AGRA Middle East 2011 To Focus On Innovation To Address Escalating Food Demand

More of the Middle East’s agricultural investments are being directed towards innovative methods and technologies that can provide better and sustainable solutions to the region’s growing food demand. AGRA Middle East, the largest agribusiness trade event in the region, will focus on this need for alternative agricultural strategies during its latest edition running from March 29 to 31, 2011 at Halls 2 and 3 of the Dubai World Trade Centre – Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

Middle Eastern governments are showing a greater preference for new agricultural models that minimize water use, pesticide application, and environmental degradation. Although the region is hard-pressed to ease its 90 per cent dependence on foreign sources of food, it is also recognizing the importance of adopting holistic solutions to its food dilemma. AGRA Middle East 2011 will gather local, regional and international manufacturers, suppliers and exporters to display and discuss possible solutions to the region’s present and future food security and water resource challenges.

“Traditional agricultural concepts will not be able to keep up with the numerous food-related problems faced by the Middle East, which are caused by multiple factors such as a burgeoning population, limited agricultural resources, and restricted water supplies. Out-of-the-box approaches are needed to come up with more feasible and long-term solutions. AGRA Middle East is an important platform for unveiling and discussing equipment, services and expertise that can meet this need,” said Goutam Malhotra, Exhibition Manager, AGRA Middle East 2011.

AGRA Middle East 2011 will feature the latest advances in agriculture and irrigation, animal husbandry and poultry farming, fisheries and aquaculture, floriculture and horticulture and agricultural machinery. Over 4,000 regional buyers, dealers and distributors are expected to attend this year’s event.

IIR Middle East is organizing AGRA Middle East 2011, while the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Flower Centre are the main supporters. Complete event details are available at http://www.agramiddleeast.com.
 

Innovation And Long Term Customer Relationships Power DP World, Uae Regions Growth, Says Mohammed Al Muallem

Innovation, diversity and long term relationships with customers and business partners will continue to be the main drivers of DP World, UAE Region’s future development.

Addressing a visiting team from the International Institute of Management Development (IMD), Switzerland, this week Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said the premier regional port operator embraced innovative methods to build sustainable operating models that focus on overall supply chain efficiency for the customer.

The 24-strong delegation included IMD Executive Director Dr. Hischam El-Agamy, Professor Leif M. Sjöblom, Director of Accelerated Executive Development Programme (AEDP), leading executives from several multinational companies and Executive MBA students.

They were received by Mr. Al Muallem and Farid Mohammed Ahmed, Secretary-General, Dubai World, who made a presentation on the group and engaged the visitors in a question and answer session.

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said:
"No one has a crystal ball to accurately say what markets will do in today’s globalised economy. However, we do know that growth will continue and we must prepare for it. At DP World, UAE Region we ensure this by honing the leadership skills of our management and empowering the staff to find new and efficient ways of operating. We work hand in hand with shipping lines, and with importers and exporters to ensure we meet their needs today and prepare for tomorrow. Innovation, diversity and long term relationships with customers and business partners have always been important and will continue to be."
 
Briefing the IMD visitors on Dubai World, ultimate majority owner of DP World, Farid Mohammed Ahmed, Secretary-General, Dubai World, said: "The global economic downturn has not taken away from Dubai its merit as a regional hub for business and finance nor its ability to create the necessary infrastructure to attract investments. The encouraging performance of the group’s flagship company, DP World, during 2010 bears testimony to this. Dubai World is now in a new phase of growth and aims to work towards maintaining the pace of recovery through innovation and generation of new ideas."

After a tour of Jebel Ali Port and its facilities, Dr El-Agamy and Professor Sjöblom expressed admiration for the operational efficiency at the port and said Dubai provided the perfect backdrop for the executives in the programme to explore the challenges of leading change and implementing strategies.

AEDP is one of IMD’s top management executive education programmes and a pathway to the institute’s prestigious Executive MBA programme. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, IMD is among the world’s top-ranked business schools.

Dubai Knowledge Village Highlights Best Practices At Innovation Forum And HR Technology Events

An innovative approach to offering an augmented layer of value-added services to business partners has been adopted by Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), the region’s premier destination for human resources management, according to Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director, TECOM Investments’ Education Cluster.

Outlining the innovative management strategies that the TECOM Education Cluster implements to engage all stakeholders, he added DKV’s Partner Development Management (PDM) is a testimony to the value propositions offered to business partners that has launched and implemented multiple initiatives and platforms.

Dr. Kazim’s remarks came as part of his address at the second Annual Abu Dhabi Innovation Forum that was held from 24-25 January. Supported by Dubai Knowledge Village, the event brought together international experts and leading innovators to Abu Dhabi to discuss the exciting innovation landscape and discuss ways to advance their organisations in the current economy.

Dr. Kazim said: “In addition to helping differentiate Dubai Knowledge Village offerings from other free zones, initiatives such as the Partner Development Management have created greater synergy among business partners. This strategy has helped generate valuable business development opportunities and increased our business partners’ market visibility.”

Dubai Knowledge Village’s participation in Annual Abu Dhabi Innovation Forum 2011 also coincides with its support to the HR Technology 2011 MENA conference that was held in Dubai from 24-25 January. The event drew leading HR professionals from the region to discuss how they are transforming their departments through embedding technology and systems into the strategy.

Dr. Kazim added: “By redefining the concept of a free zone, DKV has successfully increased customer satisfaction levels while maintaining stable occupancy rates even during recession. At the same time, it has also effectively contributed to the community and Dubai’s shift towards a knowledge-based economy.”

TECOM Investments Education Cluster has created several platforms to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices across the areas of education, project management, leadership, work-life balance, investment, sales, IT, design, HR and tourism. Periodic industry-specific events focusing on sectors such as oil and gas, finance and banking, as well as investment prominently feature the annual calendar of programmes at DKV and DIAC.

DKV’s Partner Development Management (PDM) department has to date successfully conducted 185 workshops and seminars that have attracted over 21,000 professionals from the UAE and the region. Launched in January 2007, it aims to support business partners through fostering interaction with the TECOM community as well as other industries, maximizing exposure and visibility, and helping reach the target market through building appropriate marketing channels.
 

du Supports M-Media Innovation And Talent As Sponsor At World Summit Awards Mobile 2010

In line with its commitment to support technological innovations and creative talent within the telecom industry, du was the official sponsor for the award category ‘m-media and news’ at the recently-held World Summit Awards Mobile Winners’ Conference Gala and Expo. Hala Badri, EVP, Brand and Communications, du, officially congratulated the five winners of the prestigious award, and delivered a keynote speech about the importance of the burgeoning m-media world.

“Media is no longer about the traditional forms that we have come to know such as print and broadcast. In the past few years, electronic media has been making its mark and is evolving at an astonishing rate. As a company that always strives to be at the forefront of technological advancements, we are pleased to support the ‘m-media & news’ award category, which we believe will serve to recognise the pioneering work done in this field and also encourage others to get involved in shaping the future of this booming new industry,” commented Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communications, du.

The five winners of the ‘m-media and news’ award included the ABC iPhone/iPad application from Australia, Apontador Traffic from Brazil, m.guardian.co.uk & Guardian iPhone app from UK, Newelo Need4Feed from Finland and You are the Reporter from Russia. The criteria for the category included reporting the news using the mobile phone, crowd sourcing, citizen journalism, covering natural disasters, public campaigning, multimedia news, mobile media aggregation and search services, new forms of mobile video and m-TV, movies and current affairs.

The WSA-mobile Winners’ Gala Conference & Expo – the first world conference on m-content – took place recently in Abu Dhabi. The event was held under the auspices of the Government of Abu Dhabi in cooperation with the United Nations and its Global Alliance for ICT and Development, and Government and Business Partners from around the World.
 

du Takes Home 2010 UAE Product Line Leadership Award For Innovation In Business Mobile

Asserting itself once again as the operator of choice for businesses in the UAE, du has been honoured with the prestigious 2010 UAE Business Product Line Leadership Award. The company received this award from global research and consultancy organisation Frost & Sullivan under the Business Mobile Telecommunications category, and was accepted by Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communication, du, on behalf of the company.

“We are deeply honoured to have been selected for this prestigious award at the reputable 2010 UAE Product Line Leadership Awards. One of the key drivers for our success has been down to our ability as a company to think innovatively, and design and deliver relevant products into newer and never-before addressed segments of the market – an accomplishment that is exemplified by our subscriber base, that continues to show healthy signs of growth. We will strive to continue our efforts in providing top-class communication solutions for businesses, as well as for individual customers,” commented Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communication, du.

Frost & Sullivan’s research addressed a number of key industry factors and achievements of the company, including the key industry challenges addressed by du and the impact of the product leadership award on key stakeholders. The study also featured a best practice award analysis, which incorporated a look at du’s performance in the UAE Telecommunications Market as well as an analysis of the company’s key performance drivers, which were split into three factors including The award recognises du’s ‘understanding of business customers with the introduction of innovative and well-targeted business mobile offerings such as Premier Plan – a customised vertical offering targeting two key vertical industries ‘Hospitality’ (through Mobile Pay as you Go® Closed User Group) and the Government (through Premier Plan G). The Award is an acknowledgement of du’s commitment to meet the needs of the UAE’s cost-conscious Small and Medium Enterpises (SMEs) by launching Business Super Plan that offers the most competitive rates on national and international calling as well as the best deals on smartphones in the market at a monthly commitment level of something as low as AED 100 – that makes for a very compelling value proposition.

Frost & Sullivan handed out other best practices awards during the event to companies in the ICT, Energy & Power Systems and Chemicals markets. The organisation is in its 49th year in business with a global research department of 1,800 analysts and consultants who monitor more than 300 industries and 250,000 companies. The organisation’s unique approach enables it to determine how best-in-class companies worldwide manage growth, innovation and leadership.
 

HBMeU Chancellor Highlights Role Of Innovation In Achieving Growth During Abu Dhabi Presentation

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), a leader in the field of e-Learning and quality management in the Arab World, recently made a presentation titled ‘Innovation Management’ at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, in the presence of senior officials from the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. The move is in line with HBMeU’s strategy aimed at supporting social and economic development in various government departments and authorities, and also complements the University’s Corporate Social Responsibility programs that support the UAE’s strategic plan.

During his presentation, Dr. Al Awar highlighted the importance of innovation, which was the foundation for achieving sustained growth, especially in light of the rapid changes and challenges the world is witnessing. He pointed out the need to focus on building a pool of human resources that was capable of keeping pace with UAE’s strong growth. He also emphasized the key role that educational institutions have to play in this regard, as it is imperative for them to now offer courses that focus on developing the leadership qualities and intellect of the new generation.

Dr. Al Awar also confirmed that HBMeU is focused on spreading awareness about its goal of creating an innovation culture, and to contribute to building an innovative society that can excel in all fields. This, he said, complements the visions of Their Highnesses Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minster, and Ruler of Dubai, of achieving excellence at the social, economic, technological and governmental levels.

Dr. Al Awar also urged all government authorities, educational institutions and community organisations to undertake social responsibilities that reinforce societal development and encourages innovation and creativity. He also noted the importance of supporting qualified individuals and providing them opportunities to excel, especially by leveraging partnerships with concerned government bodies.

HBMeU is the first e-learning institute in the Arab World that was established with the vision to develop a new learning process through the implementation of teaching practices characterised by flexibility, quality and diversity to strengthen self-leadership among students and prepare them socially and academically for a future career through integration in the job market. HBMeU’s philosophy is based on vital methods that have been developed through extensive research and development by specialists from all over the world. These methods include offering high quality programs, supporting the pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting the freedom of information, reinforcing the culture of excellence and innovation and providing education for everyone in line with the highest standards of comprehensiveness and credibility. The university seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning.
 

dus IPTV Wins Metropolitan Infrastructure Innovation Award At Global Telecoms Business Awards 2010

Proving its position as a leader on the global innovation stage, du has been awarded the prestigious Metropolitan Infrastructure Innovation Award by the UK’s Global Telecoms Business (GTB) magazine, in recognition of its success in implementing top-of-the-range IPTV (Internet protocol TV) services. The award ceremony brought together industry leaders from across the world, during which du was honoured under the ‘Fixed Infrastructure Innovation’ category.

“We have built and delivered a uniquely attractive value proposition based on customer needs, proving once again du’s commitment to provide best-of-breed solutions tailored to our customers’ requirements,” said Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer, du.

“We are honoured to receive this award and remain devoted to offering the most cutting-edge and innovative services to our customers. This achievement proves that we are indeed succeeding in delivering exceptional quality products and services across both our entertainment and communication offerings,” said Hatem Bamatraf, Senior Vice President – Network Development, du.

Other categories at the awards ceremony included ‘Wireless infrastructure innovation,’ ‘Wholesale service innovation,’ ‘Business service innovation’ and ‘Consumer service innovation.’ Global Telecoms Business is a UK-based website and magazine written specifically for senior managers who run telecoms carriers worldwide.

du has quickly consolidated its position as the forward-thinking telecommunications provider of the UAE, providing smart, user-friendly IPTV services to individuals, homes and other establishments. The company has successfully launched and delivered an innovative IPTV solution which offers superior performance and an array of state-of-the-art features.

Highlights of the du IPTV system include live TV services, offering Standard Definition (SD), High Definition (HD) and 3D formats; instant channel change options with superior menu navigation performance; electronic programme guide services (EPG), with the ability to customise the view; personal video recording of up to two streams simultaneously; blackout management; Video on Demand (VoD) services; a parental control option; a favourite list of channels; and lastly, multiple audio streams, subtitles, teletext and surround sound features.

IPTV is a system whereby a digital television service is delivered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may often include delivery by a broadband connection. With IPTV, the television screen becomes a means of communication, allowing the viewer to interact with the service.

The GTB Innovation Award represents yet another prestigious addition to du’s impressive collection of accolades in multiple categories. Already an established force in the telecommunications scene, du continues to prove that it is the telecom service provider to watch out for in the UAE and beyond.
 

Dubai International Academic City And Hult International Business School Conclude Innovation Olympics Programme

Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s leading destination for higher education and a member of TECOM Investments’ Education Cluster, today announced the conclusion of the Innovation Olympics Programme organised by Hult International Business School.

Hult partnered with leading organisations at different locations and provided each of them with five diverse teams comprising five MBA candidates each. The teams competed with each other to develop best solutions needed for tackling a company’s growth challenges.

Alok Rawat, Ekpenyong Bassey, Gopal Renganathan, Maxime Mvokany and Russell Robertson emerged as winners of the programme for coming out with the best business plans as per pre-set criteria.

DIAC was one of the 15 global corporate partners for this year’s Innovation Olympics Programme.

The presentations at DIAC were reviewed by Dr Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director, Education Cluster – TECOM Investments, and Hasan Makansi, Director of Partner Development, Education Cluster – TECOM Investments.

Dubai International Academic City hosts over 30 institutions from 11 different countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, India, France, Singapore, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon and the UAE. Approximately 16,000 students are currently enrolled into the various programmes offered at the campuses within DIAC.
 

du-Injazat Partnership Promises A New Era Of Innovation For Managed Networked IT Services

The UAE’s integrated telecom service provider du and Injazat, the leading information communication & technology and business process managed services provider in the United Arab Emirates, have formally entered into a go-to-market partnership agreement to provide business customers with state-of-the-art networked IT services. It is envisaged the new agreement once finalised, will allow du and Injazat, who currently have a longstanding partnership, to quickly integrate Injazat’s latest world-class managed networked IT services with du’s and Injazat’s combined market-leading telecommunication services and business solutions.

“du and Injazat share tremendous synergy in the area of managed network services. The benefits of a potential joint proposition could see customers gain significant return from their networks through greater productivity and reduced operating expenses. Not only will this potential collaboration be beneficial to the UAE’s business by making these services available to them, but it will serve as a benchmark for the increased adoption of managed networked IT services in the region, commented Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer, du.

Together, the two companies are looking to launch managed networked IT services, which will allow businesses to dramatically reduce up-front investment costs, while also accelerating the adoption of managed networked IT services on a large scale.

“This recent venture strengthens our existing partnership with du and combines du’s superior telecom expertise with our business solution experience to provide the UAE’s businesses with highly sophisticated managed networked IT services. We look forward to exploring the opportunity of working with du to provide advanced networked services that will considerably reduce costs and boost efficiency for UAE businesses,” commented Ibrahim Mohamed Lari, CEO, Injazat.

In March 2009, du and Injazat had signed a 3-year deal under which Injazat provides managed collocation services for du’s mission-critical systems through its Abu Dhabi-based Tier IV data centre, the first commercially-available facility of its kind in the region. The fault-tolerant centre supports reliable, secure, and high-value 24-hour IT managed services incorporating IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards.
 

Dubai International Academic City To Support Innovation Olympics Programme At Hult International Business School

 

Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the dedicated higher education free zone and a member of TECOM Investments, today announced it will be one of the 15 global corporate partners for this year’s Innovation Olympics Programme set to kick off at Hult International Business School’s campuses in Boston, London and Dubai.

A world-class action learning capstone project, the programme is unique among traditional MBA classes and other ‘action learning’ programmes or business plan competitions by virtue of its practical outcomes such as doing tangible work that makes a real impact on clients and building student confidence and skills to be productive on the very first day after graduation.

The Innovation Olympics is a required course for MBA graduation. At each of the locations, Hult partners with five leading organizations and provides each of them with five diverse teams made up of five MBA candidates per team. Each set of five teams competes to develop the best solutions to a company’s growth challenges.

Competing MBA-candidate teams will be working with senior members of Dubai International Academic City to develop big, bold innovations for the entity. Hult and the Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) selected DIAC for its long-standing commitment to innovation and collaboration in Dubai and beyond.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director, Education Cluster – TECOM Investments, said: “Dubai International Academic City remains committed to supporting pioneering education initiatives. Our support to academic partners Hult International Business School for Innovation Olympics Program reflects this philosophy. In developing real solutions to challenges in leading multinational organizations, we are confident the new ideas and solutions from the participating MBA teams will be effectively implemented by corporations if required. On their part, companies will look forward to ‘crowdsourcing’ fresh insights from diverse international teams with students from over 60 countries.”

At each company, the MBA-candidate teams follow a unique approach developed by IXL Center to generate breakthrough innovations in a seven-week period from Mid-June through August. The programme begins with a challenge from a senior executive at the company. The teams then compete to develop an innovation that will drive the company’s revenue to the next level.

The proposals and the business case are presented to the leadership team of the client at the end of the project period. Each team is assigned a mentor, often an experienced strategy consultant. All students participate in the project prior to receiving a business degree.

Tyler McNally, Professor of Innovation at Hult, said: “As Dubai recovers and grows, the organizations and institutions need to find new ways to develop, collaborate and expand. Hult teaches students to help these organizations identify new options for growth.

“This corporate partnership returns enormous value to organizations because they have a lot of clear-eyed talent from around the world focused exclusively on a key issue they face. It also represents a fantastic opportunity for our business students to leverage the knowledge they have accumulated over the course of their MBA programme and reinforces what a Hult MBA is all about.”

The kick-off meeting was held on 24 June at DIAC during which Hasan Makansi, Director of Partner Development, Education Cluster – TECOM Investments, will brief the teams on the entity and its projects.

Makansi said: “Dubai International Academic City through its Partner Development division has realized many innovative projects and initiatives, and being part of the Hult Innovation Olympics Program reconfirms our strategy to continuously enhance and develop our operations and process. We have great confidence in the competency of the MBA students that our academic partner Hult Business School has and the type of outcomes they will deliver at the end of this programme.”

Hult, which began as the first corporate university in the US, places a strong emphasis on delivering a practical business education. The majority of its faculty possesses extensive experience in the industry as well as academia, which ensures students are taught concrete skills that apply to companies in real life.

DIAC hosts over 30 academic institutions from 13 different countries including the US, the UK, Iran, Russia, Australia, France, Pakistan, Lebanon, India and the UAE. Besides Hult International Business School, some of the important names include the Manipal University, Herriot-Watt University, and the Michigan State University.