DUBAI, 6 July 2006 — ABN AMRO yesterday announced that it has received a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate as an authorized firm at the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). The approval will allow ABN AMRO to use the DIFC as a base for providing clients with a full suite of investment banking products including project and structured finance advisory, corporate finance, equity and debt capital markets solutions, from a specialized platform that operates using international standards and best practices of the DFSA. Speaking at the press conference, Colin Macdonald, country executive of ABN AMRO in the UAE, said: “We are looking forward to being a part of the DIFC. ABN AMRO has been in the region since the 1920s and is committed to further develop its investment banking capabilities in the UAE and Middle East.” Welcoming ABN AMRO, Omar Bin Sulaiman, governor of the DIFC, said: “The DIFC offers a true partnership to an institution such as ABN AMRO. As a regional financial hub, the DIFC brings together the region’s and the world leading players on to a common platform that offers access to this dynamic region.”
Dubai Properties to Target Europeans
DUBAI, 6 July 2006 — Dubai Properties will target European investors through a three-month promotional campaign at London’s prestigious Harrods department store, the third most visited tourist attraction in the UK. The Harrods campaign is part of a Dubai Properties initiative to increase its global presence and promote investor interest in Dubai. It has been specifically timed to coincide with the prestigious Knightsbridge store’s popular July sale, which draws over 1 million high net worth customers. The campaign, which runs from July 1 to Sept. 30, was inaugurated by Hashim Al-Dabal, CEO of Dubai Properties, and Mohamed El-Fayed, CEO of Harrods.
DOMOTEX Attracts Over 5,000 Visitors
DUBAI, 6 July 2006 — DOMOTEX Middle East, the specialized carpets and flooring exhibition, which made its regional debut in Dubai recently, attracted over 5,000 visitors from 70 countries. The event, which is the fastest selling, new-to-market trade show in the history of the Dubai World Trade Center, will now run annually mirroring its success in Europe and China. Organized by Deutsche Messe AG Hanover, one of the world’s top three trade fair companies, DOMOTEX Middle East had pavilions from six different countries and 241 exhibitors from 35 countries, of which 86 percent were from overseas. “The show has given the Middle East flooring and carpeting industry a great deal of international exposure with over 39 percent of the visitors coming from abroad. It also gave the overseas exhibitors regional contacts,” said Angela Schaschen, managing director, Messe Middle East, the regional representative of Deutsche Messe AG Hannover.
MasterCard, Emirates Make Joint Move
DUBAI, 6 July 2006 — MasterCard Worldwide, a key sponsor of the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) for the seventh consecutive year, is collaborating with Emirates Airline to attract shoppers to Dubai from across the world during the DSS, which runs from June 21 to Sept. 1. Emirates Airline is offering MasterCard cardholders a 10% discount for online bookings of DSS 2006 travel packages to Dubai which include hotel stays with breakfast, meet & assist on arrival, welcome packs, discount vouchers and transfers for incoming tourists. The promotion is open to MasterCard cardholders in 19 countries in the Middle East and Asia Pacific region.
