Oil may hit $200 if U.S. invades Iran - Chavez -US had threatened to bomb Pak. back to the stone age: Musharraf -India staff numbers soar at Goldman -Middle East: Imperial assault and tasks for the left: Ardeshir Mehrdad interviewing Alex Callinicos Software piracy fall in Middle East September 20, 2006 Concerted initiatives taken by Business Software Alliance (BSA), the international association established by the software industry to promote a safe and legal digital world, with the support of regional governments have helped to bring down software piracy in the Middle East, despite the buoyant growth in sales of personal computers (PC) and booming IT penetration.A recent report quoted by Madar Research revealed that PC unit sales across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states alone had grown to 38.66 per cent during 2005, exceeding by over 100 per cent the average growth of PC shipments to the combined Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets. This estimate featured in a preliminary report released by international research firm Gartner Data Quest in early 2006, which ranked the EMEA as the second highest growing region in the world in terms of PC shipments at 17.1 per cent. Encouragingly though, software piracy levels in the Middle East declined in 2005, dropping by one percentage point to 57 per cent, at a time when global software piracy rates remained unchanged at 35 per cent, according to the third annual BSA and IDC Global Software Piracy Study published in May 2006. The IDC is the IT industrys leading global market research and forecasting firm. Noting that software piracy rates had fallen in nearly 19 out of 26 countries in the Middle East and Africa region that the study covered, Jawad Al Redha, Co-Chairman of BSA Middle East said: BSA is happy to see that its efforts to reduce software piracy have been fruitful. However, government support in the form of strict vigilance of laws pertaining to Intellectual Property Rights and increased awareness campaigns has been crucial in making our anti-piracy campaigns effective. The regions decreasing rate of software piracy becomes an achievement also when juxtaposed against the rise in the average Arab ICT Use Index, which went up by 42.89 per cent in 2005 to reach 0.51, as revealed in the Madar Research ICT Use Index. This saw the regions Internet users growing by 54.84 per cent to touch 26 million while the computer installed base expanded to 14 million computers, reflecting a 29.24 per cent increase in 2005. The UAEs performance in curbing software piracy was particularly noteworthy with the country registering the lowest piracy rate of 34 per cent in the region, for the tenth consecutive year despite registering the GCC regions highest growth of 45.24 per cent in PC unit sales during 2005. The level of piracy in the UAE was lower than some European countries and also below that of the global piracy rate of 35 per cent, making it the only Arab country and sole emerging economy to figure among the top 20 countries with the lowest piracy rates in the world, states the IDC report. The UAE government has played a commendable role in bringing down software piracy levels, which has resulted in the countrys IT sector growing into a US$ 1.3 billion industry today. Business Software Alliance is proud to have played an active part in this growth and will continue its initiatives to enable the regions IT industry reach its potential by creating a healthy climate for IT investments and entrepreneurial activity and generating new job opportunities, Al Redha added. Indo-German Auto Partnership reaches new height.. The Indo-German partnership in most industrial sectors, especially in the automotive industry, is approaching a new high. In the automotive sector, a number of important German vehicle manufacturers e.g. Daimler Chrysler, BMW, MAN etc. already have a presence in India. The first major announcement this year was made by Force Motors of India and MAN of Germany in April, 2006 when Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Hannover in Germany. Volkswagen is also likely to make an announcement regarding establishing manufacturing operations in India. This information was given by Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in Hannover at ‘India Day’ in the “International Automobile Fair” today. The Minister said that India and Germany traditionally shared very friendly relations. Both our people subscribe to the ethos of democracy peace and equality. The Minister invited the German automotive sector to join hands with India as a partner in the highly exciting and rewarding journey into the future of global automotive manufacturing. He said strong economic and structural reforms in the economy started bearing fruits and India today was on a robust growth trajectory. He also said that India’s Auto Policy encouraged 100% Foreign Direct Investment without any local tie-up and the sector was fully de-licensed and de-regulated. Moreover, to align with the rest of the world, India has also joined the WP-29 forum of the United Nations for harmonizing automotive standards with the global ones. Indian Automotive Industry produced about 9.7 million vehicles in 2005-06, he added. The Minister, however, said that India still was very small in global market with four billion dollar worth of exports and that India was taking decisive steps to enhance global presence in this sector. Shri Dev also inaugurated the Seminar on ‘Doing Business with India’. King of Malaysia impressed by The Palm Jumeirah progress September 21, 2006 Nakheel, the UAE leading’s property developer, welcomed the King of Malaysia, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, to the Nakheel Sales Centre as part of a high profile delegation to the UAE. His Majesty Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin was greeted by Chris O’Donnell, Nakheel Chief Executive, and Manal Shaheen, Director Sales, Marketing & Customer Service. The King received a tour of the Nakheel Sales Centre, including a look at the project models, and a theatre presentation about Nakheel's developments such as The Palm, The World and Dubai Waterfront. The King was also treated to a boat trip to The Palm Jumeirah where he expressed admiration for Nakheel’s vision in creating such iconic developments.Chris O’Donnell said: "We are honoured that such a prestigious guest has shown such a keen interest in Nakheel's developments. Nakheel has attracted worldwide attention with its iconic projects that have become benchmarks in property development and this has resulted in huge interest from all over the world. “During the boat trip to The Palm Jumeirah, His Majesty expressed great interest in the reclamation process, and was genuinely astounded by the rate of progress of the island; he was amazed that just five years after placing the first grain of sand in the Arabian Gulf, we had come so far and The Palm Jumeirah was fast becoming a reality.” ADNEC launches new AED 8 billion MICE and business district Master-planned complex with iconic Exhibition Centre offers lucrative investment opportunities to investors September 19, 2006 Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) announced today, ( September 19, 2006 ) the launch of the sale of plots on 147,582 square meters of prime land at Capital Centre, the new name and brand for the 8 billion (US$ 2.17 billion) business and residential micro-city being built around the iconic Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the UAE capital. Capital Centre is being designed by an international team of master-planners, architects and engineers to create a thriving destination. The strategically-located plots, collectively valued at more than US$ 571 million (AED 2.1 billion), are earmarked for the mixed-use development of hotels, residential and commercial towers, a retail zone and a stunning marina that will enhance the local landscape. From 2007 Abu Dhabi will begin to see this unique project take shape. Ideally located near the diplomatic area, the UAE capitals first development of this kind focusing on economic and exhibition development will create a vibrant business and lifestyle destination for residents and visitors alike. At the heart of this Centre will be an unmatched, best-of-breed exhibition multiplex which is already under construction. This will act as Capital Center s economic driver - attracting businesses, international event organizers, exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, thus driving Capital Center s tremendous investment potential. Some of the highlights of Capital Centre will be: The Grandstand - a tribute to the past, the historic Grandstand that, for many years, was used by His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late President of the UAE, to view parades and other key celebrations is being integrated into the Capital Centre development; 30 Towers that will house a mix of hotel and residential accommodation as well as office and retail opportunities; The Galleria a paradise for shoppers, this will be an enclosed multi-storey air conditioned retail space; The Marina - providing scenic opportunities, the future home of super-yachts, marine exhibitions and floating hotels will become one of Abu Dhabis most vibrant locations; The Feature Tower futuristic and gravity defying, the tower will be one of the key visual icons of Capital Centre. H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company said: Capital Centre is one of the cornerstones of our strategy to strengthen Abu Dhabi s profile as a major destination in the Middle East for the MICE industry. It will serve as a foundation on which new investments, industrial growth and business tourism will be built. He added: Capital Centre provides one of the best investment opportunities in Abu Dhabi today, as has been proven by similar international case studies. This unprecedented offering seeks to utilize the benefits provided by exhibitions, conferences and other events to diversify the regions economy, bring economic benefit to Abu Dhabi , promote Abu Dhabi as the preferred destination in the region for commerce and tourism and develop the economic potential of the Emirate and the city. His Excel len cy, Ahmad Humaid Al Mazrouie, Managing Director, ADNEC said This premier district will become a prominent hub of activity and opportunity capitalizing on Abu Dhabis welcoming and service-oriented culture, and will serve as a strong driver and catalyst for economic growth. The plots of land being sold offer immense value to investors as the district continues to be enhanced with future developments. At the heart of Capital Centre will be the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. On completion, it will offer 57,000 square meters of interconnecting hall space including a 3,168 square metre atrium, 21,000 square meters of U-shaped air conditioned concourse, 7,500 square meters of high specification multi-purpose hall for conferences and events, dedicated conference and banqueting areas for groups of 400 and 800 people. It will also feature more than 30 mezzanine level flexible meeting rooms, 2,000 square meters of serviced office space, 2,000 square meters of diverse food courts, and a multi-storey and grade level car parking for more than 7,500 vehicles. RAKISA Holding and impaQta sign agreement to launch 100 K Award in Hail September 18, 2006 RAKISA Holding, the lead developer of the Prince AbdulAziz bin Mousaed Economic City in Hail in Saudi Arabia, has announced the signing of an agreement with impaQta Management Advisory Services to launch the Entrepreneurial Business Plan Award Program initiative aimed at developing a pool of young entrepreneurs and boosting investment in Hail and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed between Abdullah Al-Rakhis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RAKISA Holding, and Rashad Kanbar, Chairman of impaQta. The agreement was endorsed by H.R.H. Prince Saud bin Abdulmohsen Al Saud, Prince of Hail and Chairman of the Higher Commission for the Development of Hail, and Dr. Salim Al Malik, of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). Under the terms of the agreement, impaQta will assist RAKISA Holding in organizing and setting the technical requirements of the 100 K Award and providing support in the formulation and administration of the judging panel through coordination of the business plans evaluation process. Furthermore, impaQta will supervise the screening and short-listing of candidates and coordinate their technical evaluation to select the finalists. The 100 K Award is launched with the purpose of integrating young talents in the region with the mega economic development trends that Hail is set to witness with the introduction of the Economic City, and provide them with the opportunity to effectively contribute to the growth and development of Hail and the Kingdom. The award is open for participation to university students and graduates below 30 years of age.Engineer Abdullah Al-Rakhis said, In partnering with impaQta to launch the 100 K Award, we take another step towards developing an entrepreneurial spirit and generating a robust investment culture that will lead to the all-round development of Hail. The award will basically serve as a platform for outstanding young talents to showcase their business ideas and plans. Mr. Rashad Kanbar of impaQta said, The Entrepreneurial Business Plan Award Program paves the way for the creation of a dynamic environment that encourages creative ideas that drive investment success in the region with the development of the economic city in hail. impaQta will leverage its considerable experience in knowledge integration and management to ensure that this initiative achieves its stated objectives. The 100 K Award invites participants to submit professional business plans, which will be evaluated by a panel of experts to select the best plans. The owner of the winning plan will be awarded a sum of SR (Saudi Riyal) 100,000, while the second and third winners will receive SR 50,000 and SR 30,000 respectively. RAKISA and impaQta will work to ensure that the winners get to present their business plans to a number of leading investors in order to facilitate the adoption of their ideas and thereby support the winners as they take their first steps in the field of investments. This outstanding initiative provides participants the opportunity not only to win attractive rewards but to actually take their first steps into the professional world of investments. Through the Business Plan Award Program, we reiterate our commitment to the development of Hail, Mr. Al-Rakhis concluded. STME looks to build on strategic alliance with Symantec as regional customer base exceeds 390 September 20, 2006 STME, the Middle East’s leading enterprise storage solution provider and integrator, has successfully leveraged its strategic partnership with Symantec, the global leader in information security and availability, to significantly expand its customer base in the Arab world. STME and Symantec now serve more than 390 companies across the region.Furthering this alliance, STME and Symantec are jointly organizing a seminar on Data Center Infrastructure Solutions in Bahrain. The seminar, to be held on September 20, 2006 from 8 am to 2.30 pm at the Intercontinental Regency, will draw participation from several leading firms including Batelco, the leading integrated telecommunications provider in Bahrain. The event will take an in-depth look at Symantec’s Data Center Infrastructure software and its features and benefits, with dedicated sessions focusing on topics such as Data Protection, Storage Automation, Server Automation, and Application Service Management.At the seminar, Symantec will showcase its line-up of state-of-the-art data center infrastructure solutions, including Symantec Netbackup and Enterprise Vault, Symantec Storage Foundation, Symantec Server Foundation and Symantec i3. “STME and Symantec have had a long and fruitful partnership, and it evokes a sense of pride to note that we now have more than 390 satisfied customers in the region,” said Jocelyn Al Adwani, Deputy CEO of STME. “STME and Symantec further build on its strategic alliance by coming together to organise this important seminar, which we believe is a testament to our commitment to the regional market.”