Tag Archives: city
Is Dubai set to be the next big technology hub?
Most people immediately think of the US or Japan when the subject of technology is raised, but Dubai is also building itself a strong reputation in this area.Indeed, Dubai Internet City has already attracted some of the leading companies on the planet – not least Google – and this is a trend that is likely to develop over time.Speaking to Al Arabiya, Omar Christidis, chief executive of ArabNet – a forum for technology start-ups – said the emirate is a “growing hub for digital business”.His comments were made during the ArabNet Digital Summit, which poignantly has been switched from its usual location of Beirut to Dubai, further emphasising just how powerful the city has become in the technology sector.Mr Christidis said the interest in digital corporations has “exploded” since 2010 and this is reflected in the growing number of people attending the summit every year.”We're seeing global companies establish their Middle East – and often their Middle East and Africa – headquarters in Dubai, sometimes even managing Turkey and India based out of Dubai,” he was quoted as saying.”This year we decided to shift the Digital Summit, our biggest international event, from Beirut to Dubai, as Dubai is the hub for digital business in the Arab world.”Earlier this month, a study conducted by the Economic Intelligence Unit on behalf of Citi bank concluded that Dubai is an excellent place to do business, describing the city as an “all-round performer”.Aside from the plethora of technology organisations that have moved to the sheikhdom, plenty of enterprises in other fields have been keen to set up a new base in this part of the Gulf. This is partly attributed to the favourable tax laws in the UAE.The Hot Spots 2025: Benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities report showed Dubai is the leading business destination in the Middle East and is set to be the 23rd strongest market in the world over the coming years. Continue reading
College football could be coming to Dubai
Dubai could stage a major US college football 'bowl' in the future, sources have suggested.Some of the less established teams in the North American country are keen to take some of the limelight away from the larger 'Power Five' conferences and a new finale could be the answer.ESPN reports that nine locations have been earmarked for a possible college football extravaganza, four of which are outside the US. As well as Dubai, football chiefs are also considering taking the sport to Dublin, Toronto and Nassau in the Bahamas.Ken Hoffman, chairman and executive director of the Little Caesars Bowl, told the sports news broadcaster that he has been talking to some of the smaller conferences about possibly adding a new bowl in a foreign country.Meanwhile, another source was quoted as saying: “The smaller 'Group of Five' conferences are exploring adding bowl games because they are being locked out by the big boys.”They're looking to create bowl games so their teams will have bowls for their bowl-eligible teams.”American football is becoming increasingly popular all around the world and the annual Superbowl – which features the two best teams in the National Football League (NFL) – is one of the most watched televised sporting occasions on the planet.In fact, some high-profile games have been staged in different countries in recent years and have pulled in sell-out crowds, most notably at London's Wembley Stadium.Although college football is not on the same level as NFL, it is still extremely well supported and is starting to attract more interest from outside the US.Some critics believe there are already too many bowls held each year, but moving one of college football's showpiece events to the Middle East could be a masterstroke.Dubai has already demonstrated the fact it is more than capable of hosting top-class sporting events, with major golf and tennis competitions taking place in the city each year. Rumours have also been circulating that the emirate could stage a high-profile boxing match later this year. Continue reading
DM delegation visits Paris for Expo2020 official mission
DM delegation visits Paris for Expo2020 official mission (Wam) / 12 June 2013 A delegation headed by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality participated in the official mission related to Expo2020 held in the City of Paris on Wednesday. The delegation included Eng. Mohamed Noor Mashroom, Director of General Projects Department and Eng. Marwan Al Mohammed, Head of Engineering Supervision at Buildings Department. The delegation will also be visiting some new world-class projects implemented by the city of Paris including Futuroscope Theme Park and Science Museum. It is worth mentioning that Dubai Municipality has good relations with the French cities, especially the city of Lyon, with which the civic body has signed an agreement of friendship and cooperation aimed at strengthening bilateral relations by finding ways to cooperate in the field of municipal work. The agreement is aimed at encouraging and facilitating exchange of information and experiences in the fields of economic and cultural relations, particularly in construction and infrastructure, which includes the exchange of the lightening system for modern and historical buildings applied by the city of Lyon. Continue reading
