Passengers from around the world cross new Dubai-Prague bridge

Emirates lived up to its name as the international airline of the UAE after passengers from more than 20 countries joined its first flight to Prague.

Travellers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea – and as far a field as Australia – were amongst those on board yesterday’s inaugural.

The airline is providing the only daily, non-stop passenger service to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and site of the famous Charles Bridge, straddling the Vltava River.

Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, who headed the Emirates’ delegation on the first flight, said: "Prague is our second European route launch this year after Amsterdam on 1st May and our 103rd destination globally. The Czech Republic is a popular tourist destination and an exciting emerging market. The route is off to a good start with passengers joining the inaugural flight to Prague from more than 20 countries across the world, underscoring the hub role of Dubai and the boost this new link will provide to the Czech tourism industry. "

Mr Clark added: "With a fleet of 149 aircraft including 11 A380s, we continue to drive forward with our expansion plans and more new routes are on the way. Madrid starts up 1st August and Dakar in Senegal begins a month after that."

Also representing Emirates for the first flight were Richard Vaughan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide; Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation; Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

They were joined by Brigadier Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, Deputy Director of Dubai Naturalisation & Residency department and members of the UAE media.

After arriving at Ruzyne International Airport in Prague, the Emirates’ aircraft received a water cannon welcome, while a traditional Rosenka dance group performed on the tarmac.

Amongst those welcoming the flight were Jaroslav Ludva, the Czech Ambassador to the UAE and Miroslav Dvorak, CEO of Prague Airport.

Mr Dvorak said: "The Emirates’ flight is the first scheduled all-year-round non-stop service to Dubai. It will enable Czechs to travel directly to the Middle East for the first time, whilst also linking passengers to a range of destinations in the Eastern hemisphere. Thanks to this network of connections, we are expecting a great deal of interest in flights to Dubai."

Last night, more than 300 guests were invited to a special gala dinner at Prague’s Municipal House where Michael Bolton headed up the entertainment. Guests also enjoyed New York’s String Angels and the Czech National Symphonic Orchestra.

EK 139 leaves Dubai daily at 1030hrs and arrives in Prague at 1450hrs. EK 140 departs from Prague at 1620hrs and gets into Dubai at 0010hrs the following day.

An Airbus A330-200 aircraft is being deployed for the service, offering up to 278 seats across Business and Economy.

Trade between the Czech Republic and the UAE has leapt from under USD 26 million (AED 95 million) in 1993 to USD 678 million (AED 2.4 billion) in 2008, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry.

Nearly 30% of exports to the UAE are glass products including Czech-made Bohemian glass.

Aside from glass, Czech exports include electrical equipment, jewellery, beverages, data processing devices, machine tools, cars and car parts.

Emirates SkyCargo has served Prague until now by moving goods by road via Vienna. The new non-stop service provides extra capacity in the belly hold of the passenger flights, bringing more flexibility over the movement of goods.

Speaking about the Czech Republic as a destination, John Felix, Senior Vice President, Emirates Holidays, said: "As Emirates Airline’s tour operating arm, the introduction of new routes helps us consolidate and continue to grow the variety of holidays we offer our customers. Europe is a key market for us and Prague is a stunning addition, popular amongst a wide range of tourists, and a gateway to the rest of central Europe. It’s therefore an exciting opportunity for our business and our customers in the Middle East."

 

Etisalat Announces The ’New Normal’ For Businesses In The UAE

Etisalat today hosted the next edition of the popular Etisalat ICT Forum that provides a thought provoking and interactive platform for organizations in the UAE, to discuss emerging ICT trends and their application to their respective business environments and industry domains. During the forum, Etisalat provided strategic direction to UAE corporates to showcase how ICT (Information & Communication Technologies) can deliver the required impetus for businesses in the current economic situation and how organizations can leverage the emerging ICT solutions to create a long lasting business value.

The forum saw delegate participation from many leading organizations in the UAE, as speakers from Etisalat and Industry Solution partners like RIM, Avaya, Pacific Controls, Huawei, Smartworld and Encode Middle East provided pragmatic insights on many interesting topics like Enhancing Business Reach through mobility solutions, ICT Enabled Managed Energy Services, Enhancing Performance through High Speed IP Networks, Location based services for enhanced customer reach, and many more such intellectually stimulating topics.

During his keynote speech, Mr. Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat delivered a leadership manifesto for helping business executives more effectively achieve organizational optimization, while investing for the next growth cycle. He stressed on the significance of openness and collaboration to address the global challenges businesses face today.

“The new economic scenario has opened thought provoking circumstances for businesses to comprehend, adapt and welcome change. The erstwhile normal’s of business have to pave way for a newer normal, where ICT solutions are considered not only as a business enabler but they will take center stage in the developing the holistic business growth strategy, creating the ‘New Normal’ for business,” commented Abdulla Hashim in his keynote speech.

“The new normal will see a paradigm shift in the way businesses are conducted in the UAE. ICT Partnerships will evolve to become collaborative, mobility solutions will become critical to conduct business 24×7 and co-sourcing partnerships will provide the required stimuli to businesses, by allowing them to focus on their core competencies, while their partner focuses on managing their ICT infrastructure,” Hashim reflected.

“ICT can play a critical role in this transformation process to facilitate growth by allowing organizations to move away from a capital expenditure model to an operational expenditure model. Etisalat with its end to end Managed telecom and ICT expertise and state of the art infrastructure, can provide a very strong value proposition to drive productivity and optimize efficiencies across the value chain.” Hashim added.

The conference explored key ICT aspects like Business Connectivity, Mobility, eBusiness, and Managed Services with two focused breakout sessions on Mobility for enhanced productivity and ICT for better business – providing ample food for thought, customer case studies and open discussions for customers and businesses to learn from.

Commenting on the forum participation, Eyad Shihabi, Chief Executive Officer of Smartworld, and one of Etisalat’s key Industry Solution Partner said, “As one of the leading technology services start-ups in the region, we remain committed to the Middle East market and the Etisalat ICT forum offers us the perfect platform to interact with our customers and partners. We are seeing rapid growth and adoption of our products across multiple verticals in the Gulf as businesses strive to develop efficient practices to expand and build competitive advantages. Our participation at this event is also proof of our commitment to developing next generation business applications and contributing to the development of the region’s ICT landscape."

Reverberating a similar sentiment, Nidal Abou-Ltaif, Area VP for Avaya in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, said, “At the ICT forum, we will be able to highlight the combined Etisalat and Avaya business communications offerings which will allow a broad range of enterprise customers in the UAE to leverage on unified communications technologies that can increase productivity, decrease costs, and achieve greater flexibility with their communications networks across multiple industries.”

Another main focus of the Etisalat ICT Forum was the Industry Partner Pavilion where customized ICT solutions for specific industries such as Finance and Banking, Healthcare and Hospitality, Wholesale, Retail & Conglomerates, Government and Education, Construction and Infrastructure, Aviation and Logistics were showcased by Etisalat’s Industry Solution Partners. Partners showcasing these industry specific solutions included Avaya, Smartworld, Pacific Controls, Huawei, Market Simplified, Flagship, Research in Motion and Microsoft.

Etisalat ICT Forum (Information and Communication Technology) brings together technology experts and thought leaders from diverse industries to present and exhibit the latest ICT solutions that drive business advantage. Etisalat hosts the ICT Forum various times in the year to share its perspective on emerging ICT solutions, and the benefits organizations can garner through them.
 

Three Wins From Three Races For Emirates Team New Zealand

Emirates Team New Zealand took three wins from three races on Tuesday, the opening day of the third Audi MedCup regatta in Cagliari, Sardinia.

Emirates Team New Zealand arrived in Cagliari as the series leader, after two of five regattas (Alicante and Marseille), and had a clear 16 point lead ahead of second–place Quantum Racing.

Tuesday’s three wins gave Emirates Team New Zealand three points, finishing the day seven points clear of Matador with a 3,3,4 scoreline and eight points ahead of Artemis (2,2,7). Quantum (7, 4, ended the day in sixth place on 19 points.

Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director, said: “Today the ball bounced our way. As we expected Artemis and Matador were pushing hard. Quantum (the defending champion) had a bad day, but that could happen to anyone. We’ll have one of those days, too.

“Today the plan was to start well and get clear lanes. The sea breeze came in exactly as forecast and sailing conditions were perfect with 11-14.5 knots of breeze and flat water.

“The breeze was not particularly shifty but there were puffs and the first boats into the pressure made gains. As predicted, the right of the course tended to win more often than not so we worked the middle/right all day and were able to make small, incremental gains.

Dean Barker, Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper, said: “Today we got across the line in really good shape in all three races. Then a combination of good tactics and crew work and a boat that is going really well got the results.

“It was a good start to the regatta. We take the wins and start thinking about tomorrow.”

The 2009 Audi MedCup, TP52 Series, consists of five regattas over the course of five months in four different countries. They are all sailed in Southern European waters, four in the Mediterranean and one in the Atlantic.

Whilst each of the five regattas stand alone as an individual event, winning the circuit requires the best score from all events.

The regatta in Sardinia continues until 25th July.

Asteco Opens Gateway To New Business

Asteco, the largest property services company in the United Arab Emirates, has been appointed sole leasing agents for the offices at the iconic Ibn Battuta Gate mixed-use development which aims to attract businesses with commercial interests in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Ibn Battuta Gate is a new build corporate flagship mixed-use property developed by Dubai-based Seven Tides. The development features a dramatic entrance arch larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Located next to Ibn Battuta Mall on the Sheikh Zayed highway, the development offers a combination of 40,000 square metres of office space, residential apartments and a five-star hotel and spa, which will be managed by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

A new name for many in the hospitality sector, Dubai-based Seven Tides is an internationally oriented holding company established in 2004. Seven Tides has a portfolio of property comprising new build and strategic acquisitions in the hospitality, commercial and residential sectors in London and Dubai.

“This appointment clearly reflects our position as market-leaders for leasing high-end office space,” said Asteco CEO Elaine Jones. “In keeping with the overall development, the quality of the office accommodation is five-star, located at the very heart of Dubai’s new residential and commercial corridor providing an ideal gateway for businesses with commercial interests in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi.”

With 40,000 square metres of leaseable modern office space spread over 11 floors, the Ibn Battuta Gate office complex is next door to the Ibn Battuta Mall with its 300,000 square metres of retail space and entertainment attractions.

In addition, the offices are adjacent to one of the Dubai Metro stations, which is due to open in September this year, providing easy access via a direct link to the nearby free zones as well as Dubai Financial City and the Dubai World Trade Centre.

There is also direct access to the Sheikh Zayed highway, ideally situated for Jebel Ali Free Zone, new Al Maktoum International Airport or further a field to Al Raha Beach and on to Abu Dhabi. Close by in the opposite direction are Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and the rest of Dubai. The office complex also has basement parking for over 350 cars and additional parking for a further 760 vehicles.

“We are very proud of the Ibn Battuta Gate development. Businesses located here will be able to embrace a lifestyle that balances corporate with leisure – business with pleasure,” said Michael Scully, Managing Director Hospitality for Seven Tides.

For further information about Asteco, please visit www.astecoproperty.com
For more information about Seven Tides, please visit www.seventides.com

DP World To Open New Terminal In Vietnam on October 1, 2009

Global marine terminal operator DP World has set October 1st, 2009 as the date of the official inauguration of its state-of-the-art Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT). A joint venture between DP World and Vietnam’s IPC, SPCT is located on the Soai Rap River 15 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City. SPCT will further establish Ho Chi Minh City as the country’s main commercial hub.

The region’s second fastest growing economy, Vietnam has seen an average annual growth of 7.1 percent since 2000. While Ho Chi Minh City is currently served by various port facilities along the Dong Nai and Saigon rivers, several terminals on the Saigon River are slated for progressive closure over the next several years. Proximate to Ho Chi Minh City’s industrial hinterland, SPCT will handle cargo that currently moves through these ports, while attracting new volumes.

Peter Wong, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Asia Region, said:
"SPCT is strategically placed to service not only Ho Chi Minh City but also the surrounding industrial zone."

Glen Hilton, Vice President & Managing Director, DP World SE Asia Region, said: “With 500 metres of wharf and five cranes in Phase I, SPCT can easily handle the largest vessels currently calling at Ho Chi Minh City. Dredging of the Soai Rap River to 9.5 metres, completed by the end of 2010, will cut two hours off current steaming time and double the size of alongside vessels to 5,000 TEU.”

Info2cell.Com To Create New Niche Markets With 3.5G-Enabled Services As UAE’s Mobile Subscription Rate Hits 235 Per Cent

Info2cell.com, the leading mobile application service provider in the Middle East, has announced that it is expanding its portfolio of mobile services to enable subscribers to take advantage of significant advancements in the UAE’s mobile phone sector, particularly the arrival of 3.5G technology that delivers unprecedented broadband services to mobile users. The new range of offerings is expected to help develop new niche markets and boost Info2cell.com’s client base, in tune with the dramatic increase in mobile subscription in the UAE, which is expected to reach 235 per cent by end of 2009 and 251 per cent by 2010.

Info2cell.com pointed out that industry experts are particularly bullish about the long-term prospects of the 3.5G technology, expecting 3.5G mobile handsets to account for up to half of all global handset sales by 2013, an exceptional increase from just 7 per cent in 2008. Info2cell.com further revealed that it has tailored its new range of services and mobile solutions to correspond to the new demands of subscribers, delivering a more satisfying experience when video streaming, receiving TV signals, playing music or sending large files through their mobile phones or PDAs.

Bashar Dahabra, Founder and CEO of Info2cell.com said: "The advent of 3.5G technology has totally changed the direction of the mobile sector. We are now able to deliver increased voice capacity and higher speed data rates, giving mobile subscribers greater control and a much better range of choices. Info2cell.com has developed and enhanced our broad selection of services to complement the transformation of the mobile sector into a much more ubiquitous and significant lifestyle tool, particularly in the UAE, which in 2008 alone was estimated to have nearly 10 million mobile subscribers."

Info2cell.com has been a leading provider of mobile applications and content in the highly competitive MENA markets, managing more than half a million subscribers and accommodating up to 100 mobile requests per second. The content provider uses advanced mobile messaging technology to offer a wide range of services such as the new News Alerts via SMS or MMS, the advanced Mobile Value-Added services, personalized information services such as Alwan, GPRS, GSM, Edge services and the interactive mobile services for TV channels.

Aswaaq Launches ’Thimaar’ As A New Fruit And Vegetable Supplier

Aswaaq has announced the launching of ‘Thimaar’, a subsidiary under aswaaq’s umbrella, as the new supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables. The announcement comes in line with recent statistics showing a 40% increase in the imports of fruits and vegetables in the years 2007 and 2008, and aims to ensure aswaaq’s strive to provide high quality and healthy products to its various customers.

Officials at aswaaq have revealed that Thimaar will start supplying fresh produce to aswaaq’s supermarkets in July and will be directly responsible for the consolidation, processing and pre-packaging of fresh produce. Thimaar will also source superior products through direct import as well as contribute to the local economy by supporting local farmers in the region.

“We are pleased to welcome Thimaar onboard as our main fruit and vegetable supplier and we look forward to maintain our growth as a company with them by our side. By further raising our standards, Thimaar will play a key role in increasing customer satisfaction levels and ultimately the development of aswaaq as a whole in Dubai,” said Abdul Al Basset Al Janahi, CEO and Board member of aswaaq

Located in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 2, Thimaar will be sourcing and selecting superior products from the local market, local suppliers, local farms and direct import. The company will operate under International procedures and processes, where fresh produce will be handled with extreme care and under the strictest hygienic conditions. Thimaar’s highly experienced team will develop concepts, packaging and a variety of products for the retail sector and will be working with the latest technology to ensure quality and maintain freshness of the produce.

In addition to supplying aswaaq supermarkets with fresh produce Thimaar also plans to distribute fruit and vegetables to various government bodies, hotels and restaurants in the UAE. To ensure the freshness and quality of the fruit and vegetable sector in Dubai, the Thimaar Distribution Centre will use some of the highest technology systems available to guarantee freshness and a higher level of quality.

“We are currently implementing the latest technologies available to ensure the elimination of every type of airborne bacteria, mould and fungi is essential for quality and freshness. With the recent HACCP certification that we received and the installation of the AiroCide system, we are looking forward to ensure maximum control of health and food safety standards in aswaaq and its subsidiaries like Thimaar,” said Affan Al Khoori, the assigned member for Thimaar

New ’Queen Elizabeth’ Will Touch Dubai As Part Of 103-Night Epic Maiden World Voyage

Dubai will be one of the high-profile ports of call of the new ‘Queen Elizabeth’ when it undertakes its 103-night epic maiden world voyage on January 5, 2011, from Southampton.

The luxury liner will touch Dubai on March 31, 2011, after covering cities like Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore, and then proceeding to Lisbon.

On July 2, a ceremony to mark the keel laying of Cunard Line’s new Queen Elizabeth was held at the Monfalcone shipyard of Fincantieri near Trieste, Italy. The second largest Cunarder ever built, Queen Elizabeth’s keel is the third Cunard has lain in the space of seven years. When she enters service in October 2010, she will join Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria as not only the most famous ocean liners in the world but also the youngest fleet in passenger travel.

The keel laying involves the placement in the dry dock of the first section of the ship’s hull. This section is made up of six pre-manufactured blocks, weighs 364 tons and is fitted with 104 tons of pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment.

The ceremony followed an intensive period of design and development. Fifty-three sections will be used in the construction of Queen Elizabeth and she will take to the water for the first time at her float out in December.
‘Queen Elizabeth’ is already making waves before she enters service. Her October 2010 Maiden Voyage which was placed on worldwide sale to past guests was sold out in a record 29 minutes – easily making this the fastest selling voyage in Cunard’s 170-year history.

“This is an impressive record set by what will be the an impressive ship and speaks volumes about the Cunard brand as well as for the resilience of the cruise sector in these challenging times” said Ashok Kumar, Business Development Director, Cruise Master Middle East agent of Cunard Line in the Middle East.

Queen Elizabeth will feature the unique Cunard traditions linking her with her sisters Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria and their predecessors, together with all the modern day luxuries Cunard’s guests have come to expect and some exciting features that will give the vessel her own style and personality.

Named after the first Queen Elizabeth, one of Cunard’s greatest ships, the new Queen Elizabeth will reflect her predecessor in interior grandeur, décor and style, but with a modern twist. From the outside, her distinctive black and red livery will hint at an experience that differentiates a Cunard liner from a modern-day cruise ship. This will be most evident in the ship’s adherence to liner traditions, with elegant double and triple height public rooms on a grand scale, luxuriously endowed with rich wood panelling, intricate mosaics, gleaming chandeliers and cool marbles. Art Deco features will pay homage to the original Queen Elizabeth and will allow the new ship to reflect a more civilized era of travel.

In addition to the extensive Cunard entertainment programme on board, Queen Elizabeth will offer some unique strands inspired by the era of the first Queen Elizabeth, such as country house parties at sea, evening piano sing-a-longs and period dancing, from traditional ballroom to the jitterbug and the jive, all within the setting of this 21st century ship.

As successor to Queen Elizabeth 2, the new ship will also reflect this great liner through artworks and memorabilia and its very own “Yacht Club.”

Before the epic Maiden World Voyage, the new Queen Elizabeth will depart on her Maiden Voyage on 12 October 2010 — a voyage that sold out in a record-breaking 29 minutes 14 seconds in April 2009 – for a 13-night celebration.

Queen Elizabeth will be in great company as her sisters will be present on several occasions during the voyage: she will sail in tandem to New York with Queen Victoria before all three Queens will meet for a Cunard Royal Rendezvous in New York on 13 January 2011; and then she meets with Queen Mary 2 in Sydney and Civitavecchia and Queen Victoria again in Aruba. Full World Voyage fares aboard Queen Elizabeth start from $19,995; Queen Elizabeth’s Segment World Voyage fares start from $2,545. Fares are based per person, double occupancy.

General Information Authority Launches New Initiative To Help Enhance Professional Skills Of Government Employees

General Information Authority (GIA), in collaboration with the National Academy for Research and Development (NARD), has announced that it has recently launched the ‘Khibrate’ (My Skills) program, which aims to empower government employees as well as other members of the community with practical and professional skills. The establishment of the Khibrate program is part of GIA’s continuing efforts to build a society based on knowledge and to implement the UAE e-Strategy.

The Khibrate program offers a number of diploma programs and professional training courses that are recognised by leading IT multinationals, including Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and Adobe. The new courses are in addition to specialised courses and certificates on security and protection of websites and the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) certificate being offered by GIA.

Furthermore, the Khibrate program focuses on courses that deliver added value to government workplaces and promote the administrative skills and performance of employees, particularly in the areas of time management, communications and customer service. The program also seeks to enhance the government’s ability to promote business ethics, build job loyalty and settle disputes, as subjects related to effective negotiation skills; change management, creative thinking and initiative have been incorporated in the various courses.

H.E. Salem Khamis Al Shair, GIA General Manager, said: "The UAE is currently undergoing a period of transition wherein the country needs to focus on excellence and quality to overcome the challenges posed by the global economic crisis. Furthermore, the ongoing electronic transformation of the country is one of our priorities as it will serve as one of the foundations that will help us achieve sustainable development."

"In this regard, we are empowering the country’s public sector with essential skills and knowledge, which we believe will improve their ability to contribute towards achieving the UAE’s vision of becoming a strong and stable knowledge-based society. The Khibrate initiative is an important step in this direction as it will help strengthen the country’s pool of qualified professionals, particularly those in the government sector," added Al Shair.

Al Shair noted that the name Khibrate was chosen so that employees will feel that they are directly involved in and that they are the beneficiaries of the program. The program also aims to correct the misconception that the eGovernment initiative has been established to "replace" human resources with technology. Instead, eGovernment reinforces the importance of creating a more developed working environment, which is conducive for creativity and innovation, and promotes professionalism.

Al Shair also pointed out that the Khibrate program has been designed to enhance the career path of government employees, and to make training initiatives an inherent part in the development of human resources. This will help employees become more motivated to improve their performance and aspire for gainful career possibilities within their respective organisations.

Al Shair explained that the Khibrate program will continue to expand and cover various areas of professional expertise, in line with the latest developments in technology and best practices. Al Shair further emphasised that the program will help reinforce the importance of e-learning and the healthy exchange of work experiences as an integral part of the government work system, helping it to become a premier institution of quality and excellence.

"The program also includes a special portfolio of training courses developed specially for women, which is one of our priorities. This will promote the leadership potential of women and will highlight their successful role in the continuing socioeconomic development of the UAE," said Al Shair.

Meanwhile, Eng. Najwa Ali Diab, CEO of NARD, said, "The Academy has extensive experience in developing and providing professional training programs for various segments of the society, particularly in the government sector. As such, we consider this partnership with GIA as a strategic move that will strengthen our ability to deliver greater value in the training materials and resources that we offer. Through the years, we have seen that our efforts to supplement the knowledge and professional skills of public sector employees have made a considerable positive impact on the government. We are thus confident that this partnership will further boost the success of our initiatives."

"We strongly value this partnership with GIA as it represents a practical integration of resources and initiatives of the public and private sectors. We will continue to jointly work to meet the training requirements of the society as a whole, and among government employees in particular, and ultimately help achieve the vision of the UAE to create a society built on knowledge," added Eng. Diab.

The GIA offers training resources to government employees and to other segments of the society. Since its inception, over 29,000 individuals have already participated in various training programs organised by the GIA. In cooperation with the Red Crescent, the Authority also maintains a special training facility that is equipped to provide customised training to the blind and people with special needs. During the last few months, the GIA has organised various training courses for the Ministry of Justice, while there are now a total of 111 individuals from various agencies and ministries who have participated in GIA-organised training activities so far this year.

Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate Announces Completion Of New Building At Dubai Silicon Oasis

Employees of the InterContinental Hotels Group Dubai Festival City move into new accommodation which was inaugurated recently. Designed by renowned local architects Architectural & Engineering Innovations Bureau (AEIB) and constructed by Al-Futtaim Carillion and Al-Futtaim Engineering, the new buildings – three in all – consists of 414 apartments with a mix of 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom apartments, and provide accommodation for all staff up to management level.

Amenities include an all day dining room, a hair salon, and prayer rooms alongside recreational facilities consisting of three swimming pools, a fully equipped gymnasium, television, internet and games rooms. The building will be managed by Al-Futtaim Real Estate.

Seen above during the inauguration are Tom Lord, hotel manager for Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City; Steven Greenwood, hotel manager for InterContinental Dubai Festival City; Tom Meyer, Area GM for InterContinental Hotels Group Dubai Festival City; Bill Car, Director of Engineering MEA; Ken Flockhart, Advisor to CEO, Al Futtaim; Dave Lawrence, VP Compensation & Benefits EMEA; Jenny Atkinson, VP HR UK & Ireland and Pascal Gauvin, VP Operations – Gulf.