches The GCC HR Excellence Awards In Dubai

Under the theme of “Shaping business strategies and recognising indispensible business visionaries” the 4th Annual Human Assets Expansion Middle East Congress will take place from 15th – 17th June 2009 at the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai. Organized by naseba, a leading business information company, the conference will bring together top Human Resources (HR) directors and heads of HR from leading companies in the Middle East to discuss the most pressing issues facing the region. During the three-day conference, distinguished experts in the HR sector will take a realistic look at the economy and offer strategies, practical examples and case studies to withstand the economic storm.

A feature of the conference will be the inaugural GCC HR Excellence Awards. These awards, a naseba initiative recognize organizations and individuals who have contributed to the successful development of the HR role in the region. Leading private and public companies, who have demonstrated outstanding achievements, are contesting for the following categories:

· HR director of the year
· Employer of the year
· Best nationalization friendly initiative
· Most admired individual in human capital sector of the GCC region
· Most innovative recruiting and staffing strategy
· Best talent management strategy

The winners will be revealed on the 15th of June at the grand awards ceremony at the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai. The list of finalists for the prestigious awards include: Abraaj Capital, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saudi Chevron Phillips Company, Economic Zones World, M.A.Al Kharafi and Sons, Higher College of Technology, Haya Water, Dubai Airports Free Zone Authority, Zamil Industrial, Abu Dhabi Ship Building company, Oman International Bank, Acer Computers ME ltd, Emitac, LG Electronics, Ethihad Airways, IBM Middle East, Glaxo Smithkline, Arab Insurance Group, National Water Company, Orange Business services and TBWA/RAAD Middle East.

The awards function will be followed by an interactive panel discussion featuring all the awards winners on 17th of June. The panel will discuss strategies and solutions to minimise the ongoing impact of the credit crisis and preparation for recovery.

Other conference topics will feature nationalization and the four step approach to work force development and integration by Essa Ahmed Al Mulla, Knowledge and Human Resource Development Authority (Emirates National Development Programme); Strategies of recruiting during the downturn and how to keep talent sourcing on the corporate agenda by Claus-Peter Sommer, Kelly OCG Center of Excellence RPO; Challenges of talent management in a downturn by Talat Naseer, Abraaj Capital. The conference will be moderated by Michael Gates, Managing director of Richard Lewis Communications and author of “When Cultures Collides”.

Commenting on the conference, Prachi Dawar, event project director, naseba said: “The Human Assets Expansion Middle East Congress, now in its 4th year, is an important gathering of HR leaders playing a critical role in ensuring that their companies survive this time of uncertainty. From managing restructuring to keeping staff motivated and productive, their role has become more demanding and challenging. The GCC HR Excellence Awards are designed to honour and recognise individuals and organizations that are focused on people development strategy and talent management in spite of the challenging times. We have received an overwhelming response on these categories and are looking forward to the awards function.”

For more information, visit www.humanassetsmideast.com

Premier Inn Continues Regional Expansion With A New Opening At Dubai Silicon Oasis

With many companies slowing down expansion plans and cutting operational costs in a bid to weather the financial storm, one company stands out from the current abatement in activity across the hotel industry. Premier Inn, the UK’s largest and most successful hotel brand is continuing its plan to be the dominant value for money hotel chain in the region by opening their second hotel in Dubai at Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Owned by Whitbread plc, one of the UK’s oldest companies, Premier Inn operates in Dubai under a joint venture with Emirates Group and entered the market a year ago with the opening of their first hotel in Dubai Investment Park. The new Dubai Silicon Oasis property is the first of two openings planned for this year, the other being at Dubai International Airport, lending further weight to their commitment to establish the brand in the region.

Darroch Crawford, Managing Director of Premier Inn in the Middle East said, “ The current economic climate has made both business and leisure travelers look for value for money as a key attribute when deciding on accommodation. We strive to be the best value for money hotel in any region we operate, which is why the brand continues to thrive in the current conditions and why we are pressing on with our expansion plans.”

The hotel will be the first to open at Dubai Silicon Oasis, the region’s premier integrated innovation hub for high tech industries. “We are extremely pleased to have secured this opportunity at Dubai Silicon Oasis”, Crawford continued, “Our customer base is usually evenly spread between the business and leisure traveler, so an integrated community such as Silicon Oasis is the perfect location for Premier Inn.”

Dr. Mohammed Al Zarouni, Vice Chairman and CEO – Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority commented on the addition of Premier Inn to the development, “Being an integrated community, it was a very important strategic move for Dubai Silicon Oasis to incorporate a hotel within the development. A brand such as Premier Inn represents the type of values that we welcome and as their hotels appeal to the business and leisure travelers alike we are confident the new hotel will be a great success.”

The new hotel, with 230 rooms, will offer everything you’d expect from a Premier Inn, comfortable rooms, each en suite with bath, shower and bidet and capable of comfortably accommodating a family of up to four, as well as a rooftop swimming pool and whirlpool bath, all for just AED 350 per night. The hotel also offers a contemporary Restaurant (Bedouinns) a Bar (The Retreat), Costa Coffee and a rooftop swimming pool with whirlpool bath.
Premier Inn at Dubai Silicon Oasis will be officially opened by Dr. Mohammed Al Zarouni, Vice Chairman & CEO – Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority- at 12noon on 6th May 2009.

For hotel bookings, visit www.premierinn.com or call +971 (0) 4 885 0999.
 

DEWA Honours Dubai Students, Schools And Universities For Achieving Outstanding Success In Emirate-Wide Conservation Campaign

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), in conjunction with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), today awarded students, parents, schools and universities in Dubai for, leading by example, reducing water and electricity consumption as part of its “Conservation for a Better Tomorrow” campaign.

In its fourth year, DEWA’s ‘Conservation for a Better Tomorrow’ initiative urged all residents of Dubai to contribute to the emirate’s ambitious objectives of reducing its carbon footprint. The campaign reflects DEWA’s consistent efforts to create and widen awareness of the urgent need to conserve energy and water resources, and instil a culture of conservation in future generations.

Cash prizes ranging from AED6,000 – AED10,000 were awarded to over 15 institutions for reducing usage of water and electricity. Similarly, students from the various education levels, ranging from kindergarten to preliminary, intermediate, secondary, colleges and universities, were awarded cash prizes ranging from AED1,000 – AED3,000 for reducing the energy consumed at their homes.

Present at the awards ceremony, which was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City, were Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General at Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Fatma Al Marri, a member of the Federal National Council and CEO, Schools Agency.

Al Tayer said: “Energy conservation is not for water and electricity only but for all our natural resources. Conserving energy is a life-long practice that each one of us must adopt and make a permanent part of our daily lives. Significant savings have been achieved through this initiative, especially where water is concerned with approximately 42% reduction.

“KHDA has played a tangible role in supporting this initiative by encouraging schools, educational institutions and students to participate, and their continuous assistance throughout this initiative cannot be understated.”

Commenting on the energy conservation initiative, Dr. Al Karam said: “The ‘Conservation for a Better Tomorrow’ Award encourages schools to protect their environment as students work as ambassadors of conservation within their community.

“KHDA sees schools as a community where students from different cultures and backgrounds study together. Our objective is to prepare the current generation for the future. We want the students to be better prepared to take on the social responsibility to face the challenges of the future. The ‘Conservation for a Better Tomorrow’ Award is the best platform to achieve this. Not only does it inspire a sense of responsibility within students and teachers, it also helps them identify the value and concept of conservation in all aspects of life.”

The winning schools in each of the categories were: Al Manhal Kindergarten, which saved 57% of water consumption; Al Khoulafa’ Al Rashedeen preliminary school which saved 40% of water consumption; Nad Al Hamar intermediate school which saved 26% of water consumption; Al Ma’aref secondary school which saved 76% of water consumption and Zayed University which saved 27% of electricity consumption.

Spearheading the drive for creating a sustainable environment in Dubai, DEWA has successfully collaborated with various institutions, such as Dubai Municipality, to formulate new eco-friendly policies for the real estate and construction industries. The new regulations will mandate the installation of low energy light bulbs, solar panels, energy saving modules for air conditioning units, low flow taps and dual flush water systems in all new buildings.

In addition, DEWA recently launched a series of initiatives with the objective of curtailing the amount of energy used in residential and commercial establishments throughout Dubai. The initiative includes the Best Consumer Award, which encourages homeowners to reduce their electricity and water consumption.

As an institution keen to mitigate the UAE’s carbon footprint and support green measures, DEWA was actively engaged in the promotion of Earth Hour 2009, a global initiative that took place on 28 March and helped Dubai save 146,000 kWh of electricity.
 

Al Maha: UAE’s Favourite Weekend Getaway

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa – a luxurious retreat nestled within the 225 square kilometre pristine desert landscape of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve – was recognised for the second year running ‘Favourite Weekend Getaway in the UAE’ at the prestigious What’s On Awards gala event held earlier this week.

What’s On Awards is one of the definitive barometers of public opinion in the UAE’s entertainment and hospitality industries, and this year it drew votes from across the UAE over 100 days of online and public balloting. Despite many new contenders entering in this category over the past year, Al Maha retained its position in the eyes of the voting public.

The hotly-contested award was presented to Arne Silvis, General Manager, Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa at a spectacular event held at the brand new Palladium in Dubai Media City in front of over 1,000 guests.

The accolade adds to Al Maha’s impressive awards portfolio. Recently, this very private and romantic 42- suite resort beat off fierce international competition, becoming the only Leisure Hotel in Dubai to be voted one of the Top 20 of Conde Nast’s Readers’ Travel Award in the M.E., Africa and Indian Ocean region. Al Maha’s leadership and contributions to conservation have also earned it the world’s premier conservation award from National Geographic and Conservation International.

Tony Williams, Senior Vice President, Resorts & Projects, Emirates Hotels & Resorts said: “We are delighted that readers of What’s On magazine have again voted for Al Maha. I believe that our guests truly appreciate the commitment to excellence, privacy and personal service that they experience at Al Maha. The beautiful location and seclusion this offers is unique and while only 45 minutes drive from Dubai city-centre, Al Maha is a completely different world.

“We in turn really appreciate the support given to us at Al Maha by our guests. Each guest at Al Maha, just by being there, directly contributes to our conservation and wildlife efforts, and for this we sincerely thank them.”

Al Maha’s individually designed suites echo this region’s heritage, each with their own unique artwork, antiquities, hand crafted furniture, rugs and carpets. Each suite is set apart to guarantee privacy and boasts a private temperature-controlled swimming pool, outdoor decks as well as unobstructed views over the surrounding dunes towards the Hajar Mountains.

To complement the setting, and in order to provide the guests with the opportunities to explore this landscape and its unique wildlife, the resort offers a wide range of activities recalling Arabia’s unique desert traditions. These include falconry, camel trekking, horse riding, guided desert wildlife safaris and dune-driving.

Flexible dining arrangements allow guests to choose between sophisticated gourmet restaurant dining, offering international and Arabic cuisine, private dinners in their suite, or picnics in the dunes at an elegantly laid table under the stars.

Al Maha is currently offering a special promotion, with all guests staying for two nights receiving a complimentary third night. All rates are on full-board basis, inclusive of all teas and coffees, and two desert-based activities per day. The offer is valid until 17th September 2009.

For information, call Emirates Hotels & Resorts reservations on 04 303 4222, or visit www.emirateshotelsresorts.com.
 

ENOC Wins The Bizz Award For Business Excellence

Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has won The Bizz Award, one of the most prestigious business awards world-wide, for achieving the highest standards in business excellence.

Organised by The World Confederation of Businesses (WORLD COB), the internationally renowned awards were given to 18 Arab companies, this year, for the first time since their inception. The initiative aimed at honouring the most distinguished businesses and fostering healthy competition in the dynamic business market in the Middle East.

At a ceremony held recently in Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, Noaman Al Saleh, ENOC CSR & Media Relations Manager, received the award from Jesus J. Moran, CEO of the World Confederation of Businesses.

Commenting on the award, Khalid Hadi, ENOC Group Brand and Marketing Manager said: “It is a great honour to win this prestigious award as it reiterates our commitment to excellence across business practices. This recognition will motivate us to continue excelling in our line of business, while also providing us to position ourselves globally and thus further develop our business relations.”

The World Confederation of Businesses was supported by an Evaluation Committee, an independent entity comprising professionals from different business sectors, to qualify the evaluation parameters for the awards.

The evaluation was based on six points that measure the commitment level and quality as well as the development of a good management system and business excellence. The six points are Managerial Leadership, Management Systems, Quality in Goods and/or Services, Managerial Creativity and Innovation, Social Responsibility, and Obtained Results.