“UAE Marriage Fund Associates With The Country’s Oldest Perfumer Swiss Arabian Perfumes To Support A National Initiative”

UAE Marriage Fund was established in 1992, for the growth and preservation of the national population, and promotion of local heritage. The Fund is one of the initiatives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan, leader and founder of the UAE, and provides marriage grants and sponsors group weddings for UAE nationals.
UAE Marriage fund is aimed at increasing the awareness of religious, cultural and social family principles through awareness campaigns across the UAE and encourage marriages between UAE nationals. It helps the UAE Nationals in building and supporting coherent and stable families in the UAE and Provides finance and support for UAE nationals in their pre-marital phase.

“The UAE Marriage Fund is more than just financial sustenance arm, it is an initiative that educates and congregates our youth on cultural and religious values and the sanctity of marriage. The grants are the sole responsibility of the Fund, but support and participation from companies and individuals is always appreciated. I thank Swiss Arabian Perfumes for their elective support towards UAE Marriage Fund.” said a representative of the UAE Marriage Fund.

Swiss Arabian Perfumes is the country’s oldest and most trusted name in the traditional Ood and Perfumes category that is known for its alignment and association with social and cultural events across the UAE. SAPG has aligned with the UAE Marriage fund to support this national initiative as a long term association towards creating an awareness towards UAE’s culture and heritage.

“Swiss Arabian Perfumes has always supported UAE’s culture of festivity and celebration. It is an absolute pleasure to support the country’s national initiative towards religion and cultural responsibility. I thank the UAE Marriage Fund for allowing us to be a part of their noble initiative,” said Nabeel Adam Ali, Director, Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group.

The next wedding at UAE Marriage fund will be conducted at Khorfhan in September.
 

Landmark Properties Receives ’Best Property Listings In The UAE’ Accolade At Propertyfinder.ae Awards

Landmark Properties, one of the largest property brokerage agencies in the UAE, has been acknowledged as having the ‘Best Property Listings in the UAE’ at the inaugural propertyfinder.ae awards. Selected from a shortlist of nine reputable brokerages, Landmark Properties had the best quality property listings of all 35,000 listings on propertyfinder.ae.

Set to be held monthly, the propertyfinder.ae awards – organized by the number one dedicated property portal in the UAE – pay tribute to businesses in the UAE for a variety of talents and achievements. The ‘Best Property Listings Award’ is determined by an algorithm of metrics measured by a range of factors including quality of photos, content, pricing and accuracy.

“propertyfinder.ae works closely with all its members to provide a transparent and compliant platform that everyone can benefit from,” said Marcello Sambartolo, Head of Marketing at propertyfinder.ae. “This can be a testing industry to play a role in with so much change taking place and undergoing massive regulatory change, but we believe it is beneficial to select and recognise the leaders that set the benchmark of highest professionalism and dynamism during this time.”

“A system that provides exceptional standards of clarity and efficiency is fundamental for potential home buyers and investors in the Middle East, propertyfinder.ae powers the real estate market by creating opportunities through successfully joining buyers and renters with landlords and homeowners through its website,” said Charles Neil, CEO of Landmark Properties. “We are delighted to receive this award from propertyfinder.ae and to be a part of its community.”

A total of 10 awards and certificates were presented from a pool of 200 brokerages across the UAE recognising a variety of talents and achievements.
 

CIMA (UAE) National Winners Announced For The Global Business Challenge

CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is delighted to announce that Bizz Wizards, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has won the (UAE) national round of the Institute’s Global Business Challenge (GBC). The GBC, which is sponsored globally by Barclays, is an international competition designed to bring out the best in potential business leaders among young people. The global final promises to be an exciting event, with eleven teams competing on an international stage for the title of ‘Global Winners’.

There were five shortlisted teams; Partum Nixus, Bizz Wizards, The Freshmen Group, Corporate Climbers and Trident represent Phoenix Financial Training, University of Wollongong in Dubai, American University of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi University and Heriot Watt University Dubai Campus respectively.

Over 100 students entered the first round. The teams were presented with a portfolio of realistic business information about a fictional mobile phone operator. Acting as financial consultants, the teams submitted a report setting out their recommendations for the future of the company.

Bizz Wizards will be flown to the global final which takes place on 5 and 6 August in Malaysia. Once there, they will face tough competition from the other winning national teams representing: the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India, mainland China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, Philippines and Australia. Biz Wizards, UOWD will present a business case to an audience of CIMA delegates and a judging panel of prestigious experts who face the challenging task of picking the winning finalists.

Bilal Sohail, one of the leading winning team members, said of their achievement: “We are delighted to have won the UAE national final of the Global Business Challenge. We have enjoyed the challenge and we look forward to competing for the Finals of the Global Business Challenge with other global teams this coming August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Geetu Ahuja, CIMA UAE Country Manager, added: “CIMA is very proud of Bizz Wizards, of UOWD’s achievement in winning the national round of The CIMA Global Business Challenge. The standard of this year’s competition was higher than ever, and we would like to congratulate Bizz Wizards and University of Wollongong in Dubai on their success. We aim to demonstrate to students that business and specifically management accounting can be challenging, interesting and strategic. These exceptional students are on their way to becoming tomorrow’s high flyers. CIMA represents some of the leaders in business and currently has over 172,000 members and students in 165 countries. I would like to wish Bizz Wizards every success for the final round.”

Follow the teams’ progress on Facebook http://bit.ly/d3wW5N and CIMAsphere http://bit.ly/cvp2Lj for a personal insight into their GBC journey.

For further information, please visit the CIMA Global Business Challenge website at www.cimaglobal.com/globalbusinesschallenge
 

UAE Online Art Archive Is Launched Alongside A Nation Wide Competition Showcasing The UAE’s Talent

The art community of the UAE is in for a lavish helping of the Emirates’ most comprehensive online database as the Office for the UAE Pavilion at the Venice Biennale launches the UAE Art Archive, www.uaeartarchive.org. The UAE Art Archive has been developed specifically to offer a platform for people interested in the art scene across the UAE to have a better understanding of art and the cultural infrastructure of the country and to showcase artists’ work.

Its launch is complemented by an image design contest that will enable anyone who is resident in the UAE to submit their design for the homepage banner of the art archive, which can be found at www.uaeartarchive.org. Supported by Emirates Airline, who is providing two economy class tickets to Venice, the competition encourages everyone with artistic flair to submit their work.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Commissioner of the UAE Pavilion, said:
“The UAE Art Archive provides a unique platform, for the first time, in the contemporary art community where we can all come together and share this vehicle across all seven Emirates. This is a collective space for artists practicing in the UAE to show their work, whereby profiles can be uploaded with a biography, reference to online websites and gallery affiliation can be made and exhibition histories and artwork can be created. The archive is published online and is open to everyone all over the world.

This is also an opportunity for UAE residents to participate in an exclusive competition and to be a part of an online community that is really working from a grass roots level for the art and cultural scene across the UAE. This competition, I believe, is one of the most effective paths in which we can engage people’s interests and encourage them to support our own pool of creative contemporary talent.”

Ahmed Khoory, Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations – Gulf, Middle East and Iran, Emirates Airline said:
"Emirates is delighted to be a part of this exciting initiative. I hope that the people of the UAE can take inspiration from the majestic beauty of this great country when developing their submissions. The UAE Pavilion has worked hard to encourage UAE residents to embrace and express their creativity and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them for many years to come."

Commencing from July 23nd, the competition will be judged by the Ambassadors to the UAE Pavilion: Sultan Al Qassemi, Alanood Al Warshaw, Jack Persekian, Paula Askari, Hannan Sayed, Nadine Kanso, Rashid Shabib, Ahmed Shabib, Sunny Rahbar and Maliha Tabari. The contest will close on September 2nd and an announcement of the winner will be made on September 16th at a Suhoor during Ramadan to reveal who will be awarded two economy flight tickets to Venice with a three-day stay at a four-star hotel in Venice and two tickets to visit the 53rd Venice Biennale, courtesy of Emirates Airline.

“As an Ambassador to the UAE Pavilion and one of the judges of this competition, I am enthusiastic to see the first glimpse of how the UAE’s art scene has evolved and what our local creative minds have in store. This contest is an innovative way to examine the developments which are currently taking place across the UAE’s art agenda,” Sultan Al Qassemi commented.

The announcement comes in the midst of an ongoing international art exhibition in Venice, Italy, the 2009 Venice Biennale, of which the UAE has sent its official contribution to play an integral part. Breaking ground as the first Arabian Gulf state ever to participate since the event began in 1895, the UAE Pavilion was established in recognition of the nation’s emergence as a cultural hub worthy of attracting global attention and was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

Universally recognised as the world’s most prestigious contemporary art event, the Venice Biennale currently presents its 53rd International Art Exhibition, which began on June 7 and will be staged through November 22, 2009.

du Bolsters Indoor Network Coverage In Hundreds Of UAE Hotspots

du is expanding and improving its indoor network coverage in hundreds of high-traffic areas across the UAE with the continued roll-out of sophisticated in-building upgrades. Since 2007, du has invested more than AED 500 million in indoor connectivity improvements. This enables it to provide 3.5G, 3G, EDGE, GPRS and GSM capability in any location it covers. Built with the latest protocols and telecommunications technology, the du network also supports the most modern technology available for voice clarity – AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate). With another AED 200 million earmarked this year for indoor network improvements in additional locations across the UAE, du has sourced cutting-edge technologies from companies which include Nokia Siemens, Huawei and Motorola to complete its in-building improvements.

du’s IBS (In-Building Solutions) team is working tirelessly to enhance coverage in key locations such as shopping malls, airport buildings, hospitals, universities, hotels, resorts, high-rises and other high-traffic areas across the country. Once a location receives its ‘extreme du makeover’, subscribers can expect exceptional voice clarity, robust connectivity and instantaneous connections on every level, in every elevator, and even in the areas surrounding the hotspot.

“We are committed to bringing our state-of-the-art EDGE network to customers across the UAE,” said Hatem Bamatraf, Senior VP Network Development, du. “The EDGE network is compatible with the latest 3.5 and 3G mobile technologies, as well as the 4G technologies of the future. In addition to expanding our coverage, we are also dedicating substantial resources to vastly improve network reliability in indoor areas and ensure ultra-clear and dependable service where our subscribers live, play and do business.”

The current initiative to strengthen du’s indoor network coverage is a critical component of ongoing efforts to address customer concerns, and to strengthen and consolidate the company’s position as the UAE’s most innovative and responsive telecommunications provider.

UAE initials Air Services Agreement with Bulgaria

The United Arab Emirates represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has initialled an Air Services Agreement (ASA) and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Bulgaria in Sofia on 16th July 2009.The agreement was signed by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Ludmil Manassiev, Director General of Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration, Ministry of transport in Bulgaria. Representatives from Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and RAK Airways, attended the negotiations.The UAE delegation confirmed designation of Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways, and additionally designated RAK Airways, Air Arabia and FlyDubai as UAE national airlines under the Agreement, while the Bulgarian delegation confirmed the designation of Bulgaria Air as the Designated Airline of the Republic of Bulgaria under the Agreement. The agreement allows unrestricted capacity and types of aircraft, whether owned or leased, to be operated by the Designated Airlines of each country in any type of service (passenger or cargo) on the routes between Bulgaria and the UAE.The agreement also includes, in addition to the third and fourth freedoms, the practice of full fifth freedom traffic rights on all points of their choice without any restriction while operating cargo services. In addition, both parties agreed to recommend to their authorities to conclude an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation on revenues arising from their airlines’ activities and income earned by their employees when stationed in the territory of the other party. 

du TV+ package set to revolutionise TV experience in the UAE

du today announced the successful introduction of du TV+ services on 1 July, 2009 in its current fixed-line areas.du TV+ will provide du home customers with an unmatched TV viewing experience including an array of advanced features such as intuitive and simplified search and display, superior channel browsing, instant channel change capability, an ergonomically-designed Enhanced Electronic Program Guide and the option of pausing, rewinding and recording live programming.The star attraction of the du TV+ package is undoubtedly High Definition television (HDTV). Currently HD channels like National Geographic HD, myZen TV, Luxe TV and Showtime HD are available as part of the suite of Free-to-Air channels. du is currently working with other content providers to bring more HD channels into the UAE.du TV+ is now available to new home customers in the areas covered by du’s fixed-line network. Existing du home customers will be migrated to du TV+ services in a phased manner by swapping the du TV decoders starting 15 August, 2009. The upgrade will be done free of charge.Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “du has collaborated with Microsoft to bring a new dimension to TV viewing in the UAE. Our state-of-art offering includes features like intuitive channel search and display, advanced browsing and High Definition TV. HD channels from du are available to all new du customers at no extra charge until 31 July, 2009.”Added Faraidooni, “du will introduce its commercial HD packages in August 2009. Over the past several months, du has been working with leading channel providers to bring High Definition content into the UAE. As more channels become available, du will progressively add more HD content to its TV offering. All du customers will have access to unparalleled picture and sound quality.”Details of features:New du TV is powered by Microsoft Mediaroom, the award-winning Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software platform. Mediaroom features advanced multimedia capabilities including digital video recording, video on demand, high-definition television, instant channel zapping and multiview capabilities.With the new du TV+ service, viewers will not only enjoy superior browsing but will also be able to pause, rewind and record live TV, meaning they will never miss that amazing football goal or dramatic movie scene. Now there will be no need to rush back home to watch a favourite movie or TV series as viewers can schedule a recording of their favourite programmes using du’s simple, user-friendly menu.Both du TV and du TV+ customers can arrange a bouquet of favourite channels quite easily, and they will have a parental control feature to protect their children from watching any unwanted channels.A new Electronic Program Guide allows viewers to see what is coming up on their favourite channels and what is going to play up to seven days in advance. In addition, customers will not need to keep multiple remote controls for the TV and the du decoder as the du remote is compatible with both.Details of du TV packages:With every du TV subscription, viewers will receive the basic TV package that includes more than 130 channels from around the world in different genres and in different languages. Every du TV subscriber will also have access to Pay-TV bouquets from Showtime, Orbit Pehla, Firstnet, ART and JSTV, and High Definition TV, all on one TV decoder for an affordable price.Subscriptions for du TV come with a standard decoder and a Basic TV Package for a monthly fee of AED 30; subscriptions for du TV+ include a personal recordable decoder and a Basic TV Package for a monthly fee of AED 55.New customers in residential areas served by du can subscribe to new du TV services by visiting du shops at the following locations:• Dubai Media, City Building #14, Ground Floor
• Ibn Battuta Mall, Persian Court
• Mall of the Emirates, Ground Floor
• Jumeirah Centre, Jumeirah Beach Road
• Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Precinct Building No. 5
• Jumeirah Beach Residence, Sadaf Tower, Plaza Floor
• International City, China Cluster, Building C11, Shop 0 

Beauty Pioneer Merle Norman Opens In The UAE

Merle Norman Cosmetics, the leading American skincare and make up brand, known for its exclusive range of products and personalised beauty consultation services, has opened its first studio in the UAE. The new studio, with its sleek design concept and open sell environment that allows customers to see the entire product line at a glance, sets the stage for an exciting retail experience.

Named after its founder Merle Norman, who manufactured her own cosmetics in 1920s to aid women in caring for their skin and enhancing their appearance, Merle Norman Cosmetics pioneered the modern day cosmetic counter boutiques with its unique studio concept. The brand operates on the key philosophy of ‘Try Before You Buy’, a creative approach that allows customers the opportunity to discover for themselves the unique characteristics of its products with the help of Merle Norman’s trained beauty consultants.

The UAE’s first Merle Norman Cosmetics Studio is located in Sharjah Mega Mall, with another scheduled to open on Jumeirah Beach Road before the end of the year. Merle Norman Cosmetics currently operates approximately 2000 studios and the UAE is its first market outside North America.

Commenting on the brand’s entry into the market, Mamta Thakkar, General Manager, Merle Norman Cosmetics, UAE, said, “Our offerings of superior products, individualised service and sampling prior to purchase philosophy, will cater to the quality conscious customers in this region. The open-sell design of our studio encourages people to shop on their own if they wish, or seek one of our highly-trained beauty consultants who can lead them through an educational skin care and colour lesson, using products formulated for their skin’s unique requirements, even for sensitive and problem skin. ”

When a customer enters the Merle Norman Cosmetics Studio, she is able to momentarily abandon the outside world and escape into an environment featuring the latest retail cosmetic innovations supported by a tradition of personal service. This contemporary ‘gateway to a world of beauty’ features an appealing layout, colour scheme and product presentation.

The Studio Colour Wall has on display products pertaining to eyes, cheeks, lips and nails. Among the colour related products are foundations, concealers, bases, powders, eye shadows, mascaras, eyeliners, brow care, cheek colour, lip colour, nail colour, accessories and make up application brushes.

Maple-finish drawer units allow the colour products to be merchandised at eye level, and arranged for efficient browsing and sample testing.

Merle Norman’s skin care products consist of a full regimen of technologically advanced products for women and men. Formulated to help defend against such damaging elements as sun and pollution, and to help delay the signs of aging, the varied range of products include cleansers, toners, moisturizers, treatments, eye and lip care, hand and nail care, bath and body, sun products and fragrances.

Luxurious consultation areas allow the customer to sit and relax while seeking advice or sampling suitable products.

wasl Extends Scholarship Deadline For UAE Nationals At American University In Dubai

wasl, the asset management group owned by Dubai Real Estate Corporation, today announced the deadline for UAE nationals to submit applications for scholarships at the American University of Dubai has been extended to 19th July for the September 2009 intake.

Fresh Emirati high school graduates who have scored at least 85% in their school leaving examinations are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Applicants are required to send a copy of their high school degrees to waslscholarship@wasl.ae.

Husam Al Sayed, General Manager for Human Resources, wasl, said: “Our initiative to offer scholarships at the
American University of Dubai seeks to support UAE nationals, especially those who have graduated from public schools and with limited financial capabilities to pursue higher education.

“As a socially responsible group, wasl plans to launch several initiatives in the education sector in line with Dubai’s directive and strategy to support local talent and develop their academic skills.”

wasl’s scholarship initiative will allow 10 UAE nationals to pursue bachelor’s degree programmes in various faculties at the American University in Dubai. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees of selected candidates for the four-year study period.

In addition to fulfilling the admission criteria of the American University in Dubai, applicants will be required to go through an intensive assessment process with wasl as part of the selection schedule.

Mall of the Emirates & Deira City Centre Among Top UAE Brands

Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre have emerged as the only shopping malls to be listed in a top 10 UAE brands survey. The online study involving 750 consumers judged more than 200 brands, rating general impression, quality, corporate reputation, likeliness to recommend, value for money and satisfaction.

The survey, conducted by BrandIndex and produced by the leading market research company YouGov, showed that the shopping centres were two out of only three UAE homegrown brands in the Top 10 category. The other was Emirates Airline. Most of the top ten were made up of international giants from the automobile, telecom and consumer electronics sectors.

Fareed Abdelrahman, Vice-President, Divisional Asset Management for Majid Al Futtaim Properties said the recent survey results were yet another sign of the success and popularity of the malls. “At our malls, we always strive to ensure that our efforts are in line with the consumer’s preference, convenience and comfort. Surveys such as these recognise our efforts and we are extremely proud of the results.”

BrandIndex has been gathering the views of consumers online each fortnight in eight sectors since March this year. Mall of the Emirates is the only mall in the UAE that has remained in the Top 10 UAE brands since the survey began.

Vivek Wagle, Research Director at YouGov revealed, “Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre have a strong customer orientation and both display high levels of service. Mall of the Emirates is the up-market quality brand in the portfolio while Deira City Centre is perceived to be value based. They also perform well on each other’s strengths i.e. Mall of the Emirates gets second place on value with a score of 43 and Deira City Centre gets the same rank on quality with a similar score. Both the malls are also supported by their unique offerings – Magic
Planet for both and Ski Dubai for Mall of the Emirates that are also strong brands on their own. Then, there is Carrefour as well which helps raise the customer base.”

Next Page »