New Technique Could Make 300-Carat DiamondsNew Technique Could Make 300-Carat Diamonds Tanmia's board of trustees review progress of Emiratisation May 20, 2005 The Board of Trustees of the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) recently held its second meeting for 2005 under the chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Convening board members were given a presentation during the meeting on the main features of Tanmia's action plan for 2005 and its annual report for 2004, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers.Tanmia's financial position and the budget modifications that had to be made in response to the curtailment of Tanmia's 2005 budget (by 10 per cent compared to 2004) and the non-implementation of the cabinet resolution on the establishment of a skill development fund was discussed at the meeting, in addition to the initiatives adopted toward enhancing Tanmia's financial resources for its strategic projects. "The board was convened to examine the progress of Tanmia's work and debate about the future course of action for the agency," said Dr. Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi. "Tanmia's work in the past year has been remarkable, given the expansion of opportunities and the flood of well qualified UAE Nationals who are entrants to the market. The vibrancy of the UAE economy is contributing in its measure to the success of Tanmia's initiative, that not only seek to find jobs for employable Nationals, but also enrich their skills and enhancing their chance of employability." However, the main focus of the meeting was on Emiratisation in the various sectors of the UAE economy. The meeting discussed progress of implementation of the Council of Ministers' resolutions on employment quotas in the Private Sector including banking sector (4%), insurance companies (5%) and in trade companies employing 50 workers or more (2%), and on the full Emiratisation of executive, administrative, clerical positions (and business ownership) of travel and tourism, manpower supply and real estate agencies. Following the discussions, the board resolved to issue a resolution establishing Tanmia as the central body in charge of managing the Emiratisation process. The Trustees also agreed for the need of revitalizing the Skill Development Fund to support Tanmia's resources and activities. For achieving Emiratisation, Tanmia will now co-ordinate with local governments as well as step up measures to deny firms not complying with the prescribed Emiratisation quotas the right to obtain work permits and entry visas for foreign labour. Studies done by Tanmia revealed that in the banking sector only seven out of 47 banks operating in the UAE had achieved their 2004 Emiratisation target of four percent, and that over 19 banks registered a gap of over 10 per cent between the targeted and realized levels, and that the overall Emiratisation percentage realized by the sector was 27.6 per cent. In the insurance sector, only one out of the 46 operating firms achieved the prescribed quota (5%) and that Nationals accounted for only 5.3 per cent of the sector's overall work force in 2004. Practical steps were agreed upon in the meeting to accelerate implementation of the Cabinet resolutions in order to reverse the modest results. In the trade sector, 537 firms have furnished the required data while 118 declined. Accordingly, Tanmia has requested the Ministry of Labour to apply the appropriate measures against the non-compliers, and to give the firms who furnished the data a respite up to the end of 2005, in recognition of their timely response.The meeting also reviewed a report on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Council, a project implemented by Tanmia based on a mandate by the Council of Ministers. The Council is to provide institutional support for this vital sector to attract more Nationals. Catvision forms strategic alliance with KoolConnect to provide video-on-demand Catvision and KoolConnect will display their interactive multimedia entertainment solution at The Hotel Show 2005 in Dubai May 20, 2005 Catvision, the leading provider of cable TV and broadband networking products and services to the cable television and hospitality industries in the Middle East, has formed a strategic alliance with KoolConnect Technologies, the world's leading provider of high-definition multimedia solutions to the global hospitality industry, to deliver advanced digital video-on-demand solutions to the rapidly expanding hospitality market in the Middle East. Catvision and KoolConnect will display their new interactive multimedia entertainment solution at The Hotel Show to be held at the Dubai International Exhibition Center from May 22-24, 2005.Sudhir Damodaran, Director, Catvision, said, "As a company that has made its name by exceeding the expectations of hoteliers in India and the Middle East, Catvision is continually looking for means to assist our customers in serving their guests. The partnership with KoolConnect ensures that we have the only proven, robust, high-definition platform available in the industry worldwide, which, when combined with our knowledge of the Middle East market and our expertise in providing cable TV services, will allow us to continue our tradition of excellence." The turnkey solution offered by KoolConnect and Catvision incorporates interactive video-on-demand, free-to-guest channel lineup and virtual concierge services in both standard and high-definition options and is completely customised to fit the look, feel and brand of the host hotel. Additionally, it enables hotel staff and management to communicate with their guests electronically and in real time via an advanced web-based management system, KoolCentral, that allows them to deliver messaging and hotel promotions, among other things. All this packaged with a developed servicing structure to maintain the property consistency of product performance.Eran Segev, President of KoolConnect Technologies and Managing Director of its International Operations, said, "Having established our reputation as a leader in the field of multimedia interactive products and services in North America, we turned our attention towards the booming Middle East. Our strong alliance with Catvision promotes a host of cutting edge media solutions, complimented by an infrastructure capable of maintaining the highest installation services available to the region.” "Catvision was a natural choice as partner, considering their proven track record in India and the Middle East. By combining KoolConnect's pioneering technology with the acknowledged expertise and service of Catvision in the region, Middle East hotels will have a host of TV based services to choose from thereby further enriching the overall guest experience," Segev said. Catvision is a leader in the cable television equipment and services industry, which has been its core business since its incorporation. Catvision was the first company to install satellite dishes and systems for reception of foreign television programmes at homes, hotels and city-wide townships in India and across South East Asia. The company markets a range of distribution products, including fibre optic transmitters and nodes, modulators, amplifiers and digital satellite receivers, which meet international specifications. Catvision addresses the Middle East hospitality markets from its office located at Jafza.KoolConnect Technologies provides advanced digital and high-definition video-on-demand solutions to the hospitality industry worldwide. KoolConnect's innovative platform provides interactive media services over digital IP networks and offers a host of scaleable turnkey solutions and products.