Dubai Silicon Oasis Signs Mou With Dubai Department Of Tourism And Commerce Marketing

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to provide best of class services and support for companies aspiring to develop hospitality ventures within the DSO.

According to this agreement, DTCM will take the responsibility for licensing and categorizing hotels according to DTCM regulations. It will also ensure the implementation of all other procedures related to tourism events activities.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Mohammed Al Zarouni, Chief Executive Officer of DSOA, and Mr. Khalid A. bin Sulayem, Director-General of DTCM, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations.

Dr. Mohammed Al Zarouni, Chief Executive Officer of DSOA, said: “Since the establishment of Dubai Silicon Oasis we have endeavored to develop the technology park into a fully integrated community that offers enabling services and facilities to all our customers. Consequently, we have been engaged with several governmental departments and signed various agreements and contracts that will serve to achieve the ambitious objectives for our business partners.

“Through this partnership, DTCM will be responsible for licensing companies aspiring to develop hospitality ventures at DSO. In addition, it will also oversee tourism related events and activities that will complement the overall deliverables of the technology hub.”

Khaled A. bin Sulayem, DTCM Director General said: “This agreement falls in line within the framework of cooperation and strategic partnership between the DTCM and public and private sector organizations to enhance the tourism industry standards and services. This will go a long way in enlarging the scope of tourism industry and help regulate the hospitality sector to better the tourism product offering of Dubai.”

“Companies that are interested in hospitality business will benefit from the DTCM’s expertise and efforts to promote and market Dubai across the word. This partnership between DSO and DTCM will help create better synergies for better tourism standards and regulations for the hospitality sector,” he said.

DSO is a free zone technology park for semiconductor, microelectronics and other high technology-based companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and R&D facilities in the Middle East and North Africa region. DSOA is the regulatory body for DSO, the region’s premier integrated innovations hub for high-tech industries.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Targets Asian Companies At CommunicAsia 2009 In Singapore

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the region’s premier integrated innovations hub for high-tech industries, today announced its participation in CommunicAsia 2009, the Asia-Pacific region’s largest international ICT and digital convergence event in Singapore.

To be held from 16-19 June at Singapore Expo, the 20th edition of CommunicAsia is a global platform highlighting the emerging convergence technologies’ trends in applications, solutions and hardware. It is co-located with BroadcastAsia 2009, the regional event for digital media and entertainment that will also address key issues in the convergence landscape.

Dubai Silicon Oasis will utilize its participation in CommunicAsia 2009 to showcase its corporate services and state-of-the-art infrastructure that is tailored to host international technology corporations.

Adnan Al Bahar, Senior Director – Marketing & Corporate Communications at Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), said: “DSOA continuously participate in high-profile international platforms for striking alliances with industry leaders from across the world. Through our presence, we will extend an invitation to Asian firms and particularly those in the Far-East to set up their Middle East operations at the Technology Oasis in Dubai that has become an ideal destination for global corporations”.

“As a free-zone, DSO provides the right environment for ease of doing business. In addition, Dubai’s ranking as one of the most business-friendly cities in the region, tax-free environment, as well as a talented world-class work-force are other attractive factors that will offer enormous benefits to companies to expand their operations in this region. We believe Asian high technology giants will acknowledge these advantages and select DSO to expand their footprint in the region.”

CommunicAsia 2009 will focus on latest technologies both at the exhibition floor and the conference, including 3.5G/Long Term Evolution/4G, next generation network, enterprise applications/solutions, Femtocell, fixed mobile convergence, Green IT, IPTV, mobile entertainment/mobile advertising, mobile Internet, navigation and LBS, near field communication, satellite, social networking/social media technologies, ultra-Wideband and WiMAX.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Organizes Green Campaign to Mark World Environment Day

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the region’s premier integrated innovations hub for high tech industry, organized today a green campaign at its premises to mark the World Environment Day on 5 June.Assigned by the United Nations as a worldwide pledge to renew commitments for protecting and developing the environment, the World Environment Day has "Climate Change and Implications" as the central theme for the year 2009. Over 100 countries are anticipated to join this crusade on spreading awareness for combating climate change and preserving the ecosystems.As part of the day’s agenda, employees of the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority volunteered to clean and plant trees at the property, demonstrating a strong sense of commitment towards the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda outlined by the management.Dr. Juma Al Matrooshi, Senior Chief Officer – Corporate Excellence & Support at DSOA from DSOA said: "Preserving our environment is a global priority nowadays, which needs to be highlighted in order to be understood by all our employees and partners. Our involvement in the world environment will reinforce the message."DSOA has been actively involved in global environment related initiatives, including the Earth Day 2009 that saw a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in over 174 countries drawing attention to the importance of resource conservation and environmental protection.

Deyaar to Hand Over Four Projects in June

Deyaar Development PJSC, a regional real estate company dedicated to innovation, customer care and long–term sustainable growth, will hand over later this month all 470 residential units at four of its residential projects at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the company announced today. The four projects comprise the Coral, Jade, Ruby and Sapphire Residences, including a range of one–, two– and three–bedroom apartments.This follows the recent delivery of all 312 units at Madison Residency in the Technology, E–Commerce and Media (TECOM) free zone, and brings the total number of projects delivered in the first six months of this year by Deyaar to five. In line with the company’s earlier stated commitment to delivering seven projects in 2009, it will hand over two additional projects in Business Bay – The Citadel, a state–of–the–art commercial tower, and Hamilton Residency, a contemporary residential tower – later this year.“We are extremely pleased to announce the handover of our four residential projects in Dubai Silicon Oasis, one of the city’s key master–planned communities, combining a range of business and lifestyle conveniences,” said Markus Giebel, Chief Executive Officer of Deyaar. “Following the delivery of Madison Residency last month, we are on track to hand over more than 1,300 units this year. We look forward to welcoming more Deyaar customers to their new homes in the months to come.
Deyaar also announced today that it will host an orientation program to present all homeowners with the handover process, final settlement procedures and documentation ahead of the scheduled delivery. The presentation will also cover the 2009 operating budget for the building as well as the facilities management contract. Additionally, an overview of the building systems, amenities and personnel in charge will be shared with the respective owners.At the orientation, Deyaar will announce a price reduction schedule for the four projects. Customers will be able to avail of Deyaar’s Easy Payment Plan, which provides repayment tenures of up to five years to assist the owners amidst constraints in the credit market. The orientation session will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, in the presence of senior Deyaar executives. The customer orientation program and scheduled handover of the four residential towers at DSO underscore Deyaar’s commitment to customer service excellence.The Coral, Jade, Ruby and Sapphire Residences feature a range of amenities, including a large open–air leisure deck, swimming pool, and garden and barbeque areas. Additional attractions include men’s and women’s health clubs, mple parking and 24–hour security.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Implements New National Development Programme

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the region’s premier integrated innovation hub for high-tech industries, announced it began implementing the National Development Programme as part of its commitment to develop the leadership skills of the UAE national workforce.The new programme aims to open up career path development for UAE Nationals working in DSOA in terms of career growth and personal improvement. It has also set guidelines for identifying employees who demonstrate potential leadership skills within the organisation and offering them the tools to develop and unlock their hidden talent.Commenting on this programme, Haidar Ali, Director of People & Business Excellence at DSOA, said: "The growth of any organization is directly proportionate to the growth of its tangible and intangible assets. We have been actively providing several workshops during the past years to improve the competencies of our staff and we constantly place enormous emphasis on our employees, our most valuable asset. We strongly believe that the more we invest in our people, the higher the returns would be for the organization.""In line with the vision of the leadership of Dubai and the UAE, we have envisaged the National Development Programme to guide our indigenous workforce and help them grow in their respective careers. It is our firm conviction that our plan will adequately equip the UAE nationals and enable them to face tougher challenges on the employment front in an increasingly demanding marketplace" Haidar added.The National Development Programme included assessment programme for all nationals at the DSO Development Centre. The employees were divided into small groups and were asked to perform a series of customised tasks that could demonstrate their aptitude for critical DSOA competencies. Following the evaluation, a development report was prepared outlining the competency of the participants, their strengths and potential areas for training and development.Many nationals have made Dubai Silicon Oasis their employer of choice, representing more than 56 per cent of its workforce. A wholly-owned entity of the Government of Dubai, the state-of-the-art technology park provides the right enabling environment for companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and research and development divisions in the Middle East and North Africa region.

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.
 

Earth Day Observed At Dubai Silicon Oasis

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the region’s premier integrated innovations hub for high tech industry, today observed the Earth day by planting trees in its premises. The event was attended by Senior and employees of the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority acknowledging the importance of resource conservation, and environmental protection.Inline with its commitment towards the Corporate Social Responsibility, DSOA took part in this initiative among a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in over 174 countries to observe this global event, which aims at highlighting the importance of resource conservation and environmental protection.The programs and activities observed on Earth day are guided by the goals of promoting civic engagement, broadening the definition of environment to include health communities and also to mobilize communities towards environment laws and implementing environment education programs.
 

Students Take A Look Into The Future

The Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) has hosted a two-day exhibition (21st & 22nd April, 2009) to encourage an interest in e-learning.The event, called ZITEX, was staged at KHDA’s offices in Academic City. It was organised by the Public Prosecution (PP) and Dubai Schools Agency (DSA). It included demonstrations of e-services and innovative tools, along with services and products offered by both government institutions and the private sector.ZITEX is poised to be the largest e-learning event of the region. More than 500 students were invited from schools across Dubai to attend this event. The exhibition was open to female students on the first day and male students on the second day.Among those taking part in ZITEX were the Public Prosecution, Dubai Courts, Land Department, Dubai Police, Department of Naturalization & Residency Dubai, Department of Economic Development, RTA, Dubai Municipality, Tamkeen, The Higher Colleges of Technology, Du, Ministry of Education, Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Est., Emirates Identity Authority, Solid Language Institute, Centre of Ambulance Services, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, DEWA, British Computer Society – Middle East, Netcome Systems Company and Sheikh Zayed Housing Program.HE Fatma All Marri ,CEO of Dubai School Agency, said: “Exhibitions like this one play a prominent role in bringing about a technology culture among students. The presence of more than 500 students from Dubai secondary schools at the exhibition reflects that we are working towards making students the real beneficiaries of such exhibitions.” She added: “The exhibition reflects the cooperation that exists between Government departments in Dubai.”Essam Issa Alhomydan, Dubai Attorney General, said: “Taking part in ZITEX is part of our strategic plan towards social responsibility and service to the community at large. We are sponsoring this event to promote e-education amongst students and also educate them about the application of technology in the workplace, thereby helping them prepare for the challenging and competitive job market.”He added: “There is healthy competition between the government and private sector to actively leverage technology to serve the society and improve customer satisfaction. PP is working in co-operation with different establishments, especially with students, to deliver this message of social security across communities for a brighter future.”Fayza Abd Al Kareem Al Sowaylem, Director of Zabeel School, said: “We are happy and honored to see the participation and support for ZITEX which is aimed at showcasing to students how technology is applied in real-life situations.“This exhibition is one of many organized by the IT section of the school. Last year, we organized a charity exhibition to help orphans in our school. We thank the government and private sectors sharing their knowledge in the IT field. Our special thanks go to Public Prosecution for supporting us and making us feel that we are not alone in promoting education. We have sincere partners with a sense of national spirit and commitment to build a brighter future for the next generation.”
 

Record Pace Of Construction On AED 80 Million ’Cambridge Business Centre’

Memon Investments, a leading Dubai-based property developer and part of the international business conglomerate, the Memon Group of Companies, has revealed that it is witnessing unprecedented construction progress on its AED 80 million ‘Cambridge Business Centre’ project in Dubai Silicon Oasis, despite the massive setback being faced by the UAE real estate and construction sectors. With construction of 3 of the 10 floors completed, initial steps are already being made in preparation for the scheduled handover of the project to the investors by the fourth quarter of 2009. The announcement is in line with the developer’s aims to build and deliver existing projects by leveraging its strong financial backing and partnerships with leading construction companies.As Memon Investments’ first commercial project in the region, ‘Cambridge Business Centre’ is the collaboration of a dedicated team of industry professionals who were tapped to bring in their expertise and ensure that the project will be at par with global standards for luxury commercial developments. Cairo Contracting Company, which has been awarded the main contract for the business tower, is among the UAE-based companies spearheading the construction progress of the commercial tower. Other construction majors involved in the project include WIN GATE Electromechanical Services, Stromek Emirates Foundation, HI-TECH Electro Mechanical Contracting Est., and Shanghai & Arabian Electromechanical LLC.“We are very proud to announce the exceptional progress we are seeing in the construction of our inaugural commercial tower, especially at a time when many construction projects are being delayed or cancelled as a result of the financial turmoil,” said Rizwan Shaikhani, Joint Managing Director, Memon Investments. “I believe that it is our strategy – one that involves strategic partnerships with leading construction organisations, as well as our fervent desire to satisfy the requirements of our customers – that is driving our success amidst these trying times.”Set to feature classic British architecture across its small, medium and large offices, ‘Cambridge Business Centre’ will boast of advanced facilities such as Wi-Fi technology, keyless entry and hi-speed internet connection. Commercial tenants are expected to benefit from the host of services and facilities on offer within the tower, which is set to house retail shops on the ground floor, banking facilities and a travel agency, in addition to amenities for rest and relaxation such as a fully-serviced health club at the rooftop. The 10-storey tower will offer a total built-up area of 160,000 square feet upon its completion by the fourth quarter of 2009.“Cambridge Business Centre marks the first commercial project we have launched and the success of this development is essential in our aims to build a strong repute within the UAE real state market. Our unwavering commitment to quality has brought us to our success in Dubai, and we are confident that this upward momentum will propel out growth within other promising destinations across the Emirates as well as the region,” concluded Shaikhani.
 

Wavetec To Set Up Regional Headquarters At Dubai Silicon Oasis

Wavetec, a leading technology multi-national & manufacturer of electronic queue management (eQ) systems, LED-based information displays & Touch Screen Kiosks, announced today that it will establish its regional headquarters within DSO, the region’s premier integrated innovations hub for high-tech industries.

Starting with 360 square meters facility at DSO, Wavetec will be expanding its regional presence and utilizing its offices for research and development, assembly, installation and maintenance of its eQ management systems and LED-based information displays system.

Tobias Bessone, General Manager of Wavetec-DSO, said: “We are looking forward to operating from within DSO, and we are confident that this move will mark a significant milestone to our expansion plans. As the turn-key designer and manufacturer of electronic queue management (eQ) systems, we are constantly improving and enhancing our solutions to suit the requirements of our customers.

“DSO’s location and its unparalleled benefits grant us with the proximity that we need to achieve our development goals. And the infrastructure built here provides us with a strong base to consolidate our business and further growth.”

Abdul Salam Al Bastaki, Director of IT and services at DSOA, said: “DSOA has always remained committed to the pursuit of attracting investments in the manufacturing sector that contributes to long-term GDP. As a turnkey designer and manufacturer for their product lines, Wavetec’s choice in DSO reflects our efforts to ensure a robust technology infrastructure for our partners. We are proud to host a company that will help improve efficiency of operations in many organizations and bring about better work-flow and management systems.”

Wavetec provides customized technology solutions to high profile clients globally and boasts a dedicated research and development team for developing better solutions.