ETIHAD AIRWAYS LAUNCHES COLOMBO ROUTE

National airline of the UAE flies to first destination outside the
region; 16 cities to be covered by end of 2004

(March 2004) : Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has launched its first route outside the Middle East, with the commencement of services to Colombo (on March 2, 2004).

Colombo is the fourth destination for the Abu Dhabi-based airline, and the airline will operate three flights a week to the Sri Lankan capital. This represents the fourth new route for Etihad Airways in a period of rapid growth for the airline, which should see a total of 16 new destinations by the end of 2004. These include London and Bangkok on March 28 and April 5 respectively.

Dr Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan, chairman of Etihad, said: "We are launching our newest route at a time of significant buoyancy in the airline sector in the Middle East, which has bucked the global industry downturn."Colombo was chosen as a destination because of high demand for service from Abu Dhabi. In addition, analysts are expecting double-digit growth in traffic to Asia this year, with the sub-continent having experienced less of a dip last year than other parts of Asia."

The first scheduled flight from Abu Dhabi to Colombo, EY201, departed on March 2, leaving at 2150h and arriving at 0430h. The return flight departs Colombo at 0545h and arrives back in Abu Dhabi at 0820h. The service will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Al Nahyan was present to greet dignitaries and VIP guests before the inaugural flight, including the Sri Lankan ambassador, H.E.Lalith Hettiarachchi and Mrs Hettiarachchi, as well as key corporate clients and selected travel trade.

Etihad operates two wide-bodied Airbus A330-200 passenger jets, which carry 225 passengers each, and form the backbone of the fleet. In addition, the airline has added one A340-200, and there will be up to 10 wide-bodied aircraft in the fleet by the end of 2005.

Most flights will be operated point to point, with daily services to major markets and a minimum frequency of three a week to all destinations. Frequency expansion will take place over the next three years, and new destinations will also be added.

Service delivery
From conception to Amiri decree and first flights, Etihad has launched in a matter of months, but Al Nahyan stresses that the speed of expansion will not hinder the airline's service promise.

"Etihad is being positioned as 'the airline of the 21st century' and we are determined to deliver on what the customer really wants, even if that means higher operating costs and lower profit margins in the short-term.

"We are taking a long-term approach with Etihad and, from the outset, our focus has been on doing things differently - reinventing the way an airline works, with the emphasis very much on customer service and satisfaction."

"In the past 25 to 30 years since the introduction of business class, there has been very little to differentiate one airline from another, especially in this region. We aim to change that."

According to Al Nahyan, the airline's brand values of imagination and a fresh approach to product and service should be incorporated into all aspects of the airline. "Too often, companies fail to live up to their values as time goes on and they become established in the market. We will not let this happen."

He said: "We are determined to offer a product which not only meets and exceeds their expectations, but also genuinely reflects the type of hospitality for which Abu Dhabi is famous.

"While we like to think that we have created a flying experience that is entirely based on customer preferences, we recognise that there is always scope for improvement as customers become increasingly demanding and demand higher and higher levels of service.

"To this end, we are committed to ongoing market research, as we are aware that there is a general lack of research in the industry in the Middle East."

Non-traditional class structure

Key to the Etihad promise is the move away from the traditional classes, as it becomes the first regional airline to take the concept of premium economy and rework it for the regional marketplace.

Etihad refers to passengers as guests and has guest zones rather than fare classes. The three zones - Diamond, Pearl, and Coral - do not correspond directly to first, business, and economy classes.

The Diamond Zone is luxurious and spacious with a 75-inch seat pitch and offers top-of-the-range service and facilities.

Pearl - with a 49-inch pitch - is effectively a class of its own, and provides superior facilities suited to the business traveller.

Coral Zone has a 32-inch seat pitch and has been designed with the leisure traveller in mind, providing a value-added service. All seats are equipped with personal video screens.

Diamond and Pearl guests will enjoy a limousine service from home to the airport and back as well as at destination point. In cases of the departure from Abu Dhabi, the limousine service covers anywhere in the UAE.

At check-in, guests will be dealt with by a personal attendant and escorted to the departure lounge until the flight is ready to board. Enhanced ground services at Abu Dhabi International Airport will be available later this year.

"Each will provide a premium service compared to competitors, with quality and personal attention being the common factor. For the Diamond and Pearl Zones, we will provide seamless and stress-free travel - in fact, for business travellers, we provide an office in the sky," explained Al Nahyan.

Catering will be managed by the Abu Dhabi Flight Kitchen, with a panel of top chefs responsible for designing menus that reflect regional tastes and produce. Meals in the Diamond and Pearl zones will be individually ordered, plated, and served but food quality will be consistent across all three zones. There will be no trolley service in either zone.

Uniforms have been designed by top Italian couturier Ettore Bilotta in a style that combines traditional Arabic elements with classic tailoring.

Etihad operates under the patronage of HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dubai, and HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Based in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, the airline was formed to serve the needs of residents of the UAE, in addition to stimulating increased visitor traffic among both business and leisure sectors.

As a company formed under Amiri decree No. 1, 2003, Etihad has a strong financial base, and is managed by an extensive team of airline professionals with many years experience gained from leading carriers around the world.Etihad's goal is to provide a level of service which is both better and different from anything currently on offer in the Middle East.

Leading international gurus to participate in e-TQM College's e-learning conference in Dubai

Conference will address the fundamentals of e-learning and discuss its relevance to the Arab world

March 4, 2004

e-TQM College, the electronic college offering online courses in Total Quality Management (TQM) in the Arab world, will be holding an e-learning conference at the Dubai World Trade Centre on March 22, 2004, to raise awareness of e-learning and highlight the many benefits it offers. A number of local and international e-learning experts will be addressing the event. There will be three keynote speakers, followed by a panel discussion.

Key participants in the panel discussion will be Dick Carlson, the international expert behind several online learning projects in various US industries in the US such as software training, adult business education and K-12 curriculum. Matt Wasowski, Marketing Director of Horizonlive which is one of the first Internet-based interactive learning platforms in the world, will also be participating in the online discussion.

Professor Mawdudur Rahman, Director of Suffolk University and Suffolk Online Programs in the UK, will speak about the Online Programs that allow students to obtain degrees as full-time, part-time or executive MBA students at Suffolk University.

"We have the support of internationally renowned e-learning professionals for our conference, the first of its kind in the Arab world. The keynote speakers addressing the conference are among the best in the world of e-learning. Many of the speakers are already associated with e-TQM College on a regular basis, either as e-mentors or e-tutors," said Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Director, e-TQM College.

There will be three key speakers at the conference, all of which are Associate Deans at e-TQM College. Professor Mustafa Alshawi will address the critical elements for successful delivery of e-learning environments. Professor Zahir Irani, will focus on the benefits and challenges of e-learning in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, while Professor Mohamad Salmi will discuss the impact of e-learning on organisational learning and achieving excellence whilst examining current practices.

"Improving the competitiveness and innovative drive of a company is key to achieving success within the global and knowledge economy. Enhancing the human capital base and a flexible workforce are the primary motors in this task. The conference will address the integration of e-learning in organisations by focusing on the future knowledge-based learning environment, best practices in e-learning and organisational learning. Anyone is welcome to attend the conference and it will be free-of-charge for all participants," said Dr. Narimane Hadjhamou, e-Learning Director, e-TQM College.

The conference, called "Achieving Excellence through Accessible and Flexible Learning: The Era of e-Learning", is open to anyone interested in e-learning and to companies considering e-learning as a means to enhance employee skills. It will address the fundamentals of e-learning and discuss its relevance to the Arab world.

The conference is part of e-TQM College's annual event held in March, comprising a series of programmes aimed at raising awareness of TQM and promote e-learning in the Middle East, as well as to highlight the many courses and benefits that the College offers. The College will be showcasing its Masters programme. In addition, there will be seminars for members of the College's Virtual Executive Club and other executives who wish to attend.

The annual event is supported and sponsored by ENOC, EPPCO and Damas with Emirates Airline as the official carrier. Co-sponsors of the event include Al Serkal Group and the National Bank of Dubai. It will be held from March 21 to 23, 2004, at the World Trade Centre, Dubai.
-ends-

About e-TQM College e-TQM College is a Dubai-based institution that has pioneered e-learning in the Middle East by launching world-class online courses in Total Quality Management. Launched in September 2002, the college is the first of its kind in the world. It has been recognized by EFQM, a leading European body for quality management, and has been accepted as a key member of the British Quality Foundation. It aims to be the college of choice for Total Quality Management in the Arab world. e-TQM College provides e-learning programs to private and public sector employees as well as members of the public. Courses include Foundation Diploma in TQM, Excellence Best Practice Series and Certificate in Quality in Policing.

FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR TO ADDRESS 'LEADERS IN DUBAI'
EVENT MARKS GIULIANI'S MID EAST DEBUT

"When people come to you to ask for advice and information because you know more about a subject than they do, that's a sign of great leadership."
- RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI

29th February 2004

Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, will make his first trip to the Middle East for the two-day Leaders in Dubai event on November 29 - 30.Giuliani was in charge at City Hall for the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, and led the city through its painstaking recovery process.

For his efforts, he was named Person of the Year by Time magazine and was given an honorary knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. "This is a unique opportunity to hear the man Salon News dubbed "the leader the nation yearned for" make a live address to a Middle East audience," said Sheena Dunne, Project Director, Leading Minds, which is organising Leaders In Dubai.

The politician, whose forthright views on leadership and politics have made headlines over the last decade, will join six of the world's most influential business leaders for the event, including General Electric's charismatic former CEO, Jack Welch. Up to 1,500 delegates are expected to attend Leaders in Dubai, which will be the biggest business conference to be held at the Dubai International Convention Centre since the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in September 2003.

Rudy Giuliani was elected the 107th Mayor of the City of New York in 1993 and re-elected by a wide margin in 1997. As Mayor, he returned accountability to city government and improved the quality of life for all New Yorkers with overall crime falling by 65%. New York City's law enforcement strategies have since become models for other cities around the world.

When Mayor Giuliani took office, one of every seven New Yorkers was on welfare. He restored the work ethic, implemented the largest and most successful welfare-to-work initiative in the country and led New York City to an era of broad-based growth with a record 450,000 new private sector jobs created in eight years.

Caption: Guiliani heads for Mid East to Leaders In Dubai

Heads of eGovernment teams from Dubai's government departments updated on www.dubai.ae's offerings

Government departments urged to make use of online learning opportunities on Dubai eGovernment portal

March 2, 2004

DUBAI - The Heads of eGovernment teams from various government departments in Dubai were urged to make optimum use of the online learning opportunities availableon Dubai eGovernment's portal (www.dubai.ae ), at the recent annual meeting convened by Dubai eGovernment. This will further accelerate integration of their services with the eGovernment initiative. The department heads were also updated on the various eServices offered on the portal. Welcoming the IT heads from 15 departments, Salem Al-Shair, Director eServices, Dubai eGovernment, commended them for their active participation and support of eGovernment initiatives: "With your continuous effort and feedback we have achieved a lot and have overcome many challenges. Dubai eGovernment is constantly striving to bring about further improvement in eServices. We have just moved to a new, more advanced application platform and we are confident this will lead to higher standards of eServices delivery. We firmly believe the choice of the right IT system holds the key to e-governance success."

During the meeting, the Dubai eGovernment team, consisting of Hisham Al
Amiri, Development Manager; Rehab Lootah, eServices Provisioning Manager; Mahmood Al Bastaki, Business Process Re-engineering Consultant; Okan Geray, Strategic Planning and Implementation Consultant and Marwan Al Naqi, Community Outreach Officer - Government Sector, briefed the attendees on the latest developments in eServices such as eLearn, eEmployee, mDubai, eJob, ePay, AskDubai, eJawaz, e4all magazine, and the steps taken to market eServices to the government departments.Hisham Al Amiri, Development Manager, highlighted the projected developments in IT for the year 2004. "In order to keep ahead with the latest offerings in technology, we are in the process of exchanging the application servers to a more advanced system. After almost three years of working with our present set up, we feel the time has come to move to a more compatible and user friendly system". Al Amiri explained the new system is more flexible especially in service upgrade and security issues. "The new system is scalable to support more government department users.

Flow of information

between departments will be smoother and faster, leading to improved delivery of eServices." Rehab Lootah, eServices Provisioning Manager, highlighted the strides made by Dubai eGovernment's eLearn in online courses provided on the portal. "We offer more than 3,000 courses not just in IT, but in diverse fields such as self development, skill enhancement and sales & marketing, in association with leading training institutes. These courses are ideal for government departments because they offer the Learning anagement System (LMS) which allows the Human Resources Manager to monitor the employee's learning progress."

Lootah also focused on eEmployee, a double certification program that combines ICDL-Start certification with three additional courses of instruction selected by Dubai eGovernment, to meet the specific needs of government departments. "These online courses are conducted on global standards and are designed to provide government employees mastery in computers upon completion of all the courses." To encourage further growth and e-learning, Dubai eGovernment has introduced eEmployee Plus, designed for directors or employees who have already completed at least three online courses. "If the participants complete the three additional courses, they become eEmployee Plus, which certifies an advanced level of expertise in computers."

Lootah briefed government departments about the latest figures of mDubai, the service that has, to date, enabled, over 20 government departments to deliver more than half a million messages to customers through mobile phones.

eJob, which allows job-seekers searching for job opportunities in the public sector to submit their CVs electronically, was also highlighted. This service can be accessed by all government departments seeking to fill vacancies, and the response can be tracked by the applicant. Lootah urged all government departments to use eJob to manage their recruitment needs and to give young nationals the opportunity to work.

Mahmoud Al Bastaki, Business Process Re-engineering Consultant, highlighted the benefits of using ePay, an integrated payment solution which allows general public to pay for government services using major credit cards or the e-Dirham. "For the participating departments, ePay brings several benefits. It helps minimise running costs, transactional errors and manpower by automating the systems. Government departments can also save on costs of maintaining individual online payment facilities," said Al Bastaki. "Moreover, it offers citizens the option of making online payments for public services at no additional cost, by simply using the ePay facility on Dubai eGovernment's integrated portal."

AskDubai, the eGovernment unified call center launched in June 2003, is an advanced system that brings great benefit to government departments. "Each government department can track the exact breakdown of calls, complaints, or queries received in relation to their own services, helping them identify areas of improvement. Monthly statistical reports are also available upon request," added Al Bastaki.

Okan Geray, Strategic Planning and Implementation Consultant, informed the heads of the eGovernment teams about the latest developments in eJawaz. "We are presently working closely with the Ministry of Interior on the National Identity project. eJawaz will unify and consolidate the provisioning of identity services to access Dubai eGovernment services. It is a long term process as it involves specific authentication and authorisation procedures, to avoid misuse of eGovernment applications " said Geray. He asked government departments to nominate a representative to finalise the policies and technical guidance documentation.

Marwan Al Naqi, Community Outreach Officer - Government Sector, revealed that the e4all monthly magazine of Dubai eGovernment is an excellent marketing tool, as it features in depth articles about the various eServices available in addition to articles related to egovernance in general. Of the 30,000 copies printed, 70 per cent are distributed among government departments, 15 per cent among the private sector, 10 per cent among educational institutions and 5 per cent to business executives residing overseas. There are plans to convert e4all into an online magazine soon.

Dubai eGovernment is a pioneering initiative in the region to provide online services across the spectrum of corporate and community life in the emirate It also has a vision to integrate Individually automated government departments under the single umbrella of the eGovernment initiative, thus empowering employees across lines of businesses and levels of government, besides facilitating the lives of citizens and customers of the government. Dubai has taken a lead in the region in deploying eGovernment applications and is among the first few governments in the world to provide such integrated services to its citizens. The eGovernment portal (www.dubai.ae ) is a single contact point masking the complexity of the bureaucratic procedures, and guiding access to all services in the easiest possible way. In addition, the eGovernment initiative seeks to improve and enhance procedures by maximizing the benefit from technology, so that users from all walks of life will be able to utilize the portal for their specific needs with considerable ease.

AL BADIA GOLF RESORT UNVEILS LOGO IDENTITY REVEAL COINCIDES WITH DESERT CLASSIC

29th February 2004 A dynamic logo which is to internationally brand Dubai's latest world-class golfing offering - the Al Badia Golf Resort at the waterfront Dubai Festival City - has been unveiled to coincide with the Dubai Desert Classic PGA tournament.

The logo, designed in sporting green, sand hues and red, has swirling forms reminiscent of the Dubai Festival City master logo and is to reflect the unique features of the Par 72, 18-hole Al Badia Course.

"The green represents the lushness of the course, which has transformed the original desert location," said Phil McArthur, Director Leasing & Marketing, Dubai Festival City. "The rich sand tones express the unique 'Rivers of Sand' concept, which master course designer Robert Trent Jones II has used throughout Al Badia to give shade and depth, while the scorching red brings to mind the magnificent sunsets that visitors to Al Badia will witness."

The Dubai Desert Classic was seen as an ideal venue from which to launch the logo for Al Badia, which is also this year's sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic driving range."We want to ensure this identity, which will carry our name worldwide, is firmly in the minds of the international golfing media, professional and visiting community," said McArthur.

The 7,320 yards Al Badia Course is due to open to the public later this year.

"At the Classic visitors are able to register for limited pre-opening VIP tee times," explained McArthur. A VIP invitational programme is due to get under way later this year.

The Al Badia course - named after 'The Land Of The Bedouins', is differentiated from others in Dubai by its intense use of water features and by its executive lifestyle residential offering.

"The course will have comprehensive appeal across local, regional and international tourism markets," said McArthur. "It will be a haven of peace and tranquillity and all in down-town Dubai, within just two kilometres of Dubai International Airport."The Al Badia course has 11 lakes, numerous ponds and streams and water cascading through features across the course and down into Dubai Creek."Already it is attracting a variety of bird-life and a stroll around the course is now something of a nature walk," explained McArthur. "Visitors will be in awe at how rich and green the course is in contrast to the desert terrain from which it came."

The Al Badia Golf Resort will have a clubhouse, sports academy and a 150-room boutique golf resort hotel. Around the course will be executive, lifestyle homes all with stunning views of the course, its lakes and the Dubai skyline.

"The show homes of this Mediterranean-terrace style development will be open for view shortly after the Desert Classic," said McArthur. "We anticipate visitors to the Classic will also sign up for viewings."The first 64 homes on the Al Badia golf course will be available for lease from May this year with the remaining 232 being completed a year later."This development offers an opportunity, unique in the Middle East, to rent homes overlooking a world-class golfing environment," said McArthur.

 

Caption: Al Badia Golf Resort - identity unveiled.