In his new role at DSOA, Hans is mandated to structure and establish the initiative as a leading regional incubator in the technology space. Additionally, he is responsible to drive the key objectives of the incubator such as nurturing entrepreneurship, promoting technology innovation and positioning Dubai Silicon Oasis as an ideal location for tech outfits.

Towards this end, Hans is responsible for reviewing and evaluating proposed business plans and to select the most promising ventures for funding. He will also lead initiatives such as coaching, mentoring and training of shortlisted participants to help them set up and run profitable businesses. In addition to this, Hans is charged with building up the incubator eco-system of partners, vital for the success of the incubator.

Shahla Abdul Razak Bastaki, Deputy CEO at DSOA said: “We are confident that Silicon Oasis Founders holds endless possibilities for individuals and businesses that thrive on imagination and creativity. Through the incubation centre we aim to nurture, encourage and support innovation. We are pleased to welcome on board, Hans, a veteran in incubation development. We are confident that he will contribute to achieving the objectives of the incubator.”

Speaking on his appointment, Hans said: “I am delighted to join Silicon Oasis Founders. Working with new ideas and seeing them realize as revenue generating businesses is extremely fulfilling. I look forward to interacting with the future innovators until they exit with viable financed models.”

Prior to joining DSOA, Hans founded and ran two technology companies in South America for five years. Later he served as the director of the Siemens Information Communications Networks’ incubator inMunichGermany. Hans played an instrumental role in building-up and transforming the incubator into a successful incubator through his business acumen, foresight and leadership. He successfully managed to spin-off its main venture, i250, which was his third company and financed through renowned venture capitalists. He led this entity in his capacity as CEO of a 22-member team.

Also in attendance was Osman Sultan – CEO, du, Sulaiman Al Jassim, Vice President of Zayed University, Larry Wilson, Provost of Zayed University and Safia Saeed Al Raqbani, Chief Development and External Officer of Zayed University among other senior officials from Zayed University and du.

During the event, HE Sheikh Nahyan stressed upon the importance of community partnerships between universities and industry leaders, to give students invaluable experience in work-like environments prior to graduation, in line with the UAE leadership’s vision. HE Sheikh Nahyan also elaborated upon the uniqueness of Zayed University, and emphasised the ongoing, strengthening relationships between the institution and major societal entities.

HE Sheikh Nahyan valued du’s role in establishing and developing the laboratory, stating it as an important endeavour that will contribute to raising the educational performance levels of Zayed University’s students.

Dedicating the du multimedia lab to the students and the nation, HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said: “Education is a communal affair that requires integration and communication between social institutions and sectors. Nurturing the abilities of today’s students in a realistic work-like environment is vital to ensuring their easy integration into the workforce. With this multimedia lab, du has developed an essential tool to ensure that Zayed University’s College of Communication and Media Sciences students are given the very best start to their future careers.”

He pointed to the vital role played by Zayed University in the service of community institutions within scientific and educational aspects of the University programs offered to match the employment markets requirements.

The multimedia lab at Zayed University is part of du’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts to support education through practical, vocational-oriented learning for students in the UAE. In 2011, the telecom company collaborated with Zayed University to provide technical support for the College of Communication and Media Sciences by developing multimedia labs on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi campuses. As part of the opening ceremony, students at Zayed University had the chance to interview HH Sheikh Nahyan and Osman Sultan.

“As part of our corporate social responsibility, we support and embrace the talent of young Emiratis to help them realise their full potential. This partnership underlines our strong commitment to the community and demonstrates our dedicated approach to supporting education. By developing the multimedia lab in collaboration with Zayed University, we are giving students the tools that they need to go on and be successful in their future media careers,” said Osman Sultan. “I would like to extend my thanks to HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan for officiating today’s ceremony, and to Zayed University for allowing us to collaborate in such an enriching way.”

Now officially open, the du multimedia lab facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technical infrastructure and software, for the benefit of the University’s students and faculty. du has created a channel exclusively for Zayed University, so that students can start broadcasting programmes and interviews.

On this occasion, a competition for students was also announced. Their entries will translate du’s fifth anniversary into a 55 second video, with winners to be announced soon.

According to recent research from CIFAS, the UK Fraud Protection Service, more than half of all fraud in the UK is Internet-based. Identity theft can result in fraud costing government, financial institutions and users millions of pounds a year.

CIFAS’ report shows that the Internet had become a hotbed of unauthorised account takeovers. Identity thieves are typically able to hack into accounts and gain access to valuable information much more easily  if passwords are simple to guess. In an effort to reduce the amount of complex passwords to be remembered, consumers often use default or easy to guess passwords and frequently re-use them for multiple sites and across multiple devices.  The threat of ID fraud is made even greater with a rise in keylogging malware which cyber criminals are using to  capture passwords as they are typed in by users in order to break into accounts.

Trend Micro DirectPass manages all passwords and login IDs in one secure location, automatically filling personal information into web forms accurately and safely. It offers online security through a safe browsing experience, protecting users from a broad range of network, keylogging and Trojan-based attacks, while blocking malicious browser plug-ins that can compromise system security.  The software features cloud synchronisation technology that enables users to access sensitive sites from virtually any device across a number of mobile operating platforms.

DirectPass monitors thousands of web sites to assess multi-layer login patterns and keep client software safe from the latest threats. It quickly, easily and automatically generates secure passwords that users don’t have to remember.  It securely stores confidential data related to an online account, along with any other confidential text data. Best of all, DirectPass is simple to use.

“There is always the chance that someone can get hold of your information without your knowing”, said Rik Ferguson, Director of Security Research and Communication at Trend Micro. “DirectPass offers consumers an extra layer of security against ID fraud when accessing sensitive online sites such as banks while removing the headache of juggling multiple passwords.”

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Western Union Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Western Union, will offer the service through Emirates International Exchange, an  exchange house in the Middle East. Each SME holding an account will be assigned a nominated agent for regular and informed updates regarding currency fluctuations and exchange rates.

SMEs play an important role in the UAE economy. Approximately 200,000 SMEs are currently operating in the UAE, employing 86% of the workforce and generating 46% of the country’s GDP.  The country’s non-oil foreign trade grew 22% in 2011; and UAE companies expect to increase trade by over 5.5% annually over the next 15 years according to trade forecast data.

Highlighting the importance of the service, Jonathan Knaus, Vice President, Agent Sales & Implementation, Western Union Business Solutions said, “The growth and sustainability of SMEs is a critical component of the UAE’s dynamic economic expansion. But when it comes to cross-border payments, SMEs have generally been underserved.  Western Union Business Solutions understands this market and SMEs’ needs for cross-border regulatory and compliance expertise, multiple currency settlement options and broad availability, which we are able to offer through Emirates International Exchange.”

Traditionally known for its consumer-to-consumer payment services, Western Union entered the SME cross-border payment space with the 2009 acquisition of Custom House and the subsequent acquisition of Travelex Global Business Payments in 2011.  Now, Western Union Business Solutions is a leader in cross-border payments for all businesses, with a focus on SMEs.

Speaking at the launch event, Prrasad Katta, Regional Director – MEA, Western Union Business Solutions said, “According to The World Bank’s ‘Doing Business Report 2012,’ the UAE has been the leading country in the MENA Region for enabling cross-border trade for three consecutive years.  This is a direct result of the sustained efforts and investments by the UAE Government to create an environment that encourages entrepreneurs and SMEs to trade across borders.  In order for that trend to continue, SMEs need a fast, reliable and convenient cross-border payment mechanism, which hasn’t been readily available to them until now.”

Humaid Mohammed Shattaf, Chairman and Managing Partner, Emirates International Exchange added, “We have shared a strong relationship with Western Union in the UAE over the last seven years offering customers their core service of money transfer and remittance. We are extremely proud and happy to further strengthen our association and pioneer Western Union Business Solutions in the Middle East. The opportunity and need for such a payment solution is tremendous, and we are certain that this new product will definitely help SMEs in the UAE to benefit through convenient, fast and reliable payments.”

The Kingdom saw a number of successes in the last few months of 2011 as financial institutions such Notz Stucki and Altaira Middle East have set up in the Kingdom, increasing the number of institutions registered in the country to 415 as of 31^st January.

Among the financial firms that have registered in Bahrain during the course of 2011 are Canara Bank, AMP Capital Investors and Deloitte Corporate Finance.

Bahrain, which hosts today the First Euromoney GCC Private Banking Conference, has been a financial centre for over 40 years. The financial services industry in Bahrain employed more than 14,000 people at the end of 2010, of which two thirds were Bahrainis. Alongside the increase in the number of financial institutions, the financial sector in Bahrain continued to grow in the first half of 2011, expanding by 1.7% in the twelve months to June 2011 according to the Bahrain Economic Quarterly.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), said: “We at EDB are very pleased by the strong performance of the financial sector over the last year.

“That these businesses are choosing Bahrain as their base for accessing the Gulf economies and the wider Middle East is testament to the strength of the local Bahraini workforce, the quality of the Central Bank of Bahrain’s regulation and the access we provide to the strong-growing Gulf market which is now worth over a trillion dollars.”

The EDB holds responsibility for Bahrain’s Vision 2030 and National Economic Strategy, which are designed to drive the private sector as an engine of growth, support further diversification of the economy and ultimately elevate national living standards by creating greater opportunities for all Bahrainis.

An important aspect of EDB’s mandate is creating the best conditions for attracting foreign direct investment. Bahrain’s commitment to liberal economic policies designed to increase growth was reflected earlier this year as it was ranked among the world’s top 20 most economically free nations and the most free in MENA by the annual Index of Economic Freedom, published by The Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal.

“The Change Initiative Dubai will be an exciting and convenient new flagship store for environmentally-friendly services and products. Never before has the opportunity to experience and purchase sustainable products been offered in a single location, nor such a breadth of class-leading solutions for homes and businesses alike,” said the company’s board member and leading global environmental advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The first company of its type in the region, The Change Initiative aims to do exactly what its name suggests: change behaviours by bringing together solutions and information that can help people make more responsible lifestyle choices.

“Global research indicates that increasing numbers of consumers are starting to appreciate the importance of adopting more environmentally-sustainable behaviour. The Change Initiative is reaching out to the growing community of people willing to factor sustainability into their purchase decisions and daily lifestyle,” said company CEO and founder Gundeep Singh.

The company’s 4,000 square-metre facility in Al Barsha will display a comprehensive range of solutions in five main categories. These span the Change Initiative’s Whole of Life business model: Energy, water, waste, food, and lifestyle.

Visitors to the marketplace will be able to learn about, try and buy solutions while gaining a vast amount of free information dedicated to encouraging more environmentally-responsible behaviour.

(L-R) Robert F. Kennedy with Gundeep Singh

Established in 2008, The Change Initiative has formed partnerships with global brands and multinational firms specialising in everything from sustainable cleaning products to solar panels, household appliances to building solutions.

A variety of leading business people and public figures from the around the world are also backing the company, including Loek Malmberg of the Skagen Group and Abdullah Mohammed Al Mazrui of Aramex.

“As a global commercial centre, Dubai is an ideal platform to launch The Change Initiative and further build our portfolio of business, knowledge and innovation partners, many of whom have based their Middle East operations in the emirate,” Singh added.

The Change Initiative is targeting up to 25 showrooms in the Middle East and Asia, and hopes to expand its 40-strong team to 5,000 employees over the next five years.

Staples cited the communication approaches of governments to Hurricane Katrina in the US (2005) and more recently to the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan (2011) as ineffectual and uncoordinated. On the other hand, Singapore’s response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2000 demonstrated best practices in crisis communication.

Elaborating on this point, he added: “Within two days of the SARS outbreak, the Singaporean Prime Minister took responsibility for the epidemic and set up a national task force. In addition to actively involving the media, public education campaigns across schools and communities were launched in full force. The Ministry of Health declared the situation as a national crisis and offered continuous updates through holding daily press conferences. A dedicated SARS website and TV station were set up. Periodic polls were conducted on people’s satisfaction that indicated 93 per cent satisfaction to the way the government managed the crisis.”

Panellists in discussion at the Forum

Staples’ comments came during a panel discussion titled ‘Management of Risks and Crises in Governmental Media Communications’ on the first day of Government Communication Forum 2012. Dr. Nabil Al Khatib, Executive News Director at Al Arabiya, jointly headlined the discussion. Attended by leading government officials and top-tier regional and global media thought leaders, GCF 2012 runs until 27^th February at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

In his comments, Dr. Khatib said: “There is a need to redefine the role of public relations agencies (PR) in the Middle East. This is important if we are to avoid any tendency to ‘blackout’ or filter information that is communicated. Instead of talking about the crisis on hand and a possible solution, the audience is kept in the dark. Client in the media is the audience and the different departments of PR need to help them, not mislead.”

“The information ‘blackouts’ in the region are caused when the PR agency does not allow the real extent of the crisis to reach the public, thus keeping them unaware of the reality on ground. Media outlets rely on information from PR agencies. If the agency withholds information from the media and public, it can cause long-term issues for the government entity. It is, therefore, very important for the government to communicate the right kind of information and not just placate the client. ”

Brad Staples serves on APCO Worldwide’s executive committee. Formerly, the CEO for APCO’s Europe region and subsequently for EMEA operations, he led the company’s expansion throughout EMEA and helped develop client service teams across these geographies. Prior to joining APCO, Staples worked at a European affairs consultancy in London and Brussels.

The former Executive Editor at Al Arabiya News Channel, Dr. Al Khatib has extensive experience in news reporting in the region. In addition to his earlier role as Co-Founder and Director of the Birzeit University Media Institute, he has also served as Chairman of the Department of Mass Communications and as Director of the Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) in Jerusalem.

The second day of the Government Communication Forum will host sessions on:

-       Case Study of the Governmental Awareness Campaigns in the US and UK

-       Role of Visual Media in Supporting Government Institutions’ Vision of Social Development

-       Turkey and Malaysia’s Experience in Developing the Government Media Sector, and

-       The Role of Caricatures in Correcting Misconceptions and Raising Levels of Awareness.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Altaira Wealth Management offers wealth management services to family offices and high net worth individuals. In addition, Altaira offers proprietary investment solutions via a Luxembourg-based fund structure: Altaira Funds. That platform includes proprietary UCITS approved funds crafted in partnership with a group of “strategic alliance partners”. Altaira’s investment solutions include Shariah-compliant investment options.

Announcing the launch of the new subsidiary, Ghazi Abdul Jawad, Chairman of Altaira Middle East said: “This is an excellent opportunity for Gulf-based individuals to access wealth management services provided by a Swiss wealth manager with truly global expertise combined with a “local” Shareholder base.  Altaira Middle East has several Saudi-based shareholders and is managed by a group of people with long experience in the Gulf region. This differentiates us from most asset managers currently operating in Bahrain.”

Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) said: “We welcome Altaira’s decision to set up its regional office in Bahrain. Wealth management businesses play an important role in our financial services sector in providing people from across the Gulf with a means of investing their savings to provide for their future.”

Altaira Wealth Management is regulated in Switzerland by the Association of Swiss Asset Managers and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altaira Limited, a UK-based holding company. Altaira Middle East has been licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain to perform Category 3 activities.

Altaira has established offices in the Seef District of Manama – in Platinum Tower, and has assembled an experienced local staff, including Karim Alansari, who joins as Senior Client Relationship Manager, and Eman Mohammed, Office Manager. Other local employees have been hired and are in the process of coming on board.

Guests from various industries and backgrounds attended the event in celebration the launch of the independent venue that believes in young business, big ideas and shaping your own destiny. Like-minded individuals including entrepreneurs, designers, students, journalists, programmers, artists and restaurateurs embraced the space as a new way to work, collaborate and share ideas.

Leith Matthews, Managing Director, MAKE business hub, said, “MAKE offers a vivid and unique work environment that encourages entrepreneurship and fresh ideas. Connections between people, both business and personal are at the center of the MAKE ethos, from the design of the workspace, to the ethic of the staff, and the events and workshops that are hosted here.”

MAKE aims to create an authentic destination where young entrepreneurs and creative mobile workers can network and meet new people. It is an urban working space that combines the best of an office space, retail and coffee shop in one, with a free and reliable WiFi connection, accessible business facilities, and a great menu of coffee, food and beverages.

One regular visitor to MAKE, Mira El Tal, who works as consultant covering the Middle East region at Inspirational Development Group, commented: “What II love about MAKE is the space the people. Given the nature of my job, I spend a lot of time working from home, having a place to come to helps separate my work life and personal life. It is also nice to be around. I have used MAKE as my office space for the past couple of weeks, the environment here encourages me to focus without any distractions I often get at home. It has also helped me develop a network of friends and business relations, which is a very important part of my job.”

“During the period of fleshing out ideas for my business and the next big think, I always found myself working in coffee shops, restaurants or hotel lobbies. One day, I had a look around me and it was then when I realised I was not the only one, and at many times the café looked more like an office than many offices, everyone on laptops working on kick-starting their own little dream business,” says Leith.

Workstations at MAKE

MAKE aims to create a real community targeting like-minded individuals from various industries ranging from business owners, freelancers, students, and entrepreneurs to part-timers, journalists and creative to share ideas, advice and most importantly inspiration.

“MAKE is more than just a café. We have a clear focus on the core pillars of Entrepreneurship, Technology and Design, giving us the right ’infrastructure for success’, by taking the best of both café and office and wrapping it up in a cool urban space,” added Leith. “MAKE has a very urban setup that is divided into different areas to give people options; a café/lounge area, an espresso bar for more casual catch-ups, workstations for when you need to focus, and meeting pods for collaborative efforts.”

MAKE business hub will soon launch the MAKE Guru awareness program – a community of successful entrepreneurs from different industries and backgrounds.

Leith says, “MAKE’s Gurus are brave, bold personalities who decided to seize the opportunity and create their own brand. MAKE’s Guru program gives other entrepreneurs and young business owners a platform to network and interact with successful people provides them with a sense of belonging to a community that is based on creativity and inspiration that fosters and nurtures the entrepreneurial spirit.”

“With more and more people these days prefer to work outside of the office, whether at home or at their favourite coffee shop. By giving entrepreneurs a platform for them to work from, network and interact with new people, we are providing them with a sense of belonging to a community that is based on like-minded creativity and inspiration,” concludes Leith.

With the use of SAS Analytics, Expedia was able to transform huge volumes of data into useful insights for decision making, thereby effectively optimising online customer experiences and increasing customer lifetime value to fuel the company’s growth.

Over the last year, the partnership has given Expedia the advantage of utilising SAS Analytics as a strategic tool to relate key processes that range from customer lifeline value to acquisition-cost decisions. The SAS Analytics team used a special clustering technique to help learn more about customer behavior and preferences. Based on their findings, the analytics team was able to build predictive models that revealed the factors that most influence transactions. Customer lifetime value insights help Expedia determine what offers and promotions encourage repeat business. Since using SAS Analytics, the benefit to Expedia customers and Expedia’s bottom line has been significant.

“In the direct response business, we track and measure everything so we need powerful analytical products that can handle big data,” said Joe Megibow, VP and General Manager, Expedia US. “We use SAS for our analytical heavy lifting. With nearly 200 terabytes of customer and clickstream data in our data warehouse, we count on SAS predictive analytics and data mining to analyse extremely large data volumes. Analytical insights about customer needs and preferences help us deliver the value and convenience that earns their loyalty.”

Megibow led Expedia’s effort to consolidate the company’s disparate data feeds into one and apply analytics to optimize marketing. Megibow presented his approach to hundreds of Web Analytics Association members who awarded him the Practitioner of the Year Award for Excellence. Diligence in data-driven decision making played a large role in Megibow’s promotion to his current role as Vice President and General Manager for Expedia US.

To establish its culture of analytics, Expedia hires creative thinkers who not only understand data and analytics, but also its business and customer needs. The depth and breadth of SAS Analytics inspires innovative problem solving.

“Expedia has capitalised on SAS’ experience solving different problems in multiple industries. The domain expertise of SAS is an incredible asset that helps us creatively apply technologies to seize opportunities and solve problems,” said Megibow.

“With SAS predictive analytics, Expedia discovers important new ways to increase customer satisfaction. Expedia clearly understands how each marketing channel influences conversions on the site, allowing it to optimise marketing investments by channel. The value of analytics became crystal clear as annual gross bookings and revenue increased. Expedia’s smart use of analytics helps them continually innovate and distinguishes the company as a winner in the online travel industry,” concluded Tapan Patel, Global Product Marketing Manager, SAS.