EIAST UAE Engineers Prepare For Shipping DubaiSat-1 To Launch Base In Kazakhstan

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology (EIAST) announced that the UAE engineers and scientists have completed the final preparations on DubaiSat-1, which is due to be launched on board a Russian Dnepr rocket on July 25, 2009. Final tests and equipment safety preparations have been completed successfully and the UAE team are currently preparing to ship DubaiSat-1 from the factory in Korea to its launch base in Kazakhstan.DubaiSat-1, which is a stepping stone in the UAE’s attempt to create a sound infrastructure that enables the collection of space and earth observation data for the comprehensive development of the nation, highlights the commitment of EIAST to create a knowledge based economy.His Excellency Mr Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director General and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, EIAST, said: “The successful completion of the final stages of DubaiSat-1 by the team of UAE national experts including engineers and specialists working on the project, have underscored the reputation of the UAE as a key player in space research. We are glad that our youth is part of space technology research, a testament to the tremendous talent amongst UAE youngsters.” “The development of a satellite is a very complicated process and what we have achieved so far can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of our engineers and scientists. DubaiSat-1 will undoubtedly be a sterling addition to the UAE’s strategic accomplishments,” Al Mansoori added.The launch of DubaiSat-1 consists of three segments; space, ground and actual launch. The ground segment comprises mission control station, image receiving and processing station, and antenna and RF subsystem. Images from DubaiSat-1 can be used for many applications such as urban development, scientific research, telecommunications, transportation, civil engineering & constructions, mapping and GIS. EIAST is currently focused on research in four areas: observation and fog forecast; use of satellite pictures in predicting sand storms; quality of water in the Gulf region – especially the effect of waste distillation in environment and marine life surrounding the oceans existing in the UAE; and ways to improve the clarity of satellite pictures.

Dubai Internet City Focuses on Technology as Education Enabler in the Region

Educators need to embrace technology and bring new capabilities into education curriculums to match the stimulation that young people are exposed to in their digital world, according to Malek Al Malek, Executive Director, Dubai Internet City, a member of TECOM Investments.Al Malek’s comments came as part of his keynote address ‘The Role of Technology in Education” at the one-day interactive SkillsInvest forum held recently at the Dubai Knowledge Village.Al Malek said: “Technology and education need to form a partnership to facilitate a life cycle of skilled resources and talent that stimulates innovation and creates a vibrant community of people and minds.“Technology has advanced enormously allowing us to witness and experience the most extraordinary things. Mass access to information today, for instance, means that a larger number of people are becoming more knowledgeable as they take vastly informed decisions in their lives. Technology has opened up the flood gates of opportunity for people with a common set of interests to come together and share ideas.”In his address, Al Malek examined how technology has enabled the permeation of information to all levels of society through the Internet. Al Malek continued and highlighted the importance of nurturing the local talent in the region to identify their strengths as future leaders and skills to drive a fast-developing knowledge-based economy particularly in the IT sector.He added: “Geographical borders are a thing of the past. Instead, the Internet allows people to reach out and accomplish things that make them the incredible people they are today.“Dubai has developed the fastest in the region being the first to create a diverse knowledge-based economy. Technology is the core for other sectors to grow and I have confidence that by working with the education and the IT sector will make technology the most powerful and positive force in people’s lives today.”Afif Ben Yedder, Founder and Group Publisher of IC Publications, stated: “This is the first of a series of SkillsInvest Forums. A policy report including the outcomes of the presentation and debates will be sent to one thousand policy makers, industry leaders and academics in the region.”He added: “We were delighted to have Dubai Internet City as our ICT partner. The ICT sector is key to the growth of the region and will play a major role in creating the jobs of the future.”Following Al Malek’s key note address, Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager Gulf Region of Microsoft concluded the session sharing firm beliefs that technology was an enabler in education that will continue to define the knowledge economy as people become knowledge producers. He added that education brings social inclusion and thanks to technology, it has allowed everybody at all stages in their lives to continue learning.Fakhoury also emphasized the need to encourage the younger generation to take an interest in math and science as figures reveal that there is an increasing decline of students who are turning their backs on subjects he believes to hold the key to further innovation and major breakthroughs.As part of its efforts to partner with local educational institutions, Dubai Internet City recently introduced an induction programme for promising graduates interested in joining the team. The region’s leading managed ICT cluster will also be present at the TECOM Investments Career fair which was held this week and designed to facilitate UAE national talent in the work place.
 

Pfizer’s Emerging Markets President Meets Dubai Holding Officials To Discuss Regional Strategy

Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech), the major life sciences hub in the Middle East and a member of TECOM Investments, today announced Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, is looking at expansion options of their regional headquarters for Africa and the Middle East, based at DuBiotech facilities.Jean-Michel Halfon, President and General Manager of Pfizer’s Emerging Markets Business Unit, met with high-ranking officials including His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Chairman of The Executive Office and Executive Chairman of Dubai Holding; Ahmed Bin Byat, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding and Executive Chairman of TECOM Investments; Abdulatif Al Mulla, Group CEO of TECOM Investments, Dr Marco Baccanti, Executive Director of DuBiotech, and Marwan Abdulaziz, Director of DuBiotech Park.Since establishing its regional headquarters in DuBiotech, Pfizer has achieved measurable growth in Africa and the Middle East.Abdullatif Al Mulla said: “TECOM Investments is committed to attracting leading global organizations to Dubai and contributing to the creation of a knowledge based economy. We are keen to work closely together and to host companies such as Pfizer as a member of our community. We believe Dubai will serve as an ideal strategic base for the regional expansion plans of the major pharmaceutical company.”Dr Marco Baccanti said: “As the region’s leading life sciences cluster, DuBiotech will play a critical role in providing the right resources to support Pfizer in the region. With our top-notch facilities, DuBiotech is well placed to support the pharma major’s current operations.“We believe DuBiotech is rightly positioned to help companies such as Pfizer sustain their pioneering status at the forefront of biotechnology.”Jean-Michel Halfon said: “Pfizer feels privileged to have the support of a major corporation such as Dubai Holding and its entities to build our already well-established operations. A base at DuBiotech will facilitate our efforts in meeting our long term objectives.”Biotechnology, which took off as a highly specialised scientific stream, is now at the heart of all biology and clinical therapy. With prestigious partners like Pfizer, DuBiotech is positioned to significantly transform biomedical research and clinical therapy in the Middle East.Currently, DuBiotech hosts some of the world’s top pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies, including Amgen, Aspen Healthcare and Merck Serono. Encouraged by intellectual property legislations, the government approach to clinical trials and new drug registration procedures, DuBiotech has firmly established itself as a globally recognized centre for the life science industries. 

Dubai Knowledge Village Partners With IC Events To Host Region’s First Education Forum

Dubai Knowledge Village, a member of TECOM Investments, today announced it will co-host a one-day interactive ‘SkillsInvest’ Forum to identify educational reforms required for meeting the future economic needs of the Arab world through focusing on leading industries that will drive regional growth.The event is organised by IC Events and The Middle East magazine, a division of the international publishing group IC Publications.To be held on 11 June at the DKV Conference Centre, the inaugural forum titled SkillsInvest ‘Growth through Education in the Arab World’ will provide a platform for regional participants to engage with global business leaders, policy makers, academic experts, as well as young professionals and students.Thirty keynote experts from human resources, higher education, ICT, banking and finance, as well as energy sectors, will participate in the discussions at the event that is supported by Dubai School of Government (DSG), a leading think tank research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world.Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director, Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, said: “Dubai Knowledge Village is committed to complementing Dubai’s strategic mission to create a knowledge-based economy across the Arab World. The SkillsInvest forum will aim to provide incisive insights into the gap between the education system and the skills required for key economic sectors such as banking and finance, energy and ICT.“The event will throw open solutions that will help us lead and address the reforms required in our educational system to equip the next generation workforce with relevant skills for sustaining the region’s economic growth.”The SkillInvest Forum will kick-off with a general plenary session to discuss the skills needed for achieving the objectives of the public and private sectors. An open debate on skills that need to be developed to foster entrepreneurship and responsible leadership in the region will be one of highlights of the event that will also include industry-specific working sessions to examine the skills needed for promoting sustained growth and innovation in key business sectors.The first of its kind forum in the region coincides with the 35th anniversary of The Middle East magazine, the best selling pan-Arab monthly. Headquartered in London IC Publications have over 50 years’ experience in publishing magazines, newsletters, country supplements, industry reports and market intelligence on Africa and the Middle East.Afif Ben Yeddder, Founder and Group Publisher, IC Publications, said: “Human development and education remain at the heart of policy making, a reason why we are launching SkillsInvest in Dubai with much enthusiasm. With millions of young people poised to enter the workplace, the time could not be more right for hosting such an event in the Arab world. This event offers a unique platform to foster interstate cooperation and knowledge sharing between key stakeholders who are redefining human development policies in the region. It will also nurture new partnerships between the public and private sector.“Strategically placed between the West and the East, the region needs to gear itself up to take advantage of the shift in economic power. It is not by any coincidence that economic growth, prosperity and stability are positively correlated with strong educational values, workable policy frameworks and high levels of R&D investment.”Speakers at the path-breaking SkillsInvest Forum will include Tarek Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government; Sheikha Aisha Bint Faleh Bin Nasser Al Thani, Member of the Qatar Supreme Education Council; Jeffrey Belnap, Associate Provost and Campus Director Abu Dhabi, Zayed University; Simon Jones, Director Abu Dhabi Men’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology; Malcolm Richards, Dean of the Business School, American University of Sharjah; Ghaith Fariz, UNDP Representative and Director of the Arab Knowledge Report, and Hanine Salem, Senior Project Manager and Co-Author of the Arab Human Capital report, RAND Qatar Policy Institute.The forum will also feature panellists such as Mohamad Khawaja, Deputy Director, Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship; Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager – Gulf Region, Microsoft; Badr Al Badr, General Manager Saudi Arabia, Cisco; Husni Khuffash, Country Manager UAE, Google; Nabih Maroun, Partner, Public sector, Booz & Co; Ammar Shams, Head of Human Resources UAE, HSBC; George Saab, Chief Human Resources Officer, TECOM Investments, and Clare Woodcraft, Regional Communications Director MENA region, Shell.Launched in 2003, Dubai Knowledge Village aims to consolidate the status of the emirate as a global destination for human resource management and learning excellence. It is a unique hub that offers the right investment opportunities in human capital empowerment, skills development and enhancement.The free zone cluster has evolved into an effective catalyst for training and learning for the entire MENA region, hosting a large number of HR training and development centres, management consultancies and e-learning providers.
 

DED hosts delegation from Diplomatic Ladies Group

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) hosted a delegation from the Diplomatic Ladies Group, formed by the wives of Consul Generals of various embassies in Dubai and headed by Larisa Krasnogor, wife of the Russian consul-general to Dubai and chariman of the Group.The visit is part of the social, cultural and economic co-operation between the UAE government institutions and the various strata of the society.Mr Mohammed Shael, CEO, Business Registration and Licensing Division; Mr Mohammed Hilal, CEO, Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection; Mr Abdulrahman Shaban, Executive Director Governance and Internal Audit; and Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director Business Excellence Centre, DED, received the visiting delegation who were given an insight into DED’s initiatives in business development, economic affairs, compliance & commercial protection and quality management.In an open dialouge, representatives from DED gave a comprehensive review of the Department’s role in enhancing the growth of Dubai’s business sector, DED’s relations with other government bodies, and the various programs, activities and initiatives provided by DED for customers and staff.Mr Mohammed Shael, who welcomed the delegation, reiterated the Department’s commitment to enhancing the economic growth of the emirate, increasing its competitiveness, promoting investment opportunities and consolidating Dubai’s standing as a knowledge-based economy. He said: “One of the strategic objectives of DED is to provide a suitable environment for international investors and entrepreneurs, and to encourage them to choose Dubai as an ideal destination for businesses”.“The visit of the Diplomatic Ladies Group goes a long way towards strengthening the long-standing relations between DED and various sectors of the society, and will contribute to enhancing the services offered to customers,” said Mr Shael.
 

Dubai School Of Government Hosts Young Achievers From US And UAE

The Dubai School of Government, a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world, today announced it hosted 18 American and 10 Emirati students under the Emirati-American Young Leaders Cultural Exchange programme.

Sponsored by the Emirates Foundation, the programme has historically attracted high achievers who have gone on to occupy prominent positions; Jon Favreau, the current chief speech writer for the US President Barack Obama was a previous participant in the programme, which currently includes a number of Truman Scholars from the United States.

During their visit to DSG, the group and their Emirati hosts met with Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, and other faculty members to exchange ideas and experiences.

Highlighting the pioneering role of the Dubai School of Government, Dr. Yousef outlined the School’s contribution to shaping the Emirate’s governance agenda. He noted that the School is attracting scholars and researchers from across the world in its endeavour to create intellectual capital, the mainstay of any knowledge-based economy.
 

Dubai Knowledge Village Hosts Round Table On Skills Challenges In UAE

Emiratisation, women’s employment, and ways in which the region can leverage the global economic downturn to develop its talent for tackling long term challenges, were some of the topics that came under focus during a roundtable organized by Dubai Knowledge Village, a member of TECOM Investments and the region’s premier destination for human resources management.
Titled ‘Turning on the Talent Pipeline: What are the skills challenges for the UAE?’, the roundtable brought valuable perspectives to the table on the general concern about skills and capability, especially in numeracy and written communication. The lack of ‘soft skills’ and emotional intelligence among the youth in the region were also highlighted.
Organized in conjunction with the UK-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a leading HR and development group that boasts over 133,000 individual members, the event drew the participation of leading HR professionals in the UAE.
Ibrahim Jamel, Director, Dubai Knowledge Village, said: “The objective of hosting such an event was to focus on creating the right enabling environment for the new generation by implementing world-class human resources management practices across Dubai and the UAE. Dubai Knowledge Village is committed to evolving as an industry benchmark through complementing Dubai’s strategic mission to create a knowledge-based economy.
“As the only free zone of its kind that is totally geared towards professional training and learning support services, DKV caters to a wide variety of knowledge-based entities, including training centers and institutions that offer niche programmes.”
Moderated by Prof John McGurk, Adviser, Research and Policy at Chartered Institute of Personel and Development (CIPD), the event drew the participation of Ibrahim Jamel, as well as George Saab, Chief Human Capital at TECOM Investments; Mounir A. Ajam, CEO of Sukad FZ-LLC; Zakeera Vidler, Director of HR Consulting at Connected HR; Ruth McGill, Regional Head of Human Resources, Standard Chartered Bank; Muna Murad, Human Resources Director of CNBC Arabiya, and Dr. Amal El Sawad, Faculty Member, Zayed University.
Prof John McGurk said: “As a leading HR association, CIPD aims to identify some of the key challenges facing the UAE and the wider region in relation to skills and talent. The focus in the past was recruitment and bringing in new skills, while the future will prioritise on the development and fostering of local talent, supplemented by the required expertise. Furthermore, we need to build a partnership between the government, businesses, educational institutions, and individuals to ensure that resources are optimized to the best capability.
“The discussions at the roundtable organized by Dubai Knowledge Village Partner Development enabled CIPD to better understand specific challenges within the UAE and support the development of HR to appropriately respond to the region’s needs, while working with leading decision-makers.”
The discussions underlined a strong need for Emiratis to take up HR and other senior roles in an organization. Highlighting the reluctance in the region to adopt flexible working hours, the discussions underscored the view that offering such a convenience to Emirati women would successfully enhance their participation in social progress.
Benoit de Beir, CEO of International Advice & Software Co., put together an informative mind-map, summarizing key issues relevant to the industry professionals.
Launched in 2003, Dubai Knowledge Village aims to consolidate the status of the emirate as a global destination for human resource management and learning excellence. It is a unique hub that offers the right investment opportunities in human capital empowerment, skills development and enhancement.
With over 450 business partners, the free zone cluster has evolved into an effective catalyst for training and learning for the entire MENA region, hosting a large number of HR training and development centres, management consultancies and e-learning providers.
 

Dubai Internet City Turns Spotlight On Online Professionals Seeking To Launch Web Ventures

Supporting ICT and new media industry professionals to develop ideas and strategies for ventures on the worldwide web will be crucial to the advancement of entrepreneurship in the region, according to Malek Al Malek, Executive Director of Dubai Internet City, a member of TECOM Investments.

The region’s leading managed ICT cluster is the industry partner for Submit Conference 2009 that will bring together entrepreneurs and professionals in the Internet industry in the Middle East from 8-9 April. The event at Dubai’s Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa Hotel will focus on various issues in the Internet industry, throwing light on its technology, marketing, design and entrepreneurship aspects.
Dubai Internet City has urged technology professionals to broaden the scope of discussion to include the development of innovative strategies for web-enabled businesses in order to further diversify the region’s knowledge-based economy towards new age demands – Internet business ventures.

Al Malek said: “While Dubai already has a thriving reputation as a business-friendly environment, growth in specifically online and new media entrepreneurship will be one of the key focuses for 2009. Developing web business models and web-enabled technologies will facilitate collaboration between content owners, software developers and end-users, creating a comprehensive map for new online entrepreneurs to pursue their dream.

“We are delighted to partner with Submit Conference 2009 as we continue to offer proactive support for online entrepreneurship in the region.”

Key speakers at Submit Conference 2009 will include leading web masters such as Simone Brunozzi, Web Services Evangelist, Amazon; Ray Milhem, Vice-President-US, Motorola; and Ryan Carson, Co-founder of Carsonified, who runs web events and workshops worldwide inspiring web designers and developers to build their own web applications.

Tariq Al Asiri, co-founder of Argaam.com said: “There’s a fine line between success and failure online, as anywhere else, and SUBMIT 2009 will share a lot of insights into what makes a successful web venture. Our speaker panel will offer valuable insights into entrepreneurship, technology, marketing and design from international and regional perspectives.”

Some of the key emerging trends in web-enabled entrepreneurship have created the most successful household names today providing people across the globe access to virtual social networks and content-sharing sites.
In its efforts to bolster entrepreneurship, Dubai Internet City will continue to focus on ways to maintain the growth momentum IT sector has acquired in recent years.

Hosting most of the Fortune 500 companies as well as more than 1,000 specialised industry leaders from diverse segments of the information and communication technology sectors, Dubai Internet City has emerged as one of the largest ICT clusters in the world, providing the backbone to the industry while catering to the region’s increasing focus as a knowledge-economy.

SUBMIT 2009 is the first event for Middle East web entrepreneurs and professionals to focus on ideas and strategy development for web ventures. For more information, please go to: www.submitconf.com

Dubai International Academic City Consolidates Status As Centre For Quality Higher Education

Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), a member of TECOM Investments, has successfully consolidated its status as a leading destination for higher education in the region, hosting a number of branch campuses of premier international universities that cater to a network of over 12,000 students.

Established in 2007 to drive Dubai and the UAE on the road to creating a knowledge-based economy, the cluster has steadily gained the attention of renowned academic institutions who continue to set up campuses within the free zone.

According to Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Village, said: “The inception of DIAC was the result of Dubai experiencing an unprecedented demand for higher education from both regional and expatriate students. Incidentally, such a huge demand rose out of the tremendous growth witnessed in recent years by Dubai Knowledge Village, the precursor to DIAC, and the emirate as a whole.”

DIAC currently hosts 32 academic institutions from 13 different countries from diverse regions, including the US, the UK, Iran, Russia, Australia, Sri Lanka, France, Pakistan and India. Some of the important names include Michigan State University, Heriot-Watt University, Hult International Business School, and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

The presence of such premier institutions strongly indicates DIAC’s keenness to employ a diligent vetting process when it comes to approving the entry of a university.

Over the last three years, universities from 24 countries have applied to set up operations at Dubai International Academic City. The largest number of applications received from institutions have been from India, the US and the UK universities. On an average, only 15 per cent of the applications are accepted.

Dr. Kazim said: “A stringent 34-point selection criteria and a discerning screening process ensure only premium quality institutions enter the cluster. Last year, 41 applications were received and only six universities were approved. We follow the Boston model by hosting multi-tiered universities that cater to students of various levels and not just high performing students.

“Any top class university would be interested in opening a branch overseas if it brings wider brand recognition, better research or consultancy opportunities, special interest in a region, or ability to continue its affiliation with parent entities. Our challenges start from satisfying these demands.”

Dr. Kazim added: “Dubai International Academic City does not focus on tier-1 institutions alone, but also looks at tier-2 institutions to provide opportunities for a wider range of students hailing from all strata of the society. Neither does DIAC focus on universities alone but also looks at institutions that offer continuing education programmes. Our objective is to see all students finding a higher education opportunity at DIAC.”

According to the prestigious Indian university BITS, Pilani – Dubai Campus has witnessed a phenomenal growth in a short span of its commencement of operations in all areas including student strength.

Prof. Dr. M Ramachandran, Director, of BITS, Pilani – Dubai Campus, said: “We grew from 61 students in 2000 to about 1,200 students in 2006. In spite of starting with one block in Dubai Knowledge Village and expanding to three blocks, the space still remains insufficient.

“In addition, the induction of engineering programmes required much more area because of the huge lab requirements. The institution needed to provide comprehensive facilities to over 2,500 students and the excellent infrastructure at DIAC proved handy. We are able to offer all the facilities including hostel accommodation to about 1,000 students within the campus.”

The academic licensing for these universities is provided either by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), or the Ministry of Higher Education UAE (MOHE). DIAC only offers the business license.

Institutions licensed by MOHE are Quality Assured by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA). But for the institutions licensed by KHDA, a new board of academics named the University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB) with internationally qualified members has been mandated to set standards.

In addition to academic facilities, DIAC also offers key amenities for the student community. The cluster boasts over 10 food outlets, and a recreation center while DIAC is exploring ways to increase accommodation and sports facilities for students and the faculty.

Dubai is firmly progressing on its strategic growth path in its endeavour to further expand its reputation as a destination of choice for higher education. With the bachelor’s degree becoming widely regarded the minimum qualification for white collar jobs, a diploma certification will become mandatory for blue collar employment, according to industry statistics.

Against a backdrop of aggressive social development that is gradually expanding its domain to include a larger strata of the community, DIAC is set to play a vital role in furthering the society for achieving all-round personal and professional success.