DJIBOUTI: President on official visit to the
US
Dubai January 20, 2003
International Conferences
and Exhibitions moves headquarters from the UK to Dubai
Move reflects Middle East's buoyancy and Dubai's status
as regional hub
International Conferences and Exhibitions
Ltd (IC&E) one of the most active exhibition organizers in
the Middle East, announced its decision to relocate its headquarters
from London to Dubai in a strategic move aimed at serving the
growing markets of the Middle East.
"The decision to relocate our headquarters
to Dubai, the heart of the exhibition industry in the Middle
East, is a significant one for International Conferences &
Exhibitions and heralds promising new advancements in this area,"
said David Domoney, Managing Director, IC&E. "Having
played a key role in the development of the exhibition industry
in the region for over 20 years, we feel that the time is right
to consolidate our position by establishing our actual presence
here. By moving the head offices to Dubai, we aim to maintain
a closer proximity with our target markets and enhance the value
of our offering," he added.
"The Middle East is a region that offers
tremendous growth prospects and has a resilience to the recessionary
trends witnessed in other parts of the world. In addition, it
is acquiring crucial importance in the global business scenario
because it is the window to a very large and fast growing market,
comprising a customer base with high disposal incomes. Dubai's
strategic location in particular makes it the ideal location
from which to target the emerging markets of Africa and the Indian
Subcontinent. It, therefore, made sense for IC&E to move
closer to the theatre of operations in order to service our clients
better," said Domoney.
Domoney said the relocation would further
enhance IC&E's ability to create events tailored to the region's
requirements, while at the same time enable it to leverage the
accumulated local expertise to add value to existing events as
well as create new trade shows.
"Every exhibition in our portfolio attracts
the participation of mainstream international exporters as well
as national pavilions coordinated by leading government and trade
associations," said Domoney. "Our exhibition progamme
is endorsed at the highest level. Each event enjoys the patronage
or support of key ministries in the UAE Federal Government as
well as the Dubai Government. Backed by such credentials, International
Conferences and Exhibitions renews its commitment to the UAE
and the region as
a whole to raise the levels of service and play a more proactive
role in the economic development of the region."
"When International Conferences and Exhibitions
was founded in the mid-70s, the only exhibition venue was the
tented structures alongside the creek," recalled Domoney.
"Over the years, Dubai's stature as the hub of the exhibition
industry has grown considerably and the facilities it offers
exhibition organizers today are on par with the best in the world.
IC&E now holds its exhibitions at the state-of-the-art Dubai
International Exhibition Centre of the Dubai World Trade Centre
and Airport Expo Dubai."
"IC&E's biggest strength is its core
of dedicated professionals steeped in the business of event management
and fully conversant with the international and local business
scenario," said Domoney, emphasizing that the relocation
would continue to ensure that the usual high standards associated
with IC&E are maintained and upgraded, in tune with its motto
"Exhibitions That
Bring Results."
IC&E has been the name behind some highly
successful premium exhibitions held in Dubai for several years.
A number of other niche exhibitions are in the pipeline and a
new addition to the existing portfolio will be the launch of
the Student Show 2003. As a result of the relocation, IC&E
is geared to bring more sophistication and refinements in its
existing exhibitions, including Arab Lab and Instrumentation,
Middle East Instrumentation & Automation, Global Entertainment
& Media Exhibition (GEMEX), World of Education, Gulf Education
and Training Exhibition, Human Resources Middle East and the
Arab Oil and Gas Show. ( keralamonitor.com)
DJIBOUTI: President on official visit
to the US
NAIROBI, 20 January (IRIN) - Djibouti President
Isma'il Omar Guelleh on Saturday left for a five-day official
visit to the US at the invitation of the US government, a Djibouti
official told IRIN on Monday.
The official said the president, who is expected
to meet his US counterpart George Bush on Tuesday, will discuss
"strengthening bilateral cooperation, the fight against
terrorism, regional stability, the Somali peace process and Djibouti
government efforts to reduce poverty".
The strategically located, tiny Horn of Africa
nation has, since 11 September 2001, become an important base
for western forces - including from the US and Germany - in the
anti-terrorism coalition. There are also troops from France,
which already had a base in its former colony. President Guelleh's
delegation includes Foreign Minister Ali Abdi Farah, Minister
of Presidential Affairs Osman Ahmed Moussa, and Minister of Justice
Isma'il Ibrahim Houmed. ( keralamonitor.com)