Dubai Knowledge Village Marks 40% New Business Growth in 2010

Partner Sponsor of 2011 International Human Resources Conference and Exhibition

Dubai-UAE: 15 January, 2011 – Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), the region's premier destination for human resources management and a member of TECOM Investments’ Education Cluster, today announced it will outline best practices in recruitment, retention and development in the higher education sector during its participation as a partner sponsor of the International Human Resources Conference and Exhibition (IHRC) in Dubai.

Taking place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 19 - 20 January, the event will be held under the theme ‘Human Resources: Sustainable Capital for the New Era’. It is expected to attract over 500 HR practitioners and specialists from leading public and private sectors, HR NGOs, senior officials, and authorities from around the globe.

On the second day of the conference, Dr. Ayoub Kazim will outline the economic challenges faced by some academic institutions and the remedial measures adopted by higher education providers to attract and retain talent for optimising capital and operational expenditures while achieving academic excellence with respect to programme delivery and research output.

Dubai Knowledge Village’s participation at the conference comes on the back of its phenomenal performance in 2010. Registering 40 per cent new business growth with 28 new companies setting up base at DKV, the number of Human Resources Management (HRM) related firms located at the free zone currently totals more than 450.

The cluster also registered positive growth in the area of ‘HR Consultancy’ and ‘Executive Search’ that facilitates the recruitment of C-Level and executive positions.

Some of the major companies that set up operations at DKV include the global IT training and consultancy firm Fast Lane, recruitment specialist Reed Personnel Services, and specialised human resource training and development centre Allied Institute of Management Studies (AIMS).

Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director of Education Cluster - TECOM Investments, said: “Human resources management has become a critical component for organisations, particularly in the current global scenario. Based on the feedback received from organisations during the events we host throughout the year, we see human resources management continuing to serve as a distinctive arm of any corporate structure. The growth witnessed by Dubai Knowledge Village underlines this important trend.”

Maria Brown, Associate Director of Reed in Middle East and North Africa, said: “Opening a specialist recruitment operation in Dubai is another key element within our global expansion strategy and we are delighted to have been accepted by TECOM Investments into Dubai Knowledge Village. The new Dubai office strengthens Reed’s commitment to the Middle East.

“Reed is already an important recruitment business partner for a number of employers throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Within two years, I expect Reed’s Dubai operation to expand its workforce to around 50 that will help identify and bring in the best available talent across all our 30 professional and sector specialisms.”

Founded in 1960, Reed is a specialist provider of permanent, contract, temporary and outsourced recruitment solutions, as well as IT and HR consulting. Reed operates in the Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific, and has over 3,000 permanent employees working out of 350 offices across 30 specialisms.

Josef Miskulnig, Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Fast Lane Computer Consultancy, said: “As Cisco’s largest learning partner worldwide, we cover the entire Middle East and Africa region from our Dubai-based operations. It was therefore a strategic decision to move to Dubai Knowledge Village in 2010 and we are delighted to be a business partner at TECOM Investments. Our new office at DKV brings us closer to our customers and enables us to offer improved services and solutions. We are confident our location will help us quickly consolidate our presence in the region.”

DKV has created several platforms to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices across the areas of education, project management, leadership, work-life balance, investment, sales, IT, design, HR and tourism among others. Periodic industry-specific events focusing on sectors such as oil and gas, finance and banking, and investments prominently feature on DKV’s annual calendar of programmes.

DKV’s Partner Development Management (PDM) department has to date successfully conducted 211 workshops and seminars that have attracted over 21,000 professionals from the UAE and the region. Launched in January 2007, it aims to support business partners through fostering their interaction with the TECOM community as well as other industries, maximizing their exposure and visibility, and helping them reach their target market through building appropriate marketing channels.

In 2010, Dubai Knowledge Village gained a strong ranking on fDi (Foreign Direct Investment) magazine’s annual report of global free zones. Dubai Knowledge Village has been ranked first globally under the ‘Best Incentives’ category and amongst the top 10 for ‘Best FDI Promotion Strategy’.

Launched in 2003 as the largest dedicated community for human resource management professionals, Dubai Knowledge Village continues to contribute to the development of the region’s talent pool and accelerate the creation of a knowledge-based economy.