Learn Russian for FREE at Eton Institute in the Month of August:

Eton Institute announced Russian language as its next FREE course for the month of August. An entire beginner level in Russian is now available absolutely FREE for anyone who is interested in enhancing their language skills.
So far the institute has already offered FREE courses in Arabic, German, French and Mandarin and Microsoft Office as part of its CSR initiative with hundreds of people learning a new language and enhancing their skills.

Dr. Eli Abi Rached, Managing Director of Eton Institute commented: “Russian language is rising in popularity as it is increasingly applied in business communication, politics and economics. The FREE course will enable participants to apply the knowledge of Russian in such fields and deliver on personal aspirations.”

“Russian language”, Dr. Eli said, “is particularly challenging to learn when compared to French or Spanish, and it is this facet that makes it interesting for language enthusiast all over the world.”
Russians are very gifted when it comes to languages; hence you wouldn’t be expected to speak Russian while interacting with natives. However knowledge of Russian will greatly help anyone who is travelling or doing business in Russia or ex-soviet union countries as it is used as a communication language or at least understands it.

“Professionals who have taken Russian courses with us have found it to be extremely helpful while interacting with Russian speakers in conducting regular business activities.” Dr. Eli said.

The FREE Russian course will begin on 02 August and will run three times a week on Sundays, Tuesdays & Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Interested people are encouraged to book early as there are limited places available and places are offered on a first come first serve basis. For further details visit www.eton.ac or call 800 – ETON (800 – 3866).

About Eton Institute:
Eton Institute is Dubai’s leading institute of languages offering over 17 languages at the institute and online courses in 31 languages, flexible timings, tailor-made courses, highly qualified native speakers, teaching practical language while maintaining competitive prices for individuals and businesses.

Strategically located at Dubai Knowledge Village, the institute also offers Cultural Awareness workshops to introduce the Arabic culture and language to non-Arabs. Other areas include Teacher Development & Certification courses in TESOL/TEFL, Computer/IT Training, and workshops in Teacher Training, Professional Development and Corporate Training programmes.

Viewers to enjoy unparalleled home entertainment experience

Abu Dhabi Media Company, one of the fastest-growing multi-platform media organizations in the region, will launch its High-Definition (HD) television channel in October, offering its UAE viewers the opportunity to revolutionise their television viewing experience.

The channel called Abu Dhabi HD, which will feature a wide range of programming including sporting events such as English Premiership football, documentaries from National Geographic Abu Dhabi, drama and movies, offers cinematic visual clarity on a television screen. Abu Dhabi HD will be accessible, through E-Vision, to viewers in the UAE with compatible HD television sets and set-top boxes, which are available from leading electronics retailers.

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Goldman Sachs says oil will reach $85 a barrel by the end of the year.

A new player in the space race? Abu Dhabi’s government backed fund – Aabar – is buying a 32 percent stake in Virgin Galactic – the firm hoping to take paying passengers into space. The money will help fund a new tests – and it’s expected the first flights will take place within two years. But what’s in it for Abu Dhabi?

Emaar Properties focused on project delivery and business consolidation in the first half of 2009, achieved half-year revenue of Dh3,486 million (US$ 949 million) and half-year net operating profit of Dh679 million (US$ 185 million).

Revenue for the second-quarter of the year recorded an increase of 25 percent to Dh1,940 million (US$ 528 million) over first-quarter 2009 revenue of Dh1,546 million (US$ 421 million). Net operating profit for the second-quarter also gained significantly at Dh442 million (US$ 120 million) over first-quarter net profit of AED 237 million (US$ 65 million). The increase in revenue and profitability in the second quarter of 2009 can be attributed to higher unit deliveries and increased sales of completed units as compared to first quarter.

The lower revenue and net operating profit over half-year 2008 figures of Dh8,126 million (US$ 2,212 million) and Dh3,011 million (US$ 820 million), respectively are attributed to the overall economic slowdown following the global economic crisis, and Emaar’s new revenue recognition policy based on completed contract method.

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UAE banks are in a strong position to recommence lending to Real Estate investors according to  Mohanad Al Wadiya, Managing Director of Harbor Real Estate Brokerage and Editor in Chief of the Harbor Report. According to the quarterly Harbor Report, which will be issued at the end of this month, the economic crisis has forced banks to shore up their capital to the extent that now, according to the UAE Central Bank, capital in UAE Banks in May topped AED 200 billion.

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Emirates has become the world’s largest airline operator of Boeing 777 aircraft with the arrival of its 78th Boeing 777 today.

Emirates has another 28 Boeing 777s pending delivery, worth over US$ 7 billion at list prices, and it is also the only airline to operate every model in the Boeing 777 family: -200s, -200ERs, -200LRs, -300s, -300ERs and freighters. The newest addition to the Emirates fleet is a Boeing 777-300ER configured for long distance journeys.

Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “The 777s form the backbone of our fleet, and we have configured these aircraft to give us maximum flexibility in terms of route deployment. Emirates’ 777s today fly to six continents from our Dubai hub, operating routes within a two-hour distance to long-range journeys of 16 hours non-stop.

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The Emirates Stadium will this weekend play host to four of Europe’s leading football teams with its pre-season curtain raiser, the Emirates Cup.

This year, the annual pre-season tournament features Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Glasgow Rangers, who will all be keen to end their pre-season preparations with a bang and capture the trophy which was conceived in 2007.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman, Emirates Airline & Group, said: “Our sponsorship of Arsenal Football Club is essential to our global sporting strategy and The Emirates Cup is a vital part of our association with the club.

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1. 6,227 Investment Professionals in the GCC and Middle East Commit to Advancing Professional Excellence and Standards by Taking June 2009 CFA Exams
2. Increasing demand leads to opening of new examination centre in Dubai from December 2009 onwards

CFA Institute, the preeminent global body of investment professionals, has announced that despite the global economic downturn, a record number of 6,227 investment professionals from nine GCC and Middle East countries reaffirmed their commitment to the highest level of professionalism by enrolling for the CFA exams across the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. This represents a 26% increase from last year.

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Newby Teas have once again won the highest number of Gold awards with a total haul of fifteen Gold awards at the 2009 Great Taste Awards in the UK. The dominant award winners in the tea category, Newby Teas of London have won 31 Great Taste Awards over the last four years. This continued success independently reaffirms Newby’s passion for fine teas and unrivaled commitment to quality.

The Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food are the acknowledged benchmark for specialty food and drink and is regarded as the “Oscars” in the trade. The judging standards for the awards devised by the Guild of Fine Food and are the most rigorous in the UK.  Judged by two teams of experts working separately, they include leading chefs, food writers and buyers.

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