ARABIAN SPONSORSHIP FORUM BRINGS TOGETHER ELITE OF ARABIAN GULF MARKETING INDUSTRY

Region’s leading sports and entertainment marketing conference returns to Abu Dhabi this week -

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 5^th December, 2010  The Arabian Sponsorship Forum is expected to see more than 300 of the region’s leading marketers, agencies and rights-holders attend the two-day Forum at The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi on December 8^th and 9^th.

The ‘Introduction to Sponsorship’ workshop, which will be attended by more than 150 undergraduates and recent graduates, will be led by Professor T.Bettina Cornwell, from the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon, who is widely regarded as the one of the world’s leading sponsorship academics, and Nick Cottage, Head of Sponsorship, Etihad.

The 2010 key note speech is from Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Local Organising Committee of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. In addition, there will be other key note speeches from Kevin Roberts, the Global CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi; Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer, Eithad Airways; and Jocelyn Robiot, the Global Marketing Director of adidas International.

This year’s Forum also involves a new partnership for stakeholders in the sponsorship industry. Aabar, Emirates, Etihad, Etisalat, Fast Track, Flash, MediaPro, OmanSail, UAE University, Twofour 54 and Zayed Sports City are all confirmed as Corporate Partners. They each receive rights and benefits for their employees to attend all the sessions, enter the Awards and promote their products and services via a new Guide called ‘Opportunities in Sponsorship 2011’ which will be published by Professional Sports Group after the Forum.

In addition, delegates from the many of the region’s leading brands are also attending including  ADCB, ADNIC, Barclays, Du, HSBC, HP, L’Oreal, LG, Nokia, Red Bull and Sorouh.

HE Mohamed Al Mahmoud, the General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council -  the patron and platinum sponsor of the 2010 Forum - is pleased with the development of the 2010 conference:

“This year’s Forum has developed well from the inaugural event, particularly with the emphasis on learning and best practice. The ‘Introduction to Sponsorship’ session with Professor Cornwell is important for both recent Emirati graduates and undergraduates. The support of the leading agencies, companies, rights holders and universities within Abu Dhabi, the UAE and across the Gulf is also important.”

“Sponsorship is a core element of our remit to develop sports in Abu Dhabi. This initiative helps us all to develop the sponsorship industry in the region.”

Jamie Cunningham, Chairman of the Arabian Sponsorship Forum, commented:

“We would like to thank the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Sports Care Program for their patronage and support. There is no better venue for this year’s Forum than Yas Hotel given its location on Yas Marina Circuit, the venue of the Arabian Gulf’s biggest sponsorship event of 2010.”

“We are excited that Dr Jordaan is attending, particularly given this week’s FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi and last week’s announcement that Qatar will host the Arabian Gulf’s first World Cup in 2022.”

In addition to Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Sports Care Program and The Yas Hotel, Gold sponsors include IFM Sports Marketing Surveys, the world’s leading sports consulting and research company; and The Tribe, a leading UAE digital firm.

For more information, please visit www.arabiansponsorship.com

ICD CEO urges Dubai firms to uphold highest standards of corporate governance

Dubai, May 28, 2009: H.E. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the investment arm of the Government of Dubai, today urged companies based in the emirate to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance.

He made these remarks today at the first ICD Finance Conference: Risk and Corporate Governance, which brought together more than 150 senior executives from ICD portfolio companies, and senior officials from the Government Departments which include Dubai Department of Finance and Dubai Department of Economic Development.

The one-day event was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Group and Board Director of ICD, who attended the conference today. It is the first in a series of such events organised by ICD to encourage dialogue and best practice amongst the organisation’s portfolio companies.


In a series of presentations and interactive workshops, internationally recognised speakers, senior ICD executives and representatives of Ernst & Young examined a range of critical issues related to the larger theme of corporate governance and risk management. Andrew Scott, Professor of Economics at the London Business School and an expert on fiscal and monetary policy, provided a special address on the future outlook for the global economy.

“The theme of the first ICD conference – risk and corporate governance – was chosen in response to the unprecedented challenges facing the world today. This event is in line with ICD’s goal of continuously improving the standards of governance and risk management within its group of companies by sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices,” said Mr. Abdulaziz Al Muhairi, Managing Director of ICD.

“Now more than ever, it is critical to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance and effectively manage risk,” he said. “There is a clear correlation between good governance, investor confidence and corporate profitability. Embracing global best practices will therefore continue to yield clear benefits for all the companies represented here today – and for the emirate as a whole.”

Among the ICD portfolio companies and related organisations that participated in the event were: Emirates Group and Dnata Travel Services, Emirates NBD, Emirates National Oil Co., Dubai Aluminium Co. Ltd., Borse Dubai, Emaar Properties, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Cable Co. Ltd., Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai Department of Finance, Emirates Investment & Development, Galadari Brothers Co., National Bonds Corp., and Noor Islamic Bank, among others.