Capital Club Dubai, the region’s premier private business club and a member of the ENSHAA group of companies, has weathered the global economic crisis and is offering attractive new services to its distinguished client base, whilst continuing its commitment to providing further improvement in services, according to its CEO, Russell Matcham.

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Costa Cruises – together with AIDA Cruises, the German brand and affiliate of the Costa Crociere S.p.A. Group – was the first Company , mentioned  in Cruise Travel Magazine,  to market regular cruises in the Arabian Gulf, turning Dubai into a major cruise destination and contributing to its growth as a tourist resort. Costa Cruises’ operations in the region were launched in winter 2006/2007 with the deployment of one ship – the Costa Classica (53,000 gross tonnage and 1,680 total Guests) – and were an immediate success; so much so, in fact, that Costa has increased its capacity in the region every year since then.  The number of Costa Cruises Guests in Dubai has risen from 44,000 in winter 2006/2007 to an estimated 140,000 in winter 2009/10, thanks to the presence of three ships – the Costa Luminosa, Costa Deliziosa and Costa Europa, with a total of 32 port calls. In winter 2010/2011 a further increase is expected with 31 calls and 150,000 passenger movements. The estimated economic impact in 2009/10 was around 14* million euros, derived from direct spending by Costa’s Guests, shoreside excursions, transport, port fees and expenditure on food & beverage.

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This year’s top contenders for the highly coveted Middle East Business Achievement Awards have been finalised. The shortlisted contenders were announced today by Leaders Events, organisers of the region’s most prestigious leadership and business excellence awards.

Unlike in previous editions when a separate awards ceremony was held, this year’s MEBA awardees will be given their citations in front of a bigger audience, an elite gathering of the region’s top business leaders as well as the world’s most celebrated management thinkers, strategists and honorary guests. Dignitaries and management experts, on the first day of the conference, including Desmond Tutu, Gary Hamel and Chester Elton are set to honour MEBA winners on stage at the Leaders in Dubai Business Forum on October 26th, 2009 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The MEBA Awards platform, now in its third year, was created to identify and honour companies and individuals who are making a difference through leadership and innovation in their industry sectors.

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Dubai Holding announced today that it is realigning its organisational structure to streamline its operations and ensure the continued delivery of world-class projects and future growth of the organisation.
Building on its strengths and core competencies in four major operational specialisations, Dubai Holding is reorganizing its businesses into Property, Business Parks, Hospitality and Investments verticals. The realignment will deliver significant efficiencies as the group prepares for the economic upturn.

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Real Capital Analytics Inc. (RCA) was presented with the International Real Estate Society (IRES) Corporate Excellence Award for 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden at the European Real Estate Society Annual Conference.

Real Capital Analytics was commended for the quality of their global property transactions database and the calibre of their capital trends reports supporting more informed global real estate investment decision-making. The strong support provided by Real Capital Analytics to real estate academics in many countries was also recognized.

“On behalf of our Founder, Bob White, the rest of my colleagues at RCA and our data partners, we are honored to receive this award”, said RCA’s Executive Vice President Joe Mannina who accepted the award in Stockholm. “We will continue our efforts to support the valuable academic research that is being done by IRES members around the world.”

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Agreement marks 12th leading information provider RCA has partnered with in a collaborative effort to bring transparency to global commercial property markets

Real Capital Analytics (RCA), a leading global research firm, announced today that it has entered into a long-term license agreement with Nikkei Business Publications, Japan’s leading source for commercial property transaction data, to incorporate Japanese transaction data into RCA’s Global Transaction Database.

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According Reuters, in the beginning of February, Al-Fajer Properties announced a 3.2 billion dirham ($871.2 million) restructuring of its operations. Under the leadership of its new president, Sheik Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum – the eldest son of the company’s owner – the company had liquidated its land bank and sold off its remaining inventory after a “rigorous” business review in order to strengthen its balance sheet.

Later sources close to Al-Fajer told America’a leading business magazine Forbes that the restructuring was actually a wholesale “rescue” from financial ruin as an independent entity, after nearly three years of alleged mismanagement under former manager Shahram Abdullah Zadeh, businessman from Iranian origin.

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LIVE Broadcast Production & Facilities (LIVE), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company, is one of the only production companies in the region with its own in-house, high quality, state-of-the-art, High Definition outside broadcast capabilities.  Headed up by Abdul Hadi Al Sheikh, LIVE is the biggest production company in the region with assets worth more than 100 million AED.

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Depa Limited (DEPA), one of the world’s largest interior contractors, today issues the following update ahead of the announcement of its full year audited results, expected to be published on 30 March 2009. The date reflects the time needed to consolidate 26 companies for the first time as a public reporting entity.

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Dubai Holding, one of the Dubai’s largest business conglomerates, said it was consolidating the back-office operations of its property companies and two of its financial arms in the latest move by the Government to adjust as the global economic crisis hits the Gulf, according The National.

In a statement Dubai Holding said it would merge the administrative and back-office functions of Dubai Properties, Sama Dubai and Mizin, a subsidiary of Tatweer, to form “closer working relationships by realising efficiencies through the consolidation”. The move would not change the companies’ “core activities” or have any impact on the legal relationships the companies have with their current partners, including their suppliers, contractors and investors.

In the mean time Soud Ba’alawy, Executive Chairman of Dubai Group and Sameer Al Ansari, Executive Chairman of Dubai International Capital will take on the roles of Chairmen of Dubai Holding Investment Group. Tom Volpe, current CEO of Dubai Group, will become the CEO of Dubai Holding Investment Group and Acting CEO of Dubai International Capital.

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